for her to catch up, and she jogged up to its side, puffing out breaths as her out-of-shape body made its displeasure known.
"This would go a lot faster if you climbed on my back," the unicorn remarked.
"I'm in my pyjamas!" Maíra protested. "Where are you going?"
"To see Carol, of course," the unicorn explained. "Now that you know you love her, you have to go to her and proclaim your love!"
"No," Maíra snapped. "Do you think people here see unicorns every day?"
"Probably not," the unicorn said brightly. "What a lucky day for them!"
"I'll go with you," Maíra blurted out desperately. "But on one condition. You take me back to the house so that I can get dressed properly."
If she could just get the unicorn back inside without anyone noticing its presence, then everything would be fine. She'd think of a way to keep it there in a moment, but getting it there was the main priority. Her uptight neighbour was going to come by at any moment and see it, and probably manage to blame it on her, somehow.
"Okay," the unicorn said, and lowered itself to the ground. Maíra stifled the urge to giggle, because the movement reminded her of a camel sitting down, and was not graceful at all. "I didn't realize that humans had clothes specifically for declaring their love in."
"We don't really," Maíra said, climbing on its back awkwardly. "Well, unless you count a wedding dress, but you have to be engaged before you can get married. I just don't want to be outside in my pyjamas."
"Do you have a wedding dress?" asked the unicorn, turning its head to look at her as it stood up again.
"No, why would I?"
"So, how are you going to declare your love without one?" the unicorn asked. "It is of utmost importance that you have whatever you need to declare your love perfectly. We must get one!"
And with this declaration, the unicorn took off down the street in the exact opposite direction that Maíra had hoped.
"No, wait!" Maíra cried. "Stop!"
The unicorn didn't even break stride. With growing horror, Maíra threw her arms around the unicorn's long, white neck and held on. From the other direction, there was a car coming, and with a sinking feeling in her stomach, Maíra recognized her neighbour's Volvo.
"Unicorn, get off the street!" Maíra yelled, because the unicorn didn't seem to think the car was a threat to its well-being.
The unicorn kept galloping down the street, and picked up speed. Even from here, Mr. Wilson's expression changing from confused to terrified was visible through the windshield. His hands grasped at the steering wheel, and the vehicle swerved from side to side as its driver panicked.
"You're going to get us killed," Maíra said.
Maíra was certain that they were both doomed to be crushed by the oncoming car when the unicorn jumped, touching down on the roof of the car momentarily before launching itself off the top. Maíra screamed and shut her eyes; they were high enough in the air that she could see over the tops of houses.
When she opened her eyes again, the unicorn was running in the direction of Lonsdale Quay, galloping fast enough that they were passing cars. Maíra stared in fascination as they rocketed by a minivan, and the children inside all pressed their faces against the window and pointed as they went by. Maíra waved and smiled weakly.
"Where do we find a wedding dress?" the unicorn asked her suddenly.
"Not here!" Maíra said. "Anyway, I don't need a wedding dress. Wedding dresses are for getting married in."
"Do your people marry people they love?" asked the unicorn.
"Sometimes, I guess, but it's not as if everyone does."
"But it is an important ceremony of love, would you say that?" The unicorn turned its head to the side to look at her with one, large, shimmering eye.
"Yes, but––"
"Then it is settled. We must find you a wedding dress!"
The unicorn put on a burst of speed as they rounded a corner and started down the long hill towards the harbour. The ocean came into view, dotted with
"This would go a lot faster if you climbed on my back," the unicorn remarked.
"I'm in my pyjamas!" Maíra protested. "Where are you going?"
"To see Carol, of course," the unicorn explained. "Now that you know you love her, you have to go to her and proclaim your love!"
"No," Maíra snapped. "Do you think people here see unicorns every day?"
"Probably not," the unicorn said brightly. "What a lucky day for them!"
"I'll go with you," Maíra blurted out desperately. "But on one condition. You take me back to the house so that I can get dressed properly."
If she could just get the unicorn back inside without anyone noticing its presence, then everything would be fine. She'd think of a way to keep it there in a moment, but getting it there was the main priority. Her uptight neighbour was going to come by at any moment and see it, and probably manage to blame it on her, somehow.
"Okay," the unicorn said, and lowered itself to the ground. Maíra stifled the urge to giggle, because the movement reminded her of a camel sitting down, and was not graceful at all. "I didn't realize that humans had clothes specifically for declaring their love in."
"We don't really," Maíra said, climbing on its back awkwardly. "Well, unless you count a wedding dress, but you have to be engaged before you can get married. I just don't want to be outside in my pyjamas."
"Do you have a wedding dress?" asked the unicorn, turning its head to look at her as it stood up again.
"No, why would I?"
"So, how are you going to declare your love without one?" the unicorn asked. "It is of utmost importance that you have whatever you need to declare your love perfectly. We must get one!"
And with this declaration, the unicorn took off down the street in the exact opposite direction that Maíra had hoped.
"No, wait!" Maíra cried. "Stop!"
The unicorn didn't even break stride. With growing horror, Maíra threw her arms around the unicorn's long, white neck and held on. From the other direction, there was a car coming, and with a sinking feeling in her stomach, Maíra recognized her neighbour's Volvo.
"Unicorn, get off the street!" Maíra yelled, because the unicorn didn't seem to think the car was a threat to its well-being.
The unicorn kept galloping down the street, and picked up speed. Even from here, Mr. Wilson's expression changing from confused to terrified was visible through the windshield. His hands grasped at the steering wheel, and the vehicle swerved from side to side as its driver panicked.
"You're going to get us killed," Maíra said.
Maíra was certain that they were both doomed to be crushed by the oncoming car when the unicorn jumped, touching down on the roof of the car momentarily before launching itself off the top. Maíra screamed and shut her eyes; they were high enough in the air that she could see over the tops of houses.
When she opened her eyes again, the unicorn was running in the direction of Lonsdale Quay, galloping fast enough that they were passing cars. Maíra stared in fascination as they rocketed by a minivan, and the children inside all pressed their faces against the window and pointed as they went by. Maíra waved and smiled weakly.
"Where do we find a wedding dress?" the unicorn asked her suddenly.
"Not here!" Maíra said. "Anyway, I don't need a wedding dress. Wedding dresses are for getting married in."
"Do your people marry people they love?" asked the unicorn.
"Sometimes, I guess, but it's not as if everyone does."
"But it is an important ceremony of love, would you say that?" The unicorn turned its head to the side to look at her with one, large, shimmering eye.
"Yes, but––"
"Then it is settled. We must find you a wedding dress!"
The unicorn put on a burst of speed as they rounded a corner and started down the long hill towards the harbour. The ocean came into view, dotted with
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