Dafniko's Passage

• Emma Walker, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2021

The old barn house cursed a shadow across the forbidden Oak Woodland. I pushed open the door and stumbled inside, my torch flickering in the deep darkness. My eyes fell upon the wardrobe. It was made from Oak wood. Ancient patterns were carefully carved from a sharp rock or tool about a century ago. Cobwebs concealed its beauty. I grinned and crept closer, my hands grasping around the little loose round handles. I swung the doors open and stepped inside.
“Take me to, Dafniko.” I whispered.
A bright light blinded my eyes and a whooshing sound filled my ears. Memories flashed by and my head thumped, I could hear it. A deafening shriek came from a distance and faded away.
Everything calmed down, letting the memories stop playing and my head to stop thumping. The light disappeared and I was back in the cupboard. Birds chirped and sang from the land beyond, and sunlight peeped through the little cracks.
The doors creaked open to reveal a gorgeous daisy meadow. A mowed pathway of hard dirt led away and over a hill. The grass was long, and the daisies were small. I breathed in deeply, the pollen of the daisies filled my nose, my allergies have never affected me in Dafniko.
I was enjoying the peace when I heard snickering and chatter coming from somewhere in the meadow. I walked out and followed the path. The snickering and chatter followed behind me, I rolled my eyes. All they wanted was attention from me. They suddenly paused, then in no time, they buzzed in front of me. Their clear sparkly wings reflected the sunlight, daisy and rose petal skirts swirled around their knees and their blazing red hair spun in the wind. Three pairs of cheeky, big eyes stared at me, their tiny bodies balancing in the air.
They tried to start gossiping with be, but I ignored them. Although they could curse me, I didn’t care, they couldn’t reach me back home.
I sprinted up the hill, Lake Lukea was in my sight. I slowed my pace and gasped for air. The lake shone in the summer light. I sat down on a patch of short grass. A strong breeze twirled around my body.
“Hi, Lukea,” I bowed my head with respect of his shared territory.
He swept away with the wind, leaving a sigh behind that disappeared.
Catfish dodged the long strands of seaweed that drifted in the kelp forest. You would not swim there, back in the old days, it was the only place where you could swim. But now, who knows what lurks beneath the murky water.
I squinted and straightened my back, trying to see if I could spot The Golden Castello. Just a brief dash of gold could be seen. Nicholas wasn’t picking me up today, he was busy in the stables.
I laid down and closed my eyes, enjoying the summer vibes. This is a mythical secret world, my escape.