Stacy Willow

• Isara Wheeler, Grade 5, Berowra Public School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Beyond Words 2015' competition

I am Stacy Willow and I am a Gopia. Gopia: a rare mythical creature that is a cross between a phoenix and human. This means that I do not have a beak, feathers etc. I also have the abilities of a phoenix: I can fly, my tears can heal people and when I am hurt I dissolve into ashes then reform fully healed at the same age! I also can teleport between worlds. I guess you could say I am immortal!
The thinly cut paper sliced my finger making a deep cut. A single drop of blood fell to the ground. I put my finger to my mouth. I hesitated and put my finger down. The thing about being the creature that I am is that you’re always in a dangerous situation. I mean if you think being trapped in an unbreakable cage with a werewolf at full moon isn’t bad enough, you’re just stupid! I am not even going to explain why. Right now I am in the same room as a vampire and I don’t want to attract too much attention. So I quickly grabbed a tissue and wrapped it around my finger. I looked at the floor and teleported and I am literally in a body! So I teleport again and now I am at the mercy of trolls! I think I’m going to need a lot of practice before I teleport into a safer place!
This is my story....I have been a Gopia ever since this happened....
Thunder danced around the room. The fire produced an eerie glow. There was a knife at my throat. I could feel the blade digging into my skin. I could feel the blood dripping down my neck. I could hear the man breathe. I could smell the rain. Lightning lit up the room and for the first time I could see the man’s face. His face was covered with scars from battle and his long black hair was tied back in a ponytail with an elastic made from crocodile skin. His eyes glanced at mine and he loosened his grip on my throat. A few moments later he let me go, walked to the door, paused and said “ some people know you as Stacy Willow but from now on you are known as STARGAZER and your life is about to change, madly!” after he had said this he left the room.
At first I didn’t dwell on what the man had said but when I grew older, people did start to call me Stargazer and my life did madly change! I mean, look at me now!