Silver Rose

I wrote this children's story when I was about 11 and had forgotten all about it. I found it recently in my stuff and liked it so decided to put it in my portfolio.


Lynne Prescott raced across the field toward town. Shamrock, her fluffy white dog, ran barking at her heals. Lynne didn’t want Shamrock to follow her, but she didn’t have enough time to bring her back home either.

“Go home, Shammie, go home,” Lynne yelled.

Shamrock just barked happily and loped off ahead. Lynne sighed in frustration, but raced on. Her mother had asked her to mail an important letter and the post office closed at 5:30. It was now 5:24. She would never make it on time.

Suddenly Lynne tripped and fell hard to the ground. For a few moments she lay there stunned. Then, with a start, she realized that the grass under her was no longer hard and prickly, but was soft and warm like a fleece blanket. Very slowly she opened her eyes and stared in awe at the luscious pink grass. She looked around her and saw surrounding the field a forest colored with so many shades of blue that it was indescribable.

As she gazed in wonder, Lynne heard a sound like the tinkling of many bells coming from behind her. It was one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard. Carefully she picked herself up and turned around, scared of what she would see. The light was so intense she had to squint her eyes for a full minute. When she could finally see, the sight before her was so majestic that it took the breath right out of her. Standing before her was a silver white unicorn. Its body glistened like fresh snow and the golden horn shone brighter than the lights of a million stars together. The hooves were like pure gold and the mane and tail the softest shade of blue she had ever seen.

“I am the queen of the unicorns,” the sweet sounding voice tinkled. “You have entered the queen’s meadow and only the Queen is allowed here.”

“I’m s-s-sorry, I don’t know where I am,” Lynne whispered fearfully.

“You must have been summoned to help the fairies,” the Queen murmured.

“I don’t think so. I didn’t even know there were fairies, so how could I help them?” Lynne answered quite calmly for a girl in her position.

“Even if you have never heard of fairies I believe you may still be able to help them. Come, climb on my back at once.”

Trembling, Lynne hesitantly climbed aboard. A sweet smelling scent seemed to emanate from the Queen’s body, like the smell of a garden full of flowers.

“What should I call you,” Lynne questioned, “What's your name?”

“My name is Mirsti. And what is your name?”

“Lynne, Lynne Prescott.”

All was quiet as they stepped into the forest. It was beautiful with its many shades of blue and lavender moss. There didn’t seem to be any other animals in the forest and the only sound was the rustling of the trees. As they ventured further into the forest Lynne noticed a few changes. Every once in a while she saw a lavender or red tree. Gradually the colors became darker until there were no more pastels and the trees were all violet and red. Then they stepped out into a field of yellow grass filled with red, violet and green wild flowers.

“It’s all different!” Lynne exclaimed, “Why?”

“The Queen’s field is the only one in all of our unicorn land like that. This is a normal unicorn field,” Mirsti said proudly, glancing over the land she ruled.

Lynne looked around again and this time she saw the other unicorns. Their coats were dull white, their horns bright and their hooves yellow. Their manes and tails were varied shades of dark blue and lavender. Lynne could see why Mirsti was the queen. As Mirsti trotted through the field, the unicorns stood back to watch their queen. They walked through several fields and saw a great number of unicorns before finally coming to an empty field bordered by another forest.

“Only gatherers of herbs for the sick are allowed in this forest,” Mirsti explained.

“Why is that?” Lynne asked.

“Because we are coming to the boundary of Unicorn land and entering Pegasus land. We are not enemies with the Pegasus, but we do not mix together.”

Just then they came to where the lavender trees ended and only red trees grew.

“This is where the Pegasus land begins. The only unicorn allowed beyond this point is the queen and I don’t cross it often. Next we will come to the King’s field, where the King of the Pegasus lives," Mirsti explained.

Lynne and Mirsti reached the edge of the forest and stopped. Mirsti let out a shrill tinkling noise twice and then was still. From the field, a sound like rushing water answered her. Slowly Mirsti walked forward into the field.

The field in front of them was dark green surrounded by deep red trees. A large black horse stood in the middle of the field. Every inch of his body was pure black and shone like satin. His mane and tail were black as a night without a single light.

“Mirsti, welcome! Who is this little stranger you carry on your back?” His voice thundered across the field.

“Hello, Black Satin, Mirsti tinkled. “This is a new friend of mine who is trying to reach the fairies’ land. She may be able to help them.”

“And so you want me to take her, right?”

“Well, you do know your land much better than I and I can just barely make it through that swamp on my own. I would never get through with Lynne on my back.” Mirsti sighed.

“I will take her,” Black Satin replied, “I am sure that she can help the fairies.”

“Thank you,” Mirsti knelt to allow Lynne to climb down. “Good-bye Lynne.”

“Bye Mirsti,” Lynne whispered as Mirsti turned and walked back into the forest. Lynne turned around to face Black Satin. She was scared to be alone with this massive horse, but knew that she would have to trust him.

He knelt before her on the grass. “Come, climb on my back.”

Carefully, Lynne hoisted herself up on his broad back and then gasped in delight when long silver tipped black wings unfolded gracefully from his sides. Slowly he began to fan his wings and then lifted off the ground.

“Hang on tight,” he called.

They steadily climbed upward and then leveled off and soared over the trees with the ease of a bird. Soon they crossed a light green colored field surrounded by yellow and brown trees. Many dark brown and black Pegasus grazed in the field. They all had some touches of white on their coats and plain black wings.

They flew on over fields and trees and marshy places until they came to a huge swamp that seemed to stretch forever. Lynne could see why Mirsti didn’t want to go through it. The wind blew hot and then cold and seemed to tear at Black Satin and Lynne as they struggled across the swamp. Lynne wrapped her arms around Black Satin’s neck, closed her eyes and hung on tight. Finally the savage wind slowed as the swamp receded behind them.

Lynne opened her eyes and then gasped in amazement, for towering before them was a huge crystal city with multi colored light refracting from every prism. Gently, Black Satin landed on the ivory path leading through the arched crystal gate and knelt for Lynne to dismount.

“You will have to go on alone from here, Lynne” he said.

“But how will I ever get home and what am I supposed to do? Don’t go yet.”

“I must. You’ll be safe be safe here. Don’t worry.” With that Black Satin spread his majestic wings, lifted high into the air and was gone.

Tentatively Lynne eased forward and drew near the shimmering gates. Just as she was about to knock the gates swung open and she gazed in awe at the splendor before her. The pure white ivory road rose straight in front of her to a glimmering palace of crystal and pearl that glowed from within. Lining the road were small quaint houses of delicately blown crystal and small alleyways and paths branching off in all direction. Most amazing of all were the hundreds of fairing floating out of the houses and alleys and hovering near the path in excitement. Each fairy was petite, about half the height of Lynne and dressed in gauzy shades of pastel. Their rose colored gossamer wings fluttered in the glittering air and their rippling laughter and singing flowed around her.

“She’s come, she’s come, our helper has arrived. Oh how long we’ve waited, with such joy anticipated, her coming from a land so far away.” The fairies nearest the gate began the singsong phrase that soon echoed across the city and right up to the palace door.

“But I don’t know how to help! I didn’t come to help, I just fell down, I don’t even know where I am!” No one seemed to even hear her fervent protestations and so reluctantly she walked the path opened before her to enter the palace walls.

Just beyond the entrance lay a scene of great confusion and disorder. Fairies were fluttering helplessly around a bank of what Lynne could only describe as computers in spite of the shining silver casings and glowing rosy screens. Their agitation could be felt in the air as they pressed buttons and cried out in dismay to each other over their lack of progress. Lynne loved computers and had been playing on them since she was old enough to understand what they were. In fact she was hoping to become a computer programmer when she grew up and was already taking some computer courses at her middle school. So the sight of such a scene drew her in and before she realized it she was standing next to the central computer.

“What’s the matter? Why is everyone so upset?” she asked the worried looking fairy levitating in front of the screen.

“Oh, you’re here, you’ve come to help.” She cried out in joy. “Fairies, gather round and please don’t make a sound. We must hear what our helper has to say.”

What could only be called a great sigh of relief was heard and all the fairies hurriedly gathered around the central work station with hopeful faces.

“Please, I-I don’t know if I can help. I mean, I don’t even know what’s wrong. Are these computers even like the ones I’m used to?”

“Oh, but yes you can help. That’s why we sent for you, for you’ll know what to do. You see we’ve lost the record of people’s needs that we must have to do our good deeds. All our work is done by computer, but we can not find a tutor. How do we use these beastly things?” The poor fairy’s frustration was quite evident in her remarkably unpoetic last line.

“You mean, you’re just having trouble finding your saved files? Well, I can try to find them. If you’ve saved them they should be here somewhere. Okay, here I’ve found People’s Needs and another file called Good deeds. Is that what you’re looking for?”

At this there was a great general out cry of joy and amazement and clapping of hands.

“Here, let me show you all how to use these easily. I’m going to set up some folders for you and it’s really simple to keep everything organized in them.”

Lynne proceeded to happily give a basic computer lesson to an ever growing crowd of curious fairies. They all caught on quickly and rushed to their separate computers to practice while help was still at hand.

Dusk was descending over the iridescent city by the time the fairies left their computers and ushered Lynne out of the palace back to the city gates.

“Thank you Lynne, for all your assistance and for coming such a distance. All the world will be affected by your deed, because till now they’ve been in great need. Even that terrible swamp you flew over, before our mishap was a purple field of clover.”

“I’m just happy I could help. It’s been amazing.”

“Please take this small gift in appreciation”

Lynne reached out her hand and took the delicate silver rose. With a start, Lynne opened her eyes and gazed at the prickly green grass underneath her.

“What a dream! That was really weird Shamrock. It all seemed so real. But I can’t believe I fell asleep here, especially with you still barking at me. Maybe I fell down so hard I knocked myself out. Wild. And now I’m probably too late to mail my letter. Mom will kill me!”

Lynne turned her arm to check her wrist watch and realized that she was clutching something in her hand. When she uncurled her fingers she saw a beautiful silver rose laying in the palm of her hand. For just a moment the tip seemed to cast a rosy glow.

“What! But it can’t be true. There’s no way. I…” suddenly she noticed the face of her watch, “5:25, I can still make it. Let’s go.”

Lynne jumped to her feet, pocketing the little rose and raced off toward town, Shamrock barking behind her.