The whispering woods

Chapter 1

She touched the note in her pocket, reassuring herself that is was still there. She had touched it a hundred times on her walk to the market, though she didn't dare take it out of her pocket in broad daylight.

"G'day Miss, sweet, juicy apples for your pleasure." Lost in thought, Amanda was startled by the voice.

"Oh, not today Mrs. Ruskin. I've been sent for flour and eggs. Mrs. Stout's baking bread today."

"Perhaps she'd like to bake an apple pie, dearie." Mrs. Ruskin cupped a large, red apple in her palm and winked.

Amanda knew better than to bring home items Mrs. Stout didn't request. One summer day she bought a bouquet of yellow daisies, enticed by their fragrance and color of sunshine, she spent the change from her shopping allowance. Smiling and humming, she walked into kitchen nook, only to have the flowers snatched from her hands.

"What are these?" Mrs. Stout demanded. "Did I ask for flowers?"

"No ma'am." Amanda murmured as the feelings of happiness drained from her body.

"Did you steal them? Hmmm? No? Then where did you get the money?"

"I had money left from the butcher."

"No, you didn't have money left. I should call the constable and report the theft."

Panic enveloped Amanda. It didn't matter that the flowers had cost only a few coins. The constable would act on behalf of Mrs. Stout; Amanda had no advocate.

"No, please ma'am. I'll pay you back. I'm sorry."

Mrs. Stout looked at the flowers, broken and wilting in her grasp.

"Start by cleaning up this mess." She tossed the flowers to Amanda's feet and left the room.

Amanda had gone on half rations for a week and worked long into the night doing extra chores. No, she wouldn't be tempted to splurge on apples today.

She was thankful when the Stouts offered her work. She had been raised in an orphanage and had no where else to go. She often went to bed exhausted from her labors and was hungry more often then not. Nonetheless, she was happy to have a place to call home, even though Mrs. Stout was a harsh taskmaster. Diane came to work for the Stouts a year after Amanda, she was four years younger and Amanda thought of her as a younger sister. She couldn't have loved her own sister more.

Her thoughts returned to the note in her pocket. Could it have been Diane who left it underneath Amanda's pillow three nights ago? That didn't make sense. Diane would simply talk to Amanda, not send her a note, asking for a meeting. Who could have sent it then? No one other the Mr. and Mrs. Stout had access to her room, at least no one she could think of. And no one knew of her past. Amanda didn't even know much of it herself.

Distracted as she was, Amanda was able to finish her shopping and return home before the noon meal. Diane was in the yard, beating rugs to remove dust.

"Hi, Mandy" Diane smiled radiantly and waved. At fourteen, Diane was slim and preferred running or playing in the woods to dreaming of dances and silk dresses with ribbons and bows. Freckles covered her upturned nose, and her green eyes sparked with mischief. Amanda often envied Diane's joyful attitude. She never seemed unhappy with her circumstances. An orphan, like Amanda, Diane didn't seem to wonder if there was family for her somewhere, she simply accepted the people around her.

"Hi Dee, and hello Kiki" Amanda bent to pet the burrel rolled into a ball at Diane's feet. The burrel was grey as soot with intelligent, golden eyes and a ringed tail. Kiki's long ears quivered as he heard something in the tall grass. Burrels were impressive hunters, stalking mice or birds, they were seldom spotted and never outwitted. It was a small miracle that Diane managed to tame Kiki; yet she accepted the animal's friendship as though it was a natural as having a puppy licking your nose. Kiki dashed into the grass and disappeared like a wisp of smoke in the wind.

"I think there's an elf hiding in the woods." Diane nodded in the direction Kiki had disappeared to.

"The elves are gone Diane. They've been gone for a hundred years."

"Maybe they sent a scout to see if it was time to come back."

"Why would they come back here? They were nearly destroyed." Amanda knew Diane dreamed of seeing an elf; the legendary woodsmen who crafted their homes in trees and cooperated with animals, living in harmony with nature.

Diane shrugged and returned to her work. The conversation of elves would have to wait for another day. Amanda knew if there was an elf within a thousand miles of Diane, she would find it; especially with the help of Kiki.

Amanda left the flour and eggs on the wooden table in the kitchen and gathered the scrub brushes and bucket to clean the floors.

"You took long enough this morning. I hardly have time to get the bread baked. Mr. Brook is having the mayor to dinner this evening. Mayor Smith loves my fresh baked bread."

Mrs. Stout was the most admired cook and housekeeper in the area. The Mayor had tried to entice her to work for his family for years, but she was loyal to the Brooks. The Brook family had grown in years, as John Brook Jr. took a wife and had seven children. John Brook Sr. still lived in the home, but he kept to his personal suite. Few had seen Mr. Brook since his wife's death two years earlier. Everyone assumed it was only a matter of time before he joined her.

"What's this?" Mrs. Stout bent and picked up a scrap of paper.

Amanda's heart froze as she realized the note had fallen out of her pocket.

Chapter 2

The look on Amanda face was one of surprise and horror.

"Nothing ma'am" she looked at the floor as she said this.

"Mrs. Stout, Mrs. Stout. Come to the dining room immediately" called Mrs. Brooks from the other room.

"Coming ma'am" As she left the room she placed the note on the table as if it had no importance.

"Start with your chores and you will do extra tonight for taking so long at the market."

Amanda couldn't believe her good fortune when Mrs. Stout was called out of the room to leave her to her chores. She would rather not think of the consequences if Mrs. Stout had realized that she was planning of sneaking out that night.

Later that night she was laying in bed debating whether or not she really wanted to go into the dark forest to meet the mysterious author of the note. She decided that she really had no other choice to learn more about her past.

She slowly got out of her bed so not to wake Diana and the little ball of fur at her feet. As she laid her foot on the cold wood floors she heard a creak. She whipped her head around and saw that she had only awakened Kiki. Amanda then started walking to the door. When she reached the door she felt Kiki rub her leg as if she knew she wasn't just going to the bathroom like any other night.

"No Kiki you can't come with me and don't you wake up Diana I mean it" Amanda whispered to the burrel. Kiki slowly walked back to Diana's bed and lay down as not to wake her up.

The walk to the clear blue stream near the large oak was a long one. In the daylight the walk was only ten minutes from the small two bedroom cottage with only one out house. At night that was a different story.

When she at last reached the stream she saw a tall, shadowy figure leaning on the large oak. Amanda approached the figure with caution. She felt as though she had seen this figure before.

He must have felt the eyes on his back because he turned to look at her. "Hello Miss. Amanda. I suspect you know why I have brought you here."

"No Mr. Brooks." The elderly Mr. Brooks was the last person she expected to see.

"Here sit" he said as he motioned to a pair of stumps near the stream. They sat down on the stumps facing each other. "Too many years have passed with you not knowing the truth. The minute I saw you I knew you were her daughter."

"Whose daughter"? Amanda's pulse quickened.

"The fairy queen's daughter, you look just like her. Her action led to the separation of humans and magical creatures. She married your father, a human. The elves were so appalled at the thought of a human-fairy wedding that they put a curse on the land and all the humans within the land." He talked as though he was seeing what had happen but it was over a hundred years ago.

"That can't be, the land and the humans here are all safe and well". She was having a hard time believing that the old man was tell her the truth.

"No, it is the truth. You are the one, who saved the land,' you were the sacrifice" They both heard a faint voice in the distance. "Hide Amanda, don't move until I'm gone. No one must know that we have spoken." Little did they know someone was in the shadow listening to every word they had said.

"Father, Father, Oh there you are, you batty old man. What are you doing out here so late." As father and son went back to their house Amanda wondered if the old man was telling the truth or if he was really just a batty old man.

Chapter 3

Amanda creaked open the door just to find Mr. and Mrs. Stout waiting for her. Amanda looked down at Kiki like she had woken up Diana

"Where have you been?" They all said in unison.

Amanda stared at her shoe laces trying to think of an excuse.

Mrs. Stout got in her face "Amanda I asked you a question. Where have you been?"

"I..... I couldn't sleep so I went out for a walk." Amanda hoped they would believe her.

"Hmmm...." Mr. Stout looked her up and down. "Come darling, we must let these ladies get their rest. We have a big day ahead of us."

"What you are going to let her get away with sneaking out?" Mrs. Stout complained.

Mr. Stout looked at his wife. And they both left without another word.

Diana came out of her silent mode. "I am really sorry I woke up and you were not there. So I panicked. I didn't know what to do or where you were. What if something had happened to you? You could have been kidnapped. I was so nervous. So, I told Mrs. Stout. I didn't realize she knew where you were." Diana was now covered with tears.

"Wait, what?" Amanda couldn't believe it. She must have heard Diana wrong. Mrs. Stout knew she was going to meet Mr. Brooks under that old tree where Mrs. White, her mother at the orphanage, said she found her.

"Yea I over heard Mrs. Stout talking to Mr. Brooks' son about going to go get his father to prevent him from talking to you." Diana seemed real proud that she knew some thing that Amanda didn't.

Mrs. Stout stormed in her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. "I can't believe you let her get away with sneaking out. You know better than to believe she was just going for a walk. And that, good for nothing batty old man, how could he let her know about her parents like that? Oh well, I will have to let the elves know." She clamped her lips shut.

"What? How are going to get a hold of the elves. Nobody has seen them for over one hundred years." Right then Mr. Stout knew she was hiding something from him.

"Oh never mind just forget I said anything" Mrs. Stout knew she said too much.

Mr. Brooks questioned his son on their way home. "How did you know where to find me son?"

"Mrs. Stout said she saw you wonder off by the stream." He told his father.

At that moment Mr. Brooks knew Amanda was in grave danger.

Amanda woke up early that morning and went to go talk to Mr. Brooks.

Mr. Brooks pulled Amanda away so that no one could see them.

"What is it Amanda?" he said quietly.

"Mr. Brooks I am sorry. I think you are mistaken I am not magical." She said feeling guilty he thought she was something she wasn't.

"No Amanda. You are magical. Except all your magic is being used to keep our two worlds together."

"What?" Mr. Brooks is a crazy old man, Amanda thought.

Chapter 4

Immediately Mr. Brooks rushed from the house to meet with the mayor and let him know what was happening.

"Mr. Mayor" said Mr. Brooks "I believe that my housekeeper Mrs. Stout is a troll spy."

"No that can't be" said the mayor. "I have known Mrs. Stout for thirty years, you must be mistaken."

Mr. Brooks, after many exhaustive hours, finally convinced the mayor that he was right and Mrs. Stout was indeed a troll spy.

"You're right we need to do something quick. Call General Washington" The Mayor shouted to his secretary.

Amanda was hanging laundry on the line when she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head and instantly everything went black

"Clancy! Clancy!" Where is that miserable son of a toad? Mrs. Brooks wondered.

Mrs. Brooks picked up her Verizon Wireless all digital KRAZR phone and called her husband using her in network in-calling minutes. "Marvin do you know where Mr. Stout and Amanda are? I can't find either one of them and this house needs to be spotless for you mother's arrival next week."

"Have you looked everywhere Esmeralda?" Mr. Brooks said sounding worried.

"Yes everywhere, it's like they have disappeared" explained Mrs. Brooks.

"Stay inside I will be home in an hour. We will take care of it then" Mr. Brooks demanded.

Two hours and fifteen minutes later Mr. Brooks showed up at the house with the mayor and a company of soldiers led by Mr. Gordon.

"Sorry I'm late", explained Mr. Brooks "we were waiting on Mr. Gordon".

"I understand Mr. Gordon has his own time table, but why are all of these people in my house messing up my floors?" asked Mrs. Brooks.

"Keep up woman, we have a major crisis going on here, you can worry about your floors later" shouted Mr. Brooks.

Just then the back door flung open and Mrs. Brooks fainted when she saw the elf army on her lawn.

"General Washington, welcome to my home. Don't worry about her you can just step over her, we will meet in the living room" said Mr. Brooks.

"How did you humans let this happen, if the trolls have Amanda this land will split and we will be at war again is that what you want" demanded General Washington.

"No of course not, we were sure that Amanda was safe here and that the troll cave was sealed off, you elves were supposed to be guarding it, how did they get out?" asked the Mayor.

"The trolls have not escaped during our watch, and we have kept Amanda's twin brother Adam out of harms way. Unlike you letting Amanda get kidnapped"

"We need to find Mrs. Stout, I will check her room for clues" said Mr. Brooks.

When Mr. Brooks entered Mrs. Stout's room he found a note. "After you decided to tell Amanda about her life and parents I decided that the twins should no longer be separated and took Amanda to Elfdom to meet her brother, when I went to the yard to get her she was passed out cold on the grass, it looked like she had stepped backward onto the head of a rake and knocked herself out. She is kind of malnourished so we decided to carry her to meet her parents and brother. If you have any questions you can call me on my Verizon Wireless Phone since it is the only phone that get reception all the way from here to Elfdom."

When Amanda finally woke up she was greeted by her long lost brother and her parents. It took many hours for the four of them to catch up and let each other know what they had been doing for the last sixteen years. Amanda's mother the great fairy Felicia was the most beautiful woman Amanda had ever seen, and her brother was the spitting image of her father, they both wore overalls over plaid shirts and each had a beard down to their beltline, the beards must have bee almost eight inched long.

Amanda's parents explained how they had been forced together to have children in order to save the world from the trolls. They also explained how they had come to love each other in the many years since the first conception and now had twenty four other children, one set of twins for each letter of their short alphabet. Amanda's and Adams parent have been keeping a close eye on them through the use of a pet burrel given to each of them, who would report back to their father regarding their well being.

If you want to know the story of this story you can read it on hubpages at teach kids to write.