Eloise Whiting stared longingly through her kitchen window and glanced at the tree line near the edge of the property. Although she had been living in her family’s small cottage for her entire life, she was never allowed to explore the densely forested area. Her days were typically spent helping her mother take care of the homestead, while her father and three brothers worked the wheat fields. Despite this, Eloise’s heart yearned for adventure. She spent several hours each day engrossed in her thoughts, pondering what it would be like to freely roam the world around her.

          “Quit daydreaming and come help me darling, these beets won’t can themselves.” Eloise’s mother called out from across the room. Mrs. Whiting was a homemaker, and it seemed as though she never stopped for even a second. 

          Eloise sighed quietly and headed over to the counter, where her mother was boiling a beet mixture and putting it into clear glass jars. 

          “I wish I could be out with the boys. Charles found an arrowhead while picking the potato field yesterday. I would love to explore Anapocia forest, and maybe even find something exciting of my own.” 

          Eloise didn’t mind helping her mother keep the house, but she longed for an adventure of her own. It seemed like every day was the same routine. Wash windows, sweep floors, cook meals, repeat.

         “I know that it seems unfair at times, but we all must do our part in order to keep this household up and running. Your father benefits greatly from having your brothers’ assistance in the fields, and I need you in here helping me tend to the house. You have your grandmother’s spirit, you know. She was always talking about the magic that lives inside those woods. Fairytales, if you ask me.” 

          Eloise touched the glistening blue stone around her neck at the mentioning of her grandmothers stories. She had given Eloise the stone before she passed away, and Eloise wore it every day since. Grandmother once told a story to Eloise about how long ago, a moonrock fell to Earth and landed inside Anapocia Forest. The moonrock embedded in the trunk of a very large and old tree, creating magical capabilities inside the forest. Grandmother said that when she was exploring the forest as a little girl, she discovered the location of the moonrock. Unfortunately however, she found it lying powerlessly on the ground below the tree. 

          “My older brother convinced me that I should explore the forest one day. I hated every minute of it. With its twisting paths and ominous notion, I was terrified to have entered such a place. I eventually came across the giant tree, but I could tell that the magic of the moonrock was gone. I tried to restore the power by putting the stone back in the tree, but it didn’t work. Without the rock in place, the forest lost its magic.” Grandmother said sadly. “They say that the only way the magic can be restored is if the stone is returned in five decades from the time the stone fell out, and it must be returned by someone with the heart of a true adventurer. I never truly felt like an adventurer, even after my journey to the tree. Perhaps if I would have had a friend as fearless as you to accompany me, I would have been able to restore the magic.”

          All of a sudden, grandmother stopped talking and walked over to her small knitting corner of their family home. Eloise watched as she dug through a woven basket of yarn. 

         “Aha!” Grandmother shouted as she pulled a small tin box from the mess of colorful yarn.

         She motioned for Eloise to come closer, and opened the box. Inside was a glistening blue stone, about the size of a coin. The stone had twine wrapped around it, as if to be worn as a necklace. 

          “I want you to have this.” Grandmother said to Eloise. “Perhaps someday you’ll enjoy adventuring as much as I once did, and you can try to restore the magic of Anapocia Forest.” Grandmother began singing a song in her old yet tender voice. “Eloise, darling, my oh me, I can’t wait to see the person you’ll be.” Eloise giggled at grandmother’s rhyme and thanked her for the beautiful treasure.

          Eloise was honored that grandmother had chosen her to carry the stone, even though she was the youngest of her siblings and was rarely allowed to venture out on her own.

          “Eloise, for the last time! Please focus and finish cutting up those beets. I’d really like to get this canning finished before we need to prepare dinner.” Eloise realized that she’d been so busy recalling her grandmother’s story, that she was neglecting the task her mother asked of her. Eloise continued working, and asked her mother a perilous question.

          “Mum, I was wondering if I could maybe explore in the forest for a while after I’m done helping you prepare the beets? I’d love to see what grandmother raved about for all those years. I feel as though it would bring back pleasant memories of her.”

          Eloise’s mother looked at her daughter seriously, as if to chastise her for wanting to explore when there was so much work to be done. Just as Eloise figured she shouldn’t have bothered asking, a warm smile appeared on her mother’s face. 

          “You’ve been a big help today. I don’t think an hour of fun would do any harm. Just be back in time for dinner.” 

          Eloise was shocked but ecstatic. She cut the last of the beets at record pace, dashed out the front door, and headed for the tree line of Anapocia Forest.

         Eloise took a deep breath as she entered the forest. Although a part of her was skeptical, she hoped that there really was magic to be restored. The forest was very gloomy and sad looking, Eloise noticed. She headed upwards on a winding path, seeing several distinctive, mossy boulders around each turn. She decided to count them to pass the time. “One, two, three...” she said to herself quietly.

          Every five minutes or so, there was another. Soon enough, Eloise counted ten mossy boulders. “Have I been walking for 20 minutes or five decades?” Eloise asked herself jokingly.

          She had been looking down at her feet as not to trip on the uneven ground, and bumped directly into a massive tree growing in the middle of the path. She immediately felt a shift in the air around her. 

          She reached out and touched the stump of the old but beautiful tree. She walked around the trunk, dragging her fingers along the rough bark. She got halfway around and noticed a carving in the back of the tree.  It read, “The magic of Anapocia Forest has been sleeping for five decades now. Only such magic shall be restored by the one with the glistening moon rock that once rested in this trunk. The beholder must have the heart of a true adventurer.” 

          Eloise couldn’t believe her eyes. The fairytale her grandmother told her as a little girl was true after all! Below the carving was a small circular groove. Eloise reached for her necklace and unwrapped the twine. Although this was her most precious belonging, she knew that it was important to restore the stone. After all, it was what her grandmother asked her to do. 

         Eloise pressed the stone into the groove, and the entire tree immediately began glowing the same vibrant blue color as the stone. 

        Suddenly, the uneasy feeling the forest previously gave off had disappeared and was replaced with a bright, ethereal glow. The grass began to grow thicker and taller, teaming with glistening wildflowers of all colors. Old barren trees immediately filled with green foliage, and danced happily at the feeling of newly replenished life. The forest floor was plentiful with mushrooms. Golden, red and speckled, purple and striped; all bopping up and down gleefully. Deer, fox, and rabbits began appearing throughout the brush. Elves and fairies danced through the air, celebrating the joyous return of the precious moonrock. 

         Next to the giant tree on one of the mossy boulders, a small, beautiful creature with iridescent wings and two tiny pearl horns appeared. 

          “Please come here, child.” The creature beckoned to her sweetly. Eloise, still amazed at the capabilities of the magic forest, made her way over to the creature in awe.

          “You have restored the magic of Anapocia Forest by returning the glistening moonrock to its home. Thank you. As your reward, you may visit the forest any time you like. A bit of the magic you see here lives within you now. You have the heart of a true adventurer, and we are eternally grateful for the moonrock’s safe return.” “I’ll remember this day forever.” Eloise said happily to the creature. Although she was sad that her grandmother never got to enjoy the magic of Anapocia Forest, Eloise knew that she would be proud of her adventurous spirit. Perhaps one day, Eloise would share the magic with her own grandchildren. 

                Eloise turned towards the trail to return home and tell her family about the magic she had discovered. Just as she did, her little friend began to quietly sing a familiar song, but this time with slightly different lyrics. “Eloise, darling, my oh me, the person you are means everything to me.” Eloise stopped dead in her tracks and immediately turned to face the creature, wide-eyed with disbelief. “Grandmother, is… is that really you?” Eloise stammered as tears filled her eyes. The creature began talking and spoke to Eloise saying, “It is me, sweet child.” Eloise dropped to sit on the mossy boulder and embraced her grandmothers new form in a hug. “How are you here, grandma? I don’t understand.” Eloise asked with confusion. Grandmothers voice spoke once again. “My dear, your adventurous spirit led you to this forest. You have kept my memory alive for all of these years. Because of that, I am here today to tell you how proud I am of you. Eloise sighed as if the weight of the world had been removed from her shoulders. For the first time ever, she followed her heart and did something that felt right. She turned to grandmother one last time and said happily,” We did it together.”