The Dream Elf Connection: When Mr. Woody helped Lily follow the light

Mr. Woody is a dream elf and the creation of Lily, an AB Girl with a vivid imagination. As she dreamt more and more, Mr. Woody became her counselor, her friend and her creation.

This is the story of the night they met on a window ledge & Lily soared to the sky to get her footing back.

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“LilyGirl?” a familiar voice said.

Lily opened her eyes, rubbing them as she sat up in bed. Zeke was fast asleep next to her.

“Mr. Woody?” Lily whispered, looking around the room. “Where are you?”

“I’m here, LilyGirl,” Mr. Woody replied.

“Where? I can’t see you,” Lily whispered, dangling her legs off the side of the bed and standing up.

“Follow de light an’ ye’ll find me,” Mr. Woody said.

“Oh!” Lily replied, finally understanding what he meant.

She reached for the lamp on her nightstand.

“No, not dat light,” Mr. Woody said as Lily stopped to listen. “De light inside ye. Follow de light inside ye an’ it will show ye the way.”

She thought about it for a moment and then closed her eyes, opening them again a few seconds later. The moonlight began pouring in through the bedroom window, illuminating Mr. Woody on sat on the window ledge.

“Hello, LilyGirl,” he said cheerfully as she waddled over to him and hugged him. “Hev a seat, dear girl.”

“I was hoping you would come to me in my dreams,” she said, sitting on the other end of the window ledge.

“Oh? An’ why is dat?” Mr. Woody asked.

“Because I wanted to ask you something,” Lily started with. “Am I allowed to know who someone else’s dream elf is?”

Mr. Woody smiled and let out a chuckle.

“LilyGirl,” Mr. Woody said, “it is you who created de CountrySide And it is you who made a whole world of dream elves come te life so dat all dose who dream would meet der guides.”

“ … Is that a Yes?” Lily asked, pausing first before speaking.

“Yes,” Mr. Woody said with a laugh. “An’ I don’t need te ask who ye are referring to. Ye want to know who yer niece’s dream elf is. Am I right?”

“Yes,” Lily said excitedly, sitting up onto her knees for the answer. “Tell me.”

“I’ll do better den dat,” Mr. Woody said, standing to his feet. “I’ll show ye.”

“Where?” Lily asked, perplexed.

“First, we need te take a little journey,” Mr. Woody said, lifting up the lower half of the window before extending his hand to her. “Come on.”

“Out the window?” Lily asked, sticking her head out to look around. “Won’t that be dangerous?”

“LilyGirl, what did yer fella guy, Zeke, say was de limit of yer life?” Mr. Woody asked.

“Daddy said that the sky was the limit,” Lily replied. “But when we were on vacation and you took me up into the sky, you had some magic rug that we sat on … like in Aladdin.”

“Dat’s because back den, de sky wasn’t de limit fer ye yet. Ye didn’t believe in yerself,” Mr. Woody said. “Now, ye do. Take my hand and fly, LilyGirl.”

Lily looked out the window and over the night time skyline of Lancaster City.

“You know, Mr. Woody, I don’t remember what my dreams were like before I met you,” Lily said, taking his hand. “And I don’t want to.”

No sooner did she take his hand than she was wisked away, out the window and up into the clouds. Perhaps she shouldn’t been scared, but this wasn’t her first dream with Mr. Woody and she knew it wouldn’t be her last.

“Wow,” she said, taking in the sights of the city below. “From Aladdin to Peter Pan – in one year’s time.”

“What was dat?” Mr. Woody asked.

“Nothing, Mr. Woody,” she laughed. “So where are we going?”

“Back te a place where ye didn’t finish makin’ up yer mind,” Mr. Woody answered.

“Oh my,” she said with a laugh. “That could be many places.”

“We’ll be de soon,” Mr. Woody said. “Enjoy de ride, LilyGirl.”

She closed her eyes, feeling the wind in her hair and spread her arms out wide, reopening her eyes and taking in the wonders of the world she lived in.

They landed in a park a few minutes later and one that was quite familiar to her.

“Why did you bring me back here?” Lily asked, recalling her most recent trip there.

“Where are we, LilyGirl?” Mr. Woody asked.

“Long’s Park. Park City Mall is right over there,” she answered, pointing across Route 30 to the mall.

“Ye’ve never really mentioned dis place before an’ I’m surprised ye didn’t,” Mr. Woody said.

“Why? What’s so special about this park?” Lily asked him.

“Look around ye. What does this place remind ye of?” Mr. Woody asked as he took her hand and began walking across the field of grass.

Lily looked around the park, seeing the nearby woods, the picnic tables under the trees and the lake in the middle. And then it suddenly dawned on her.

“The CountrySide,” Lily gasped, looking at it all again.

“Now ye see dis place in a new light,” Mr. Woody said. “An’ ye’ve been follow de light all yer life te arrive at dis moment an’ at dis point.”

“This lake in the middle reminds me of the Pearl Lake in the CountrySide,” she said, kneeling by the edge of the water.

“Very much so,” Mr. Woody said, passing his hand over the water’s surface.

In the reflections formed a figure of an elf.

“An’ der he is. Yer niece’s dream elf,” Mr. Woody said.

“Ooo. He’s cute,” Lily said, giggling. “What’s his name?”

“His name is Neph,” Mr. Woody replied. “An’ he’s waitin’ fer de first dream yer niece has.”

“Is he nice?” Lily asked.

“He’d better be or he’ll hev his Uncle te answer to,” Mr. Woody added.

“He’s your nephew?” she asked.

“Thet’s how he got his name,” Mr. Woody replied. “So I’ve answered yer question, LilyGirl. But der’s one more question ye hev yet to answer yerself. An’ it was here dat yer friend asked it of ye.”

Lily knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Don’t ye think it’s time te find out?” Mr. Woody asked.

“Yes,” she answered in a small voice.

“Remember dis, LilyGirl,” Mr. Woody said, walking up to her. “When ye can’t see where ye need te go, follow the light inside ye.”

He touched her forehead and the dream ended.

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This dream comes from the book: