Kara: A new home.

Kara lay on her regular sized feather bed. She felt like ending her life because of all the pain she felt. All the kids at school were mean to her. She wished she could disappear off the face of the earth.

And she was living with a foster parent. Her parents had died on their way to a health conference when she was younger. It had been raining a lot and had lost control of their vehicle. They ended up sliding across the road, drove off it and went flying over the side of a hill. The car was found the next day with no survivors.

Her foster Dad did not treat her well. He shouted at her because she spent too much time in her room. Where else was she supposed to be, or go? The other children in the neighborhood did not like her. They thought she was a strange kid.

Kara liked to talk to animals. She cared for them. No one else did that. They all would pass by and if they saw even a baby deer, it was killed and eaten for the lunch/dinner. She tried to tell folks in her communtiy about protecting the forest & animals. But no one wanted to listen to her words.

She spent most of her days in her room. Even though her room was in the attic, she made it her own personal, comfy and a lovely place. It had stars hanging from the ceiling. A bonsai tree by the window sill. She even placed some pictures of birds, animals and flowers on the walls.

Later in the night, Kara heard a loud thud right around the house. She went all the way to the living room and peaked around the house through the windows.

Kara could not believe her eyes. Standing outside was an elf. He was planting seeds and inspecting the plants around the house. She quickly run to the front door, and went outside.

Jay~ You do not have to hide. I can sense when someone is watching me. I’m Jay. What’s your name?

Kara moved away from the rose bush and approached the stranger.

Kara~ I am Kara.

Jay~ That is a wonderful name. Kara. I really like it.

Kara~ Thank you.

Jay~ I noticed that you like nature.

Kara~ What? Have you been following me?

Jay~ No. (Laughs) I am not a stalker. I promise. I can tell from the health of these plants that they are being cared for quite well.

Kara~ (smiles) They are. I water them and feed them everyday.

Jay hands Kara some seeds and heads into the forest. Kara looks around her to see if anyone was around. The cost was clear.

She was drawn to the forest. A part of her wanted to be there forever. She did not feel like going back in the house. What about school? She didn’t even like being there.

Kara slowly walks towards the forest and then stops in her tracks. She takes one last look at the house, and then goes further into the forest.

She followed the tracks of the stranger she met. The more steps she took into the forest, the less her sadness became. She glanced around her and saw evergreen trees with deeply grounded roots. Kara also knelt down and smelt the flowers around her. There were roses, dandelions, tulips, gardenias, petunias and lilies & so many more.

Then she heard a branch snap. She looked at where the sound came from. It was only a brown beaver collecting twigs from the ground.

Kara soon heard chants and voices singing. The sound and noise was not too far away from her. She walked towards it.

Soon she found a grand gathering of elves in the forest. Kara joined the mingle and made herself at home. The elves were dancing and being merry. They were celebrating the lives of the trees that had past and we’re looking forward to the coming of the new life.

One of the elves gasped when they saw a human in their midst. Who was this stranger among them?

Kara~ Calm down. I am not here to hurt you. Believe me. I mean you no harm.

From the crowd, a familiar face approcahed Kara. It was Jay. She was glad to see his face again.

Jay~ I see you know your way around the forest.

Kara~ I guess I do.

Jay grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her closer to him. They were soon twirling and dancing to the beat of the maracas.

After their dance, Jay passed a plate of food to Kara. She ate all the great tastes of the fruits, rice and meat provided to her. When the festivity was over, she told Jay about her life.

Jay~ If you want to stay here with me, I mean us, you can. What do you say?

Kara~ I do not know. Maybe. Why not? It does seem like a fun place.

Jay~ Do not worry. I can show you all the parts of this great forest.

Kara then hugged Jay and he gave her a tighter hug too.

There with the elves Kara stayed. & Not once did she ever feel like leaving her new home.