Work in progress

There once was a girl called Elise, who lived on the edge of a forest. Her house was made of glass, so at night she could watch the trees wave their branches and the stars glint in Morse code, sharing their secrets. She lived with a polar bear called Hanson and they spoke to each other using sign language. At night Elise would lay down on Hanson and he would wrap his big bear arms around her as she slept. When she had trouble sleeping Hanson would write words in the air in purple sparks, draw stories of magical lands, lands more magical than the one they lived in. Elise had everything provided for her by Hanson. He was her protector, her care giver and her friend. He took care of her when she was ill, juggled and danced when she was sad and cooked for her when she was hungry. There as nothing he wouldn’t do for her, he loved to see her smile and skip in the woods. Her wonder at the smallest things warmed his heart.
One day Elise was outside playing in the autumn leaves. The sun was shining in the bright blue sky and the wind soared around her, lifting the leaves for her to chase. She ran around the forest until she was out of breath and her cheeks grew pink. The wind blew her hair around her face and she breathed in deep, perfectly still, while the world revolved around her. She watched the leaves; one in particular caught her eye. It was ruby red and danced apart from the rest, rising higher in the wind, beckoning to her. The ruby red leaf drifted off down into the dark part of the forest. Elise bit her lip, not knowing whether to follow. Hanson had warned her not to venture into the dark. The path was overgrown with weeds that slithered under your feet, grasping and writhing, waiting for you to fall so they could pull you down into the earth. She stood transfixed as the ruby red leaf zigzagged between two ash trees that seemed to mark the entrance of the path. She took one step forward and then another until she was just about to enter. She heard Hanson growl and turned her head to see him gesturing wildly for her to stop. She turned back to look for the ruby red leaf. It had stopped, waiting for her to continue. What lay before her was new and exciting, somewhat dangerous because it was unfamiliar. Elise looked back once more at Hanson, a look of resignation on his face as she lifted her foot and stepped into the forbidden. She passed between the ash trees and felt a wave of energy pass over her. She shivered and felt a ripple, a change in the universe as she knew it. The bubble of protection that surrounded her under Hanson’s watchful eye burst and she saw the world in different colours. The reds, greens and oranges seemed to glow with deeper intensity. The hidden creatures in the undergrowth were revealed and still the red leaf danced waiting for her to follow. She stepped forward tentatively, unsure whether to continue or to run back into the arms of Hanson where she knew what to expect. Elise felt taller, bigger and freer. This new world was scary but it held many more possibilities. For who would sacrifice the hurt if it meant denying themselves pleasure greater than they had ever known. She closed her eyes, felt the weight in the pit of her stomach that grounded her, felt safe with the knowledge that she could support and protect herself.