The Magic Within Me

Part One, Chapter One

You all must be wondering who I am by now. Honestly, though, I have no idea either. At first, My life was normal, if eventful. However, as time passed I found out that perhaps there was more to my life than it seemed. It all started when I "accidentally" got lost during a field trip.

I'd always believed in magic. I enjoyed those fairy tales filled with magical creatures, though what I enjoyed even more was the woods. I loved the feeling of life surrounding me when I'm in a forest. Everything was so natural there: the shuffling sound of leaves and the chirping of birds. Whenever I'm in the woods, I feel at peace. Unfortunately, I lived in a city where factories and stores filled the land, leaving no place for the trees to grow. As a result, the moment my school decided to bring us camping in the woods, I mentally jumped out of my seat and yelled happily.

During the ride to our camp, I thought about all the adventures that might occur in the woods. Perhaps I would find out who I am. My life felt like a mystery to me. Sure, I had a family that cared for me, and I did have friends that supported me when I needed them. However, I still didn't feel like I fit in. Unlike many others, I wasn't popular among the kids in school, and my family was also not as wealthy as the other families in my school. Don't get me wrong, I loved my family and respected them as well, but I knew deep in my heart that compared to the other families in my school, some might judge my family as not as "good" as the other families. However, I never let these kinds of things affect me; it might have given me pressure sometimes but in general, I was fine.

I always had a feeling that perhaps my life might not be as easy as it seemed. I know it might sound odd to others, but to me, what I thought was pretty normal. I guessed it was because I'd read too much fiction, but I didn't feel ashamed at all for believing in magic. In my opinion, people shouldn't be embarrassed for liking something no matter what it was. Though as much as I believed in that, I still didn't share my thoughts about magic with others. In the end, I was still afraid of what others thought about me, but at the very least I was brave enough to tell others I enjoyed it if anyone asks.

***

The ride was long and exhausting, but that did not stop me from enjoying the peaceful wood. I ran happily through the woods along with the other students; it was an amazing time. Laughter filled the air as my friends and I skipped along the road. Even our grumpy teachers seemed to be having fun.

All of us were worn out by the time the sunset, but not me. That night, after everyone was asleep, I snuck out into the woods to enjoy the quiet night. I know that was stupid of me, but you'd understand if you were in my place. After being in a smog-filled city for so long, I finally got to explore a forest filled with animals you'd never find when looking outside the window. There was no way I was going to miss that chance.

The forest was beautiful. Darkness wrapped itself around the trees at first. However, as my eyes adapted to the light, I saw flickering light up in the sky. As I looked closer, I noticed that fireflies were fluttering across the forest. I lay down to enjoy the stunning night sky. The moon shimmered brightly, covering the forest with a sheet of silvery light, which cast shadows that danced on the floor. It was a peaceful and magical scene. As I stood up, the feeling of magic and wonder of the natural world surrounded me. All the worries of the real world were washed away, and I was able to enjoy myself and my moment with nature.

I was very confident that I would not be caught; after all, I'd had so much experience sneaking out before. As a result, when I heard someone calling out my name, I ignored it. I immediately regretted that because the next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with the smartest and most compliant kid in class, Alizeh Talon.

Oh boy, I thought. Sure, Alizeh Talon was a friend of mine and a nice kid, but you did not want to get in trouble with her. She was strict, and if she ever caught you doing something against the rules, into the principal's office you'd go. For a compliant kid (at school) like me, Alizeh wasn't that much of a problem; as I said, she was very kind. However, for disobedient kids like Solemina Sara and Naia Mae, the two head troublemakers in school, she could be a headache. I did not feel sympathetic for those two little hooligans at all; they'd caused so much trouble in school that my head hurt just thinking about them.