Yesterday was Take a Walk in the Park Day, so I celebrated by taking a stroll through one of my favorites: Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. Nothing too extraordinary happened; I didn’t meet any goblins or witches, and I certainly didn’t accidentally pick up any rocks that changed the fabric of time and space. Therefore, you could say that I fared better than Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit from The Time Fetch by Amy Herrick, which also takes place in Prospect Park. That version of the park is a little different from mine (that’s putting it lightly!), but it got me thinking about what I would like to see in a magical version of one of my favorite outdoor spaces:
1. A family of unicorns frolicking in the Nethermead, the central field—sometimes there are people riding horses, but some sparkles and rainbows would certainly not go amiss. In The Time Fetch, the Nethermead is usually cold and dark, with dead grass and wind-whipped leaves. Unicorns would be a vast improvement.
No unicorns in sight
2. A magic waterfall—again, there is a real waterfall in Prospect Park, but as far as I know it doesn’t grant wishes if you walk underneath it. Although now that I think about it, I guess I’ve never tried.…Once again, the waterfall in The Time Fetch is not as romantic as the one I’m picturing: it creates a creepy mist that obscures pathways and leads to dark and dangerous roads!
3. An enchanted castle—the historic buildings in the park now are pretty cool, but it doesn’t seem like there are any with moats, alchemy labs, or spooky dungeons. Luckily for me, there are also aren’t any gingerbread houses filled with witches like in The Time Fetch.
Not an enchanted castle
I guess for now I’ll have to be happy with the park the way it is, and I’ll thank my lucky stars that I have yet to entangle myself in any universe-endangering adventures while trying to get some fresh air. If you’d like to find out how Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit get their park back to normal, check out The Time Fetch, available now online.
About the Author: Nicole is the merchandising manager for the 4th Graders, 5th Graders, and Middle Schoolers Reading Club catalogs.
Nethermead photo via Nicole Aducci; Boathouse photo via Wikipedia:Ben Franske
