This story is by Joe Bunting and was part of our 2023 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
In the heart of the town of Eldoria stood a mysterious grove, which was said to be home to ancient spirits. No one ventured there after dusk, for legends spoke of whispers that could lead one astray, never to return.
Anna, a curious and rebellious teenager, always dismissed these stories as mere myths. One evening, urged by a dare from her friends, she decided to enter the grove alone. As she stepped on the fallen leaves, the whispers began. They weren’t menacing but sounded like old tales being recounted.
Drawn deeper, Anna found a clearing with an ancient stone altar. The whispers grew louder, and she realized they were narrating the story of a young girl who had once saved the town from a great calamity using the powers granted to her by the spirits of the grove.
Suddenly, an ethereal figure appeared before Anna. It was the girl from the legend. “You’ve heard our story, and now, you have a role to play,” she said.
Anna learned that Eldoria was on the brink of another disaster, and she was chosen to prevent it. With the spirits’ guidance and the town’s forgotten history, Anna embarked on a journey to save her home once more.
As dawn broke, Anna emerged from the grove, not as a skeptic teenager, but as Eldoria’s new guardian, ready to embrace her destiny and uphold the legends of the past.
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