Magical Forest

• Imogen Akacich, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

I woke up to the majestic sound of whistling coming from the forest nearby. Adjusting my eyes, I stumbled over to my open window and gazed at the towering oak trees reaching high into the jet-black sky lit by the full moon and the bright stars. Curiosity got the better of me, so I dragged myself down the stairs and out the door on to my front porch. As the bitter winter breeze blew in my face I headed straight towards the forest as stealthy as a fox so I wouldn’t have to face Mum’s wrath if she knows I’m outside on a school night and not getting well deserved rest.
The grass brushed through my toes leaving a cold wet feeling from the early morning dew, as I took my first few anxious steps on the forest floor the breeze blew as if trying to make me fall over luckily, I only had to stumble to the side. I felt a rubbery stem press against my foot, looking down I was dumbstruck to find a little mushroom faintly glowing. The group of roughly six different size and coloured mushrooms swayed right to left yet I felt no wind brushing against my body. Am I dreaming? I pinched myself om my right arm sending a screaming pain through my body, no I’m not dreaming, moving away from the weird group of mushrooms, I went over to an array of flowers.
The flowers were set in a stunning pattern of blue, yellow, blue, yellow yet they were all different types. There were marigolds, daisies, violets and many more but they didn’t look usual, I have a bad feeling about this place. Now having had a good look, I realised that their small brown stems were moving. Cautiously I bent over and touched their small soft petals and it was like someone turned the volume up to one hundred plus on the radio. The blast of tunes nearly blew me ten metres into the air. I heard trumpets eco throughout the night sky bursting my eardrums. I was stunned by the unsuspected noise, well I’m done here now I’ve found the noise so I better get going. No this place is special I need to investigate.
Walking down the lopsided dirt path through the low hanging vines and the occasional tree that stood in the middle of the path as if it was guarding something.
“Ok, I know something is coming, I’ve found mushrooms and flowers so come at me!” I was waiting for something to start talking or the trees to… well doing something extraordinary. ‘Ah I’m a mind reader,’ I told myself as a touched the marvellous feeling bark. It was silk to the touch, I felt as though I could fall into a deep sleep. As I rested my heavy head onto the bark of one of the shorter oak, huge brown butterflies flooded the air making my vision a blur. What I saw next made the blood in my face drain, I am bewildered. The tree had no bark, as if someone went up to it and shaved it, but it also spoke.
“Ah! you… you. You’ve seen my nether regions,” the tree then picked up his roots and ran off.
I ran like the wind and I knew I should turn back and fulfil my curiosity but the snug of my blanket was so comforting, just give it some time, I’ll be back.