By Ruby Bonham
Pika was bored. She had been in this park forever. There were too many rules that kept her from having any fun. What kind of pixie wasn’t allowed to pull any pranks? B-O-R-I-N-G! Although she loved the humans in the park and the elementals that she lived with, she was suffering from lack of a good prank. Maybe it was time to leave this place. After having this thought, she decided to hitch a ride with the music lady when she headed south for the winter. Pika was excited at the very thought. She would have to be careful because the music lady could feel her presence. Pika could hardly wait to get started.
Finally the time arrived. The music lady was packed in her traveling RV and was saying goodbye to her friends. Pika crawled in the back storage area and hid under some beach blankets. She could barely remain still she was so excited. She had never been out of the park and could only imagine what lay ahead. That night they stopped over on the coast and Pika got her first glimpse of the ocean. Wow! So much water. As she looked around, she encountered a translucent water sprite. She was giddy with meeting a new kind of elemental. They shared stories of their lives and Pika was awed that her new friend could breathe both air and water. Pika stuck her head in the water but only choked as she tried to breathe. Her new friend laughed and told her maybe she should stick to being a pixie.
Pika hurried back to her hiding place as the music lady continued south. For several days, they traveled and camped among the redwoods. There Pika met numerous forest sprites who lived among the giant redwoods. She found they had her love for pranks. They teased the humans by getting them lost or making them hear suspicious noises. Most of the pranks were harmless unless the humans caused malicious harm to the forest. Then they chastised the humans, often severely. Pika loved pranks but had never hurt or been mean to anyone. She was glad to return to hiding and continue the journey.
After a leisurely journey, they arrived in the desert where they would spend the winter. Pika slipped out and went exploring. The desert wasn’t quite so hot this time of year. One day she met a desert gnome who befriended her and took her to meet his family group. Pika was taken deep underground to a water source and the village it supported. The little gnomes looked weathered and had leathery skin due to the hot, dry summers. While there, she met a gnome who knew her friend Tobi from the park. Tobi had once lived there before coming to the park and getting addicted to black berries. Pika told them all about Tobi’s life and work in the park. They were amazed at a place that was so green and had water aplenty. Pika couldn’t imagine living in such a hot place like these gnomes. . She started to miss her old home and thought maybe it wasn’t such a bad place after all. The elementals she had met along the way all seemed to manage to have fun even with the constraints of their lifestyles. Pika settled into enjoying the new experiences but also remembering the good times back home.
After several months, the music lady had new songs and was ready to return north to the park. She had been more aware of Pika than the young pixie knew. With her inner vision, she had seen Pika’s struggle to conform to the structure of the park. She hoped that Pika had learned that her home was a good place and that she had valuable ways to contribute.
Pika was eager to get home and tell her friends about her adventures. She hoped on the journey back she would meet other elementals but was mostly eager to be home. She had a new understanding and appreciation for what she had left behind. Pika had truly learned “There’s no place like home.”
Ruby Bonham
10-24-2026