Imaginary friends. Everyone's had them; they're harmless products of childhood. But what if your child's imaginary friend wasn't... imaginary?
Worrywart father Tom Boyer has just found the perfect home for his family: a bigger house in a better neighborhood, with woods in the back for his daughter, Lilly to play in. But the move has been tough on Lilly; the street had no kids to play with. The summer was going to be miserable. So when she finds a fascinating friend in Mr. Bluestick -- a mysterious man who wears a full tuxedo, and carries a glowing blue stick while living in the woods, Tom is amused...until he awakes one night with the woods on fire and Lilly, missing...
It took a few more days of not seeing the light before Lilly started to forget it and feel ready to explore the woods alone. Dad was starting his first day at his new job. He did something that Lilly couldn’t really understand, all she knew is it had to do with money and computers. Mom was inside painting the extra bedroom. She gave her the walkie-talkie and headed out. She put her sweat pants on, even though the June heat was starting, to follow Dad’s rules. Lilly stood at the gate trying to delay going in. She re-tied her shoes twice, put her hair up in a blue scrunchy and did a few jumping jacks for no reason. Then she was ready. She casually walked on the path her Dad recently cut for her to the stream. On the way she picked up a perfect walking stick. Long, smooth and sturdy. Like most people she loved to have a stick in hand whenever walking through wooded areas, she wasn’t really sure why but it made her feel more comfortable, secure. At the water Lilly tossed the stick down the edge and used the rope to help herself down. She splashed the stick in the water for a bit, felt around for slimy, cool rocks, found a few and put them in her pocket. Lilly realized fast that the woods which held such promise were, well, pretty boring when you’re alone. She started to get depressed and angry with her parents again for making her move away from her friends. They were probably together right now, dancing in Sara’s room. She wanted to be there more than anything. Bored and angry, Lilly tossed her stick back up the hill and started to climb the rope. Her feet slipped a few times since it had rained the day before and the clay was still moist. After failing to make it three times, she let go of the rope and dried her now sweating hands on her shirt. Satisfied that they were dry, she took a solid grip on it again. If she didn’t make it this time, she was going to have to look for another way up or radio mom for help. Her feet still slipped a bit but she started to make headway. Then all of a sudden it felt as if the rope was being pulled up. But it couldn’t be? After another step she knew it was being pulled up; she hadn’t moved her hands yet she was farther up the hill. Panic overcame her. Who - or what was pulling her up? Should she let go, fall down the hill? It might be safer than what was up there. “Mom, is that you?” There was no answer. The top edge was coming closer. Lilly glanced at her walkie-talkie wanting to use it, but knowing she’d have to let go to do that. She could almost see over the ledge now. Lilly decided to let go and take her chances down by the water, but her subconscious fear of falling backwards, getting cut up and maybe even smashing her head open wouldn’t let her. She was now at eye level with the ground; thousands of leaves came into view. Lilly quickly scanned for who or what was pulling her up, but saw nothing. The rope disappeared behind the tree it was tied to. Lilly tried to think of a time she had been more scared but couldn’t. The fear of wetting herself was also creeping into her mind. She clenched her bladder best she could. Two more tugs and she was able to let go of the rope to grab dirt. Without hesitation, she threw her leg over the edge safely up on the ground. Breathing heavily, covered in leaves and dirt, Lilly feared looking up at whatever just helped her up. She could hear the squish of wet leaves as someone or something came towards her. Fearful tears started to leak out of her eyes. The squishing stopped and Lilly knew whoever it was, was right in front of her. Then she saw it - a brilliantly bright blue stick came down fast to the ground, two feet from her face.
Excerpt
"What if your child's imaginarry friend wasn't...imaginary?"
When I wrote ths book in 2000, I was concerned about children having access to the Internet and to chat rooms where "you can be anyone you want." Here we are many years later and the situation with children talking freely to stangers on the Internet
