Chapter 3  

Finn, whose ego was as fragile as a baby sparrow’s tiny footprint in the snow, stared around at his breath-taking surroundings. In the distance he saw a glow. Finn could tell that Harley had noticed it to because she had that look on her face, a smile that spread across her face from ear to ear. Harley-Quin Blakely, who was named after her grin, took one look at her brother then darted towards the faint glow in the distance. After a while, the siblings reached the forest with searing arms and numb legs as though molten-hot lava had been injected into their veins slowly turning to stone.  

Looming above them, was a glow as bright as the sun, in fact it was the sun encased in every pod was a drop of pure, golden sunlight. One million berries on each tree so one million drops of golden sunlight on every single tree, amazing… 

Slowly Harley came back to reality, realising that Finn was no longer by her side. No, she thought he can’t have left, how long had she been standing there mesmerised?  

She swerved around, the misty sky was now shades of purple and blue and the horizon was just merging with the polished, ebony ocean. Her heart was thumping in her chest surely, she would die of heart explosion, wait a minute was that even a thing? Quickly, see grasped the rucksack on her back pulling out a clear divided container then she plucked ten glow berries and placed them inside. She sighed facing the other side of the island, then placing the container in her bag she started to run.  

Chapter 2 The Island of Rusk

Harley woke with a start as Finn gently nudged her in the ribs with his thin elbow. Harley sat up wondering what had happened to make her brother look so much more traumatised than usual, then she saw them, Celeste towering over Finn and herself with a faraway look in their eyes. Celeste’s eyes simmered a deep cyan with flecks of Rose-gold, dark curly brown hair was woven with gold string and daisies to create a beautiful but complex French Braid.

Slowly, Harley and Finn began to get up entranced by the spell of Celeste’s natural beauty. The two children did not know that where they had landed and who they just met had changed their lives forever…  

Finn gazed around at the beautiful landscape in front of him, to his left tall, majestic trees waltzed in the warm breeze, ahead the ocean was dressed in a deep china blue cloak with gold rhinestones dotted on the water like stars in a midnight sky, flicked on to a hopeful canvas with no care at all, suddenly, a pitch-black slinky like creature pranced up to Celeste and leaped onto her shoulder like a cat with extreme elegance. This… this was paradise.

                                    THE DARK STAR 

I bet you’ve had a journey where the breeze floats around you and the clouds are fluffy and innocently sweet looking like candy floss. Maybe you should try an adventure where the wind scorches your skin and monstrous shadows circle high, high above. Well, this is the tale of Harley {She/Her} and Finn {Him/He} Blakely’s adventure of a lifetime…  

Chapter 1 Shadow Attack 

Inky, swooping shadows coated the sinking sky ship. Suddenly, as a blood-curdling screech parted the darkening clouds, a look of terror spread across Finn’s pale face. Harley grasped his bony wrist and proceeded to drag him into the warm, cosy interior of their beloved ship, The Dark Star. 

Inside, Harley rummaged through their father’s secret titanium vault, that was only to be used for emergencies. Quickly, she pulled out a black waterproof rucksack that she had been packing and preparing for the last two months, and contained clothes, water, books, food rations and a basic first aid kit etc. Now this rucksack was no ordinary rucksack as it had been enchanted with the spell of The Deepest Vally, a never-ending enchantment which enables only the owner to store and access {on command} any number of objects of any weight, size, or form. 

 The enchantment had been summoned by the most powerful spirit known to all Humankind, Celeste {They/Them}. Celeste had agreed to enchant the rucksack because they were a great friend of Harley and Finn’s father – they were in fact half siblings by mother but the best of friends otherwise. 

Out of the blue, The Dark Star’s protective bubble, which camouflages the exterior by changing colour depending on its surroundings, BURST. Sirens sounded, and a panicked command echoed down the deck, “Code Chameleon has been breached, abort ship NOW!” Cried Captain Bob {He/Him} as he was plucked from the plummeting ship by a menacing Shadow Dragon {pronouns unknown} with scales like burnt charcoal and breath as cold as if a soul has just sliced through your heart. 

Quick as lightning, Harley grabbed the rucksack and Finn, a tandem parachute, then they bolted towards the edge of the ship. Harley fumbled with the parachute buckle but managed to strap Finn and herself in within seconds. They had practiced this manoeuvre many times during drills with Captain Bob, so she was an expert.  

Then…they jumped… 

Chapter 2 The Island of Rusk 

Harley woke with a start as Finn gently nudged her in the ribs with his thin elbow. Harley sat up wondering what had happened to make her brother look so much more traumatised than usual, then she saw them, Celeste towering over Finn and herself with a faraway look in their eyes. Celeste’s eyes simmered a deep cyan with flecks of Rose-gold, dark curly brown hair was woven with gold string and daisies to create a beautiful but complex French Braid. Slowly, Harley and Finn began to get up entranced by the spell of Celeste’s natural beauty. The two children did not know that where they had landed had changed their lives forever…     

ICE DRAGON

Its bright, innocent, lime green eyes penetrate barriers to unseen things.

Smooth, soft skin folds perfectly over muscular joints,

A sharp jawline outlines a pale, untouched face.

Perfectly sculpted teeth gleam in pools of silver light,

Its light-pink tongue flicks from side to side like a cricket in the grass,

Bumpy, ombre scales glint purple in the moonlight.

Curved sharp wings slice the air like butter,

Clear, serrated claws flash in the light.

This dragon is one of its kind.

Small but mighty.

LEAVES

You are the thin, twirling branches as they sway in the cold icy wind,

You are a single leaf as it turns against the breeze,

You are a crumpled leaf like a lost dream.

You are a hopeful bud weighting to bloom in the fresh morning sun,

You are the impossibility of a rainbow leaf,

You are the soft, delicate petals of a sunshine yellow daffodil.

You are the beautiful shades of ombre green on the new summer leaves,

You are the impossibility of a one hundred leafed clover,

You are a bluebell stretching in the warm sun.

You are the golden, brown colours of an Autumn sunrise,

You are the starry skies of the night,

You are the pure sap of my favourite tree.