The Forest Full of Creatures

By: Anisha Sharma

Her name was Sara. One day, she was strolling through the forest. It all seemed normal until she walked in so deep, she was never seen again. A little bit later her mother came to call her home for dinner, but little did she know that Sara had entered a different world completely. She walked through the mysterious trees that were whispering to her. She couldn’t hear them entirely but could listen to them in her head saying how have you entered into the land of creatures, only the child of the royal family can. But, that poor child was taken a very long time ago, and because of that the royal family has never been seen again. The whole forest has gotten sadder and as the days pass, we the trees can feel the magic fading. She didn’t understand what they were saying until a little bunny approached her and started to talk. To Talk! 

“Hello there, My name is Bumper and I have lived here my entire life. The trees said they felt a shift in the magic when they saw you,” He said “And asked me to escort you through this dark and treacherous journey, Don’t worry I’m just kidding, but no seriously, watch out for the sticker- burrs. Eek!”

Shocked, Sara asked the bunny, “Do I know you from somewhere? Also, do you expect me to believe this is real?”

The bunny gave her a questionable look and responded,” Yes, I expect you to think this is real and you probably have seen me around here. I like to go out of the spell and look at the beautiful world around me, where rivers flow soothingly and the birds chirp in their harmonious sounds. The trees don’t speak out there, but they dance in the wind and the fall leaves look like turmeric and cayenne powder on the brown soil beneath me. It all looks like one great big stew. Wait, Mother told me not to tell you too much about myself. So, I am sorry you had to listen to my entire life and I still can’t stop talking, okay …… I just can’t stop talking! Ughhhh!”

Sara gave a heartfelt laugh and told the bunny that she had a younger sister, and didn’t mind when he kept talking. They trekked along on the rough Earth along the Kispy River, which Bumper told Sara about. That is where Kipsy, the lake monster, lived. Sara didn’t even realize when they reached the castle. It was mesmerizing, made out of reflective glass, and was beautiful. It reminded Sara of the “Beauty and the Beast” castle. It had beautiful white roses that smelled like sweet honey and were snowing. The sun was setting and gave the castle a golden hue. You could see the whole kingdom from the castle and hear the monsters talking. As she entered the castle through the grand hall, it felt like she was transported to a European castle. The exquisite glass sculptures and intricate medieval carpets adorned the walls and floors. The paintings on the ceiling depicted scenes from ancient times. The ambiance was warm and welcoming as if she were enveloped in a cozy blanket. It was a sight to behold, and she couldn't help but marvel at the intricate details and grandeur of the palace. When Bumper brought Sara to the throne room, the king and queen stood up and ran towards her. The king and queen stopped before her and looked her up and down. 

“Hello, I am the king of The Forest full of Creatures, and my name is King Cursetalon and this is my Queen.” said the King. 

“Hello dear, I am the queen of this majestic land and my name is Queen Aurabeast. Tis’ a pleasure to meet you.” announced the queen. 

“Hello, your majesty. My name is Sara. “ responded Sara. 

“Well, it sure is good to see you, Sara. Oh, I do apologize for gawking so much, it’s just that you look so much like my daughter. I lost her many moons ago, and still grieve her absence. Well, never mind, please enlighten us by telling us how you got in here. You see, it is not common for a mortal to come into the great Forest full of Creatures.” explained Queen Aurabeast.

“ Ah! Well yes, I am not sure how I got in here. I was going on my daily walk, but I walked a little further than usual, and ended up here. I met the lovely Bumper,”- Bumper blushes-” And he brought me here, to you all. ” Sara responded. 

The queen told Sara why she asked Bumper to bring her to the castle, “It is just that we felt a shift in the magic when we saw you arrive. As you can tell we can see the whole kingdom from here and saw when you arrived. We got confused, then realized that it could be our long-lost daughter because she was the only one who could walk through the spell. When she was little, she was taken away by the sinful sorceress of the south, while playing in our garden. We put those white roses just for her,”-The queen’s voice breaks as she starts to tear up -'' But now that you are up close to us, I can see that you are the one we have been seeking for the past 18 years. You came back to us, please don’t leave again.” 

Sara was shocked, but she slowly came to realize why her mother never loved her the same as her sister. Sara started to cry and said,” Yes, I am never leaving, Mother and Father!” 

They all rushed to hug each other and broke down in tears. Sara went to sit on the porch with Bumper just like she used to in Tennessee. She looked out to the kingdom and felt the wind play with her hair and the soft grass tickle her as she looked out to the monsters going on strolls. She realized that it was just like her life out in Tennessee. So, she laid down on the grass and stroked Bumper’s soft fur that felt like a cloud. 

Now you must be wondering who was telling me this story. Well, It’s Bumper, all grown up. I am 23 years old now and I see Sara every day. Oh! Look she is eating the special mushrooms in the forest of the toads. By the way, she looks over all of us and is great, Okay, Bye!!