As promised, here are the amazing authors who participated in the third challenge, along with my attempt at this unusual picture. I love how everyone has a unique take on the same image. My mind oddly went down the Hanzel and Gretel path.
Yvette Calleiro: LINK
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene : LINK
A Forest Walk (app 950 words)
Blue skies, birds chirping, and blooming flowers marked a warm spring afternoon. My sister Ellie and I were walking the familiar trail in the forest behind our house. Today, we were searching for sugar pine cones to glitter. My sister loved the bigger cones and decorated the backyard with them. Yet, despite the day’s outward calm, a chilling unease unsettled me.
“Come on, Zoey! You’re walking too slow!” Ellie skipped ahead.
“Slow down. Mom said we must stay together in the forest.” I sighed and raced ahead to be next to her again.
“I’m almost six years old! You think you’re grown up turning ten, but I can take care of myself.” She lifted her upturned nose, covered in freckles, and bounced ahead.
I frowned and pushed back the childish bangs growing out. I’d rather be home playing video games, but I followed her closely as she scooped up pine cones of all sizes into her basket. A chill filled the damp, tree-lined path.
“We should turn around, it’s getting late.” I tugged on her arm, but she pulled away.
“I need one more cone. The tree is right around this bend. Then we’ll go back, and you can play your stupid games.” Ellie ran off, disappearing around the corner.
“Ellie!” I shouted and raced at full speed to catch her. All I needed was a mountain lion to think she, or even me, was food.
I quickly found my sister, along with a very odd stranger. Her hair was the brightest of red and appeared to glow. She reminded me of a creepy clown wearing a mad hatter hat. She was holding up a basket of candy.
“Ellie! Come here.” My voice was firm, like our mom’s when she expected an immediate response, and Ellie complied.
“Oh, sweet girls, no reason to be afraid.” Her red lips sneered and then puckered up to the basket.
I pulled my sister close, she didn’t fight me. One glance into Ellie’s blue eyes showed the same fear I was feeling.
Even with all the makeup hiding the beautiful woman’s face, I knew who this was. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest and run back home without me.
“Let’s get out of here!” I grabbed Ellie’s hand tightly.
“Wait, sweet girls,” the woman said. She bent down and held out a chocolate bar. “I have a cake and a cup of tea waiting for you at my house. Then we can decorate your cones.”
“No, thank you!” I yelled as we sprinted away from her.
A loud cackle followed us and tickled the back of my neck. Ellie dropped her basket, breathing hard. I urgently pulled her along. That woman exuded a strange, malevolent aura that was clinging to us.
“Come back! Come back! Let’s play!” The woman’s voice surrounded us like the speakers Dad got for the TV.
“Leave us alone!” I screamed.
“We will have fun. You’ll see…” The voice faded away, and a bird’s screech filled the air.
A black raven circled above us. It swooped down, pecked at our heads, and flew at our mouths with bright red candy.
“Cover your mouth!” I grabbed an oak branch off the ground and swung at it.
A direct hit launched the crow into flight.
“Is that Ravenna, the Forest Witch? I thought she was dead.” Ellie’s eyes widened as she gasped for air.
“Yes, it has to be her. We need to get home and tell Mom.”
“What if Ravenna follows us?”
“We’re safe; we didn’t take her candy. I think she’s gone,” I replied and glanced back over my shoulder, fully expecting to see her.
“But I’ve heard she can still take you as long as you’re in the forest.” Ellie tripped over a branch, and I caught her before she fell.
“Careful! I’ve heard that too, but we are almost home and out of the woods. Come on.”
The caw of the bird in the distance filled my skin with goosebumps. We exited the woods as our mother burst out of the house with her rifle. The bird dove at us, and I threw Ellie down and covered her with my body, but before the bird got to us, our mother fired. A woman’s scream filled the air and then disappeared along with the bird.
“Zoey! Ellie! Are you okay? You didn’t eat anything, did you?” Mom yelled, her brown eyes scanning over us.
“No, Mom. We remembered the stories about Ravenna, although I didn’t know she wore clown makeup,” I said, pulling my little sister up and hurrying us toward safety.
“Thank goodness! I heard that human-like caw and felt an unease I’d never felt before. I was coming to find you. I was so relieved to see you, but when that bird with glowing red eyes came for you, I knew who and what it was. The make-up must be something new or a trick. Get inside, girls!”
“I thought… Ravenna… was dead… Mommy!” Ellie gasped as we passed by our mother, who didn’t lower the gun and wasn’t taking her attention off the sky and forest.
“So, did I. That’s what your grandma told me. It’s been almost a hundred years. I never would have let you go out there if I knew Ravenna was back.”
Hand in hand, my sister and I entered safety, knowing that wasn’t the last of the woman who lured children into her house and made them into candy. The candy kept her youthful, according to the legend, but who could tell under all that makeup? All I knew was the forest was no longer safe, and video games were now the better option.
The next challenge is on April 8th!
Watch for a special post tomorrow!
Embrace your inner child by trying a new challenge. D. L. Finn
