The Rose's Wishes

• Audrey Gorey, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2023

SPLASH!!!!! I jumped into the pond! Apparently, the portal was here, and I needed to find it. I felt an opening near my foot. I held my breath as I plunged under the surface, diving towards the hole.

A few weeks before, my parents had fallen ill and they had told me to go to the pond, the portal was there. The cure was a rose, and I was determined to find it.

When I slipped into the mysterious, barren and somehow lonely world, everything was black and white, making the world seem very sad. The first thing I saw was a large palace looming over me, it was so tall. Just then, I heard someone call my name. I whipped around nearly crashing into someone wearing a dark cloak and something black bundled up in their hand. “How do you know my name,” I demanded. But the figure didn’t answer, all it said was; “take this cloak and put it on it will make you invisible, the thing you are seeking is inside the palace” it said. I had a lot of questions, but I had to find the rose quickly. As I pulled on the cloak, I started walking towards the palace.

As soon as I got inside, I began to wish I asked the stranger for directions as the palace was huge and felt like a giant maze.
It was so dark I felt like I was blind, for just a second, I thought I saw a strange and luminescent light shining from a room. I whirled around to face it and ran towards it. I gasped as I entered the room, in the middle in the jar was the rose. It was the only colourful thing in this world maybe that was why they favoured it so much. I carefully lifted the jar of the rose and grasped it gently. Then I ran, as fast as I could as alarms rang out all through the palace. Guards ran everywhere trying to catch me but they saw nothing. “Oh no!!” I yelped as the cloak teared on a hook. Now they will be able to see me, I thought as I ran. I could hear them catching up behind me, so I quickened my pace. Suddenly someone grabbed my shoulders. “Explain your reason for taking the treasured rose,” a deep voice boomed above my head. I turned around to see a towering figure above me. I told them the story and they felt sorry for me. “You can keep the rose but only on one condition. You must return the rose after you use it.

I returned to my world and gave my parents the rose and they wished to become healthy and happy again.

When I came back to the black and white world I planted the rose in the ground and the world became colourful again!

I still visit the world sometimes but me and my parents live happily ever since.