Forever by Naomi Lam {Inklings Book Contest 2022 Finalist}

Today we are featuring Inklings Book Contest 2022 finalist Naomi Lam. Naomi finished 4th grade this past school year and wrote a story called “Forever.” Naomi commented that her favorite story element is her character because “she has many different feelings about different things and she learns to be braver and more resourceful.” Enjoy!

 

FOREVER
By Naomi Lam

Break

School’s out.

Finally, 

At least for now.

For now is enough for me.

Now, it’s Ski Week.

 

I don’t really mind school.

Actually, 

school can even be 

pretty fun.

But usually,

after school

I have to do homework.

 

Now, 

I don’t have to.

I can be in nature,

visit the forest

near our house.

 

I could stay there

all day,

but Mom

probably

will not let me.

 

Forever

After lunch,

I race out the door,

feeling the wind pull

at my hair.

I feel like I can do anything,

even fly.

 

Like always,

once I get out,

I go into the forest.

I slow to a walk 

when I reach the first tree.

 

Slowly, 

I observe, take in

my surroundings.

 

By now, I should know

every nook and corner 

of this place,

but every time I come, 

something surprises me.

 

I hear the birds chirping 

in rustling branches

it sounds like a

rainforest out here. 

I hope this forest is here forever.

Sunset

Soon,

I feel the afternoon rays

of the sun shining on my back.

I walk slowly,

to my favorite tree,

 

big and majestic, far into

the distant, deep forest.

 

The tree towers over me

as I reach it,

and start climbing.

Reaching through the leaves for a branch

to hold on, keeping me steady.

I climb up the tree.

 

When I reach the big, high branch, 

I stop. 

 

I turn to watch the sunset.

I watch the sun sink slowly down

                down 

                          down 

until it disappears below the horizon.

 

It’s getting late.

I should go home.

I climb quickly down the tree,

but by the time I am all the way down,

at the edge of the forest,

it is already dark.

 

Dark

I should try to get home.

But I can’t,

Because I don’t know

where to go.

 

It’s too dark, and

I think

I’m

lost. 

 

I am Aurora Hailey Morales.

I love the forest.

I am not scared.

 

But I am. 

What if I can’t 

find my way back home?

My mom must be so

worried.

 

I have to get back home.

What am I going

to do?

I wander around the forest,

feeling for trees,

branches,

vines in my way.

But I cannot find my way out.

 

Pine

I know 

I should get some sleep.

I walk towards

where I think the pine trees are.

 

Their fallen needles

create soft blankets covering the ground

a good place to rest.

 

When I reach the pine trees,

I feel the needles 

under my shoes.

 

I curl up,

shadowed by a boulder

and the tall pines.

Safe and sheltered.

 

I toss and turn,

unable to sleep.

Something soft nudges my side,

sniffing me.

 

I look up,

see the shadowy outline

of something 

that looks like a deer.

 

Hi,

I say softly.

 

Can you help me?

 

The deer turns, 

starts walking, and I follow.

 

Bramble

As we walk, I ask,

What is your name?

The deer does not answer.

Can I call you Bramble?

 

Bramble leads me through the forest.

I trust him.

He knows the forest well,

and even though I come here so often,

this is their home.

 

What I see of the sky

as we walk

turns lighter,

a rosy coral orange

spreading across the sky.

 

It’s almost morning now.

 

We reach the edge of the forest

as the sun rises.

Thank you

I say,

even though Bramble doesn’t understand.

he turns

looking back once,

then leaps into the forest.

 

Bramble is gone,

but I know

I have found a new friend.

 

Home

I run

all the way home,

glad to be back.

 

Mom rushes out the door

and embraces me with warm arms.

She is glad 

I am back too.

 

Where were you?

She demands,

but I know that she is 

happy and

relieved too.

 

Mom talks with me,

and I explain everything.

She scolds me

for staying out so late,

but is relieved that I am back.

Mom says,

Thank goodness

you’re back.

I can’t run the house

by myself, right?

 

Dad is gone on a work trip.

Mom says

he will be back soon.

 

Friendship

The next day,

I go into the forest again.

Mom reminds me

Be careful.

Be home before dark.

Don’t get lost.

 

I already know.

 

I just want to see

Bramble.

 

I head straight for the pines

and the boulder.

Sure enough, Bramble is there,

as if expecting me.

 

He approaches me cautiously.

I reach my hand out and

Bramble nudges it

nuzzling my palm.

I hold still,

not wanting this moment to end.

 

Bramble lopes into the forest,

and I chase him, laughing. 

He leads me to a clearing

filled with sunlight

and dotted with wildflowers.

 

This is a beautiful friendship.

 

School

Soon, I have school again.

Days filled with fun and

nature, 

and visiting Bramble

fly by.

 

But at least I have a friend 

at school too.

My friend

is named Olivia.

It means olive tree.

We met in second grade.

 

I eat my breakfast

quickly, 

not wanting to miss the bus.

 

I hope I have everything

I need for school.

My books,

pencils, 

eraser,

notebook,

lunch,

I pack my backpack for school.

 

At the bus stop,

Olivia is waiting for me.

We sit on the bus together,

talking and laughing.

together, we are ready for school.

 

Olivia and I

get off the bus together.

It has been two years 

since we first met,

we are in fourth grade now.

 

We are not

in the same class anymore,

but I see her at

recess and lunch every day.

 

I wave goodbye to

Olivia and head towards

my classroom.

 

In the morning,

we start by talking about

our break.

Most people went on trips

or visited relatives.

 

We stayed home,

I say

I explored the forest,

and made friends with a deer.

His name is Bramble.

 

We do some math,

and reading.

Then, it is time for recess.

 

I tell Olivia about Bramble.

Tomorrow, Olivia is coming over

for a play-date.

She wants

to meet Bramble.

 

Sapling

Olivia takes the bus

with me, like usual,

but this time,

she gets off at my house,

for our playdate.

 

I lead her to

the kitchen to get a snack.

I drink a glass of milk 

And we take cookies outside to eat.

 

We eat and talk 

as we walk to the forest.

We go to the pines to meet Bramble.

 

Bramble is waiting for us.

He nudges me,

then turns to sniff Olivia.

As if satisfied,

he nuzzles her palm,

and Olivia whispers,

He’s so cute!

 

Bramble leads us to the sunny clearing.

A small sapling is growing there,

its buds are starting to open.

 

One small leaf is infested with bugs.

I flick them off,

examining the leaf

riddled with small bites.

 

I will protect this sapling

until it grows up.

 

Papers

The next day,

on the way home 

from school,

a paper blows past me.

 

I chase it and catch it.

It’s newspaper,

and the headline reads:

WORKERS PLAN TO CUT DOWN LOCAL 

       FOREST TO BUILD NEW HOUSES

 

Our forest?

It can’t be, can it?

I take the paper,

reading it as I walk home from the bus stop.

I would recognize

my forest in the paper’s picture

anywhere. 

 

I run back home,

dumping my backpack

on the floor.

I race to the forest.

I might not ever see it again.

 

I visit Bramble and say,

If these trees get cut down,

promise me that you will escape.

 

I hope that he understands,

because he needs to survive.

 

Petition

I take out my computer

and sit on my bed.

I scroll through my screen,

looking for more information

about the forest.

 

Then I see

PETITION

Some people care

about the forest,

they want to save it.

I will help

with their petition.

 

I click on the link

and it takes me to the petition.

 

Petition to Save Our Trees

Put in a vote

and an optional reason

why the trees should not be cut down.

 

I vote,

and type in

The trees are home to many different animals.

They have families too.

We have to take care of all the animals and plants there,

not just the trees.

I click Submit.

 

I hope

my vote helps.

 

Strong

The next day,

I meet Olivia after school

again.

 

She also knows about the plan

to cut down the trees.

 

I still 

need to save the forest.

I check my computer.

The petition

has

1,500 votes now.

They say that is enough.

Now there is hope.

 

I run to tell Bramble.

I stay with him under the pines

for some time.

 

He takes me to the clearing again.

The sapling has grown bigger.

It no longer has bugs on it,

and now it is strong.

 

I will be strong too.

Strong enough

to save the forest.

I have a plan.

 

Plan

My plan

is to get Olivia

and others who care about the forest

to join the petition,

submit more reasons and votes.

 

If the workers see that

people care,

and we have good reasons,

they might stop.

 

When I get to school,

I go to people I think

enjoy nature, care about it.

 

I start with,

Do you think the forest should be cut down?

They know what I am talking about.

Can you help me protect the forest?

Most agree to help.

They say they will vote 

when they get home.

 

I check the votes

after school.

We are up to 1,850.

I check reasons and comments

We need to save the trees

because they give animals homes.

—Trees give us oxygen

—habitat

I feel elated, proud.

Ignored

The petition has been sent out.

Some reporters put it on the news.

I hope the workers will see it.

I hope they will stop.

 

There is more news

about the workers, too.

The day is approaching

when they will cut down the trees

just for a few houses.

 

They are not cutting down all the trees,

only the tall wide oaks.

But I know

those big trees are home to many animals.

There are bird nests,

woodpecker holes

squirrel homes

raccoons.

 

Then,

there is more news.

I hold my breath,

hoping our petition was a success.

But it was not.

The workers have ignored the petition.

 

They are cutting down the trees

in two days.

We have failed,

and I hope no one 

blames

me.

 

Gone

Today the trees

will be cut down.

Only the oaks,

but it feels like the whole forest will be gone.

 

I go to school

like normal,

but nothing is normal anymore.

 

All day,

I think about the forest and Bramble.

I hope he is safe.

 

By the time I am home,

all the oaks are gone.

The birds have fled to other parts of the forest.

Bramble is waiting in my backyard.

Mom probably let him in.

 

I breathe a sigh of relief.

But Bramble must miss his home.

We have to find a way to heal the forest

so the animals can return.

I hope Olivia and the others

are still willing to help.

 

I have a plan again.

 

Help

I’ll need lots of help

for my new plan.

We need to raise money.

 

I get Olivia,

and a few other friends I’ve made.

And I tell them my plan.

 

We split up.

Max and I will work on flyers.

They will tell people

about the forest,

asking for donations 

to buy saplings to replant the forest.

 

Olivia will

volunteer at the local library.

She loves books.

She asks me

to take care of her cat Dewey

while she is gone.

 

Summer will volunteer at an 

animal shelter

or humane society.

She says that she can learn how to 

take care of the forest animals

until the saplings grow.

 

Hopefully,

we can earn enough money to

replant the oaks.

Donations

The next day

I meet up with my friends.

We have enough money for some saplings,

but we probably need

fertilizer

soil

Max and I set up our flyers

around the neighborhood.

We put a glass jar below each one

for donations.

 

Every week,

we check the jars

and meet up with the rest of my friends

to see how much money we got.

 

Most of the time,

there are a few dollars

and some coins.

 

Combining all the jars,

we got $13.50.

Everyone else comes,

bringing the money they earned.

So far,

We have $37.00.

 

A couple of weeks,

and we will have enough money.

We continue checking the jars

and meeting up to count

our money.

 

Now it is time 

to replant the oaks.

 

Ready

I get permission from Mom 

to buy saplings and planting supplies.

 

I meet up with my friends

at the corner where our streets connect.

Let’s go!

I say.

Everyone is ready.

 

We bike to the plant nursery

a few neighborhoods down.

As we bike, I see 

the wooden frames of new buildings,

rising from the ground.

Made with wood from our forest.

 

I feel a pang of sadness,

but we keep biking.

 

The nursery big glass windows

displaying different plants of

all shapes and sizes.

 

We have driven past it

several times.

I know they have oaks.

We lock our bikes,

 

take off our helmets,

enter the plant nursery.

 

We ask for

30 oak saplings.

That should be enough.

 

The plant nursery

has gardening supplies too.

We buy shovels

2 bags of dirt

fertilizer

fertilized water.

We pack it into 

our backpacks,

and bike home.

 

We are ready now.

 

We will plant the saplings.

tomorrow. 

 

Planting 

We gather our materials 

and head to the forest.

We dig holes

and place loose dirt in them

and mix in fertilizer.

Then add the saplings,

patting the soil around them.

 

We wet the soil with the fertilized water.

Then, we need to wait.

Every day,

we meet at the forest to check on the saplings.

We water them

and get rid of bugs.

Bramble comes too.

 

If the oaks grow quickly,

The animals will have homes again

soon.

 

Dad

Mom says

Dad is coming back tomorrow.

I can’t wait!

 

He’s always been very interested 

in plants and animals.

Maybe he could help

us with replanting the forest.

Mom drives to the airport

to pick up Dad

the next morning.

I make pancakes for them,

as a surprise when they get back.

 

I set up plates

and forks for everyone

and get a bottle of maple syrup.

 

I pile up pancakes

on each plate and wait for Mom and Dad.

 

When they come home,

I run to them and they follow me inside.

 

They eat the pancakes I made, 

and I lead Dad into the forest.

 

I show him the stumps 

that used to be trees,

standing tall

and we share our sadness.

I show him Bramble,

introducing them to each other.

 

And throughout the day, 

I show him everything,

tell him everything,

He says he will help us plant 

the trees.

 

And for once,

as we sit and watch the sunset,

I know there is still hope 

for the forest.

 

Dad knows how to care for

and grow trees.

I will let him meet Bramble too.

I introduce him

to my friends,

we water the saplings and 

get rid of bugs.

Dad says

the trees will take 10-20 years

to reach maturity.

But animals can live in them

before that.

 

That is good news.

He also says that the forest might 

be cut down again.

But it will regrow and heal.

 

Epilogue

We stand in the forest

together.

Me

Dad,

Mom,

Olivia,

Max,

 Summer,

and Bramble.

 

Some birds are here too,

chirping in the trees.

The oaks are growing well.

The sapling in the clearing 

is an adult too.

It has become a red maple.

The forest is surviving,

thriving.

 

This forest will not be here forever

but it will be here 

for a long time.

 

It will always heal.