Aunt Leslie's Secret

Hazel and Zelda are staying with their aunt Leslie, who is revealing to them the tiny people she has in her possession—and these people are tiny, like, really tiny.

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Zelda's mother scolded her for slamming the car door shut just as her sister Hazel tried to get inside.

"Stop with that behavior! It's enough already!" Zelda's mother shouted over her shoulder from the driver's seat.

"She must learn to hurry up!" Zelda whined and, with reluctance, opened the door to her sister, who was shouting at her and banging on the window. "I called her like five times. She never learns."

Hazel scowled at her sister as she sat next to her in the backseat. "Some sister you are, occupying the bathroom for about an hour, leaving me only 5 minutes to spruce myself up."

Zelda snorted. "That's what you get for keeping me awake all night with your snoring."

Hazel's mouth opened, ready to argue back, but their mother interjected, "Girls, please."

Olivia let out a heavy sigh as she started the car. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw her daughter sitting in the backseat with her arms crossed, scowling and avoiding eye contact with her sibling.

"I want you both to behave with Aunt Leslie this time, got it?"

"But I don't want to go to Aunt Lesie!" Hazel whined. "Why do you have to go to that stupid conference again on the other side of the country?"

"Oh, sweety, I know it's not fair of me to leave you girls with my sister again for a whole week," Olivia put in her most apologetic voice, faintly hoping that this would make them sympathize with her predicament. I wish there were another way, but this trip is crucial for my career. It will give me the opportunity to network with influential individuals in my field,"

Hazel let out a derisive snort and glanced out the window, her expression perfectly capturing the essence of a sourpuss.

Olivia glanced at Zelda's reflection in the rearview mirror. Her face lit up with excitement as she mentioned her beloved aunt. "I like Aunt Leslie. She always gives us nice presents." Zelda glanced with glee at the iPhone she'd received from Aunt Leslie a few months ago for her 16th birthday.

Olivia sighed and glanced at the phone with disapproval. "I'm glad you appreciate it, but please remind me to ask Aunt Leslie not to spend so much on gifts for you in the future. I hate to end up with a bunch of spoiled brats as daughters."

Olivia leaned on her sister's support as she balanced motherhood and a successful career in the tech industry. However, with frequent business trips required to stay ahead, she often had to leave her daughters in her sister's capable hands. It was a sacrifice she made for her job, but one that weighed heavy on her heart every time she said goodbye to her girls.

            Luckily, Olivia had a good relationship with her sister Leslie, who was willing to live without a partner and children. Leslie was more of an eccentric type who valued creative expression and finding her inner self a higher pursuit than some energy-guzzling career that left you with a feeling of unfulfillment anyway.

And Aunt Leslie had carried with her a secret for over a decade – a secret she was willing to share with her nieces this upcoming weekend.

The sun was high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the countryside as Olivia's car turned right to enter her sister's land. She saw Leslie standing on the porch, welcoming them, with one hand shielding her eyes from the setting sun.

The car's tires crunched over the gravel path, kicking up dust as they approached Aunt Leslie's charming white country house. It was nestled among endless green hills and fields of vibrant sunflowers. They parked in front of the carport, next to Aunt Leslie's vintage red convertible gleaming in the sunlight, and got out to stretch their legs after the long drive.

As the sisters stepped out of the car, the sun's rays brushed against their cheeks, illuminating their youthful faces.

"Aunt Leslie!" Zelda sprinted across the lawn, her long blonde hair flying behind her like a cape. She jumped into her aunt's open arms and was engulfed in a familiar hug.

"Hey, sweety." Aunt Leslie said, kissing Zelda on the forehead.

"Wow! Look at you. You're a lady now. Bet the boys will run sweaty miles just to get your attention."

Olivia stood nearby, rolling her eyes as she watched the exchange. "Tell me about it."

"And here is my other sweetheart!" Leslie walked up to Hazel, who was always more reserved on occasions like this.

She gave her a hug and a kiss. A flash of astonishment lit up Leslie's eyes as she took in the voluminous black curls that cascaded down Hazel's shoulders and framed her still scowling face. "Now that, this head of hair here is what I call the epitome of beauty." Leslie combed her fingers through the black curls, eager to feel their velvety touch.

To Olivia's surprise, she saw that this remark could conjure a short-lived smile on Hazel's scowling face.

"I'm so glad you're willing to do this for me, Les." The two sisters embraced, their hair blending in a tangled mess of blonde and brunette curls. Olivia's short bob brushed against Leslie's shoulder-length locks as they held each other tightly.

"Hey, where are sisters for?" Leslie gently cupped Olivia's face in her hands and studied its features, her smiling face turning to a look of concern. "Sorry for saying this, but you look really tired."

Olivia let out a heavy sigh. "I know, but I have to do this."

"Do you?" Leslie retorted. "When was the last time you took a break for yourself or went on a date with some stud muffin?"

"When did you?" Olivia parried.

"Hey, you know me. My canvas is all the excitement I need."

"Do you?" Olivia said.

With an affectionate smile, Leslie took hold of her sister's hands. "I missed you, sis."

A matching smile spread across Olivia's face. "Missed you too."

"I will take good care of your girls, as always."

"I know you will." Olivia checked the time on her watch. "Got to fly."

Hazel and Zelda waved after their mother's car until it disappeared in the distance before following their aunt.

Zelda's brow furrowed as she watched her sister's aunt veer off the familiar path towards the porch. Instead, she followed a narrow trail around the house and into the backyard. Aunt Leslie's nearest neighbor lived a mile away, giving her expansive land to cultivate the vast garden that stretched out like a football field in front of them.

"Come." Leslie beckoned her two nieces, Zelda and Hazel. "I have something special to show you," she said with a mischievous smile.

"You're making me curious, Aunt Les," Zelda said as she hurried after her aunt.

Even Hazel, who was still scowling because she rather wanted to be at home, seemed curious to see what all the fuzz was about.

"Over here," Leslie led them through the garden until they reached a glass greenhouse at the far corner. She pulled open the door and gestured for them to enter.

Zelda entered and Hazel followed suit. "You want us to help you with fruit picking?" Zelda said with uncertainty while glancing at the small green strawberries that dangled from the branches of rows of plants.

Leslie chuckled and patted her shoulder before leading them further into the greenhouse. "Not quite, my dears," she said. "They need more time to ripen. Come, I want to show you something else."

Hazel looked at Zelda and shrugged, bouncing shoulder with her sister as she followed their aunt. They walked to the back, where another door was, bringing them into another room behind it. Aunt Leslie's yoga room.

"You want us to do a yoga session with you." Zelda glanced around the small wooden boarded constructed room infused with the refreshing scent of lavender and eucalyptus. A purple yoga mat lay in the center of the room, its edges slightly curled from use. The faint trickling of water could be heard from a small fountain tucked in the far corner, just below a large ceiling window that bathed the room in golden sunlight.

Aunt Leslie placed a gentle finger against her lips and gave the sisters a knowing glance. Zelda followed as Leslie crouched down at the fountain's base and carefully examined the circular space that encased it. As far as she could tell, it was coated in a thick layer of green moss.

"Here, look," Leslie whispered, pointing to the moss-like layer with a glimmer of wonder in her eyes.

Zelda crouched next to her aunt and glanced at the moss, not knowing what she was supposed to look at. Did her aunt really expect her to be just as excited about a layer of moss as she was?

"it's not moss, darling," Leslie said, reading the confusion in Zelda's eyes.

"What am I looking at, then?" Zelda asked as she looked with renewed fascination at the green layer, knowing it was not green moss.

"Here, sweety." Leslie rummaged through a nearby closet and pulled out a sleek, black monocular. "Use this. It'll give you a much clearer view."

Zelda carefully took the monocular from her aunt's outstretched hand and brought it to her eye. As she aimed at the fuzzy green material, everything looked distorted and out of focus.

As Zelda turned the wheel, the image sharpened and came into view. She gasped in amazement at what she saw. "It looks like I'm glancing at a forest from a plane," she said.

Leslie's lips curved into a warm smile as she gazed up at Hazel, who stood beside her, peering over Zelda's shoulder with eager curiosity. "That's right, dear. That's exactly what you're looking at," Leslie said. "Do you see that bumpy brown peak resembling a miniature mountain in the distance?"

"It is a mountain!" Zelda exclaimed in wonder. She removed her eye from the monocular. "You have a itty bitty mountain here in your yoga room?" she said.

Leslie nodded. "And that's not all, dear. Look closely at the base of the east side of the mountain."

Zelda brought the monocular to her eye and focused. "It is… I think I see a tiny village with houses and huts. And Oh my God! People! I see people there. Incredible tiny people! And and they are pointing at me."