Very Duarte and the Below Ones: Chapter One

Floors were not great places to lay. Just ask Isolde Taylor.

Isolde "Is" Taylor lay on the cold wood floor of her new room. The bed was in the U-Haul truck, which had not arrived just yet. She was 14, and had just moved to a remote forested area so her father, Dr. Artemis Taylor, could find samples of Marshden Mushrooms. Marshden Mushrooms were difficult to find, apparently. She pushed her straight red hair into a messy ponytail and sat up, when suddenly, there was a loud rapping on her window.

"Helloo?" The girl outside cooed. She had climbed up the side planter. Is blew off the dust on the windowsill and, with difficulty, opened it up. "I'm Very Duarte."

Very snaked in through the small opening in the window. She had lime green eyes, loads of freckles, and bright pink hair. "I live somewhere over there." She pointed a bright purple painted nail in a northern direction.

"I-I'm Is." Is said. She was taken aback; the strangest person she had ever seen was a fellow who danced for nickels on the pier back home, before Very. "Is Very your real name?"

"Yes. Is Is your real name?"

"Well- yes."

"I'm an actress. I have thirty hugely popular films in France." Very remarked, sitting crisscross-applesauce on the floor. "Did you know that, Is Taylor?"
~*~
That night after Very Duarte had departed, the U-Haul with the beds had arrived, and Dr. Artemis Taylor had gone to look for the mushroom, Thomas Taylor, age 13, entered Is' room.

"Who were you talking to today?" Thomas asked, laying on her bed. Is was hanging a poster of Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World" on her wall.

"Very Duarte."
"What's 'Duarte'?"
"No, her name is Very Duarte."
"Okay, um, Is, I don't think there's anybody anywhere ever named Very Duarte. There was an Eva Duarte, but she turned into a tyrannical leader of Argentina named Eva Peron."
"Well, Very Duarte has pink hair and is a French movie star."

"Huh." Thomas took out his Sidekick. He had begged his parents for one, to Is' disgust. Did I say that Is had a pony? He Googled "Very Duarte".

"No results for Very Duarte, Is."
"Well, I know what I saw."
"Are you sure you're not schizo? Remember Mrs. Flank and Kitty?"

Is recalled Mrs. Flank, an elderly old woman, and Kitty, her imaginary friend. "Get out, Thomas." She threw a pair of underwear at her brother. Very Duarte does exist. She does.