True Magic
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Jennifer Lin, Grade 8, Arlington Middle School
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Short Story
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2001
1st in the '2001/2002 Schools Short Story Competition - Magic and Mystery Theme' competition
It is a light breeze parting the crisp golden foliage of autumn, sending a gentle ripple moving through the branches. It is an amber red leaf fluttering softly from atop the highest branch, floating gently down the length of the tree to the ground where it lies bathed in light. It is a child's hand, bending down to pick it up, holding it to the brilliant glow of the sun.
It is a deer, sprinting through the yellow-brown woods, spotted brown coat shimmering beneath the rays of light that escape from the clouds to fall gently upon the forest. It is the whisper of the trees as they rustle gently in the wind. It is a part of the forest, alive and strong.
It is a lone violin, gathering energy, a crescendo, into the vibrant symphony of life. It is the ringing of silver trumpets, the beating of drums, the mellifluous harmony that is the world.
It is the shadow of night, the coming of the dawn.
What is magic? It is no mere enchantment nor spell, no illusion, no sleight of hand. Even the greatest archmage or warlock cannot begin to unravel the threads of this mysterious force. Many of those who search for it are blind to the many times it has touched their lives.
The art of spellcasting may be one that exists no longer in this universe at least, but magic itself is far from vanished. For the craft of traditional wizardry is but one strand of the many-layered web that is magic. Far deeper is the magic that surrounds us, the magic which is a part of every living creature. Indeed, there is no greater gift that could ever be granted than true magic, the magic we own, the magic which is the indomitable spirit, the soul.