Purses

by Leah K.
4th grade
highland Park Elementary School

Mandinka , a sleek black haired girl with fair skin as pale as the moon was extremely excited, for she was a princess in training, and today was her coronation. She was going to be the princess of Snare. She was planning a huge banquet in her honor. Being a very spoiled girl, she knew that anything she wanted, she could get

The sound of swords banging together could only mean one thing : a sword fight. And fifteen year old Jackie was in the middle of the sword fight, fighting for her life, and for her family¹s life too. A master criminal had kidnapped her mother and sister and Jackie was fighting for them, but she was losing. A leg had been torn clean off, and her arms had big, bloody wounds in them. The enemy had a scarred face and a nosebleed. Suddenly, before Jackie had time to react, the criminal¹s sword plunged into Jackie¹s heart. The criminal had won.

Rin was fluttering around the tree that she lived in, keeping watch for hungry birds. She was living with her younger sister named Lune in a hollow tree. But Rin was sad. Ever since a falcon had eaten her parents, tiny blond haired Rin had lived with her younger sister. Lune was only two when her parents died, and Rin was ten. Lune didn¹t understand that her parents were dead, she just thought that they were on a long trip. "When is mom and dad coming back ?" asked Lune. Rin sighed. That question made Rin very, very sad. " Mom and dad aren¹t coming back."

Hours later Jackie awoke. She was deathly pale, almost see- through.

"W-what happened to me?" Stammered Jackie. "I thought I was dead!" Her voice seemed to echo as if she was in a cave. Then she saw her mother. She was as pale and see through as Jackie was. "Mother!" Exclaimed Jackie.

"What happened to me?"

"You¹re a ghost. We all are." Said Jackie¹s mom.

"Now listen . Tonight, at midnight, go into the hollow tree woods." Said Jackie¹s mom. "Open this when you get there." And with that, she vanished.

Mandinka was lying in bed, barely able to move, definitely not able to speak. She was paler than the moon overhead. Oh, no. Thought Mandinka This is how mother died. Help me! What was even worse was that today was her coronation. But she was to sick to move. Mandinka knew that this was the end. She tried to close her eyes. But then, just as she closed her eyes, she felt herself being lifted into the air, Being transported to some odd forest. The trees there were huge! And for some strange reason, she didn¹t feel sick. She clutched the purse that she was holding even tighter. Now that I¹m better, I¹d better get back to the coronation. Thought Mandinka.

Fast!

Jackie looked down at what her mother had given her. It was a small velvet purse. Then, she sped off toward the hollow tree woods. "There¹s one thing good about being a ghost," said Jackie. "It¹s way easier to travel." Finally she got to the hollow tree woods. She saw a humongous tree that had a huge hole in it  "What is that?" wondered Jackie as she peered into the hole.

When Rin saw Jackie, she was very startled to see her. "W-who are you?" asked Rin. When Lune came to see who was there, she burst into tears. Lune was terrified. "We was minding our own business until you came to eat us all!" said Lune.

"Hush, Lune, she won¹t eat us." Said Rin. "Will you?"

"of course not!" said Jackie. "Oh, by the way, my name¹s Jackie. My mother just told me to come here. She gave this to me before I left." Jackie held out the purse.

"My mother died when I was ten." Said Rin. She took out a purse "This is all I have left of her."

Lune just stared at the two purses. Then she said "Those two purses are the same!"

Mandinka was still wandering around in the forest. She seemed hopelessly lost. Finally she came to stop at what she thought was the hugest tree in the forest. "Oh my gosh." said Mandinka .

"Who's that?" asked Jackie.

" I have no idea," said Rin "But she'd better not harm me or my sister, or else that's going to be the last thing she ever does."

"Don't you dare threaten me, tree spite." Said Mandinka.

"Wait, wait hold the phone." Said Jackie.

"Can I see the purse you're holding?"

 "Mine?" asked Mandinka.

"Yeah, yours" said Jackie . Mandinka hesitated, but then gave her the purse. Jackie observed it closely. "Rin, can I see yours?" Rin gave her her purse. Jackie took her purse out. Then she opened all the purses. A white light shone out of Jackie's, green out of Rin's, and blue out of Mandinka's. The lights seemed to arch over to Lune, who screamed in agony. Then she slipped out of her body to reveal a pale half human, half bird.

"The criminal who killed me!" exclaimed Jackie.

"The bird who ate my parents," said Rin.

"The sickness that killed my mother and nearly killed me," said Mandinka.

Then the lights shone brighter than before. Then, Lune/The Creature vanished.

'Wow," they all said.