She was Caught
“Eloria? What are you doing here?” I turn around and see Adan behind me. I freeze, unable to move or think momentarily. He starts walking towards me.
“Stop” I command, “I’ll leave.”
“You don’t have to leave.” he tells me.
“No I’m leaving now just don’t try to find me.”
“I know that’s not why you’re here.” he accuses.
Nervously I ask, “Then why do you think I came here Adan?”
He opens his mouth to answers but he stops looking confused. Then he looks at Star.
“Where’d you get that horse?”
“So you’re changing the subject now?” I mock.
“I thought she ran away! Everyone thinks so. Do you know what this means?!” He’s nearly screaming now but I can’t tell if he’s angry or just surprised.
“What does this mean?”
“This means your mom could still be alive! Out in the forest somewhere! She needs us, Eloria!! You need to help us find her!!!” he screams while shaking me back and forth frantically.
I understand what he’s saying but I just can’t accept that after all this time my mom could be alive and somewhere nearby, waiting for me. I want it to be true but what if it isn’t? I can’t accept losing her after I learned she would want me back.
I push his hands off me, “How does Star being here tell you that my mom could be alive?”
“You named her Star? She named herself Star? Whatever her name is, she was your mom’s horse and she was with her when we thought the King killed her. Your mom had just sent you into the future and the King’s cloak had been left at the spot where it happened. The horse and the queen were gone.”
All I can say is, “What do you mean Star named herself?”
“The queen put a spell on her so that her name could only be chosen when she chose her own name. Witches do that to their pets a lot.”
“So you’re telling me that I have my mom’s horse and that we can find her in the woods anytime we want?!”
“Well when you put it like that-”
I walk past Adan and go deeper into the forest. He watches me leave but lets me go. I guess he wasn’t who I thought he was. He only wants to help me. Maybe Itzel does too. Maybe I should go find my mom, she might be in trouble. If the king gets her- I can’t think about what would happen to her then.
I go back to Star and grab my notebook. I write down everything that’s happened. Running into Adan, learning about my mom, learning about Star, finding out Adan’s true intentions. I draw out some of the things that happened too. I write and write. Nowadays my notebook is like therapy since I don’t know who to trust and who to talk to. I never had friends before. Why did I only start using a notebook for this now? When I’m nowhere close to anything I knew. When my whole world has turned upside down.
At least now I know I can trust Adan and I think I can trust Itzel. I should return the mirror. It’s theirs after all. It might not have shown me something I wanted but it might help someone else find something they need.
I’m not going to be a queen. My mom can do that if she’s still alive. I hope she is. It’s the only thing I have left to hope for. But if it’s not true then I’ll be distraught. I can’t help the witches no matter what I do. They need someone better than me. Someone who can be a great leader and protect them from the King.
Adan walks over to me silently. I know he wants to talk but he’s waiting for me to be ready.
“Okay,” I begin, “Let’s go find her.”
Adan smiles and nods. Then he looks back at Star.
“I’ll go get my horse,” he responds.
We both go into the witches’ town where he retrieves his horse. Then we mount our horses and vanish into the woods. The sound of hooves hitting the ground is constant and rhythmic. I could get lost in the sound but I can’t forget what we’re doing.
“Wait where are we going?” I ask. Both our horses come to a halt.
“There’s only one hiding place she could stay in for 15 years. It’s a meadow that only magical royalty can enter. It’s remote and secretive.” Adan tells me, sounding sure of himself.
We race off the meadow which just looks like a grassy plain, blocked off on three sides by great big walls of rock. I get off my horse and look at Adan who is still mounted on his horse.
“I can’t go past this point, neither can the horses.” he informs me.
“Okay, I’ll just go find her then.”
I run into the grassy plain which gradually starts to look more and more like a meadow. Now I can see flowers, trees, and bushes. When I look behind me I can only see the rock wall.
Finally I come to a small hut only able to fit one person. Inside there is a chest and basket as well as a white stained sheet laid down as a makeshift mattress. No one is inside.
I continue walking through the meadow. There’s no trace of my mother. She must’ve left but why? Why wouldn’t she just stay safe in here? Why would she leave her things?
My eyes begin to water, and tears fall down my face. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.
Virtual School Paper: Media for kids, by kids 