The Last Elf Of The Bay

• Alessia De Pasquale, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

The last elf of the bay was feeling as blue as the depthless sea,
for she longed for someone to dance with, joyful and free.
Gathering her courage, she takes one leap onto the ground.
Nimble as a deer, she lands without a sound.
By the crashing waves she begins to dance.
Each move is precise, as if she's in a trance.
She leaps and twirls, tumbles and spins.
The music is made by the whistle of the wind.
Sudden voices leave her transfixed.
Some children are poking a crab with sticks.
"Oh no," she thinks. "What shall I do?"
If she goes near the children, they'll start poking her too.
Picking up a rock, she takes her aim.
It connects with skin, and a child cries out in pain.
The friends look around for what caused the reaction.
The crab notices and takes advantage of their distraction.
With a pinch and a click he's heading her way,
towards her treehouse that sits by the bay.
"Thank you," he says. "For what you did just then."
"No worries," she replies. "All I want is a friend."
"I'll be your friend," he says with a smile.
And so they sit and talk for a while.
The last elf had only ever dreamt of a friend,
never had she imagined this was how the story would end.
By the crashing waves they begin to dance.
Each move is precise, as if they're in a trance.
They leap and twirl, tumble and spin.
The music is made by the whistle of the wind.

THE END