Following the Trail

“Mom I’m gonna go play outside!” Sarah yelled to her mother. “Stay out of the back!” her mom, Anna called back.

Anna jumped awake. Her hair sticking to her face, covered in sweat. Her hazel eyes now tearing up. As she forced herself out of bed, she couldn’t stop the tears. She wiped her eyes again, and again, as she got the shower started. She took her dark purple pajamas off of her light and freckled body. She took her black cherry hair out of a bun, her hair fell just below her shoulders. Anna then got into the shower. While she stood there just letting the steaming hot water run down her body she couldn’t help, but think of that day.

“Mom I’m gonna go play outside!” Sarah yelled to her mother. “Stay out of the back!” her mom, Anna called back. Anna did the dishes and watched Sarah play from the kitchen window. They lived in the country, about 35 miles from town. Their house was on the edge of the woods. Anna watched her daughter’s curly red hair bounce around with every jump. Her freckled covered face would light up, and her rich blue eyes widened with everything that she found. Anna began to tear up. She started to think of her husband, who had died in the military. He died when Sarah was just 2 years old, she’s now 6. She thought of how his light blue eyes had teared up when their daughter was born, and how he chuckled when he said “she looks just like you.”

When Anna had finally looked up Sarah was gone. Anna ran out of the front door screaming “Sarah! Sarah where are you! Sarah come out! Sarah! Sarah!” She ran around the whole house and yard looking. She called the police, they searched everywhere, but could not find her. They did not think she would be brave enough to have gone into the gloomy woods.

Anna jolted from her daydreaming as the shower started to turn cold. She got out of the shower feeling empty. Anna got her clothes on for the day a black T-shirt, blue zip-up, dark blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a black ball cap. As she walked outside she was seeing flashbacks of her daughter playing. She continued to look for her daughter, even though the police had stopped after 24 hours. She looked everywhere. The dogs’ kennel, the barn, the back shed, even the basement. She checked the attic, the neighbor’s barn, their shed, their horse pen, and lastly their cow-pen. Only one place left to search, Sarah had gone into the forest. “No, it can’t be, why would she? Did someone lure her in there? Or did she go in there herself?” A bunch of questions flooded her mind, along with grief. “I’ll pack everything that I will need to travel through the woods,” Anna told herself while running inside. She got a notebook, set it on the table, and started a list of everything she would need for as long as it took to find her daughter.

“Ok,” Anna thought “I’m gonna go to the woods to see if I can find any sign of her.” As Anna packed she marked everything off of the list. She made her way toward the woods. Once she got to the edge, she looked back at the house one more time, just in case she didn't return. While looking at the house she remembered all of the beautiful moments she got to share with her family. Then walked into the forest.

Anna had taken only a few steps before she realized how beautiful the forest was, and how different it looked from the outside. The outside looked like a gloomy creepy wood. While the inside was absolutely breathtaking. For miles, she could see reds, oranges, and yellows. She could see the stunning birch wood and how it stood out from the rest of the colors. “I need to focus,” Anna said. She looked on the ground to see if she could see anything. While looking, she found small footprints leading to the right. “How many other children could be that small and in the woods?” Anna thought to herself with a small chuckle. After walking for what she thought had to be 3 hours the footprints stopped. “No, no, no, no, no, no. No!” she screamed in disbelieve. It was practically dark, so she decided to set up camp after she had cried for what seems like forever. She set up her tent then went to find some firewood. “Don’t go too far,” she thought out loud. While she walked back to her “campsite”, she heard something above her. She ran to her camp and waited. “Whoo.” Anna looked up just in time to see a pure white barn owl fly above her and circle a few times, before flying into a nearby tree. Anna started a fire and ate a granola bar. All she could think about was her daughter and where she was. She just wanted to hold her again and kiss her, tell her how much she loved her. She knew that wasn’t going to happen until she found her child. “How could the footprints just stop? What does this mean? What happened to her?” Once again questions flooded her mind. “I’ll just go to sleep,” she said knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep.

In the morning she woke as the sun was rising. “I need to come up with a plan before I go any further,” she said as she started to pack up. “Whoo,” once again the owl called out now flying to a branch lower to the ground. “Whoo,” the bird said looking at Anna straight in the eyes. “Who are you looking for?” The owl asked. “M-My daughter,” Anna said shocked. “Well, what’s she look like?” The bird said caringly. “Umm, she’s,” taking a long pause, “how are you talking?” “You’re not going to believe me but I’m a shapeshifter,” The owl said changing into a man, ”I like the owl form though.” A man about Anna’s age now sitting on the branch. He had white scraggly hair, light grey eyes, and dark brown skin. Anna showed the man a photo of Sarah. “Do you think you can help me find her?” Anna asked hopefully. “I can. My name is Flynn. I saw her be carried through here.” “I’m Anna, and thank you so much!” she said thankfully. “Follow me,” Flynn said walking West, “Sorry if I scared you last night. I didn’t mean to. I was just seeing why you were here.” “It’s fine. I do have a question though, are there more magical creatures?” “Yes, there are shapeshifters, elves, fairies, gnomes, unicorns, leprechauns, and a bunch of others,” He said stopping in front of a huge tree with a hole in it, “well here we are.” Flynn opened a door that Anna hadn’t even been able to see. “Mommy!” Sarah called out, running to her mom. “Oh, baby!” Anna said hugging her little girl, “I thought I lost you!” “I’m sorry mom!” Sarah said tearing up. “We need to go now,” Flynn said assertively. “Why what’s wrong?” Anna asked scared now. They hurried out of the woods. “Flynn, what’s wrong?” Anna asked. “Leprechauns,” he said blatantly. As they reached the house Anna looked back to see a wall of Leprechauns at the edge of the woods. “How are they staying?” Sarah asked Flynn. “It’s a barrier,” Flynn answered, “It keeps dark magicks in. They will give up eventually.” “Thank you, Flynn, for everything,” Anna told him with a hug. She would be lying if she said he wasn’t attractive. “Of course, I’m just glad we got her out,” he said with a pause, “if we were any later Sarah would have been Leprechaun food.” Completely shocked Anna told him, “Thank you again then. So, will you be sticking around for awhile?” He was surprised to be asked. “Only if you want me too,” Flynn said a little shyly.

Four years later, Anna and Flynn were getting married. Anna was pregnant with her second child. Sarah was 10, and happy to finally have a dad. "Somethings coming!” a guest from the wedding yelled. When they looked to the woods the trees were shaking dramatically. Everyone started to run, everyone besides Flynn, Anna, and Sarah. “Somethings coming, something big. We need to do everything we can to stop it.” Fairies, elves, gnomes, and other magical beings that were in disguise at the wedding joined them to help fight whatever was coming.