2. Magic in the Mist

The girls ran toward a path that led into the woods. They were out of breath by the time they stopped in the forest and looked around. Wispy mist clung to trees everywhere and coated the grass with tiny droplets. Every twig, leaf, and flower glowed with a soft silver light.

And where the sun reached down through the trees, the fairy mist sparkled with rainbow-colored light. "Oh!" breathed Rachel. "It's so beautiful!" Kirsty stared in awe at the forest. It looked almost as magical as Fairyland! Slowly, the girls moved forward. After a few steps, Rachel realized that she couldn't see very far ahead. "This mist is getting thicker," she said. "The goblin with the Mist Feather must be hiding really close by." Kirsty nodded as thick fog swirled around them. "You're right, Rachel," she agreed. "I can hardly see a thing. The goblin could be right behind us!" Rachel rubbed her bare arms and shivered. Only a few minutes had passed, but as the mist grew thicker, the forest started to feel dark and unfriendly. Nothing glittered or gleamed anymore. The fog was settling around the girls like a cold blanket. Shadowy figures moved up ahead. A man wearing a red T-shirt ran out in front of the girls, and another runner burst out of the trees. They were heading straight for each other. "Watch out!" cried Kirsty. But it was too late. Crash! The runners bumped right into each other.

"Sorry. Didn't see you there!" one of them said, rubbing his head. "I've never seen fog like this in summer," replied the other one. Rachel and Kirsty could hear rustles and bumps all around them. Voices echoed through the fog. Lots of runners were getting lost, and had to slow down and walk so they could avoid the trees. "What a mess. This fog is ruining the race!" said Rachel. The fog still seemed to be getting thicker. It hung over the trees, making them look dark and frightening. Suddenly, something caught Kirsty's eye. "Over there!" she cried, pointing. A bright light was moving toward them, shining like a lantern. Soon the girls could see that it was a tiny gleaming fairy.

"Oh!" gasped Kirsty. "It's Evie the Mist Fairy!" "Hello again, Rachel and Kirsty," cried Evie in a bright, tinkly voice. She hovered in the air in front of them. The girls had met Evie in Fairyland, along with the rest of the Weather Fairies. She had long dark hair and violet eyes. She wore a fluttery lilac dress with purple boots, and her wand had a sparkly silver tip. Wisps of shimmering mist drifted from it. "Oh, we're so happy to see you!" said Rachel. "We really need your help," Kirsty added. "We're sure that the goblin with the Mist Feather is nearby." "Yes!" agreed Evie, a frown on her tiny face. "And he's causing lots of misty mischief!" "Could you leave a magic trail behind us as we go farther into the

woods?" Rachel asked. "Then we can look for the goblin and still find our way back out." Evie grinned. She waved her wand and a fountain of fairy dust shot out. It floated to the ground and formed a glittering path. "Of course! Now we won't get lost," she said. "But we might bump into the runners," Kirsty pointed out. "Let's turn ourselves into fairies, Rachel. Then we can fly."

The Fairy Queen had given Rachel and Kirsty beautiful golden lockets full of fairy dust. The girls sprinkled themselves with the magic dust and shrank to fairy size. The trees seemed as big as giants' castles in the thick fog. "I love being a fairy!" Kirsty sang out. Rachel twisted around to look over her shoulder. There were her fairy wings on her back, shining delicately.