Out of the Woods (Goldilocks Meets The Modern World)

Never Leave the Forest

Author's Note: This story was part of the Target #OnceUponNow short story contest. Influence: Goldilocks

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Amarilla, Age 9

"Never leave the enchanted forest Amarilla. You must listen to me. No matter what happens you cannot leave here. It is not safe. There are those out there who would try and harm you. The humans cannot be trusted. They may look like us but they are not like us. They will hurt you. You must stay here. Do you understand?" My mother's thin hands grasped mine desperately.

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When my mother left me a few weeks later, I didn't cry. I wrapped her body up in the white linens as she'd taught me. The smoke filled the woods over the lake, blowing gently in the breeze away from me.

No one could prove it was the banished Damelsworth who'd cast a spell but the dying began soon after he was cast out.

Mother had warned me of Damelsworth as well. When he was in the forest I wasn't permitted near him. All I knew was that he had been banished from our beautiful home and if I came across him, I would know. I wasn't told how I would know, just that I would.

She'd told me something else. That even among the people of the Enchanted Forest I was special. Damelsworth's curses could not affect me. At the time it sounded magical but looking back, I believe it was more a curse. I can never again be with them in the new Enchanted Forest world, unless... And this is the thing, unless I defeat Damelsworth thus reversing his curse.

Chapter 2

I had tried to join them. Over the years I had tried so many times and failed time after time. Death had refused to accept me, refused to welcome me to the new Enchanted Forest.

Sarana's words echoed in my head.

"No matter what happens you cannot leave here. It is not safe."

I could feel Rose's eyes on the back of my head, watching and studying me. It was her way when she knew I was thinking hard about something. Since I'd gone through the change she left me to my own thoughts more. I didn't get the ceremony that was the tradition of my people but, the fairies had thrown me a party.

The last seven years of my existence had been just that - spent existing. Trying to survive in a dying forest that was losing its magic day by day.

For seven years I'd been thinking about him, wondering where he might be. The past three years were different. I'd gone from wondering where he was to wondering how I might exact my revenge on him. I would bring back all the Enchanted Forest people while he went to a lonely place of his own creation.

I looked at my reflection in the lake. I wasn't very big. I wasn't very strong or tall. But I had magic and being alone for seven years in a forest that relied on your magic, one gets a lot of practice.

Rose deserved to know what I was thinking. I knew that Sparrow already knew, in her way. I couldn't leave without her.

Rose appeared out the corner of my eye. Her shimmery yellow glow gave her away. The shock of fire red hair and bright red lips accentuated her pretty little freckled cheeks.

"Amarilla?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to come with me and see something." Her voice was almost shaking. I'd never seen her afraid before. I jumped up quickly bumping Sparrow and causing her to drop a berry fig treat I made the year before.

"Sorry girl," I told her as she stood up to follow Rose too.

"What is this Rose,' I asked. I had never seen it before but there it was. The path continued but what lay ahead was not the forest I knew. The leaves were green and bright flowers grew. Colors I hadn't seen in at least two years filled in the edges of the path. There were yellow daffodils and pink tulips and even bright red roses.

"Is this a part of our forest?" I asked in awe. Perhaps part of it was healing.

"No, it's not. I didn't know what it is or where it is."

"It's so quiet over there." A flock of white birds flew in formation, seeming to come from over us but they had appeared out of nowhere, materializing just where the scene of the healthy woods began.

"Rose? What are we looking at?" I asked nervously.

"We have been watching it since we noticed it yesterday morning. It just appeared. None of us have seen it before but we think to may be another enchanted forest. But-," Rose stopped speaking and looked at me sadly.

"But what?"

"We can't go in. It's as if this forest is sitting in a different dimension Amarilla."

"We can't enter it." I said understanding that the glimmer of hope I had was gone just as quickly as it came.

"And nothing from there can come through?" I asked beginning to wonder if they could see us too. I was curious. For the first time in years something besides surviving had sparked my interest.

Chapter3

I gathered my few belongings and carefully folded a second dress white dress mother had made for me when I was bigger. The dagger I tucked into its pouch and then into the bag. Nothing else seemed worth taking.

I looked around the small cabin that had been home to me and Sparrow for seven years, closed the shutters, and pulled the door shut behind me. Sparrow looked up at me, expectantly. Perhaps she was waiting for something new and exciting too.

Rose had finally accepted the fact that I would not stay here, not if there was a way to get out. I had kept my promise as long as I could but the forest was dying.

Today I would finally go out of the woods.

Sparrow's feet were lighter than they'd been in years. She had a bounce in her step I hadn't seen since we were both much younger.

I was almost out of breath by the time I got there and saw Rose's red hair blowing along the path. She looked at me with a look that said everything I was feeling - fear, joy, apprehension, excitement.

"Are you ready Amarilla?" she asked, half hoping I would say no.

"I'm ready Rose. Let's go." I said.

Rose lit upon my shoulder. Sparrow and I began walking towards where the world changed and I knew that as I moved along the path I would walk right into it. It was the beauty of magic and as long as I could keep my fear at bay, I would make it through. I'd tried it six times before and had partially gotten through until I'd panicked and then I was thrust back. But today was different. After two weeks, I really was ready.

I walked through with my eyes wide open. I gasped as I entered the woods on the other side. Rose was on my shoulder still and Sparrow was by my side. My bag had come through too. I had everything I needed.

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