The Mysterious Forest

• Caitlin Innins, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2021

The Enchanted Forest was forbidden to enter. If you were to enter, you would be faced by witches, goblins, trolls, werewolves and dragons. Though that's only the story told by the elders in the small, quaint village of Dryll. Dryll was encircled by the forest. You could only enter and leave through a small gap, covered by a bush of poison ivy. But if you did leave you would not find witches, goblins and all the other terrible things the story claimed. You’d find yourself in a clearing surrounded by thick forest, where the trees made a canopy that shielded the undergrowth from rain. Weak sunlight filtering through the giant waxy leaves. The wind whispering through the trees splashed with orange,red, yellow and green as random as paint splashed on a canvas by an artist with no idea what they’re doing. The grass is greener than green. A small, silver stream wound its way around the clearing, gurgling and bubbling.There’d be something electric in the air, making your hair stand on end. If you looked closely you’d see tiny, glowing orbs, floating carelessly in the air. If you looked even closer you’d see pixies wandering in the grass. In the middle of the clearing would sit a rock, worn away by erosion until it was smooth and square. On that rock sat a young man.

He’d have short midnight black hair that looked like it had been sprinkled with stars. His eyes would be silver on the right and gold on the left, peppered with flecks of blue, his mouth set in a smile. His ears pointed like the elves you'd see everywhere at Christmas. He’d be wearing a soft, black jacket and long, soft, black pants, along with a quiver slung over his back, stocked with mountains of arrows tied with gold and silver feathers. At his side, a beautiful bow. It’d be silver with moons carved into the ends. He’d be sharpening a sword that seemed to be made out of sunshine, that looked like it was so sharp it could cut through diamond. Then he’d dip it in the molten silver river . He would then look up, usher you on an adventure like so many others he had met and plenty of interesting things would happen after. Though that is what would happen if you chose to leave. For now let us travel back to the small village of Dryll.