The Girl and the Town in the Woods
December 17, 2022 • by Madison Gustave
Sophomore in Animation
Once long ago, there was a young girl named Doris. She lives near the forest with her mother, father, three brothers, and one sister. Her life seemed perfect, but she was lonely. Her mother and father were always busy with work; her younger sister did not want to play with her because she saw her as weird for wanting to explore the woods, and her two older brothers saw her as dumb for wanting to learn about hunting with them. Doris was also bullied and picked on by other children and wasn't allowed to play games with them. Only her youngest brother, Bradford, showed her some support, and they used to play together.
One day, her mother gave her a basket to go to a strawberry field a few miles away and pick some berries to make pie. Wanting to show herself as useful, the young girl took the basket and began to wander into the woods. Several minutes later, it became apparent that she was lost. Her cries for help echoed throughout the woods. Her wandering continued until she came across a child slightly older than her. Introducing himself as Todd, he asked: "What does she need?" Doris explains her current situation. His response is that he knows where the strawberry fields are. Thanking him for the offer. Doris followed the child to a small village. They invited her to join them in playing. It wasn’t until sundown that she realized how long she had been away from home. Suddenly, a bell rang, causing the kids to run to the church, revealing a beautiful fairy-like woman standing before them. The woman notices Doris and asks: Would you like to join us for dinner"? When She explained her situation, the young woman was disappointed but understanding and asked if Doris could do her a favor before she left. She carried a jug full of water back to town, believing it could make up for her lateness. However, as Doris was walking, she noticed something odd: Each time Doris dropped the jug, it got heavier when she picked it up. Despite all the odds, she managed to get home safely. She opened the door to see her mother sitting on the bed, covering her eyes as her father patted his back. She held her head before moving forward, trying to comfort her, only for her father to walk past her. Doris didn’t understand why everyone ignored her. Even Bradford seemed to not notice her and just stayed in his room. She ran back to the woods before sitting on a log and crying. A moment later, Todd found her again and asked what was wrong. A cry escaped her lips as she explained everything that had happened. Sympathetic to her plight, He invited her back into the village to live with him and his family. A moment later, she followed the young boy back into the woods, taking his hand.
A few weeks later, Bradford walked down the same path in the woods. He suddenly hears someone singing. Entranced by the singing, he rushed over to see where it came from. He kept running until he found himself in front of pond. Sitting there was a young girl singing to herself. There were no shoes on her feet, and she wore a wet dress. Realizing it was his beloved sister, he called out to her. She then turned around, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. The girl's eyes had a dead look, and her shiny black hair was lifeless and damp. The most frightening thing was how malicious she seemed. She then smiled at him. He tried to back away, but Bradford found himself surrounded by water as Doris inched closer before grabbing his cheeks and forcing him to look up at her. Once his beloved sister, this creature smiled at him before whispering to him.
“We’ll be together again. Under the protection of our true mother.” He was then dragged into the lake and never reached the bottom.
