Sakura

• Amelia Bancroft, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2021

The delicate zephyr carried the pale pink sakura blossoms throughout the magical forest. Akari’s slender fingers flicked through the pages of the book which contained many ancient incantations. The rain cascaded down onto the lush forest floor from the dim, gloomy sky. Despite the cloudburst, the magical sakuras shielded Akari from the icy precipitation. Her black locks and pink kimono blew in a crisp gust of wind.

The dying blossoms blanketed the damp earth. The once majestic flowers were wilting under a curse, created by a hideous creature that resided amid the foliage. Akari continued down the path, clenching her spell book tightly, her pale knuckles cold from the freezing gale. Her katana lay in her leather sword belt, which she carried everywhere she went. A gargantuan cherry blossom tree thrived in the distance, disguising a caliginous mansion as merely an overgrown forest. The tree was seemingly beautiful yet legend said it was fraught with danger. Passing the immeasurable tree, she lay her hand on the splintered door, the eerie sound of crumbling floorboards echoing through the withering abode.

An overgrown canopy and thick foliage made light scarce within the ominous residence. As Akari lay her soft hands on the creaking shelves, her touch dislodged the coat of dust that enveloped it. She grasped the crimson silk curtains, the fabric decaying in her fingers. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the crepuscular shadows. A voice whispered hoarsely, “What are you doing in my house?” A lacerated perse coat disguised the mysterious owner of the throaty voice. The creature’s hood fell revealing a deathly red stare, stiff, veiny hands and discoloured olive green skin. “How dare you trespass!” The creature rasped loudly, rapidly leaping toward her.

Akari clenched her katana, prepared for battle. Unearthly power bounced from the creature’s wilting hands as Akari swiftly slashed her razor-sharp sword, blood dripping from it. The beastly creature tumbled to the floor, withering away to dust.

The gargantuan tree that hid the nightmarish estate was hidden by a sakura. As Akari left the dying chateau, the house crumbled to dust, just as the owner did as well. The curse was broken; the withering pile of branches and leaves emerged from the dirt toward the sun. Within minutes, the sakura forest was majestic once again.