Shenton College Team Alexandra Truong

Parameters

Characters Primary Character 1: Lifeguard

Primary Character 2: Great Uncle Non-Human Character: Elf

Setting Cricket Match

Issue Learning to fly

Random Words Fuzzy

Zigzagged Emerald Awkward

Pillow

Recommended Age 10-16 years old

By Shivana Dayawala

Kessandra Rajendran Cory Heron Kailin Guo

Thomas Brauhart Alexandra Truong

Tara Wilson Damon Liew Miles Poole

This book is dedicated to the staff and helpers at PMH, as well as all of the sick children. You’ve been fighting so hard and we hope this story gives you as much happiness as it gave us to make it.

We also dedicate it to the New Children’s Hospital Project on Monash Avenue

SHENTON COLLAGE PUBLICATIONS Text copyright

©Shenton Collage ISBN: 946 924 904

The forest is alive. Sprinkled with emerald dust, illuminated by golden beams of sunlight. Birds sing tales of good morning wallabies play hide-and-seek, and the trees? They are the guardians of life, protecting all those who roam the forest green. And in the forest lies a village full of pointy-eared, dragonfly-winged creatures. Elves.

1

The game had been going for hours now, and Koah was getting impatient. Why hadn’t Uncle Warrin won yet? He pressed his face to the glass, watching as his uncle zigzagged through the clouds while he flew around the stadium, chasing after the ball. He looked every bit the player that Koah had always admired, taking home countless wins year after year.

He watched the ball sail through the air, shortly followed by his great uncle, wings fluttering so quickly they became a blur.

“When I’m older, I am going to be just like Uncle Warrin! I’m gonna play cricket, and I’m going to win!” It didn’t matter that his Mum and Dad couldn’t hear him over the roaring crowd – he was so excited!

The crowd erupted into applause as the players left the field. “Did Uncle Warrin win? He always wins right? Did he win, did he win?” “Yes, Koah. Uncle Warrin won, but this was his last match. He’s retiring,” said his Dad. “ What does ‘re-ty-ring’ mean?” “It means he won’t be playing anymore,” said his Mum as they walked to meet the team. “That means there’s a spot on the team for me! Can I play?” “You’re too young, Koah. You need to be able to fly first before you train,” said his Dad, “now let’s go celebrate the win!”

Koah jumped on his dad’s back and the three of them flew down to the ground where the team was gathered. Koah loved his dad, but he didn’t want to sit on his back every time he wanted to watch cricket; that was what babies did! Koah jumped off his dad and ran to his uncle. “It’s so not fair!” He said as he gave his uncle a hug, “Everyone else can fly! I wanna fly like all the big kids!” Uncle Warrin laughed as he ruffled Koah’s hair.

“Soon, little man, soon. But you aren’t a big kid yet - be patient.”

‘But I’m not a baby anymore! I am a big kid!’ “You’ll understand when you’re older, Koah. Then you can fly, play cricket, do everything the big kids do. But for now, be patient, okay? Good things come to those who wait.” Warrin jogged off to meet his sister, and Koah

was left in the dust. He trudged along behind his family, his uncle’s words echoing in his ears. Koah did not like waiting. He watched as his parents walked in front, sometimes hovering just above the ground as they chatted. One day he would be able to fly, no matter what anyone else said.

Chit-chit-chit-chit! Chit-chit-chit-chit-chit-chit! He looked up and saw a little bird fluttering just over his head. Long legs, and a short beak. A willy wagtail!

The bird flew off into the forest. Maybe it can teach me to fly? Koah ran after the bird, as quickly as his little legs could carry him. I’m going to fly! I’m going to fly!

Koah ran between the trees, following the shape of the bird flying ahead of him. It dove and climbed, light streaming through the canopy. It climbed higher, almost to the canopy, then dove downwards, spiralling towards the ground.

Koah ran to keep up, stumbling around logs and stones, arching his neck to keep the bird in sight. As the ground started sloping downwards, and running became harder he lost control of his balance. As the forest grew thicker, and Koah stumbled, the bird flew further and further away. He ran faster to catch up, trying desperately to not fall behind.

“Wait!” he cried out helplessly. Running faster, he started to lose his balance. Unable to stop himself, he tripped, landing hard on the ground. Looking up, he saw the bird disappear through the trees, and Koah realised he was now alone.

He began walking back up the hill, but as the forest grew thicker, he started to worry. He continued walking, but still couldn't recognise anything around him. In desperation, he turned back, but he knew nothing about where he was. After ten minutes of hopeless searching, he admitted to it. Panic set in as the fear of never getting home clouded his mind. He was lost.

Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, and he began to hyperventilate. He sat down on the forest floor, the noises of insects around him growing louder and louder until they were all he could hear. He tried to calm himself down, remembering the words his uncle used to say. Home is where the heart is.

But what did that even mean? If his heart was inside of him, did that mean he was already home? But no, he needed to find his way back to his family. He stood up, dusted himself off, and continued walking.

After about an hour, his mind started to grow fuzzy, and he failed to notice the sound of footsteps trailing behind him. He stopped paying attention to where he placed his feet, allowing himself to fall into a repetitive pattern. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left - Thwump! Koah stumbled over a root and lost his footing, falling to the ground. When he looked up, his vision was blocked by a field of white with a yellow centre. Sitting up, he saw it was a flower.

Then he noticed her.

“What are you doing here?” the strange figure inquired.

No, that’s not right. In fact, she was far from strange. She was different. Koah studied her peculiar features. She looked like him but not. Her face was covered in bark.

No! Her entire face was bark. Her soft features were etched into a deep oak and her hair was a collection of branches with small bulbs protruding out of them. They look like flower buds! The figure appeared to be like a small tree, no taller than Koah’s leg; the little petals that made her dress flowed gracefully.

“I-I’m lost.” Koah stuttered. “Wha-what are you?”

Despite his offensive tone, the creature continued smiling. “I’m a tree! My name’s Bindi!”

“Oh...I’m Koah.” He said nervously, picking himself up off the ground.

“You said you’re lost?” Koah nodded. “I can help you get home.”

“How?”

“Well, the Life Guardian can help anyone with their problems.” At Koah’s quizzical look, she continued. “The Life Guardian is the protector of us all - a tree right in the heart of the forest.”

“Can he help me fly?” Koah asked. It was worth a shot.

“Sure! He can do anything!” “Really? Awesome! Let’s go!” Koah ran off excitedly. ”Wait!” Bindi yelped as she struggled to keep up, “Don’t walk too fast! My roots are too weak!” Koah stopped, thinking, before saying, “I wanna get there quick though. Hmm… I’ve got an idea.” He ran back to Bindi, clumsily picked her up as she giggled. “Let’s go!”

With his new found friend, Koah happily pranced towards the direction of the Life Guardian.

However, it was not even a couple of steps in when they found themselves surrounded by bears. They were smaller than Koah, with woolly fur. They had brown heads and bodies, with white ruffs around their necks, and long hairs on the tips of their ears.

“Oh no.” Bindi whispered. They were surrounded.

“Bandits!” Koah exclaimed.

The drop bears surround the duo, menacing looks on their round faces. Koah and Bindi back up into each other as the group advanced on them. One of them stepped out from the formation, his face more sinister than the others. He seemed far more threatening, something Koah had never seen in a creature so adorable. It was unsettling.

“What do you want from us?!” Bindi cried out, her voice wavering as she tried to mask her fear. Koah couldn’t move at all; he was terrified.

“Children, eh? A bit far off from mummy’s hugs, aren’t ya?”, the koala called out. A chorus of jeers rippled through the group. That must be their leader, Koah thought. He was brawny and tough, a scar adorning the left side of his face. A tucker bag was slung across his back and an assortment of handmade tools hung off his belt. Bindi looked around, scanning the crowd. They were all different, but moved as one. Together, they were definitely a force to be reckoned with. “You’re awfully far away from home. Why don’t you do us a little favour? ” “You don’t scare us! Stop this right now and just shove off; we don’t want any trouble.” Bindi exclaimed. “Shut up and listen. We need sila berries and we know you have them, so stop mucking around and hand ‘em over!” The bears growl, brandishing wooden spears. Their leader huffed, a scowl settling into his fuzzy features. “Why do I even bother with you obnoxious imps? Just search ‘em!” Koah and Bindi turned to run but were immediately cornered by the group. They were strong for their size and their small hands quickly patted the two down. “They don’t have ‘em, boss. They’re clean.” A brown bear called out. As the bears retreated back to their original formation, Koah saw the crestfallen face of their leader and immediately felt guilty. They had to have a reason to act like this! Maybe they need our help. “Um…what are all of you looking for? We don’t have those sila berries that you need, but we can look for them.” Koah suggested. Bindi was suspicious of the situation, but a nudge from her friend eased her worries.

She nodded in agreement and offered a warm smile. “Yeah. We can help you. Tell us what we can do.” The leader stared at them in disbelief. “Y-You want to help us?” he stuttered. The other bears slowly lowered their weapons as the leader’s composure withered away. “…No. You’re lying!” Koah bravely walked up to the small creature, whose mean demeanour softened slightly. Koah smiled and knelt down toward the small bear. The bear looked confused and defeated, his tired expression betraying his words. “…You’ll really help us?” Koah nodded and stood up. He ran towards Bindi, looking back to the misfit group. “We will be back with the berries! Wait here!” he shouted, taking a hold of Bindi’s hand and running off into the deep bush. Trekking through the bushes in search for the ruby red berries, Koah remembered what his uncle always said about lost things: You’ll always find what you need in the least likely place. Koah grinned fondly at the thought of his uncle’s advice and set off to find the berries.

Bindi, on the other hand, had a harder time. Her frustrations was getting the better of her and she exclaims out loud that this was stupid. “We don’t know how to find them! We don’t even know where to look! This is dumb.” Exasperated, she kicked a rock with as much power as she could. It soared through the air and landed on the trunk of a tree, the hollow sound caused a deep echo to course through the forest. She started to stomp off and join her friend, when a glistening light caught her eye. She glanced at the spot her rock landed and gasped. “Koah! Koah, Come here!” she shouts, excitement filling her voice. She had found them. There, dotted on a small brown bush, were glistening red berries. Koah came running at the sound of his friend’s voice. He looked to where Bindi was pointing and immediately sighed in relief at the sight of the sila berries.

They glanced at each other and nodded, slowly picking the berries off the bush. They hurriedly rushed back towards the bandits, carrying as many as their arms could allow. The clanking of wood and stone were heard in Koah’s pocket as he managed to find rocks and sticks that could act like a mortar and pestle. “We found them! We found them!” Koah cried out, as he ran up to the group of bears. The koalas’ faces lit up as they saw the ruby fruit in the children’s arms. Their leader, the brown koala, just sat in disbelief. Standing up, he ran towards the children and immediately broke into tears.

“…you did do it. You weren’t lying after all. Thank you, I guess.” His sniffles were still heard, even if he tried to mask it. The bears cheer and take the berries with a grateful heart.

With a final nod of appreciation from the leader, the group retreated back into the trees. Any evidence that they had been there disappeared, and the two children were alone once again.

It was a peaceful silence and all they could hear was their huffed breath. Bindi was the first to break the long pause. “...Was it just me or were they actually really cute?”

After a beat passes, they both burst into laughter.

When things had calmed down, Bindi dusted her roots and prodded Koah. She nodded towards the direction they were going and shot him a leafy grin.

Koah shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at Bindi, returning her smile.

“Well, come on!”

Walking through the forest was less scary than Koah thought. There were always exciting new things waiting for them around the bend. Leading the adventure, Bindi knew that this was the right way. Her roots were tingling with the excitement at the thought of her flowers blooming, just like the older kids that were in her village. She skipped happily along the path as bloomed flowers fill her mind.

Slowly trotting behind her, Koah admired the beautiful creatures that crawled and flew all around him. The beautiful harmony of flora and fauna all living together peacefully. He wasn’t afraid of the overhanging canopies and the seemingly endless forest anymore, he was actually comforted by it.

“This place is so beautiful, Bindi! I wonder what live-”

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

A horrible wail tore through the forest. The once peaceful atmosphere broke as animals scurried away in fear. The forest darkened as another dreadful screech reverberated across the tops of the trees, birds fleeing the canopies with distressed cries.

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Koah and Bindi stood frozen in terror as their minds went blank. They definitely heard that and it was close. Koah’s blood ran cold as he shook in fear. He didn't know what to do and all he wanted right now was to run to mom and dad.

No! Bindi needs me!

Just ahead of him, he saw that Bindi was also stuck in her place. Not moving at all. He quickly scampered towards her, scooped her up and ran towards the closest log he could find.

“What was that?” Bindi whispered, fear filled her voice. Her roots were shaking and her leaves quivered as loud sobs were heard just ahead of the log.

Koah peeked over the log and looked into the distance. He squinted his eyes and was just able to make out a creature, not too big nor too small, bent over just across from where they hid. Is it crying?

The creature was hunched over, its hands covering its face. It sat on a rock in the middle of a body of water - a lake? - and was sobbing hard. Koah slowly rose from where he and Bindi hid, taking a step towards the lake and the creature. Bindi was scared but trusted Koah's instinct and crawled over the log.

The creature was horrifying. Scales covered its body and a greenish hue clung to it, the result of a mass buildup of moss and algae. It covered its face but Koah and Bindi could make out huge paper thin frills on either side of its head. Wow! You can almost see through them. Two huge horns stood on top of its head and with a closer inspection, realised that they weren’t black but a very dark red. Its huge body shook as it cried hard into its hands, a terrible wail followed by sniffling. Koah was both scared and fascinated by the strange creature; he glanced downwards at the water that surrounded it. The water seemed to go down and down, bottomless.

“WAHHHHHHHH!” the creature wailed. Its tears hitting the water’s surface like soft droplets of rain.

“Um, excuse me, Are you ok?” Koah gingerly asked. He was still very scared of the creature.

“Go away!” It sobbed.

“What’s wrong?” Koah asked. The creature slowly lowered its hands and stared at the children. Koah gasped at the grotesque features that made up the creature’s face but kept any other comments about it to himself.

“You can’t help me at all. No one can. There is nothing for me anymore and there is nothing that you little kiddies can do for me. So go away and never come back.”

“What do you mean we can’t help you?” Koah asked.

“Are you deaf, little boy? I mean, there is absolutely nothing you children can do to help me.” The creature’s eyes were glistening with tears as it proceeded to sob some more.

“Maybe if you told us what was wrong, we could try to see if we can find someone who can help” Bindi piped in a cheerful voice, she was still afraid of the creature but it seemed distraught so helping it took priority over whatever she was feeling. “Tell us what’s wrong, please. I promise we will try to help you no matter how hard it is.”

The creature whipped its head up and sneered at Koah. It placed its hands on the rock and lowered itself into the water. Slithering across the water, its large body made ripples across the surface. It seemed to disappear for a second right before the shoreline, when it suddenly jumped out of the water and landed in front of Koah. It was bigger now that it stood closer to him. The creature of the lake towered over Koah and Bindi, making Bindi step back in fear.

“You want to help me, you say?” the creature hissed, “fine, let’s see if the smarties can solve my problem.”

The creature bared its teeth and shook its frills. It hovered over Koah and enveloped him in a terrifying shadow. It was not the same sad beast as it was before; this beast changed.

This beast was scary.

Koah couldn’t take it anymore. He was not prepared for this. He needed to go home. He needed to leave. This was not what he had to do. His wings fluttered but in the rush of adrenaline, he did not notice.

Bindi had a more passive approach. She was further away from the creature, but the distance still didn't stop her from feeling scared. She didn't even notice Koah slip away back into the forest. What she did notice was the creature still had tears in it’s eyes. Something about that didn’t sit well with Bindi at all. In fact, it made her feel angry.

Just as the creature was about to slither back into the lake, Bindi drew a large breath.

And spoke her mind.

“Of course we can't solve your problem if you act like that! If you keep scaring away everyone that tries to help you, you’ll never get anywhere! We offered you our help but all you did was try to scare us away. I am not surprised that you are all alone here.You think we can’t help you? Then we don’t want to help someone who is a quitter!”

During the course of her rant, the creature’s face slowly changed. Rather than looking angry, he seemed to be staring at something. A look of awe came about his features.

“What are you staring at?!” Bindi exclaimed, indignant.

Rather than responding, he simply pointed a scaly finger toward her head. As he did, she heard the footsteps of Koah returning. Reaching up, she felt something soft brush her fingertips and she gasped. A flower. A flower was now on top of her head. She took the flower and held it in her palm. It was a periwinkle hydrangea. As she held it, she saw the finger of the creature shake in disbelief.

“You like it, don’t you?” She said, looking the creature in the eyes.

A slow smile spread across his face. “Y-yes. I do.”

She thought for a moment, and then made her decision. “Here, you can have it.”

The creature laughed happily and clasped the flower between his hands.

“Maybe now you’ll learn to love yourself.” Bindi said. The smile was all the thanks she needed.She looked back at Koah, who had stayed back for the confrontation. Seeing his grin, she knew she made the right desicion.

“Come on.” She said, grabbing his hand. “Our work here is done.”

They walked for what felt like forever, and dusk was quickly settling. Koah was beginning to tire, and he was sure Bindi felt the same. They had been walking for hours, and they still seemed no closer to finding this ‘life guard tree’.

“Do you even know where this tree is?” Koah sat on a rock and gestured for Bindi to stop.

“Not exactly, but we’re getting closer.” Bindi said.

“How are you so sure?”

“Can’t you see? The forest is changing.” She knelt down and scooped up some dirt. She shifted her palms, and it began to shimmer in the light. “See those crystals in the dirt? They only exist in places where magic is strong.”

“Magic?” Koah had never heard of any kind of magic.

“Yeah, magic. It’s all over this forest. How else do you think I’m able to talk?” She stood up and started pointing to all sorts of plants and animals. “The only reason we all exist is because of magic.”

“So this forest is…magical?”

He spoke, and the forest answered. The moon began to shine, and with it the entire forest came alive. It was the sort of thing that Koah had only

read about in fairytales. Flowers that had bloomed in the day started to glow, illuminating the forest floor. The trees stood tall and silent, but had a sort of radiance about them that flooded the forest with an unearthly blue light.

“Look look look!” She squeaked. She spun around in circles, trying to take in as much she possibly could. Koah thought she might faint from how much she was moving. He held his hands out to steady her.

“I think we need to find a place to rest for the night.”

Bindi nodded in agreement. “Yes, right. Ok. Well, we can just stay right here.” She gestured to a clump of moss that looked suspiciously like a rock.

“Is it safe here?” Koah was unsure. Once again, his uncle’s words echoed in his ears.

“Of course it is! The forest will protect us.” Bindi began to clear the area, oblivious to Koah’s unease.

“Are you sure? What if those bandits come back?”

“We’ll be ok, Koah. Don’t you trust me?” Bindi looked up at him with those big eyes, and he couldn’t help but nod. “Good. Now, close your eyes and imagine that this lovely piece of moss is the coziest pillow you’ve ever felt.”

Reluctantly, Koah lay down and cast his eyes to the night sky, remembering his uncle’s words. Whenever you feel sad, remember that the number of stars in the sky is how many days left until you can fly. He tried to count them through a small gap in the cluttered canopy, but could only make out a single star. Smiling to himself, he slowly drifted off to sleep, Bindi’s hair fluttered by his side.

Koah woke the next morning to sunlight streaming on his face. Sitting up, he saw Bindi next to him, smiling brightly.

“We should get going - we’re almost there!”

“How do you know?”

She pointed to trees, and he followed her gaze. Hoards of animals were scurrying along the branches, all heading in the same direction. “They’re all going to see the life guardian.” “Well let’s follow them then!” Koah grabbed Bindi by the hand and together they trailed the animals deep into the forest.

- - -

As they walked, the forest seemed to transform, similar to how it was the night before. Fairies flitted between the pair, flowers followed them along the path, and everything just seemed brighter. Happier. It was…

“Magical.” Koah whispered. His jaw went slack in amazement. “I never knew this part of the forest existed.”

“I know, isn’t it incredible!” Bindi’s eyes were filled with glee, and Koah couldn’t help but feel excited too.

Before long, the forest began to open up, and the entire floor was flooded with animals of all shapes and sizes. “So once we get to this tree, what are we supposed to do?” Koah asked.

“Don’t worry,” Bindi said as she stroked a bilby. “I know what to do.”

“Have you seen it before?”

“No, but I’ve heard stories.” She seemed to have so much faith, but something was still worrying Koah. What if they arrived at the tree and it said he would never fly? He’d come so far, he wasn’t sure what he could do if it was all for nothing.

His thoughts were cut short but a sudden gasp from Bindi. Koah looked around, and saw all the animals were now still.

“Is it here? The tree? I can’t see it.”

“Look harder.” Bindi gestured past all the animals, to a grove of trees in the centre of the clearance.

Oh.

There it was, just ahead of them as it stood tall and proud, larger than all the others. It stood in the heart of the grove, fireflies slowly fluttered around the trunk and up into the canopy, their light somehow making the forest glow brighter, even though it was day. The branches framed the great tree like a crown of wood and its shining green canopies gave the forest a majestic green hue. Bindi was the first to break out of her reverie, remembering what they came here to do.

Koah watched as Bindi approached the tree and knelt before its branches. She ran her fingers up the roots of the tree, and began to whisper up into its leaves. From where he was sitting, Koah could just make out what she was saying.

Hani, HaniGoolaraah, Goolaraaha,Ijarana yaraGeerang jooah joorup goolaarahHani Hani

He watched in awe as the tree began to glow, illuminating the entire grove. Bindi stood, and Koah walked to meet her. She clutched his hand, and they waited.

Speak and you shall be heard.

The sound reverberated in Koah’s head, and from the look on Bindi’s face, it appeared she heard the same.

“Do you want to go first?” Koah asked.

“Together.” She said squeezing his hand.

They both knelt in front of the tree, and Koah began to speak. “Guardian of life, I need your help. All my life, I’ve wished to fly. I want to make my uncle proud. Is there any way you can help me?”

The tree began to sway, and once again, Koah felt his voice.

You are a kindred spirit, young one, and you love the world the way it needs to be loved. For you, I shall grant this wish.

Koah jumped up. “Thank you, Life Guardian.”

But it is not that simple. Solve this riddle and you will find what you need.

Koah thought for a moment. The answer was close, that he knew. But what was the chest? He turned to Bindi for help, but the tree spoke.

No. This, you must discover for yourself.

“But I don’t understand!” Koah cried. He’d come so close, how could he just give up now? Anger started building up, but through it all, he remembered the words of his uncle, ever present in his mind. You must have patience, little man, and trust yourself to make the right decisions. Have faith.

Have faith. Koah breathed in, and felt all his worries float away. His eyes closed, and he remembered all that had happened. The koala’s face as they delivered the berries; Bindi’s smile as she chased butterflies; the smile of the beast with his flower and his uncle’s words, a constant reminder that he was never alone.

His eyes opened, and everything seemed farther away. The animals, and Bindi, had all seemed to shrink - even the tree seemed smaller than before. Then he realised why.

He was flying.

He gave a little yelp, and came crashing down. As soon as he hit the ground, Bindi engulfed him in a hug. “You did it! You did it!”

“I did it!” Koah couldn’t stop smiling, and him and Bindi fell into a fit of laughter. As he came to focus on her face, he noticed the flowers that now decorated her body. “No way! Your flowers; they bloomed!”

Bindi began to blush. “Yeah, while you were in the air, I found my own answer.”

“That’s amazing!” He turned to the tree and knelt once again. “Thank you, Life Guardian, for all you did for us.”

I did nothing. The answers you sought were yours to find.

The tree, its work done, stopped its movements, and was still once again.

The two friends glanced at each other. “What now?” Bindi asked.

“Now, we go home.” Koah took Bindi’s hand and offered a smile.

“Home? You really think your family would like me?”

“I’m sure they’d love you. Just like I do.” Bindi let out a small giggle.

“But do you remember the way home?”

“Well, now that I can fly, we can cut through the clouds!”

“Ok, let's go!”

He scooped her up, his mind now focused, and slowly hovered. It was slightly awkward at first, but after a while he was able to make it above the clouds.

“Ready?” Koah asked.

“Ready.”

…

…

Be wary of anything that’s too beautiful.

For as long as he could remember, Koah has wanted to fly. But when he finds himself lost in the forest, he has no choice but to try to find

help. Enter Bindi, a creature of the forest, who is determined to show the world her strength. Together, they must face trials greater than either of them had ever imagined, and Koah

must learn that, in order to spread his wings, he must overcome the greatest obstacle of all.

Himself.