Zoe and Connor go to the orchard for the last time before it closes "for good".

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[Zoe's POV]

Mommy told us yesterday that our favorite picnic place would be closing soon. I'm not exactly sure when, but I know I'm sad about it. Our family goes to that place to eat and play a lot, and it will be so weird having to eat lunch at home on Saturdays.

We're in the car right now, going to the orchard for the last time. It's hard not to be sad, because I feel like this orchard was such a big staple in my life. Granted, I'm only 7, so there will probably be more orchards I can find when I'm older. But for now, this is my favorite orchard.

We pulled up into the parking lot and got out of the car. Mommy and Dad went to the back of the car to get our picnic basket and some small baskets for us to pick apples in. Picking apples at the orchard was so fun.

Connor also got a small piece of folded paper out of the car. "What's that?" I asked.

He shot me a look and just said, "Don't touch it."

We started down the trail to our favorite picnic spot - right beside a tiny pond. We swam in that pond once. It's not fun to swim in. It's really icky and the fish like to bite at my feet. Not fun.

But we still eat beside the pond because it's very pretty. The sun always makes the pond look very see-through, and it kinda makes me wanna swim in it again. Luckily, I remember that the pond is icky.

There are ducks near the pond, too. My favorite is a duck that I decided to name Payton. He's a blue duck with a little yellow beak and a white tummy. All of the other ducks are green, so I think this duck is a magical duck.

Connor does not think Payton is a magical duck. He says there's no such thing as magic and the duck is probably just blue because he spends too much time in the pond.

Mommy tells me that Payton is magical as long as I believe he's magical, but every time she says that, Dad starts telling her that's she shouldn't say that. I don't really understand why, though. Does Dad not believe in magic either? Maybe that's why Connor is so unmagical.

We get to the spot beside the pond and set up a red and blue spotted picnic blanket. Well, it used to be red and blue. We've used it so much over the last 7 years that now it just looks like red and darker red. Dirt does that to a blanket.

Once the blanket was set up, Connor started running to the pond with his piece of paper. I didn't know what else to do, so I followed him.

"What do you want, Zoe?" He asked, annoyed at me. Connor is annoyed a lot, and it's not very fun. I don't think he likes me very much but that's okay, because he is my brother and he doesn't really have a choice.

"What are you doing?" I answered his question with a question. Not because I wanted to be a "smartass", as Dad says sometimes, but because I didn't know how to answer the question he asked me.

Connor exhaled and shook his head, "I'm just going to play with my boat." He responded .

I laughed, "What boat?" I said.

He gave me an irritated look and pointed to the piece of paper in his hand. "This boat, Zoe!" He shouted.

I looked at the piece of paper. I didn't realize boats looked like that. I thought boats were bigger and plastic-er, but I have a feeling saying that will make my brother angrier, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

Luckily, Connor let me follow him to the pond without anymore questions.

"Payton!" I shouted when I was greeted with the mystical blue duck, sitting in the pond. "Did you miss me?"

"Quack!"

Connor chuckled, "He can't speak, you know."

"Not yet!" I said, lifting my chin up, "Someday, he'll grow out of his shy phase! Kinda like you did!"

Connor did not like that.

I ripped some grass from the ground and shot it into the water for Payton to eat. Magical ducks must stay healthy, or else their powers won't blossom.

"I bet Payton can control water." I stated, throwing another piece of grass into the pond, "That's why he never comes on land."

Connor laughed, "Yeah right." He said, "I think Payton just has the power of laziness."

Woah! What a cool power! I bet Connor has that, too!

Connor put his boat on the water and started blowing on it. I found that weird, too, because don't boats have motors or something? Why is he blowing on it?

"Ahrg!" He yelled in frustration, "I wish it was windier!"

"Maybe Payton can help?" I said, approaching the water and holding my hands out, trying to pick up Payton.

"Zoe no touching the ducks!" I hear Dad shout from the picnic blanket.

Ok, maybe I don't need to get him. Maybe he can take telepatical signals!

Help Connor's boat, please? I thought very hard, hoping he could hear me. He is a magical duck, anyway!

Payton looked at me and then went the opposite direction of Connor's boat.

"Oh, come on." Connor said, "You don't really think that duck was gonna hear your thoughts, did you?"

I shrugged, "You never know until you try!"

"Zoe, he's not magical." He said calmly, before returning to his boat. It moved a tad, but there was no way it was going to get across the pond on it's own.

"Quack!"

Suddenly, the wind picked up!

"What was that Connor?" I said sweetly, putting my hand up to my ear, "You said he's not magical?"

Obviously he's magical! He just made the wind go! He must've heard my communications and used his wind power! Man, and I'm over here thinking he has water power!

"That-" Connor stumbled, watching as his boat moved smoothly across the pond, "That's just a coincidence!"

"Oh really?" I said, turning to Payton. Quack if you are magical.

"Quack!"

HE IS! Payton is magical! I stood up and started jumping around. I have an magical duck friend!

Connor's boat reach the other side and he just looked at me, deadpan, and said, "Tell him I said thank you."

My brother says thank you!

Payton looked at my brother and quacked once more before going underwater.

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Word Count: 1115