The Thorn Of Rose Valley

• Madeline Gall, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2017

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl named Pepper. Pepper was not your ordinary girl, but a girl, and came from, let's just say, a very
peculiar place called Rose Valley. There had been hauntings in Rose Valley and all kinds of mysteries, such as the population of two hundred, was only
ever two hundred.
Little Pepper wasn't afraid to do anything. Every day she would run through the humongous valley of roses without fear. Pepper's dad was the only one
standing in her way. He would tell her, “No Pepper no!” Poor Pepper didn't want to hear it. Sometimes Pepper wouldn't even wake up till 3 pm in the
afternoon, just to avoid her father and his fears.
Pepper's mum died a few years ago when Pepper was three years old. She got rose thorns everywhere on her when walking through a field of roses, which
got so infected, she couldn't be treated properly. She was sent to heaven, well that's what dad says. I think dad is so right about that one.
Today was Pepper's first day at school and she was so thrilled to meet new people, but there were ten kids in her class and that made Pepper feel very
crowded, as Pepper was not use to so many in such a small place, as she lived on a farm away from everyone. Pepper came home crying, as she ran down through the field of roses, unaware that she already had five thorns in her. Pepper's dad came running down through the field and lifted her up, carrying her home. They both went in to the bathroom, her dad quickly removed the thorns and applied healing cream to the wounds.
Later that night when Pepper was asleep, Pepper had a dream, it was about her mum in a world of magic, mystery and giggles. This world wasn't just any
world, it was where the dead lived and there were festivals going on that it made it look like Rose Valley in neon! Little Pepper was so excited about
her dream and when she woke up, she told her dad that in the dream she had packed her bag to join them. That morning, Pepper walked and walked until
she got to school, where she felt joy for the first time in a long while. She began to make friends and when she got home, she told her dad all about her day and the friends she had made and gave her dad a hug.
The only problem was, there was still a big hole in Pepper's heart. She always loved herself, Mum and Dad, but it was now incomplete, there was no Mum and Pepper kept asking herself what was she doing. It was great to have friends, but what was her purpose? Pepper went to school the next day and did a spelling test. She had set a goal to get first, and when Pepper finished second, she felt she didn't reach her goal. When Pepper came home, she thought long and hard and finally realised her purpose. Pepper's purpose in life was to be adventurous, kind, caring and loving. Pepper wasn't all alone, and she didn't have to prove anything with a spelling test. Pepper realised that she was one of a kind, not a thorn in Rose Valley, but a beautiful person inside and out.
The end