Keshla Elfnoor

• Chelsea Sibley, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2015

One Saturday morning, after another week of bullying at school, Keshla Zstsi was brushing her blonde hair. She styled it into a plait. Then she got dressed into her favourite light green T-shirt, and her green skirt with black woollen netting over it. Then she put on tan suede boots and a yellow belt. Keshla went over to her mirror and started applying cherry red lipstick to her lips. She looked at her small, bright blue eyes and then looked towards her unusually small ears ... but they were pointy like elf ears! Keshla was already being called an elf with her normal ears, but now she would become a laughing stock!

She dashed into the kitchen where her mum, Zolac, was making toast. “MUUUMMM!!!” she screamed. Zolac turned around and noticed Keshla's ears and said, “The first stage. I’ll explain. Your name isn’t really Keshla McKenzie Zstsi ... It’s Keshla Zstsi Elfnoor.” She took off her necklace and her blonde hair turned black and a purple T-shirt appeared on her. Below the shirt was a black horse body and she too had pointy ears. “Your father Eric was a miner. I came from far-away and fell in love with him. Eric was a normal human. You were born a human but we both knew you would turn into an elfnoor one day. Eric died in the mines on your first birthday.” explained Zolac. Keshla nearly fainted but something was stopping her. She looked back over her right shoulder to find her hair was black and a black horse body was connected to her hips and she had a purple crop-top on. Keshla galloped into her room lost in thoughts, as her mum called out “We’ll go there on your birthday!”

That week Zolac didn’t send Keshla back to school. She sold most of their possessions other than eight cans of condensed milk and some water. Once everything was sold they also sold the house and the car. The night before their voyage, Keshla leant against her bedroom wall as she wondered where they were off to tomorrow, and how her mother had kept so much from her for almost sixteen years!

“Okay time to get up! We need to get going!” said Zolac. Keshla got up and silently followed Zolac to the secret portal. “Go on, just walk through.” Keshla walked through and came out feeling sick. Zolac came out and added "Don't go backwards".
“You don’t think you could’ve told me that beforehand?!” screamed Keshla. “However crazy this is, don't speak to me like that! I’m still your mother!” scolded Zolac.

They walked into a large cave and Zolac said “Queen Zolac.” Instantly a large crown gently landed on her head, and it was made of purple crystals called 'zstsi'. Zolac smiled "Your turn Princess” So Keshla said "Princess Keshla" and a small tiara made out of a blue stones called ‘malckenzie’ appeared. Keshla met many elfnoor that day. She smiled and finally felt like she fit in.