Today is the day some of us have been waiting for, and I have good news for a young lady from Valencia, California. Your story has been selected as the overall winner of the Short Story Swap Kids and Youth Contest.

Congratulations to Lucy Stimac!

Enjoy her lovely story, just as it was submitted. Judges commented that it is well-written, creative and entertaining. Good job, Lucy.

The Girl Who was Friends With the Forest

Long ago, there lived a family in a small house in the woods, just outside a grand kingdom. The family consisted of six children, Birch, Fleur, Sky, Ridge, Autumn, and Willow.  All but one had dark hair and eyes, while the other, Fleur, had long, golden locks, bright green eyes, and a heart-shaped birthmark sitting on the inside of her wrist. 

Birch, Sky, Ridge, Autumn, Willow, their mother and father all loved adventure, and would leave every day to visit a new part of the wood, or the kingdom. This left Fleur to run the house. She hadn’t ever asked to join her family’s journeys, nor did they ever invite her to join them. Never before had a hand been laid on the girl, nor a harsh word ever spoken about her, and yet she felt as though her mother and father didn’t love her as much as the others. But, instead of focusing on the imperfect parts of her life, Fleur made the best of where she was at, spending her free time in the woods with her only friends, the forest animals. She helped the squirrels collect for winter, helped the bees by growing bright, colorful flowers, and helped the bluebirds build nests, who, in return, helped Fleur in any way they could. 

When the rest of her family left for another adventure, Fleur always asked two of the bluebirds to accompany them, to make sure they stayed safe. She taught the birds two songs, one to indicate that her family was safe, and the other to say that her family was in danger.

The song that showed that the family was safe was vibrant, light, melodic, and joyful, while the ‘danger’ song was quick, shrill, and full of haunting ideas.

 Everyday, one of the birds came to Fleur once every three hours whistling a tune. The song the birds sang had never once been for danger, so Fleur began to be at ease. Even though she was less worried, she continued to send bluebirds after her siblings and parents, just to be sure that trouble didn’t befall them on their explorations. 

On her fifteenth birthday, Fleur went out to collect apples to bake a pie for after supper. She had just gone to pick up an especially red one, when a shrill, dark song pierced through the air. Recognizing the tune, the girl hurriedly stood and followed the haunting melody to find one of the birds hovering in the air, waiting for her. As soon as the bluebird saw Fleur, it turned and flew back towards where it had come from. As she ran after it, the other animals followed closely behind, wanting to help keep their friend from danger. 

After a quarter of an hour, the girl and the animals reached a clearing on the dirt path leading to the kingdom. Fleur came to a sudden stop when she saw her family, the only people she’d ever known, shackled and surrounded by ten of the king’s soldiers. The king and queen were also there, in a carriage. The king looked furious, hands balled into fists. While the animals shrank back from the anger of the king, Fleur also saw traces of anguish etched into his face. The queen had her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. When she glanced at her husband, Fleur noticed that her face was wet with tears, and grief masked her normally serene expression. 

Gathering all her courage, Fleur stepped forward into the clearing. The king glared at the young newcomer. Refusing to shrink back under the king’s withering stare, the girl continued forward, stopping only when she reached the carriage where the king and queen were. Standing straight, she turned to the king, looked him in the eye, and asked, “Why have you chained these people? What have they done to you?”

“Leave girl. This does not concern you. Now, go peacefully, and speak not a word of this unless a public announcement is made.”

Fleur made no sign of leaving, yet her mother still cried out, “Don’t leave my child! Come save us from this wretched fate that will surely be given us.”

“Whatever did you do, Mama?!” the confused girl exclaimed.

“My baby. She took my baby!” the queen sobbed.

“I gave your child a different view of the world. I taught your baby not to be in favor of the wealthy,” Fleur’s mother shot back.

“No, she stole our child. We agreed on the terms that the child be returned safely back to us on her fifteenth birthday. But instead of bringing the child to us today, the woman comes with these other children she brought into this world,” the king spat out.

“I just want my baby!” the queen wept.

All the while, Fleur had been observing the royal couple, and noticed that the queen had carefully styled blonde hair. However, pieces broke loose and curled around her face. When the king tore a hand through his own brown hair, she spotted a heart-shaped birthmark on his wrist. 

Stepping forward again, Fleur interrupted her mother’s next shouts. “Am I the one they are looking for Mama?”

The woman fell silent, not looking up. A bluebird flew towards her, chirping loudly in her ear. Shooing the bird off, Fleur’s mother looked up again before slowly nodding.

Fleur faced the king and queen, the king looking doubtful, while the queen wore a hopeful expression.

“Your proof?” the king inquired.

“I have golden hair, like Her Majesty the Queen,” Fleur supplied.

The king scoffed. “So do many. You have no right to give that as proper proof.”

“All right Your Majesty,” Fleur boldly returned. “I was born with this.”

The girl held out her wrist, displaying the heart birthmark for the king to see. 

“And you have one too,” Fleur finished when the king fell silent.

The queen, on the other hand, leapt out of the carriage, her tears becoming those of joy. She ran to her daughter, hugging her, and whispering words of motherly love. 

By this time the king had recovered from his state of shock and joined his wife and Fleur, wiping tears from his own eyes.

“My darling, it truly is you!” he cried.

Fleur wept, and clung to her true parents, never wanting to let go. Glancing over her shoulder, the girl saw her old family, still bound. She slowly let go of the king and queen, turned to her parents, and asked His Majesty to release her first family. 

Once the shackles hit the ground, Fleur ran to her mother and father hugging them, then Birch, Sky, Ridge, Autumn and Willow.

“Thank you for everything. You must know that I love you, and always have loved you, but that this is where I belong. Good-bye.”

Fleur slowly turned towards her new family, got into the carriage, and rode to the gleaming castle, followed by bluebirds, who were singing a new song, softly and lovingly. Fleur reached the palace, leaving her life in the woods, and joining a new family filled with love, a life filled with new beginnings. Fleur finally found her way home. 

The End