I've begun a little bit of work on my future entry into the Writers of the Future contest. I think I like where my mind has decided to take things, but so far it isn't coming out as brilliant as I imagine. Such is the nature of a first draft. I just need to set my writing perfectionism aside long enough to get the entire story onto the computer before I begin to revise. I'm sure I am not the only one who feels that is easier said than done sometimes.
The story I am going to share with you today came about from an offhand comment once from my fiancee, Nicole. I am rather pleased with the resulting story, and hope you enjoy reading it. This is certainly one of the things at the top of my list to submit for publication somewhere. She thinks I should try and get it published as a children's story. What do you think?
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The
Keeper of the Woodland Creatures
“I wonder where all the animals go
when the rain falls and the winds blow?” says Terra, watching the clouds fill
the sky. Her hands play with the pink ribbon in her wavy brown hair. A boy,
standing next to her, gazes out the window. His face crinkles with lines as he thinks.
His blue eyes widen and his face lights up as he finds an answer.
“They go to the Keeper, of course,”
he says. Terra frowns, picking her answer carefully.
“Who is this Keeper, and why have I
never heard of him?”
“Her,” he corrects Terra. “She is
the Keeper of the Woodland Creatures and she cares for all the animals in the
world.”
“That is crazy, Nathan. How can she
care for all the animals when the wolf hunts the deer and the hawk hunts the
mouse?”
“They are all welcome under her care
and protected from all harm. Not even a lion would dare to hunt while in her
care.”
The rain comes down in dripping droplets.
Nathan and Terra play all afternoon without a thought toward their talk of the
Keeper. It is much later before it crosses their minds again. The two children,
sitting on the couch with their parents after eating a large dinner, are
watching the news. The weather reporter comes on with his yellow rain coat and
his muddy galoshes, reporting heavy rain and high winds tonight. He advises anyone
going outside to be careful, and that sparks a question again in Terra.
“Mommy, where do all the animals go
when the rain falls and the winds blow?”
“I don’t know,” answers Mother, her
eyes fixed upon the television. “They probably hide in the rocks or trees.”
“I think,” Nathan starts but he is
cut off by a shush from Father, who turns the volume up. Their evening passes
without word about the Keeper. Later that night, after the children are in bed,
Terra rolls over and asks Nathan about it again.
“Do you think she is real?” asks
Terra.
“I know she is. I saw her with my
own eyes.”
“Really?” asks Terra in a loud
voice. Nathan glares at his sister but the sound of footsteps in the hall
forces them both to feign sleep. The door creeps open a crack, a narrow beam of
light cutting through the darkness. Several minutes of silence passes after the
door shuts. As the children are lying there, listening to the rain and the wind
pound on the house, Nathan gets an idea.
“Come see, Terra. I bet there are
animals crossing into the forest right now.” The children slip out of bed and
walk to the window. Even through the rainy darkness they think they can see
three deer and a burrow of bunnies scampering into the trees behind the house.
A flash of lightning shows birds diving into the trees, their paths erratic as
they fly into the wind.
“We’ve got to follow them,” says
Terra. Nathan nods and they go to their closets and arm themselves with what
they think they need. Nathan grabs his Spider-Man rain coat and matching rubber
boots. He stuffs his Batman backpack with a flashlight and a dozen toys he
thinks the animals might enjoy. Terra grabs her Tinkerbell rain coat and
umbrella, along with her favorite pink rain boots. She places her brush and
many ribbons into her purple purse, hoping to give some makeovers to the animals.
The children look at each other and nod, ready to go. First they have to get downstairs
without being caught.
Nathan goes first, flashlight in his
hand. He opens the door, freezing at every sound made. Finally he has it open
far enough to wiggle out the door and they sneak out of the room. They push the
door shut with equal care but the only sounds reaching their ears come from their
beating hearts. They move like a pair of ninjas down the hall, counting the
stairs as they descend. Terra loses track and sets her foot down on the seventh
stair. The stair moans under the weight of her foot and the children stop.
Their father lets out a loud snore from the bedroom. Terra whimpers in fear,
biting down hard on her lip to prevent another sound. The two children feel
relief when the sound of deep breathing resumes from Father. They sneak down
the stairs and dash out the kitchen door.
Nathan steps onto the deck and is
blown over by the wind. He grabs the rail and pulls himself up, but gets startled
when Terra’s umbrella flies into his face. It blows into the forest and Terra
sprints after it. The wind pushes at her back, adding speed as she chases her
umbrella. Nathan lets go of the deck and runs after her as she disappears into
the forest.
The trees crowd around the children,
the branches shifting closer to block the wind and rain. Terra gasps when she
looks back and notices this. Nathan shouts that he sees her umbrella and they
race deeper into the woods. The umbrella rolls and bounces across the path and
neither child notices that the trees are getting sparse and the air is lighter.
They can no longer hear the sound of rain or wind present, but neither Nathan
nor Terra realizes this. They glimpse spotted owls and scurrying squirrels and
prancing ponies as they race through the woods. The sound of soft, graceful
singing reaches their ears.
Oh
where do they go
When
bad weather blows?
When
rain floods the seas
And
the wind bends the trees;
When
the snow blankets grass
And
storm clouds won’t pass.
They
don’t hide in bush, vine, or creeper;
They
gather here with the Keeper.
The
mouse is most fun
To
watch as he runs,
The
thrush and the owl
Are
among most beloved fowl,
The
wolf and the deer
Play
together in here.
You’ll
never learn this from teachers
But
children will find—
This
place is one of a kind—
The
grove of the Keeper of Creatures.
Nathan and Terra step into a
clearing. Everywhere they look there are animals. Bears are chasing antelope in
a game of tag. Instead of growls and snarls they hear laughter from the animals
involved. Several squirrels scamper up a tree, leaping branch to branch ahead
of a spotted leopard. Frogs sing in harmony with the buzzing of flies and bees.
Amidst all these playful animals sits the Keeper.
Fireflies dance around her and
animals approach her in turn. She bows her head to each animal as they come,
the silver curls of her hair dangling. She places a hand on their heads and,
though no words are spoken, the children understand that she is communicating
with them. The children lose track of time as they stand watching all the
wondrous creatures. Eventually no more animals approach the Keeper and the
children notice she has turned to gaze at them. Nathan and Terra come forward, being
beckoned by the old woman in front of them. Her lips move and the singing voice
echoes into the forest again.
Many
seasons have long passed
Since
humans have ventured last,
For
among the creatures, great and small,
Mankind
is the most dangerous of all.
Their
fears are now at an ease
But
there is a task to appease;
For
trust in people is hard to see,
And if
you pass we’ll welcome thee.
Nathan and Terra exchange a glance
that speaks more than words could. Nathan bows as he responds. “Keeper of the
Woodland Creatures, we will accept the task.” The woman smiles and a few of the
animals crowd in closer. The Keeper springs to her feet, a flower-print dress
dancing in the wind as she waltzes through the clearing, singing a new song.
Far to
the left, past many a tree,
Caught
in the bushes you may see
One
small bunny, white spots on black;
This
is your task: to bring him back.
The
storm rages on ‘round the poor lad,
If he
stays stuck his life will end bad;
Hurry
my children, no time to waste!
Why
are you standing? Away! Make haste!
The Keeper finishes her rhyme and an
aging fox, with specks of gray mixed with his red fur, steps forward and bows
before the Keeper. He backs away and, to the children’s surprise, he speaks in
a clear voice.
“Mistress, worry not about the dear
old bunny. I shall delight in the task of finding him and breaking his bonds.”
The fox vanishes into the trees and
Nathan grins at Terra. “I guess we no longer need to go, huh? We can just stay
here.”
Terra hits Nathan’s arm. Nathan
recoils in pain, rubbing his arm. “If you trust that fox,” Terra says, “you are
a bigger fool than I thought.”
The
fox is a creature most cunning and sly,
He’ll
tell a truth and hide a big lie;
The
safety of the bunny is no longer clear,
A
dinner he’ll make for the fox, I fear.
Terra grabs Nathan’s arm and pulls
him into the forest. They follow the trail as it twists and turns between trees
and bushes. As they get further from the grove they can hear the raging storm
again. The children nearly tumble down a slope but Nathan notices the path
turning in time. But no matter how fast the children hurry down the path, they
are unable to catch up to the fox.
They come across the biggest thorn
bush either of them has ever seen. The fox is sitting nearby, trying to bite a
thorn from his paw. The bunny is laying motionless deep within a tangle of
brambles. Several deep cuts are still bleeding as he sits there.
“Oh, good, you’ve finally arrived,”
says the fox. “Help me with this thorn and then we can free the dinner. Bunny.”
“Dinner, huh?” says Terra.
“A thorn is less than you deserve,
Mr. Fox,” says Nathan.
Terra kneels by the rabbit,
untangling the animal from the thorny mess. She pulls the final branch as the
fox frees his final thorn from his paw. The fox makes a quick leap at the
rabbit, jaws snapping. Terra moves the injured bunny out of the way, and the
fox tumbles into the thorns head-first, yowling in pain and in rage. The
children get up and walk away when he calls out to them.
“Wait! Don’t leave me here to die.
I’ll never eat another animal!”
“How can we trust you?” asks Terra.
“I swear by the good name of the
Keeper, no animal shall suffer harm from my jaws or claws.”
“Let him rot,” says Nathan. “He got
what he deserved.”
“He is sincere,” Terra says. “I
forgive him. Let him be free.”
The fox whimpers in pain as Nathan
removes the thorns from the fox. The fox leaps from the brambles as soon as he
is free and darts off down the road. The children follow after him with the
small bunny in their care.
The Keeper, and all the gathered
creatures, celebrates their return. A feast of honey and bread and fruits and
nuts is laid out for all to enjoy while the storm blows around them. With their
bellies full, the children lean against a tree to take a short nap before
heading home. The sounds of the Keeper singing and the merriment of the animals
fill their minds as they fall asleep.
They wake the next morning in their
beds, the sun shining bright in their eyes. Nathan and Terra sit up with a
start and look at each other.
“Was it all just a wonderful dream?”
Nathan asks.
Terra thinks for a moment and
answers. “No, I don’t think so. She is the Keeper of all Creatures, and she
took care of us, too.”
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