The Mysterious Forest

”Please stay on, ” pleaded the elf, ”we seldom have any visitors.” Lilly was writhing on the forest floor in agony, struggling against the woody grasp of the tree branches- leaping and wishing to tear her limb from limb. She gasped for breath when she felt a sudden warmth emanating from her. Alive!

It was a pleasant, sunny day. Everything bathed in the warm, buttery, golden light of the glowing orb that ruled the skies showering its magnificence and brilliance on the world below. Lilly Potter rose to this beautiful morning with a groan. She was emaciated! As she got about her day, she felt something different about herself. Curiosity kills the cat was known to her, alas she did not heed the advice. Lilly gazed at herself in the mirror, she gaped in horror! She was practically a stranger, she had pulled up at least 6 inches and her eyes were a piercing emerald green. No, it couldn't be, she had deep azure eyes- she stood rooted to the spot in fear. Underneath it all, she felt a strange tingling sensation. As she trudged away from her mirror, she spied a spider on her bed. As she went to flick it off with the back of her hand, red mist floated from her fingers and murdered the spider rather dramatically. Her heart shot like a rocket and for a heartbeat, she froze. Horrified, she went to get some fresh air. The nearby park offered much solace for her soul. She was going through a whirlwind of emotions: fear, awe, disgust. Suddenly an old hooded figure appeared out of nowhere and startled her out of her thoughts. ”You are one of the chosen by the Mysterious Forest so you can perform Blood Magic, go to the Forest by entering the heart of the park to seal your fate, ” whispered the figure. A tornado of questions crossed her mind, yet she remained tongue-tied. As Lilly opened her mouth to say something, the creature vanished into thin air. She knew her only hope that prevailed was going to the Forest there herself; Lilly the lion set out to discover answers. She knew it was a coded message, so she guessed that the ’heart’ of the park was the large oak tree in the centre that the city prided on. After locating the tree, she placed her hand on the rough bark. It was a silly idea however, she was immediately swallowed up by the oak tree. When Lilly landed, she only stared dumbfounded, flabbergasted and awestruck. The forest was absolutely mythical. Fairies zoomed about doing their work and the forest was lighted up with twinkling fireflies. She loved it but at the back of her mind, she wondered why was it called mysterious when the place was so magical. Pushing these thoughts away, Lilly wandered around merrily. Just then an elf appeared in front of her and greeted her warmly. It was tiny as expected having a long red beard and was dressed smartly in green. It looked so similar to the one she had read about in all the fairytales that she felt as if she were dreaming. He offered to show her around the place as an obvious expression of gratitude.                                  After aeons of role-playing a vagabond, ” Look, it's getting late and my parents would be worried sick and waiting for me, ” she pleaded with the elf. On the dark side, he shook his head in defiance. She tried to attack him however her efforts went in vain when he snapped his fingers transporting them to a thick, dark forest without any light penetrating through the canopy. The trees began conspiring against her, clambering on her fragile body. It seemed as if the life was being sniffed out of her as she fell head face into the ground. She howled as blood flowed down the side of her cheeks. Her breathing slowed down, time seemed to stop and her vision and mind alike became groggy. That's when a burst of energy coursed through her veins. Within seconds, all the trees were destroyed with ’blood magic’. Suddenly a shimmery light appeared all around her. It congratulated her for mastering her magic and explained her purpose for being the Chosen One. Lilly promised to use her magic for the good of others and swore this with a blood oath and the binding proclamations - ’forever and always’. The frozen blood in her veins melted and she remained simply exhilarated. Lilly dashed home in the sapphire moonlight, hail and hearty and she never felt more alive in her life! Lilly pondered over the fact that surviving was one thing but conquering life was a whole new experience.