“Hey, peach.”  That was the welcome 12- year-old Aleiah got every morning as she walked into the classroom.  Her skin was a peach color, not the lavender skin of her classmates.   Any one would think this peach skin normal except for the inhabitants of Poco.   All but the ship-stranded survivors of Poco originate from thirty Antarcticans who survived the terrible trip.  They went to find warmer weather. Freak storms in Antarctica changed their skin to a beautiful soft pale lavender. They wanted to escape the storms. They did not know that their ancestors had peach skin of course, that information was kept in the Big Book of Pocan History.  The book is available to any one with permission to use it, usually scholars and philosophers.  

Ali was, as others saw her, abnormal.  ‘Since she is not like us,’ they thought,’ we can tease and laugh at her.’  Ali knew her family history because her mom had told her.  Once, when she had been five years old she asked her mom why she was different than the other kids.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, Aleiah?”

“Why am I different?”

And she had explained. 

Aleiah sat down and got ready for her last period subject, Pocan History.  Spit wads flew, names called across the room floating like featherweight knives in the air. When they hit her ears she wrenched them out and ignored the pain she hid behind her stoic face.  She was used to it though and was not as affected by it as she used to be.   The teacher came in, the room quieted down.

“Take out your books and review for five minutes, then we will have a quiz on chapter six in your books,” said Mrs. McFarland.  As they all flipped to page 254, a bout of coughing broke out.  You would be surprised to know a nasty flu germ was not going around…instead students were covering their insults among coughs.

“Pink-skin”,

“Lame-o”, and

“Ship-wreck” were aimed her way. 

“All right,” her teacher said, passing out papers, “One, Two, Three, go.”

Aleiah looked at the first question: Where is the Big Book of Pocan History located to this day?  She wrote the answer and continued on: How many Antarcticans boarded the Flower-May to sail on Project Escape, (a quest to find a land free of freak storms).  How many survived?  The second part was easy but, how many got on?  There had to be at least one hundred and something.  She wracked her brain.

“One-thirty-six?  No.  One-sixty three.  Wait,”-

“Aleiah Cassandra Disseio, I’ll not have you talking during tests, if I must remind you again you will get an “F”!

Aleiah Cassandra Disseio, she hated that name.  All the other girls in her class would have given anything for that name, but she thought it was a stupid sissy name.  Aleiah liked people to call her Lee.  Even so her mom, Tammy Disseio, insisted on calling her Alli for short.  She remembered her mother gushing to her, “Oh, but ‘Alli’ is such an adorable name!”  This had been when Aleiah had started to go over to the dark side as her brother had put it.  Aleiah just began to act more like a tomboy, that was all.  In Aleiah’s opinion her mother could describe anything as adorable.

            Her father, Mark Disseio, was a journalist for The Daily Sunshine Bugle, published in Talaminfara and shipped all around Poco.  Her parents never seemed to notice that they were different too; they acted as if it made no difference.  Of course it didn’t, not really, but socially, yes, it made a lot of difference there.

“OK, put your pencils down.  The test is now over.”

“Dang,” thought Aleiah.  She had only gotten the first two questions done. 

When the teacher got her paper, Aleiah tried to turn it up side down but Mrs. McFarland flipped it over and said to the class, “Aleiah Cassandra Disseio only got to number two on her quiz, let this be an example to spend your time wisely!”  the rest of the class laughed, the bell rang.  Loud and clear, the majority of the class including Aleiah jumped up and ran out the door.  She passed sixth graders, and fifth, fourth, third, second, and first.  She did not see the pre-schoolers; they were led home via the underground tunnels.

 Aleiah walked home, when she got there she went inside and saw her mom standing at the slow cooker and as Aleiah walked in a batch of cookies popped out.  She asked her mom where her dad was and her mom said that he had to go research a story in Gilad.  She went to her room and she started to write in her diary.  She would not be someone you would expect to write in a diary but she sort of needed one .     

Dear Diary,

Today was like all other days, names and spit wads.  It did not bother me but… well it bothered me a little.  On the way to school I saw Alyssa, she insulted me so I punched her. That quieted her.  I wish they would just leave me alone.   I hate my little brother; today he put some fake dog doo in my water.  I yelled and insulted him, he was sorry!  My dad is doing a column in the paper about some spies from a small neighboring country.  I can’t believe that, the queen had a deal with them.  They would not tell other countries about us and we would not stop shipping them fruit to their dry desolate country.  I can’t believe how my mom is acting.  She pretends that she is fine, but I know our difference is getting to her too.  She is getting the silent treatment; none of the other women in the building ever talk to her. But likewise she does not acknowledge their presence either.  She is oblivious to what is happening around her.  They all just make me so frustrated.  I am seriously considering running away and living in Pangay.  All the shipwrecks go there, it is practically populated with peach skins. They have cheap apartments to buy.  I could get one from the money I’m saving.  What am I talking about?  I could never do that, I wouldn’t survive.

                                                             Over and out,

                                                             Aleiah

  The next day was like the last, but at lunchtime something horrible happened.  Aleiah was walking away from the line with her food, and Theodore, a boy in her Pocan History class, called to her.

“Hey, Peach!  Go back where you came from!”

She stopped walking, “I would if I could!” she yelled without hesitation.  She started walking again.  This was the day’s routine.

“Why don’t you?” said a challenging voice behind her.

“What?” she said with growing rage.

“Go back.” His voice sounded as if he were telling her to.

“You don’t control me.” She said calmly

“Go away.  If you can’t go back just go away from here.  I am sick of you!”

They all stood stock-still.  Aleiah stood there boiling.

            “Make me!” she mumbled.  “Just you make me!” she said a bit louder.  No one could have stopped her.  Not that she knew, but she had been a pot of water with the stove on ever since school started for Aleiah.  She had suspected of course that one day she would boil over but not so soon.  She boiled.

Two hours later Theodore was in the hospital being treated for minor cuts and bruises, and Aleiah was in her room packing.  She was sick of being treated like this so she was going to live in the country.  Aleiah had thrown her old idea of the city because it was much safer in the country. 

            “Flashlight, compass, light blanket, food supply, and my diary.  Ok, I think that’s every thing.”

So she set out, on her way past the bookshop she bought a book called Wild Plants You Can Eat and How to Recognize Them.   As Aleiah walked out of the city heading straight east she saw the river.  She used a bit of her money to take a ferry across, and started east again.  After a while she saw nothing but her compass, fields of wheat, orchards, and the stars.  She decided to camp when she got the faintest scratchiness in her eyes, but thought there might be searches close to the city and kept walking for a few more hours.  She again found a good place to sleep and settled in.

The next day she saw a town on the horizon.  When she got closer she remembered the farming community of Riloo from geography class.  In the town a woman who looked about in her early thirties hailed her.

“Hello dear,” she said, “where did you come from?”  She said all this in a friendly way so Aleiah humored the woman and said,

“My name is..um..uh..Ami, and I come from Talaminfara.”  She did not give her real name in case she was found out.

“Well, Ami, I’m Liane and I think you should come in and relax.  You look horrible, dear!”

The woman, Liane, was watering a garden, and she was wearing a flowery patterned dress with suns on it.  Liane led her into a house with a flower garden by it and got Aleiah a wet washcloth and some cookies and milk.  Aleiah told Liane that she had been sent to visit an aunt in Riloo.  She made up a name and Liane said she did not think there was anyone in the village by that name.  Aleiah was being pressed for more info when a distraction interrupted their talk. 

“Mom, have you seen my duck?  Ronnie just took it and…” she trailed off.  A girl about eight had just burst in.  “Who is that mom?”  The girl’s voice had dropped from furious to shy and slightly afraid.  Before her mother could answer another girl walked in and she was about twelve or eleven.

“Sylvia, don’t make a fuss.  We’ll get your duck back.”  But then she stopped. She had a quiet, soothing voice that matched her sandy hair and her next words were mumbled though it sounded like “Oh I’ll just leave then” and she left the room leading her sister along.  Then a boy about ten came in.

“Whatever she said I didn’t do it!”  he looked at Aleiah and added in, “Huh?”

“Calm down.  Elena, Sylvia, come here.”  When they got there Elena looked at the floor.  “Every thing will be explained at dinner, Elena, make Ami comfortable and show her around. 

At dinner after Aleiah had seen all of the little town/community Liane explained as promised.  Aleiah slept in the loft with Elena.  Aleiah got comfy on the mattress on the floor and realized that she could not stay here forever.

She was a bit hostile toward Elena the next day. But slowly Aleiah discovered that being a friend was really fun. Over the next few days they had become friends, and Elena showed her that if you lean a bit over the edge of the loft you could hear Liane and her friend named Liza talking. Liza always came over after the children were suspected asleep and they stayed up talking many nights.  One night Aleiah, and Elena were listening and this is the conversation they heard

LIANE: Did you hear about that man, Miles Jameson, is his name right?

LIZA: Oh yes, the one who was ship-wrecked and ‘turned good’.

LIANE: Well, I heard that he disappeared into the forest Mimral a week ago and now we are expecting snow in the forecast. 

LIZA: People have spotted him sneaking goods into the forest.  I saw it in the newspaper.

LIANE: Some say he found the mushroom and is damaging it.  That would explain it all. 

LIZA: But how could he find it?  That magic, golden mushroom must be hidden for nobody to have ever found it; I mean it is the mushroom that brings Poco saftey and good weather and secrecy from the outside world!

They kept talking but that was all Aleiah had to hear.  Elena looked frightened out of her wits.

“Aleiah,” she had told Elena her real name a few days ago, “Aleiah, that sounds horrible!”  Aleiah did not answer, she had a planning look in her eyes.  “No, Aleiah!  We can’t go after him!  I’m too afraid.”

“I’ve got to.  They aren’t doing anything, are they?  And besides you don’t have to come if you don’t want to!”  She said this while packing her bag.

Elena pondered this for a while.

“No, I can’t just let you walk out on your own!”

“Elena,” Aleiah said, “no offense but you would just slow me down.  Besides, I…”

“Aleiah, I am your friend right?”

“Uhh”

“Let me come with you, I am your friend.”  She said it again.  Elena’s voice was very soothing and she looked at Aleiah expectantly, waiting for her answer.

“Umm, Well, Yeah,” reluctant at first but then, “yeah!” with more confidence.

“You are my friend and I’m your friend too, OK.”

            “Great, I’ll go pack!”

This was a very important thing for Aleiah.  She had never had a true friend before and was usually hostile to her peers.  “Wow,” she thought, “I have a friend!”

            Dark and spooky, that was the only way to describe the Forest of Mimral.  True there were the amazing, and some say magical fruits that grow there.  But that doesn’t mean it was like dreamland.  The girls had left Riloo about an hour ago and they were thoroughly frightened by the dark, damp, dank, forest.

            “The forest has many animals and plants in it.  But the plant type we are going to talk about is fungus,” states Wild Plants You Can Eat and How to Recognize Them.  “There are many types of fungus and many have different side effects.  Some are extremely poisonous, and should not be eaten or even touched, as mere contact with them can have toxic affects.  One of them, called the Grume, when touched even briefly, will cause a painful rash all over the body, and paralyze the victim for five minutes or more.  It is easily recognizable by its flaming red appearance, and bright orange stem.  The spores it gives off are amazingly useful in healing creams when processed correctly by pharmacists or witch doctors.  Another kind, completely opposite to the Grume, gives the entire body a pleasant tingling sensation when ingested, or brewed in teas.  The name of this fungus is the Frilia.”

            Aleiah and Elena were reading the book that Aleiah had purchased prior to running away from Talaminfara.  They had reached a clearing in the forest, and were resting and reading before continuing on their quest.     As they sat, they snacked on edible fungi, and discussed their plans for foiling the antagonist they had learned of in their eavesdropping on Elena’s mother’s conversation.  They didn’t know how to find the culprit, or the amazing mushroom.  Aleiah was afraid they were going in circles.  The girls persevered though, and hoped they would meet with luck, and that they would eventually find Miles Jameson, and thwart him in his plans to obliterate the mushroom.  Little did they know, but they were actually on the right track, and fated to meet up with the criminal sooner than anticipated. 

They continued on their way, seldom resting, but talking all the while, and building their friendship.  Suddenly, from overhead in the forest canopy, a long tendril belonging to the genus, Trappicus Parasiticus that grows on the primeval conifers that make up 40% of the indigenous forest trees, grabbed Aleiah, and drew her upward into it’s open maw.

Aleiah was screaming in horror and fear.  Elena didn’t know what to do, but adrenaline was rushing through her system, and she was in possession of strength unbeknownst to herself.  She grabbed a vine, and made a lasso, which she swung upward, capturing the jaw of huge plant.  She pulled with all her superhuman might, and yanked the plant down from its roost in the high tree.  The Trappicus Parasiticus, and Aleiah landed in a heap of moss that cushioned Aleiah’s fall.  Elena rushed forward, and with the book the girls had been reading, began bashing furiously at the flytrap.  The plant sustained damage severe enough to render it helpless.  Elena grabbed Aleiah’s hand, and helped her to her feet.  Elena, who felt empathy for the bashed up flytrap, used some of the moss to cushion it, and builds it a pillow of sorts to rest it’s head upon.  She takes Aleiah’s hand, and helps the other girl to her feet.  Together they head off in the same direction they were heading before this unfortunate event occurred.

            Aleiah said, “That was the most incredible thing I have ever seen.”

            “Oh my God” said Elena, “I have heard of those things before, but I have never seen one in real life.”

            “I can’t believe how you rescued me”, Aleiah exclaimed, “How did you ever do that?”

            Elena was confused, “I don’t know”, she said “I just reacted, and grabbed that vine, and the next thing I knew, you were laying in the moss, and I felt just terrible, that the plant was hurt.  I can’t believe I just took that book, and beat that poor thing to within an inch of its pathetic life.”

            “Thanks for saving my life.”  Aleiah turned to her new friend, and said,  “We gotta get goin’ now, or we’re never going to catch up with Miles!”

            “Right” said Elena, and they both picked up the pace, as they headed down a hill into a lush valley.

            About an hour later, they came upon the most amazing sight of their lives.  It was the Golden Mushroom that protects them from the outside world and gives them amazingly warm weather.  It grew in the middle of the valley, next to a babbling brook that flowed from the opposite direction from which they had arrived.  The mushroom was in poor shape.  It was obvious that someone had been up to no good.  Aleiah and Elena thought that there must be some sort of magic protecting it, but evidently Miles had found a way to circumvent the spell, and had harmed the mushroom regardless of what precautions the ancient peoples had enacted to ensure it’s safety.

            The mushroom was surrounded by every kind of fungi you could possibly imagine.  Both sinister and goodly mushrooms growing side by side, in huge clusters.  Aleiah and Elena rushed to the strength restoring mushrooms, and ate greedily.  Soon they were feeling refreshed, although they were very thirsty, as the mushrooms were slightly salty tasting.  They drank heartily from the babbling brook, and sat down to wait.  While they waited, they consulted the book that had become somewhat of a bible to them in their trek through the woods.  After all, Wild Plants You Can Eat and How to Recognize Them had saved their lives, and might prove useful in defeating the enemy.  They discovered that the bright pink mushrooms to their left were good at curing ailments of the eye, and poor eyesight.  They also found in the book, information regarding the actual Golden Mushroom, briefly mentioned in the middle.  Here is what the book had to say:

            “The Golden Mushroom has been reported by many people who claim to be eye witnesses of its glory.  Many of these people turned out to be trying to pull off hoaxes on the general populace of Poco.  The mushroom provides safety from the rest of the nations of Earth, and good weather, wealth and good fortune to our people.  In all actuality, this author believes that no one has ever gazed upon the Golden Mushroom, but it has been purported to exist in the very heart of the Forest of Mimral.”

            The girls decided to conceal their presence, and hid under a nearby bush to await Miles’ return to the clearing.  They didn’t have long to wait.

            Miles approached the clearing from the same direction Aleiah and Elena had come from just half and hour earlier.  He was carrying with him a basket, which he sat on the ground, and a folding chair, which he assembled and sat upon.  He turned to the basket, opening the top and withdrawing a vial and an axe.  He rose from the chair, and uncorked the vial.  Slowly, he approached the Golden Mushroom, vial in hand.  He lifted it up, and prepared to drain its contents onto the sustaining fungus.

            Assuming the vial contained some evil acid or other substance that would render the mushroom helpless against attack, and vulnerable to Miles’ axe, the girls were enraged, and leapt from behind their bush and shrieked, “STOP!” at him.

            “Make me.” hissed Miles.

            “Why,” said Elena, “Why are you so intent on destroying our world?”

            “Because,” growled Miles, “I was shipwrecked here 5 years ago.  I offered to rebuild my ship and leave, but your Queen told me I could never return to my civilization,  and this despicable land was to be my new home forever.  I was furious, and have plotted, ever since I heard of the Golden Mushroom, and its power to protect Poco, to destroy it, so that someone from the real world, could rescue me.”

            Aleiah pleaded, “I thought you were good, but you have turned out to be truly evil and deplorable.  My parents were shipwrecked here too, and they have grown to love this land as their own.  How can you think of destroying this fair place?”

            “Because I can.”  Miles said, as he began to tip the vial.

            “NO!” screamed Elena, and she grabbed a vine, and lassoed the arm that was holding the vial.  Aleiah reacted swiftly and, grabbing a pair of gloves she had packed in her bag, tore the nearest Grume from the ground and hurled it skillfully and with impeccable accuracy, nailing Miles right smack in the middle of his forehead!

            “Score!” she yelled with triumph, as Miles began to crumple.  Miles writhed in agony, as the rash spread from his face quickly to the rest of his body.  The paralytic toxins began to take affect, and while he was incapacitated, Elena used her roping techniques to hog-tie him so effectively that there was no way he was ever going to get loose and escape.

            Aleiah spotted some of the healing fungi nearby, and together the girls whipped up a salve with which they treated the Golden Mushroom.  They strapped Miles tightly to a stretcher they had fashioned from sticks and vines.  By the time they were packed up and ready to head back and notify the Queen of Poco of their adventures, the mushroom was already beginning to look better.  It sparkled and shone in the afternoon sun, as the girls picked up Miles and headed south to Riloo.

            When they returned home, there was a huge banquet thrown in their honor, and Aleiah’s family was all there as well, even her bratty brother.