Lost and Found (Writing Challenge)

Lost and Found

In a faraway place, there lived a forest.

In the forest, there was a girl.

A little girl with a red dress.

And in her hair, two red ribbons.

Towering trees so dense, bright light forbidden.

Underneath them along she skipped.

A full basket hung on her arm.

To her grandmother’s house she went.

She followed on the worn path she knew so well.

She sang a song of happiness.

She smiled at the tiny, blue bird.

She laughed at her drifting shadow.

Her favorite tree found, on her log, she rested.

A shape nearby, caught quick her eye.

More shadows flew out and around,

Awed by the sight, cheered with delight.

They seemed familiar except they never met.

Outstretched hands, gestured to come with.

They danced, chatted all the while,

Until the forest’s end was reached.

The little girl turned and waved to her new friends.

She looked down at her arm, “Oh no!”

The basket for her grandmother,

It had been left and was now missed!

The shadows pointed and crossed towards a new path.

She waited and shrugged and joined them.

Swiftly through the forest they moved,

Her red dress swinging as she ran.

Suddenly, they stopped, she knew it was her tree.

“How can this be, where is my log?”

She felt unsettled and unsure,

But the shadows nodded to her.

“Please, where is my basket?” she asked politely.

They turned, flew in a different way.

Confused, the little girl did, too,

An eerie feeling trailing her.

This path looked the same, though she knew it was not.

She saw her log and not her tree.

Whispered mocking met her small ears.

The shadows grinned, beckoned still.

“You’re playing a game with me,” she was bothered.

They had gone to another path.

She was scared, they had to be lost,

Yet two red ribbons rushed behind.

Again on this new but copied path, she saw

Joyous sight at her tree and log.

And on that log was a basket

To take to her grandmother’s house.

“I think you tricked me, you shadows!” she shouted.

They shrugged and then glided away.

She shook the uneasiness off.

Her red dress swinging, she ran home.

© 2010 Sarah Donnellan
All Rights Reserved, Text

Inspiration:

I always wondered what other adventures Little Red Riding Hood could have in that forest, as if meeting a clever and dastardly wolf wasn’t enough! And in this case, she was smart and went back home instead! ‘Eerily and disagreeably familiar’ is the concept from déjà vu that I was thinking of here.

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This was written for The Inferno's most recent literary challenge, 'Deja Vu.' Please go have a read at other member's amazing interpretations.