Shadows

By Izmer Arish

There once was a town called Ravenbrook and in this town lived a girl called Lily. Lily with her striking blue eyes like lightning and fiery red hair was known to be a courageous young girl who loved exploring the outdoors.

From the ripe age of five, Lily’s dad always let her join him hunting in the great outdoors. Together they would be armed Armed with their trusty map, and together they would set off into deep caves, secret waterfalls and ancient ruins of past civilisations. Oftentimes they would find themselves face-to-face with wild mythical beasts out of magic books such as minotaurs and griffins.

However, one day, Lily’s dad wouldn’t allow her to follow on an adventure because he said it was too dangerous and that she wasn’t ready. When Lily asked why this adventure was different then from all the others they went they’d been on together, all Lily’s dad said was: “Because no one has ever returned from the shadows.”

Lily had no choice but to reluctantly remain behind and wait, as her father ventured off without her.

As hours went by, Lily’s dad still hadn’t returned. She thought it was unusual but she shook it off. However, when another day passed, and he wasn’t back, Lily grew increasingly worried as the minutes passed. She realized her dad was probably must be in danger and she had to do something about it.

Lily asked the villagers of Ravenbrook if they had seen or heard from her dad, but none of them had any useful information. It seemed like her dad he had vanished without a trace. Lilly had to look for him herself. Lily She knew that this would be the most dangerous adventure she would ever face, but she was determined to save her dad. The problem was, she didn’t know where he had gone.

Lily knew it would be an adventure like none other. She knew her dad was in danger. She knew she had to save her dad. But what she didn’t know was where he went. She thought to herself on where her dad might go but thought of nothing. She wondered where her dad might have gone, but she couldn’t think of anything. Until she remembered what her dad said “no one has ever returned from the shadows.”

Lily’s heart raced as she thought about her father’s words. “No one has ever returned from its shadows.” The statement repeated in her mind. That’s when it struck, her father must have gone to the one place no one dared to go — the forbidden Forest of Shadows.

Lily packed her bag with all the essential supplies: a compass, a flashlight, a water bottle, and a map of the town. She studied the map, searching for any clue that might lead her to the Forest of Shadows.

After hours of failure, she noticed a marking that looked like a twisted tree, hidden on at the edges of the map. It was a symbol known only to her father and herself. Hope filled her as Filled with hope, she embarked on the journey of saving her beloved dad.

As she approached the edge of the town, a sense of danger engulfed her. The forest stretched ahead. It looked endless. Taking a deep breath, she continued on her journey to save her dear dad from doom. The forest came alive, brimming with an eerie energy. She thought about turning back, believing that her dad could save himself. She wanted to believe that and leave him but she knew she had to save her dad. As she went deeper into the forest, the sunlight vanished, and darkness enveloped the whole forest.

Her heart raced as she came upon the opening of the forest. Past the opening of the forest all the trees seemed to be… twisted. Just like the marking on the map. She knew she was at the right place. Building up her courage, she stepped into the twisted forest where she was began to feel trapped.

In the forest Lily could sense that plenty of hundreds of shadowy eyes were hidden in the bushes… Observing her. But when she looked at the bushes they seemed to have just vanished. She was scared and thought to turn back but she suddenly heard the faint sound of her dads voice. Her determination was absolute and she sprinted towards the direction from where she has heard her dads voice.

After what felt like forever, Lily stumbled upon a hidden cave. She entered the cave its depths, flickering on her flashlight which pierced through the darkness. And lying on the ground was her father. He was heavily injured and bruised, but alive.

Lily’s eyes filled with tears as she rushed to her dad. “Dad!” she exclaimed, relief flooding all over her. Her father weakly smiled. He explained that he had gone into the Forest of Shadows to try to protect the town from an ancient shadowy being that could vanish and reappear at will and that threatened the town. He had fought with every bit of willpower he had but had been overpowered and captured.

They got out of the wretched forest together and news spread like wildfire of Lily’s courageous act. The villagers threw a feast in celebration of the safety of Lily’s dad and of Lily’s bravery.