rissy stories

Hey guys,

So, I’m probably going to regret doing this… but I was recently introduced to an online magazine that had calls for pieces of writing that writers have kept over the years – you know, the writing that you used to think was absolutely brilliant, but in fact, was only the story you wrote when you first put pen to paper.

In other words – it’s not very good. But it was my first actual short story that won me a “Promising Young Writers” award in middle school.

However, I thought it was a neat idea for a blog. So, here’s a story that I wrote when I was 13. I had been writing pretty extensively before then, and trust me, you DON’T want to read what I wrote before the age of 13 – it’s even worse than what I’m about to share. But this was pretty bad too.

Anyway… here it is.

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Enchanted Forest

Have you ever gotten that feeling where you think everything is going to change? Well, this is when I got that very feeling. It was the morning of October 2nd, 1997 when it all happened. I am Danie Piper and I was 13 years old at this time and I had recently moved to Kentucky.

Let me talk to you about myself first. I have curly red hair, green eyes, and freckles. I always wore torn clothes and worn out sneakers. I was not not your normal everyday kid where you are either a girly-girl, tomboy, or just a freak. I’m a mixture, a mutt if you will. That’s what my dog Cole always says to me.

You’re probably thinking ‘What do you mean? Dogs can’t talk!’ Cole and I have a special connection. More special than any other connection between girl and dog. I say that with utmost confidence because I believe it to be true.

I like many things, and I’m very picky and unique in my own way. I hate being normal, Cole says its vastly overrated anyways. I’ve read many books, seen many movies, and gained much knowledge. You may be thinking ‘Your so lucky to be smart’, but that is where you are wrong. Not once in my life have I had a ‘friend’. I’ve been friends with many objects, such as trees, grass, animals, and water, but never a human being. I often wonder if I’m from another planet.

So to get on with my story, it was a nice morning outside and I decided to take Cole for a walk in the forest next to our new house. Soon I was treading in the deeper part of the forest when Cole started to bark. I usually ignored when he barked, but it was a different bark, I could tell and I could feel it. I walked cautiously and told Cole to stop. He normally does exactly what I say, but that time he kept barking. I gulped as I kept walking, worried something would pop out and scare me. Then I spotted a boy about my age, with swift brown hair, and black paint under his blue eyes. His clothes were camouflage.

“What do you think your doing?” he asked angrily.

“I was just walking my dog.” I replied, as he looked at me with even more anger in his eyes.

“I wasn’t talking to you!” he yelled. Even though he was being completely rude to me, I couldn’t help but smile a little bit. He looked and acted as abnormal as me.

“Well, Cole says he doesn’t like you for being rude to him. He wants you to leave us alone.” I said, thinking that the boy was talking to Cole. Then he looked at me in a strange way and I figured I had made a mistake and that this was just a normal boy probably playing a game in the woods, not talking to my dog.

“Well if you weren’t talking to me or Cole, who were you talking to?” I asked getting a little frustrated.

“I was talking to Cole.” he said a little nicer and he knelt down and looked at Cole who was growling.

“I was just asking you why you were barking so much, you’ll wake my trees. They don’t like to be woken and they aren’t in a good mood to begin with.” the boy said, I smiled even more and asked,

“Why are they not in a good mood? Its a beautiful morning.” The boy sighed.

“You wouldn’t believe me. You probably think I’m out of my mind right now.” he said sadly. Cole whined and I laughed.

“Well one, Cole apologizes for barking, and two, I really don’t think you’re out of your mind. It looks like one of your trees is waking up, too!” I said pointing at this one oak tree. I could feel the tree was awake since the squirrels were starting to climb on it, birds landed on it, and the sun was shining on its golden leaves unlike the other trees.

“Hello Spirit.” I said stroking my hand on its rough bark lightly.

“How did you know its name is Spirit? Have you been spying on me?” the boy asked. I shook my head.

“No, not at all. I just moved here and the tree told me.” I said plainly like it was no big deal. Then I turned to the boy who looked astonished.

“I know, you probably think I’m crazy.” I said a little sadly.

“No! I’m just happy I’m not the only one! For all these years I’ve lived here and I’ve never met anyone that can talk to objects and animals like I do!” the boy smiled and looked excited.

“I’ve never had a full conversation with a human being this long either!” I said. It sounded upsetting when I said it out-loud, but it was sadly true.

The boy spit on his hand and put it out towards me.

“I’m Cloud Skye, I’m King of the Enchanted Forest and Prince of the Sky, and you are?” I smiled, I’ve never done anything like this before, which is weird for me because I’ve done just about ever crazy thing.

“I’m Danie Piper and this is Cole who calls himself the Super Dog!” Cole then barked with triumph. I spit on my hand and I was just about to shake his when he pulled his away.

“Is that it?” Cloud asked. I nodded

“There’s nothing that special about me, I’m more weird than special.” I explained. He looked at me a little disappointed.

“What do you mean there’s nothing special about you? Come on, lets go to the alias.” he said and before I could ask him what that meant, he was walking off. So I decided to follow him with Cole by my side.
We walked for fifteen minutes when we came to a puddle and we stopped.

“Why are we stopping? What’s an alias?” I asked. Cloud sighed and looked at me like I was crazy.

“What are you talking about? An alias is a nickname, or a name you just want to be called. Like me, by using this puddle, I figured out my alias was Cloud and that I was the King of this forest and the Prince of the Sky. I will have you use this puddle to find out who you are, or who you are destined to be.” he explained. I nodded, understanding a little,

“How does it work?” I asked again.

“Kneel down and blow on the puddle. But just on the surface, the water underneath cannot be disturbed or it will not work.” Cloud said. I rolled my eyes

“Now that’s impossible.” I replied

“Is it really? I thought I’d met someone that believed anything was possible. Someone who believed they could do anything they set their mind to; someone who hopes and longs for adventure and knowledge. Do you believe that like I do?” Cloud’s voice settled down a little at the end. I paused, no one has ever said anything like that to me before, not the trees, grass, water, or even the animals, and especially not a human being, not even my own parents! I knew the answer almost right away though.
“I do” I said quietly at first, “I do believe that I am Danielle Piper, the master of belief, trust, and hope. I am the Queen of the Stars and there isn’t anything in the world that I can’t handle, without a little help of course, from a friend.” I looked at Cloud who was beaming, and he spit on his hand again and put it out.

“See, told you the puddle worked.” he said. I had a confused look on my face

“I didn’t even blow on the surface of the puddle!” I exclaimed. Cloud shrugged,

“You don’t have to now that you believe.” he said. Then, I spit on my hand and finally shook his. Cole started to bark with glee and I laughed as Cloud looked around seeing his forest lighten and all the trees come to life like Spirit did.

“The trees are happy for us!” I said. Cloud looked around in amazement.

“They’ve never been so happy before, its never been so bright in this forest!” he said dreamily. Cole started running around the forest as I let go of his leash. I stood by Cloud looking at the forest as well and eventually I said

“I think I know why the Enchanted Forest is so happy.” Cloud looked at me and asked,

“Why do you think?” I sighed and thought for a moment.

“I think because they know the King and Queen are united. The Queen may not be the Queen of the Enchanted Forest, but the King at least has a friend who believes in him.” Cloud smiled and said,

“Thats exactly what I was thinking.” Then Cloud took my hand and we strolled through the forest.

“So, what should we do first?” I asked him. He looked at me and stuttered,

“W-What shouldn’t we do first? C’mon! I’ll show you everything! Only if you’re ready for it.” Cloud said looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes. I laughed and said,

“Bring it on!” and we started running through the forest, still holding hands.

We had amazing adventures from that moment on. Cloud showed me around the forest, but I felt that I had known the place my whole life, and he didn’t really need to show me much more. I knew exactly where everything was. In the summer, Cloud and I would play together in the afternoons, while I would go home before dusk and return after dawn. Until one very special day, when my mother, finally let me have a sleepover with Cloud, who she called “Sky-boy.” I had begged Cloud to let me meet his family. When I arrived with my things, in the same place in the forest we always met, he was already set up. There was a tent, campfire, and everything.

“I thought you had a house!” I said. Cloud shook his head,

“I, I don’t really have a human family. The Enchanted Forest is, the sky is…I guess thats just the way my parents, whoever they are, wanted it to be. In fact, I’m happy they did it. I think it taught me to be stronger, to learn to live on my own…and to learn many other things too, while still having fun from time to time.” he said taking a bite out of an apple he pulled from one of the trees we called “Archey the Orchard.”

“That is a little sad, but I do get your point.” I said as he threw me an apple and I took a bite too. We sat there and talked for a long time. Cloud was normal in some ways, like the boys at my school. But yet, he was very different. He was still learning to respect people more, but I was still teaching him. He taught me how to respect nature more. I started to recycle much more and I finally persuaded my mother to start driving a hybrid. I rode my bike to school, and one time I even let Cloud have a ride. He accidently crashed into Spirit one time, but surprisingly right after, he rode like a pro. It was the power of Spirit, Cloud had said. Of course, I believed him.

“You know, I’ve told you everything that I am King of, lets start practicing what you are Queen of.” Cloud said after we talked.

“What ever do you mean?” I asked trying to sound like a Queen. He started laughing, then I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, your highness, I’ve come to a conclusion that we are never together at night. You declare that you are the Queen of the Stars, you must prove it, now that we are here together at dusk.” Cloud declared sounding like a King.

“Most certainly, your majesty. I shall grant your wish.” I replied, now talking in a British accent. I looked up at the night sky. The sky was half-pink and yellow from the sunset, and the other half was dark and sparkling with stars that looked like sequins. I shut my eyes, I had tried to do what Cloud taught me to.

“Keep your eyes shut, keep your imagination flowing, you never know what you may find and, but think of the night-time sky in your mind.” Cloud whispered in my ear. I did that for five seconds, but it felt like an hour of concentration. I had thought of the most absurd things in the world. No one could have believed that they would come true. Then I opened my eyes, and they did. I stared into the sky and things were happening up there that were unexplainable, unimaginable, impossible. Then I remembered what Cloud had always said,

“Expect the unexpected in the Enchanted Forest.” I stared up at the most magnificent sight of galaxies, stars, solar systems, meteors, and super novas. Everything in the universe. It was like the entire universe was popping out at me in one night sky, like it was all shrinking again. Then I shut my eyes and opened them again, and it was all gone. I stared at Cloud

“Did you see what I think I saw?” I asked at awe. Cloud smiled,

“You have proven it, thank you for granting my wish.” he took my hand and kissed it, like royalty usually do. I couldn’t help but smile.

I was so happy that day, I couldn’t contain myself. Since then I’ve never stopped believing, in anything. Even after I moved again after three years. Cloud and I never spoke to each other again, but sometimes I still hear the wind telling stories about how the King and Queen ruled for years, and when they will reunite once again. This gives me hope that Cloud and I are not going to give up. Cloud must be trying to communicate through the wind. Then I remembered that one special night, and I was going to try my hardest to communicate with him, so we may, once again, be united.