The Enchanted Forest

I was walking down the hallway when the bell rang, school was out! FINALLY, I had been waiting for hours! I was EXHAUSTED yet; I was excited to go back into the woods like I do every day. Today was special though, I was even more excited today! I ran to the back of the school where mother usually picks me up. I was bound to fly right out of that car! we got stuck in traffic yet finally she had made it home! I rushed into the house and threw down my bag, I then asked mama if I could go in the forest. She told me to be back by dinner. As I entered the woods it started to rain, I turned around, but the woods had seemed to shut with branches. I then saw a bunny; I swear it was talking to me! "Hey, you why are you here! It's dangerous I say!!!!!" I was confused as i replied, "Huh? Me? Are you talking to me???" The bunny just stared at me for a while, before breaking off into a sprint straight to the shadows. I ran after it when it came upon a few other animals. I wanted to see if i was going insane, so I quietly said "Hello..?" I heard murmuring and couldn't quite make out what they were saying. but i was hoping they were NOT saying actual words!! The rain had escalated into flashes of lights all around the sky. slowly following behind the thunder. My mom once told me to count the seconds in between the lightning and thunder. So that's what i did. I counted, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...-," It was odd 10 seconds had passed and nothing.. I continued to count, "21, 22, 23, 24...-" Nothing.. I shrugged it off and ran under a large tree with thick branches to shield myself from the moist rain. and i was almost asleep I heard a noise. It sounded like talking.. I frantically got up and looked around. But all I saw is a little ladybug. I sarcastically talked to it saying, "Hey, have you seen anybody around?" I stood in shock as it replies, "No.. just a few bugs."

   Frightened I ran through all the branches, and hopped over logs, but I tripped, and fell straight on my face. "Is anything broken?? Do you need assistance?" I heard a voice say in the vast sea of trees. "H-huh?" was all I could say, followed by, "Who are you!? JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" 'You don't have to be so rude" the voice replies. "Why I'm Finney, Finney the rabbit!" 'THE RABBIT?!?" I shout. I look around keeping my senses sharp. But all I saw small little bunny with brown splotches over his eyes. In my opinion they looked like little glasses. I slowly walk up to it, but it runs and hides behind a tree. "H-hey.. It's all right, I won't hurt you." The bunny trots up to me, "Are you ok..? you had quite a tumble!" I was sure I was going insane! "I'm alright.., thanks" is all I could slip out of my mouth. Still confused I asked the little bunny where the woods end. "Huh? Don't you know? these woods go on forever! Once you enter you can't get out! Or so, that's what I'd been told." I was in shock, I then asked how I could talk to it, but the bunny cut me off and changed the subject. "SOOO nice weather we're having," 'It's raining." I reply in a dense tone. The bunny giggles in embarrassment just like I did once in 4th grade... I accidentally wet myself in front of the class.. Yuck. "Hey SOOO.., Where are your parents?" Finney asked attempting to avoid awkwardness, Though, it didn't work very well. "My parents-.., MY PARENTS!! I TOLD MOM ID BE BACK BY DINNER!! What time is it Finney!" 'Time? Ohhh!! We don't have time here!" I was in shock, I hoped I was dreaming. I turned to Finney and asked him to pinch me. He bit me instead. "OWW" I yelped. "What you told me to." Finney replies. So, I'm not dreaming.. had to find that out the hard way. As I look around, I realize the sun has set. I sit under an old maple tree and grab a few large leaves to lay on top of. I curled up into a little ball and started to notice tears running down my face. "Are you all, right? did the fall hurt you?" Finney asks. "I-I'm fine- I want Momma back" I reply holding back tears and preventing me from voice cracking. "It's all right. We will find your mother." Finney states while clearing his voice. All I do is grab him and hug him tight. He looked as if he had never been hugged before. Sooner or later, I find myself asleep still under that Ol' maple. and Finney was curled up next to me. as I got up, I sprinted towards a small flicker of light, it kind of looked like a flashlight. As I ran towards it, I hear more voices. I was OVERJOYED yet I was disappointed when it was just a fox talking to a small little rat. "Hello?" I say hoping to ask for directions home. They both stare at me for a while. before breaking out into laughter. "BUAHHAHA, FINNEY STOP TRYING TO BE A HUMAN IT WONT WORK!! Get out of that dumb costume!!" The fox says. "Finney? You guys are friends with Finney?" Well i was expecting them to say that they were but all they said was, "Him? EW I'd rather DIE!" Finney hops up to me whilst they stand in shock. "I-it's a real- real- HUMAN!?" 'Yessir, and it's MY bestie." Finn replies. The fox starts to apologize but I stop him. "It's alright.." I said hoping to clear the mood. I'm a friendly human, and so are all my parents. But I was quite angry when they made fun of Finney! I had just realized I needed to leave the woods; I asked the fox if he had known the exit. The fox says the same thing I heard Finney say a while back. "There's no end that I know of! But if you go to the old geezer down the path, he could tell Ya!" I was confused so I asked what he meant but he just handed me a piece of paper and ran away. It was crumbling and old, but it looked to have nothing in it. I asked Finney about it, but he said he had no clue. I walked down a clear pathway when I came across a small creek-like thing. I accidentally dropped the paper, and when it touched the water, the entire creek started to glow! I hurried to grab the paper back. whilst in shock I couldn't process what just happened. The paper now had some sort of map on it. I had assumed I should follow it, i mean what else was there to do! There is talking animals, magic rivers, never-ending forests! So might as well follow a strange map that a FOX! Gave me. "You shouldn't follow it girl, that fox will do you no good." Finny said. Did he just call me girl?? "I have a name you know, Its Kora." He stared at me and then apologized. I continued walking but Finney seemed hesitant. "Are you coming??" I ask. "S-sure yea WAIT UP!!" He said in a nervous tone. I giggle as I skipped through the woods. Ever since I was a child I had always been interested in nature. And now, I was surrounded by it! we came across an area where it seemed to be a river, with the stream we had followed flowing into it. The map only said to follow the creek. well, what now? I sat down and started thinking when Finney snatched the paper right out of my hands! "HEY!!" I shouted, "Put it in the water!" Finney replied. I had remembered what happened last time, so I trusted him. I slowly put the paper in the water. But this time, nothing happens. I dipped it a few more times. Nothing... I was a little skeptical it ever even happened. Out of rage I threw the paper on the ground. The paper glowed! Just like in the river! It then pointed us across the river. I was confused. But then Finney jumped straight into the water! But did not fall in.. he was floating above the river. I slowly walked towards him and stepped on the river. I was dry. I could see the stream flowing below us and fish jumped up and right back into the water. I didn't know why i couldn't fall in.. "We have the map🎶" Finney continued to sing.        

    "What does that mean?" I asked him. "Well! The map lets us do stuff we couldn't normally do!" He replied. We were off the river and walking down a path. I could hear the leaves crunching under my feet. I look at the sky and realize it's time to go to sleep. I remember my mother and what i told her. She must be SO worried. I was scared she would hurt herself. I look down at Finn and realize he's eating a piece of lettuce. I asked where he got it, and then realized I was starving. "You want some food?" Finney interrupted my train of thoughts. "Y-yea how did you know?" I replied. "I can see it in your face!!" Finney says whilst holding back laughter. "My face what do you mean!" I shout. "I mean your literally drooling!" We laughed for a while before drifting off to sleep in the middle of the path. That morning I woke up to a deer standing over me. "Hey! Girl!! Move you're in the middle of the path!" The deer said. "O-oh I'm terribly sorry- I didn't mean to fall asleep- I just-." I said trying to keep my eyes open. "It's alright I suppose.., My names Dillion!" The deer replies. Where are you all Goin that you would have such an old map?" He pointed to the old brown paper in my hand. "Well, were going to find somebody who can get me home!" i say. "Oh! An adventure!! Can I come?!" Dillion shouts. "Sure, I guess" I reply. "Are you CRAZY??" Finney shouts. "What?" I say confused. "We can't take a random animal with us!" Well, he had a point. I guess it could be dangerous.. But it was too late. I got up and my stomach growled. Finney led me to a blueberry bush. I stayed there for a while just picking the ripest ones and eating them. I took a few for the trip and off we went walking down the path. After about two solid hours of walking, we made it to a mountain - like structure. I assumed we had to go around but I looked at the map. The map said i had to go on top of the mountain- or so I thought. I stared at the deer, then back at the bunny. I started to think about what the heck just happened. my face turned pale. I was sure i was going to die today! "Well chucks! What's up Kora??" Dillion asks. "How are we supposed to climb a mountain!" I scream back. "Well, I'm not sure if this fixes the problem but i found a door going into the mountain." I walked over to him and realized he wasn't lying. "OH MY GOD!! see I knew we would need him Finney!!" Finney laughed "I suppose." he said holding back his giggles. I slowly opened the door and it led to a cave. it was very dark and had many pathways. "We will so die today" I said quietly but they both seemed to hear me. "Oh, Uhm NO, you Gotta believe baby!" dillion shouts. "Shush, don't make the cave collapse!" I whisper.

   We walk into the cave slowly. "It's pitch black.." Finney says. "Well, no duh smartie pants!" Dillon argues. We came up to a fork in the cave. I checked the map, but it didn't specify. "I say we go left!" Finney said. "BUT EVERYONE knows we go right! Right. Is. Right." Dillion insists. "Let's go middle." I interrupt. And we keep walking. We walked up to another door. When I opened it, a breathtaking sight swept me away. Millions of jewels spread across the walls and hanging from the top of the rocky cave. There was a circle made of jewels. Out of stupidity I stepped in the circle and fell straight down probably about 70 FEET! "OH MY GOD ARE YOU OK?" Screamed Finney. I couldn't even scream back I was in so much pain my whole body was shaking and when I looked down at my leg it was bent backwards. I was sure I was going to die. I was in so much shock I couldn't even cry. All I could do was sit there and die. "I-ILL GET HELP!" Yelled Dillon. "OMG I'LL STAY HERE WITH HER!!" Replied Finney. About an hour had passed, and there was no hope.. I was giving up.. I slowly started to cry as i close my eyes. I then wake up in a hospital. It had looked like the hospital i was born in. and to my side was my mother. "OH, SHE'S AWAKE! DOCTOR DOCTOR!!" i hear a voice in the distance scream. The doctor rushes towards me and overwhelms me with questions. I was barely able to slip the words "Wha- what happened?" My mother started to cry as she replied, "Honey, you were in coma for 4 days.. You fell out a large tree after entering the woods.." I was confused but she continued, "Oh- this young man brought my baby out of the woods, can he come in?" I nodded my head yes. A boy about my age with big round brown glasses comes in the room along with another boy who looked to be a year older than us. "Oh, I'm so glad you're ok Kora!" He speaks. "W-who are you?" i reply in a soft voice. "Why my names Finney! and this is my friend Dillon!"

THE END