Luna's Strange Forest Adventure

         “Hey, wait up, Rover!” Luna sprinted into the thicket of trees to catch up with the golden retriever, leaves crackling under her feet. “Slow down, boy!”

         Rover, much to his owner’s surprise, had suddenly raced off, barking frantically. An exhausted Luna followed, trying to keep up with the energetic dog.

         All of a sudden, a scream pierced through the forest. Her eyes widened. Where did it come from?

         Luna ran towards the sound and found herself in a small clearing. In the center of it lay a young woman, shaking violently. Rover stood by her side, licking her face. He spotted the girl and tugged her skirt, guiding her towards the woman. Speechless, Luna collapsed to her knees beside the woman.

         In her shock, she had barely registered the woman’s delicate features, her staggering height and the green tint of her eyes before she broke into dust, scattering in the wind. Luna shrieked, starting to her feet.

         “Lilian?” Another woman came running into the clearing and stopped short. Like the other woman, this one was tall, but more slender. She had a deep, rich voice, and a musical lilt that was very pleasant to the ears. An expression of fright replaced her amazement. She made a movement to withdraw from the clearing when Luna, who felt rather stunned, said, “Please don’t go! We won’t hurt you, I promise. I’m Luna, and this is my dog, Rover.”

         The woman halted, warily eyeing them. “What happened to Lilian?” she asked, suspiciously. Luna’s brain fogged for a moment before she realised what the woman was talking about.

         “She became dust,” she answered softly. “I’m sorry.”

         A pained look crossed the other’s face. “That has been happening often recently, but no one can stop it. Our woodland magic can only do so much.”

         Luna’s ears tingled. “Woodland magic?”

         The woman nodded and unexpectedly smiled wanly. “My name is Ashryn, and I’m a dryad. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of us?”

         Luna could only nod, hardly believing what she was hearing. If dryads exist, then what about the other magical creatures from her story books?

         The deafening sound of a tree falling, followed by agonized screams, made Luna jump violently. Ashryn’s face darkened. “Come on!” she yelled, and disappeared into the trees. Running as fast as they could, Luna and Rover followed her, going deeper into the forest. The screams and the whir of machinery continued to resonate around them, like the sounds of war.

         Eventually, Ashryn stopped and hid behind a tree, gesturing for the others to do the same. Luna caught sight of a massive chainsaw wedged into the side of a huge oak tree, slowly but surely cutting through its trunk. Nearby, a bulldozer rammed a dozen beeches, demolishing them in mere seconds. Luna gasped in horror at the scene, hands pressed to her mouth.

         After what seemed like forever, the noise finally stopped, and Luna heard the men talking and laughing about their success.

         “Let’s come back later tonight and take those birches,” said one man, his mouth curling in a cruel smirk. “They’ll surely bring us a pretty penny.”

         “Are you sure, Tom?” another man asked, rather nervously. “Don’t you think we shouldn’t risk being found out?”

         Tom scoffed. “We’ve been doing this for ages, David. No one’s gonna find out, believe me.”

         The three, hidden among the foliage watched as the men packed up their things and left, then they emerged. Ashryn choked, tears running uncontrollably down her cheeks. “They’re logging illegally!” Luna burst out, angrily. “We have to do something, Ashryn!” Rover barked in agreement.

          The dryad wiped her tears from her eyes. “How?” she asked quietly.

         Luna’s brows creased into a deep frown. Suddenly, she gave a cry of delight, startling her companions. “I’ve got it!”

         Ashryn looked up miserably. “Got what?”

         “A plan to save the forest,” Luna replied, triumphantly. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do…”

         A few hours later, as dusk fell, Luna and Rover slipped into the forest and headed towards the clearing where Lilian passed away. Soon enough, five dryads emerged, each carrying a flimsy white costume and a jar of faint light.

         “What are those?” Luna asked, with curiosity.

         “The costumes are made from clouds,” Ashryn answered with a laugh. “And the light is, well, moonlight.” Luna blinked in astonishment, then grinned.

         “How did you… never mind,” she said, shaking her head. “The men should be here any minute now. Are you guys ready to play ghost?”

         The dryads nodded eagerly and donned their costumes, which swept the forest floor, blowing about eerily. “We added a bit of wind, too,” Ashryn explained. Meticulously, the dryads helped each other fill their costumes with the moonlight.

         Luna shivered. “You guys really look scary,” she said. “Don’t they, Rover?” Her dog woofed softly, making the dryads laugh.

         “It’s as if he understood every word you said,” remarked one of them, admiringly. Luna patted Rover’s head. “He does,” she said, proudly. “Now, are we ready?”

         Luna and Rover went ahead of the dryads, and soon, the girl spotted the men. She gave a low whistle.

         At hearing her signal, the dryads appeared one by one, howling hauntingly. They seemingly glided towards the men, swaying their arms. Luna, who was watching, grinned in satisfaction when she saw the men turn pale under the moonlight.

         “Ghosts!” one of them yelled. “Run for your lives!” To Luna’s delight, the men turned and ran out of the forest. Soon, Luna could hear them revving up the engines of their bulldozers and speeding away into the night.

         As she and Rover emerged, the dryads flocked around them and cheered. Ashryn hugged her tight, nearly crushing Luna.

         “Luna, you saved us!” she said, tears shining in her eyes. The dryads were dancing around in joy. “How can we ever repay you?”

         “No need to,” answered the girl, smiling round at her friends. “This adventure is already the best gift a girl could ask for.”

         As Luna left with Rover, she looked back at the dryads one last time. One by one, they vanished into their respective trees, leaving no sign that they had ever been there. No one would know that they had ever been there, except perhaps wonder at the strange costumes littered on the forest floor. All's well that ends well.