Lucy Jupiter and the Forest of Secrets
Introduction
Last week, I watched a movie called “The Hunger Games”, and it inspired me to try writing something completely different from the essays, rants, and stories I usually write. So, here is the magical story of the adventures of a little girl named Lucy Jupiter and her super dog, Millie. The story will be presented in three parts. Today, we’re featuring part one. I hope you enjoy it.
The Lucy Jupiter and Millie illustration above was created by Cloudeght & Copilot AI.
Chapter 1: The Girl No One Noticed
Lucy Jupiter was the kind of girl who could vanish in a crowd without trying. At school, she sat in the back row, her dark brown hair falling like a curtain over her big green eyes. Her cheeks were always rosy, not from embarrassment, but from the brisk walks she took every afternoon with her dog Millie. Millie was a shaggy, golden mutt with a nose for trouble and a heart as big as the moon.
No one at school knew Lucy had superpowers. No one really knew Lucy at all. She kept to herself and obeyed all the rules in school. And, no one knew that Millie could talk—well, not in the human sense, but in a way that only Lucy understood. And no one knew that after school, Lucy did her homework, but never scrolled through her phone. She didn’t have one; she didn’t need one. After school, when her homework was done, she stepped into a world hidden beneath the trees of the dense forest that spread forever behind her house—the world where the Miglets lived.
The Miglets were minuscule beings, draped in leaves and possessing eyes that shimmered with a soft glow, along with quick, dexterous fingers. They crafted their dwellings nestled within the roots of towering, ancient oak trees and would joyfully dance under the soft glow of the moon. These gentle creatures were intelligent and entirely invisible to those who did not believe in them. Lucy, however, did believe in them, and that made all the difference.
Chapter 2: The Whisper Beneath the Roots
On a dreary Tuesday, the forest seemed to murmur something unfamiliar. Millie let out a single, sharp bark as they walked past the ancient cedar stump. Lucy stopped in her tracks. The atmosphere was heavy and seemed to ripple. Suddenly, a Miglet named Thimble emerged from a hollow root, his eyes wide with alarm.
“Lucy! It’s Puglim,” he whispered urgently. “He’s come back. And he’s brought the Rotham with him.”
Lucy felt a sinking sensation in her chest. A deep harbinger of dread, the WhoKum bird, howled his shrill screeching howl that echoed in the distance. Puglim was a long-forgotten spirit, consumed by fury and exiled by the Miglet elders many centuries ago. The Rotham had once been protectors of the forest, but under Puglim’s dark influence, they had transformed into terrifying invaders—creatures with razor-sharp poison claws, shadowy skin, and an insatiable hunger for devastation and chaos.
“Where exactly?” Lucy asked quietly, her voice tense but strong.
“By the Willow Vale. Three families are trapped there. We can’t get to them,” Thimble replied.
Millie growled deeply. “We have to act immediately. We’ve got no time to lose.”
Lucy nodded. She closed her eyes, and the forest responded. Her powers weren’t as obvious as in the movies. There were no lightning bolts. She didn’t jump up in the air and fly. But she could bend the forest to her will. Vines listened. Trees leaned. Shadows obeyed.
They ran.
Chapter 3: The Vale Trap
Willow Vale was quiet. Too quiet.
Lucy crouched low behind a spreading red fern, with Millie at her side. The Miglet families were gathered closely together beneath a fallen log, their usual happy golden glow dimmed by fear. Surrounding them were six Rotham, their eyes burning like hot coals in the darkness, their poison claws thrashing in the heavy air.
Lucy softly whispered to the trees around them. The branches creaked, and the leaves rustled in response. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the area, sending dust into the air and momentarily blinding the Rotham. Seizing the opportunity, Millie darted forward, barking and weaving to distract the creatures.
Raising her hands, Lucy summoned roots that surged up from the earth, wrapping tightly around the Rothams’ legs. The creatures shrieked in frustration, clawing desperately at the bindings, deadly poison dripping harmlessly to the ground.
“Go!” Lucy shouted urgently to the Miglets, pointing to a large barrier of deadfall just to the Miglets’ left.
They hurriedly scrambled out from beneath the log, into the deadfall, with Thimble leading the way to safety.
But then, Puglim appeared.
Unlike Rotham, he was less material – made of mist and shadow—his face emerging from the fog, his voice carried on the wind.
“You dare defy me, child?” he hissed menacingly.
Lucy stood her ground, tall and resolute. “I protect what you wish to destroy.”
Puglim laughed, a chilling sound like cracking ice. “You are alone.”
“No,” Lucy replied firmly. “I have Millie. And I have the forest.”
The ground beneath them trembled.
Chapter 4: The Secret of Millie
As Puglim moved closer, Millie leapt between him and Lucy. Her fur began to shimmer, and her eyes glowed brightly.
Lucy gasped in surprise. “Millie?”
Millie turned to her and said, “I’ve kept this hidden long enough. I’m not just your dog. I’m a Guardian. One of the last of my kind.”
With a powerful howl, Millie transformed—growing taller, her fur turning silver, and her voice deepening into a commanding tone.
Puglim recoiled in shock. “You! I know you!
Millie charged forward. Puglim vanished into the mist, but before disappearing, he whispered, “This isn’t over.”
Lucy stared at Millie in awe. “You’re… one of them?”
Millie nodded. “I was sent to protect you. Because you are more than you realize. You are much more than you know.”
Lucy’s powers surged. The forest pulsed with her energy.
Chapter 5: The Betrayal
Back in the Miglet village, the festivities were underway, filled with joy and excitement. However, Lucy sensed something was off. One of the Miglets, named Sporock, was nowhere to be found. Recently, his behavior had been unusual—he kept asking questions about Lucy’s powers and would often slip away during the night without explanation.
Millie caught a strange scent on the breeze and said, “He’s not truly one of us.”
Determined to find him, they traced his path to a secluded cave deep within the forest. Inside the dim cavern, Sprock was engaged in conversation with a shadowy figure.
“I’ve revealed everything to you,” Sporock declared. “Now, grant me the power I seek.”
From the darkness, Puglim appeared. “You shall have it. But first, bring me the girl.”
Lucy stepped forward bravely. “Sporock, why are you doing this?”
He turned toward her, his eyes burning with jealousy. “You possess everything. I have nothing.”
Suddenly, Puglim lunged at them, but Millie reacted swiftly, tackling him to the ground. Meanwhile, Lucy called forth a barrier of thorns to protect them.
Though they managed to flee safely, the sting of betrayal lingered deeply within them…
To be continued next week…