When the sky catches fire, there are parts of Hüter Forest all the villagers from the nearby village avoid. In the past, only the most daring and powerful men wandered the area to uncover its tightly guarded secrets. Over the years, fewer and fewer men volunteered to uncover those unexplained mysteries. The villagers heard the tales about the forest's curse. It took hold of anyone that was deemed unworthy who dared to wander beyond the imaginary border. The villagers never saw the trespasser again and with their disappearance, several lineages died off.

The village women begged the leaders to discourage the men from answering the ominous call. They needed their husbands to protect their homes. Without the continuance of their family line, there would be no village, so the leaders heeded the women's appeal. In doing so, the villagers forgot the importance of the burning sky; only their fear of the unknown remained.

As time went by, their fears escalated. During the burning sky, the villagers hid in their homes. Years had passed since anyone attempted the challenge of the burning sky.

The worried villagers forgot, without a challenge there could be no Guardian. No Guardian meant no guide. Having no guide meant no-one traveled through the woods to attend the market auctions. Missing the auction meant no seeds. No seeds meant fewer vegetables. Fewer vegetables meant less meat; their crops decreased every year. The decrease meant less nourishment for the villagers and the forest scavengers. The village needed meat. It needed seeds. The villagers needed the auction. They needed a guide. They needed the Guardian. The village needed brave men.

It wasn't just the women who were afraid; as the rumors grew, so did the concerns and fears of the men. Several tales circled throughout the village. It was the stories of a large plum-colored creature devouring those who breached its borders that hindered the village men. Seeing lineages disappear, more and more men stayed behind, ignoring the call. The decision of a few young men allowed the older men to reject the challenge without being seen as traitorous or cowardly.

The villagers stopped sharing The Guardian's story. They forgot there were other creatures living in the forest besides the prowling beast. Creatures that one day might leave the shelter of the trees and the darkness sheltering them to scour the village.

While hidden deep inside their homes during the burning sky, the villagers heard terrible sounds coming from the forest. Cries, screeches, and wailings. No one dared to look out their windows to see what caused the terrifying sounds filling the air; instead, the villagers trembled as they huddled together inside their dwellings. After an awful night of horrible wailings, some villagers swore they heard voices demanding the guardian show himself. It was terrifying, especially when no one else heard the voice.

Generation to generation, they passed down warnings to hinder curious residents from straying away from the safety of the village. Callie wasn't afraid. She wanted to know what took place in the forest when the sky caught fire, even if it meant she could never return home. She hoped to understand the curse. Callie would never know what took place in the deep forest unless one of her male friends told her. The village leaders did not permit women to take part in the calling; not during her father's time, or his father's, and definitely not during his father's. Even if the women could, they refused to risk their lives for something so dangerous. Women did not battle; they took care of the children, the crops, and the village. The men did all the hunting to supply meat: squirrels, rabbits, pheasant, turkeys, and mainly deer, for the village. Being natural warriors, only men were permitted to volunteer to enter the forest during the burning sky.

To prove herself capable, Callie tried to join the hunting expeditions on multiple occasions, but the leaders denied her every time. The experience was not hers to have. Arguing that her strengths were equal to her male classmates did not work. Usually, she persuaded her father with her puppy dog eyes to get what she wanted; in this situation, his refusal stood firm.

"Your responsibilities are in the village; besides, your mother needs your help to take care of the household chores," her father said. To ease the sting, he patted her on her head.

It stung when he commanded her to stop asking for permission to do the men's jobs. His sharp tone pierced her heart.

"You are a young woman. Train as one and leave such foolishness behind."

Callie loved her father and usually obeyed him, but this time, she refused to acknowledge his command or accept it into her heart. The desire to uncover the secrets of Hüter Forest remained, regardless of how foolish it was to those around her. She wasn't afraid, even if the village men were terrified.

"I bet something hides in the forest," Callie said. She wrung the water out of her dark chestnut brown hair.

She and Wilder had snuck a way from the chores for a mid-day swim.

Wilder, use to her askew comments, didn't look in her direction; he lowered his torso and splashed her with water.

The splash soaked her, leaving her hair plastered to her head. Three summers earlier, much to her family's dismay, her long, thick locks disappeared without warning. Callie cut it because she felt it was too much work; her hair constantly got in her way while she toiled or rough-housed with Wilder. For months afterwards, her mother cried and refused to look at her. Mortified by the boyish style, she informed Callie, and anyone who would listen, that she was an embarrassment. The freedom her short hair provided covered the sting of her mother's hurtful words.

Callie's hair rested at her jawline and was quickly the talk of the village. Pastor Clay forbid children to speak to her until her hair regrew. Upon seeing her, they lowered their heads and put their backs to her.

Cutting her hair showed a lack of submission to her parents and the village leaders. Callie felt bad. It wasn't her intention to embarrass her family, for she truly respected her father; she just wanted to ease her morning preparations. That and short hair kept her cooler during the hot months.

The village men had shunned Callie once before she cut her hair. The shunning ceased her efforts to join their hunts. At their last meeting, her father assured them of her submission. He swore his daughter would end her adventure-seeking and return to her womanly studies. It was a lie.

It broke her heart. Callie considered resisting their unjust request, but she refused to allow her repudiation to tarnish her father's standing in the village. She played her part when anyone other than Wilder was around. Satisfied, the village men ended the shunning.

Wilder, the only one to talk with her during her shunning, earned the position of her best friend. A role he relished and abused with many adventures. Adventures she enjoyed despite the punishment they brought upon them, more than once.

The difference between Wilder and the rest of the village boys set him apart. He was bold, free, and wild. Callie loved it. If she were to leave, he was the only person she'd miss in the entire village. He pushed her to be her best and encouraged her to do what frightened others. There wasn't much that scared her, but he urged her to do the things that unnerved her.

Callie viewed fear as a signal from her body to prepare for a new adventure. Her eagerness to dive into the unknown intrigued and concerned him. Their friendship made his life interesting.

"Yes, something's in the forest. The bodies of those careless enough to enter during the burning sky," he said.

His comment helped to redirect her wandering thoughts.

"No. There has to be more," Callie said.

"You always want more. Besides, the leaders disagree."

"The leaders and this village hold us back."

"How?" Wilder asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"There is no space to grow."

Wilder nodded, letting her express her frustrations.

The wind blew, interrupting the silence, sending the fallen leaves into a spiral dance around them. A leaf brushed her hair, becoming entangled in the loose strands of her braids. Wilder reached up to set the leaf free, releasing it into the wind so it could continue its dance.

"No one in the village wants to improve their lives; they are living backward. I want to move forward and see what journeys await us, even if it is on the other side of the forest," Callie said.

"You spew the same lines every month. Maybe the cycles of the moon are affecting you."

She shook her head. Wilder laughed.

Callie diverted her brown eyes. Sometimes her best friend disappointed her with his off-hand remarks. It didn't happen often, but she disliked it all the same.

"When father allows me to answer the moon's call, perhaps it will relinquish its sway over you," Wilder said.

"It calls to me, Wilder. Daring me to step across the row of trees. I may give in this year." She sighed, straightening her shoulders. "I will go beyond the borders and greet whatever awaits me." Her words rang with truth and confidence, the same courage she'd displayed ever since he first laid eyes on her.

William, two years their senior, stole her swing and refused to give it back. Wilder was about to come to her defense when Callie balled her first, punching the older boy in his gut. He doubled over in pain, relinquishing the swing. William's father, Pastor Clay Ward, one of the village leaders, set her in the village center, in shackles, with a sign overhead. The pastor wrote Foolish Boy on the sign. Callie proudly endured her punishment.

Halfway through her punishment, Callie used a hairpin to scratch out the words on the sign, inscribing Brave Girl in their place.

Bessie, Callie's mother, disapproved of her behavior and when confronted, she declined being her mother. She told the villagers they adopted the strange girl to help a dying neighbor. She was ashamed of her daughter, who continually did things to keep their family name upon the lips of their neighbors. Bessie caused more harm with her fabricated lies.

Wilder observed Bessie's scorn as he sat across from Callie. The woman's lips pulled back in a grimace, her nose wrinkled, and she cast her eyes skyward. He refused to allow Bessie's negativity to bring her daughter down. He held his head high, telling Callie jokes and stories until they set her free. She was special, and he'd let no one dim her light.

Callie splashed him out of his thoughts.

"Well, for now, we better return home before our fathers tan our hides," he warned, stepping out of the river and into his trousers. His dirty blonde hair fell into his brown eyes.

"I'll race you home," Wilder called over his shoulder.

Callie slipped her dress over her shoulders before racing Wilder across the field. Their homes sat on the outskirts of the village, facing Hüter Forest.

On the morning of the full moon, Callie felt led to Hüter Forest. Never had the pull been powerful enough to propel her into action. Leaving her village, she yielded to the call. Not wanting anyone to force her back home, she hid in the forest's brush beyond the borders. When dinner time approached, she heard Wilder calling her name across the field. Her heartbeat increased. She needed to stay hidden until she was ready to begin her journey.

Her father said, "There is no courage without fear."

For the first time in her life, Callie felt somewhat fearful and excited at the same time. Can fear also be the excitement of the unknown?

It wasn't long after Wilder passed by her that her parents joined in the search, calling for her, their voices saturated with fear. Pastor Clay, Mr. Chester Boucher, her teacher, and her classmates' parents joined the choir of voices, echoing her name as the burning hour approached.

"Quicken your search!" Pastor Clay bellowed. "The burning hour approaches and we must return to our homes!"

Callie crawled deeper into the forest, and soon their voices trailed off behind her. Ahead of her, the forest changed colors as the full moon caught the sky on fire. Purple hues filled the sky, meshing with lingering clouds of dark slate blue and indigo to create the unnatural display of colors.

With the voices gone, she was alone in the changing forest. The canopy of the trees blocked the moonlight and several shades of darkness surrounded her.

Two creatures dared to stray across the border during the magical hour. A couple of squirrels, the little daredevils, gathered nuts before the burning moon reached its peak in the sky. Daringly, they scurried amongst the trees. Their chitter-chatter reverberated off the darkened trees.

The farther into the forest Callie walked, the quieter it got. Glancing behind her, she saw the black cone-shadowed steeple of the village church standing tall above the field. A reminder to pray for the loved ones she was leaving behind. Ahead of her, darkness covered the forest. Even though several purple shades filled the setting sky, catching fire under the moon, it was difficult to see.

A strange shimmering caught her eye.

Through the trees, a sparkling purple light flickered. Specks of earthbound lightning bounded towards her, lighting a path amongst the trees. It drew Callie forward, daring her to discover what powers it held. As she progressed forward, the trail darkened behind her. She boldly followed the dancing violet sparks until she came to a small opening.

Callie stared at the wonder in front of her. A wand nestled between two boulders sparked and sputtered. The odd glowing flakes and purple sparks twirled upwards.

Touch the wand!

"Who is there?" Callie spun around.

Darkness met her gaze. She was alone. A shiver traveled along her spine.

Touch the wand! The eerie voice reiterated.

Callie's breath caught in her throat.

Her heart beat wildly to the rhythm of the village drums, sounding a cry. "Do it! Do it!"

Her feet inched forward until they touched the boulder holding the wand.

If you are the chosen protector, you will change.

"Change? How?"

You will change, but you will live.

"Okay, that's good to know."

If you are not the chosen one, you will change.

"Again, How?"

If you are not the chosen one, you will die.

Callie sucked in her breath. She paused and calculated her risks. The village men who never returned must have stumbled across the wand, accepted the challenge, and discovered they were not the chosen ones.

As far as Callie could remember, she sought the truths hidden in Hüter Forest. She'd come too far to back out now. She needed to know. Was she the chosen one? Is that why she felt the calling? Her hand reached out. Callie took her time, but moved with purpose. She touched the wand, fastening her hand completely around the handle. She wasn't sure what to expect. At first, nothing happened, but then she felt it. Magic. It flowed throughout her body, like traveling lightning, through her pores. Her eyes ached and her vision blurred, sending tears down her cheeks. Her hair stood on end, waving erratically in the night air before lying back against her body, and her skin tingled. She was changing. Her body twisted and jerked in multiple directions; sparks from the wand fizzled and popped all around her.

The smell of burnt flesh filled her nostrils.

"Am I dying? Am I dying?" Callie called to the voice.

Her body touched the ground and twitched a few more times.

Was I floating in the air?

She wobbled and gasped for air as she stood to her feet.

You are the chosen one.

"What does that mean?" Callie rubbed her arm and purple lightning traveled across her skin.

The purple creature who roams the forest is under your command.

"Purple creature?"

The forest, as well as those who live beside it, is yours to protect from the coming evil that seeks to wipe them out. Stand tall. Stand ready.

"What coming evil?"

The voice left her as the sky danced, purple flames scattered across the sky in celebration, while silence filled the air. Callie watched the performance above her. The distraction allowed her mind to stop racing, and her body tingled as her strength returned. She removed the wand from between the two boulders. The minute she pulled it free, the sparks fizzled out, and the glow died. She headed home carrying the lifeless wand. Her father and Wilder were probably desperate to know she was safe.

On her return trip, the crickets and bullfrogs serenaded her. Fireflies filled the sky like mini stars, lighting her path back. Callie spun amongst the suspended stars as laughter escaped her.

When she reached the river, she glanced down at herself; she was different. One of her brown eyes was now a deep purple. She reached up and touched under her eye; with her index finger, she moved her eye back and forth. It was hers. Her eye wasn't the only change to her body, her hair had changed colors - and lengths. The wind from the approaching storm softly lifted her long lavender locks, tossing them behind her.

"Hey! There you are!"

Glancing across the field, she saw a lone shadowy figure walking toward her.

Standing, she faced him. Even though the warm night air blew across her skin, Callie shivered. What would he'd think of her changes?

"I knew you'd return," Wilder exclaimed, taking her in his arms, oblivious to the changes in her body.

"There's a storm coming," Callie warned, snuggling against him.