"Once upon a time, there lived a girl in the Enchanted Forest of Twinkling Water. Aviva was her name. All her life, she had stayed inside the forest, protecting everyone and herself. It wasn't like she was scared. Fear definitely wasn't the reason. It was just that she was no ordinary girl. Those, who met her or saw her, spoke highly of her intelligence and grace. She'd help anyone who'd loose his way inside the forest. Truly, she was a benevolent person. But, was she?" Granny ended the story in suspense.

"What happened next? Was she evil?" Keith, her granddaughter spoke with wonder in her eyes.

"The deal was only of one chapter. I've read it. Now, it's time to sleep." Granny smiled and patted the little girl's head.

"But I want to know what happens with her..." The little girl whined.

"You'll know it tomorrow anyways. Now sleep!" Granny kept the book in the bedside shelf and bent to turn off the lights.

"Granny..." Keith called.

"Huh?"

"Just tell me one thing... She wasn't evil na?" There was something strange in Keith's voice as she asked that.

"Why? You want her to be kind?" Granny came to lie beside her.

"Not really. I just want her to have a happy ending." She said looking up at her Granny.

"Is that so? The story is already written. Let's wait for tomorrow night and see what was Aviva like. Till then, I've only one thing to say. Be kind, have courage and always believe in a little magic. Now, sleep tightly." Granny started to hum a lullaby and slowly pat her stomach.

"Goodnight Granny." Keith yawned and closed her eyes, as she welcomed the long awaiting sleepiness in her eyes.

"If only you knew... There are never happy endings..." Granny spoke ever so slowly. She never wanted the child to grow up and witness the cruel world outside.
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"Granny..." Keith ran towards her grandmother holding the same picture book as yesterday night. They had dinner and it was now time for bed.

"Are we ready to read stories?" Granny smiled in the child's direction. Even she was excited to know about the story but, she didn't want to spoil the journey of enjoying it together, by reading it beforehand so, she had waited patiently.

"Yes yes..." Keith said excitedly as she jumped on her bed and pulled the covers.

"Alright. Let's finish it today."
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"Mom..." Little Aviva ran towards her mother holding her leg ever so tightly.

"What is it Avi... Did you have a bad dream?" She leaned towards her child and stroked her child's hair calmly.

"Yes. A very bad dream. There was person, completely black. He had horns too. They were burning, just like everything around him. He was sitting on a throne and laughing loudly. I was so scared..." Aviva burrowed her face into her mother's clothes. She was afraid of the man in her dreams.

"Aviva... A dream is a wish your heart makes. Dreams reflect your feelings, beliefs and your personal perspective, rather than what's actually happening. You don't need to believe any of it. We're safe here." Aviva's mother spoke softly in her ears. But, were they?

In the Forest Of Twinkling Water, they weren't safe. Nobody was. There was water everywhere. Even the trees grew only in water. Finding a piece of soil was as tough as finding a needle in a heap of husk. Even their castle was floating on water only.

Given the average person's comparative helplessness in water, and the limitations being in a large body of water puts on our senses, that fear of the dark had easily translated to a fear of the deep. The good news was that for all of the terror the water might hold, that fear was not an impossible obstacle to overcome. Living here trapped for forever, they had learnt the art of not fearing the waters. Now, they even enjoyed it sometimes as the water was always twinkling.

It wasn't always like this. Once, Aviva's mother was part of the human civilization as well. That was until she fell for someone who was a literal demon. He was a native of The Enchanted Forest, a guardian. They used to meet on the borders of Twinkling Water without the prying eyes. But alas! One day, they were noticed. Humans, they were vile creatures.

They, humans, regarded themselves as separate from, and superior to nature and held the belief that human life had intrinsic value while other entities (including animals, plants, mineral resources, and so on) were merely resources that may justifiably be exploited for the benefit of humankind. They thought they controlled the planet because they were the only animals that could cooperate both flexibly and in very large numbers. There were other animals, like the social insects - the bees, the ants - that could cooperate in large numbers, but they didn't do so flexibly. Their cooperation was very rigid. That's what humans believed.

That's why, for them, accepting something of lesser race wasn't normal. So, the person who supposedly committed this sin needed to amend their ways and of course, pay accordingly. And how could Aviva's mother pay other than to loose whatever she had left? There was simply no other option.

That night, the sun passed the baton to the moon, asking him to take care of everything till he comes back again, the very next morning. But, the moon couldn't do anything than to helplessly watch Aviva's mother's life being ruined. Humans marched inside the Enchanted Forest of Twinkling Water in the crafted boats, with fire both in their hands and, in heart. From above, it was a pleasant sight but, from inside, it was vile.

Aviva's mother could do nothing than to cry and beg helplessly as they marched inside the glass Castle, tied her beloved and surrendered him to the flower called Fire. An ever so beautiful Flower. They left as soon as they thought they had set things straight, leaving Aviva's mother behind. Even they were scared of the disaster they were going to cause along the way.

On their way, they burnt the trees emerging from the Twinkling Waters. Near the water, where most burning was occurring, the fire was white, the hottest color possible for organic material in general. Above the yellow region, the color changed to orange, which was cooler, then red, which was cooler as well. The upward flow of air was what gave those tremendous flames their characteristic teardrop shape and caused them to flicker. The shape was itself a sign that the Nature, along with the forest, was crying.

Why were humans not afraid of this self caused disaster? They were. That's why they fled. Aviva's mother cried and pleaded the God to save her beloved but as the saying goes,"Even miracles take a little time." The miracle was taking a little longer but, it happened. The rain fell.

They didn't call rain, 'the poem of Earth' as a joke. It was truly a poem of the Earth, as poem was made up of beautiful words, thoughts, and rhythmic metre, similarly, rain also gave beauty and music to Earth. The poem rendered by the poet has the task of bringing joy, happiness, life to it's readers. Similarly, when the rain fell down, it gave everyone happiness. Especially Aviva's mother. The rain erased fire both inside the forest and her lover.

They thought now they could live happily ever after but, no. Shortly afterwards, her lover died due to the injuries. But, before his death, another miracle had happened. Aviva was born. For a very brief moment only, they could live as a happy family. That's where their story ended. Aviva and her mother started living in the castle and never left the Forest.

But now, Aviva's mother knew that she had so much less time left. She wanted to spend it all with her daughter making precious memories. As her death neared, Aviva's mother held her crying daughter's hand and said softly.

"I've written a letter for you. Please remember it and us. Remember that we were a happy family. Don't hate anyone... Never yourself. Promise?"

"Promise." The small child, not even knowing the burden of her own words spoke as she thought of fulfilling her dying mother's wish.

After her mother's death, Aviva grew into a fine woman. Everyone who came to conquer the Enchanted Forest was lost in way. She would guide them to the safety of human civilization from afar. She was lonely yet, caring. All she had left was this Forest, Castle, herself and the letter, which read as:

"My dear Aviva,

You know why we named you so? "Springtime". That's what your name means and that's what you brought in our lives. During the spring season, weather becomes pleasant and the days grow longer. It is the season of fragrance, beauty, fresh leaves, and flowers. Spring's warmer weather and increased daylight hours make it the best season. You were such a joy to us. We, your father and I, loved you before you were born and ever since.

The first thing I want you to know is this: We will always-always-love you. There's no if's and but's. Whatever you do, wherever you go, we'd always love you. A world where you exist and our love no longer would, is an oxymoron. It's impossible. We love you too much.

Whatever death turns out to be, I don't accept that it would mean that I would no longer love you. I may no longer be by your side, but my love would always be, just like your father's. Remember you're never going to be alone.

You must be hurt now. I know it's hard to lose someone you love. I wish I could make it easier for you, but that's what love does to you, it makes you vulnerable. It makes you lose a part of yourself when someone whom you love, dies. And the hardest part is that you just have to live through it. I'm so sorry to put this on you, at such a small age, nonetheless. I'm sorry. I truly am. But, you know how we can't control certain things... Death is one of those.

But, look at the other side. The brighter one. The good part is that you are stronger than you know. You will be all right, we have no doubt of that. Not immediately, maybe not for a while, but believe me: you will.

Remember, when you were small, and you lost your shiny mirror in the Twinkling Water? You were devastated and cried how you could never ever be happy again, not without your perfect little mirror. Of course you could. And believe me: you will again. You are witnessing it happen, right?

Don't feel ashamed of sharing your sorrows with a good friend, they are the ones who often make life worthwhile even at the darkest moments. Finding one is hardest, but, I know you'll get there eventually. Don't hesitate to admit what you don't know. Being vulnerable is often your contact surface to what's most precious in life.

Try to trust: in people, in life, in yourself. It's harder, if you look back to whatever happened with us but, holding grudges isn't an answer.

Don't seek to be rich. Seek belonging and meaningful life instead. If you also become rich in the process, that's a bonus, but not something to sacrifice everything else for. Just take the time to do things that make you happy.

And remember, that we will live on in you. You have my eyes, you have your father's smile, and when you look at the world you see treasures and glimmering things, which is something unique (that only you do).

Just remember to be truly happy. There are many kinds of joy, but, they all lead to one: the joy to be loved. You have music in your fingertips and wind in your steps, and you know how to love and how to be loved. What could be more important?

Thank you, my child, for making our life so full, so true, and so beautiful. There's so much I'd like to say about everything. But, I'm afraid no words can possibly convey what I truly feel. I hope I have managed to express how amazing you are, along the way, during all those years that we had together. You made me more happy than I could have ever asked.

We will love you always.

Always."

Aviva wiped away her tears as she read the letter again. No matter how much she reads it, the words open a fresh wound inside her heart every time she reads it. She stood up and walked towards the large window, facing the Twinkling Waters.

"Beautiful." Her soft voice echoed in the hall. Suddenly, Aviva started running towards the water.

"Just now... Was it an illusion? Nobody has ever come so deep in the Forest. It could be my imagination but, the sound was so clear... The wind was cold and the air was crisp. Suddenly, I heard a scream. Was it just me dreaming?" Aviva muttered as she ran towards the water.

There, a boat was halfway drowning. And a guy's voice could be heard from inside the upside down boat, shouting for help. Aviva scanned her surroundings. She spent a few seconds every couple of minutes looking around the area. Twinkling Water was dangerous and she knew it. They didn't welcome intruders, especially after what the humans had done with their Master.

He must've began drowning within 20 seconds of the boat being in distress. He wouldn't even be able to call for help any second now. Suddenly, the boat fell over and the guy came above, vertical in the water. He was clearly unable to move towards help or safety. He wasn't even able to wave for assistance or reach for equipment inside the boat. The drowning has begun, and he couldn't voluntarily control his arm movements. He had his head tilted back so his mouth and nose was above water, this is an instinct. He was typically struggling on the surface for 20-60 seconds before being submerged.

Aviva breathed one last breath as she readied herself to reach the person. Based on her scanning and observing, she was able to tell where he was and thus, she needed to go in the water. Taking any tools to the water would be futile now. She was strong swimmer and knew what she was doing. If she were a weak swimmer, she could put both herself and the drowning victim in danger.

She started to approach the active drowning victim from behind. She swam underwater and came up behind the victim to make this happen. As she was going to perform the rescue, she wanted the victim to keep the shore in sight. For this reason, it was better to approach from the rear and propel him with herself towards the shore. People often begin to panic even more if they are turned away from the shore, which can cause them to drown faster. That's why it was necessary to keep him looking at the shore. She clearly remembered that the victim couldn't control his arm movements. Therefore, it was futile to waste time saying things such as "grab on".

Once she held him, she needed to get him back to land. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she began to swim to shore using a sidestroke. As she towed him, she made sure to keep an eye on him. She wanted to make sure he remained safe in her arms. It was necessary to pause to reposition them so that he stayed stable. Once near the Castle, she pulled him to shore by holding onto him and towing while she swam.

Once they had reached shore, she needed to continue to help him. It was very likely that he would still be having difficulty breathing, due to the water inhalation. It was a dark night and aside from Twinkling Water, nothing was glowing. Fire was a taboo at night in the Forest.

She bent down and placed her ear next to his mouth to listen for breathing. She tried looking at his chest to see if it was rising and falling due to breathing. But, nothing was visible. She couldn't see or hear breathing, so, she needed to check his pulse. Placing her two first fingers on the wrist and then neck, and holding them there for 10 seconds, she made sure that his breathing was stable.

With heavy efforts, she dragged him inside the Castle. There, she took a closer look at his face and instantly regretted it. It was him. Conner. He loved her. She loved him. But, she wasn't ready to repeat the same mistake as her mother so, she had told him never to meet again.

They met when she was helping someone escape the Enchanted Forest. As she stood near the border, she saw him. He was engrossed in cleaning the twigs which has fallen down. She decided to observe him a little. It was lonely in the Castle after all. After getting tired, he sat on the bench, near her, a stranger who just looked at him with unknown expressions. He didn't bother sitting there or even looking at her. The other day, he was doing the same thing. Collecting twigs and sitting on bench without even noticing her. This continued for days until one day, he, took out his books, while sitting there and started writing something.

"I think it is wrong." Aviva said as she looked at whatever he was writing. She was a literate. Her mother had taught her everything in the short amount of time they had shared together. The books in Castle were also very helpful. So, were the Enchanted Forest beings.

He looked shortly and glared at her. Ignoring her, he went back into solving his book. She saw his face for the very first time. A normal face. Wheatish. Straight short hair. In few seconds, she could manage only this much. He struck out the whole notebook finding that he had made a mistake while solving.

"You were right!" He said without looking at her.

Months passed like that. They both came every day to the border of the forest. He never spoke. She never disturbed. It was a growing love for Aviva. There was something which nobody could perceive about him, a person of cold attitude.

After almost an year, one day he was deep into his book. His expressions changing every minute like a roller coaster.

"No questions today?" Aviva asked.

"I didn't go to the Academy." He lifted his head, just to see who it was, the voice being familiar. His shy, cold self had changed and his voice had a tinge of warmth, now that he was looking and talking face-to-face.

"What are you reading?" Aviva asked, curious to know what drew his emotions.

"It's a storybook. I was just intrigued how faulty humans can be." He said not looking up, but deep in thoughts.

"Humans are hard to understand. Deep creatures, I must say. Faulty humans? I'm not sure. I don't think there are any. Or are there?" She asked.

"There are. It may be deliberately too." For the very first time, ever since they met, their eyes met each others'. And the story began. Aviva wiped the corner of her left eye as she remembered those pretty memories.

"You can't change my mind here."

"I don't even want to. Aviva, I love you. You love me. What's to see more? Let's not go back again. Let's just live here. I'm of no importance in the vast human colony, after all. Nobody would want me there anyways. That's not the case here. You're my home. I want to be yours too. Let's just live here... Write our own stories, follow our hearts, and find love in our own time. And we're living happily ever after." Connor's eyes were flowing with tears as he said what he had come to say.
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"What happened afterwards Granny?" Little Keith yawned. The story was a little deep for her but, she wholeheartedly wished for Aviva's happy ending.

"End? Connor abandoned the human civilization and started living in Castle while Aviva continued to help others, now, more secretive." Granny said, relieved herself that it was a happy ending.

"See? You said there are no happy endings but, they had one." Keira, Keith's mother, and her daughter-in-law, came inside the room and tucked the blankets tightly around the already sleeping Keith.

"You heard it yesterday?" Granny smiled.

"Of course, I did. Now, sleep tight." She went ahead and turned off the lights.

"Goodnight dear." Granny spoke slowly, a warm smile on her face.

"Goodnight. Ohh, and don't say that there's no such thing as happy endings. There may be no endings but, at least, we're happy and loved. We're the example of happiness. Right?" Keira smiled as she closed the door behind.

"Of course you'd say that. Your grandmother was the author of the book after all." Granny smiled as the door was closed and darkness engulfed them.

As she passed the hallway, her eyes landed on the generation pictures. There were several pictures. But, what caught her eyes everytime was the very first picture. The one picture which was the cause of this generation pictures. The couple who got their own happy ending. They even died together on the same day. 'Aviva' and 'Connor'. Read their name tags.

There, sure are happy endings and Keira wished everyone would get theirs...
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Number of words : 3744
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