Slice of Life: Friends

3. A Treasure of Her Own

 "It's silly," Sarah said, laughing, and looked at her two best friends, hunched over their respective notebooks. They seemed to take it more seriously than she would have thought. "You can't possibly believe the rumor."

"Hmm, yeah we can." Sarosh smirked.

Everyone said that if you wrote your secret and left it in a hole in the tree near the edge of the woods, behind the school, the next day you would receive a treasure. Everyone had a different theory about the legend. Some said the woods were haunted and the creatures living their feed on your secrets. When you give them sustenance, they give you a present. Others said there was a wood nymph living in the hole and leaves treasures for everyone who takes the time to give her their secret. And then, there were people like Sarah, who thought it was all a hoax.

"Come on, what's the harm? Maybe tomorrow we will wake up with treasure chests under our beds, or maybe not. Either way, it's no biggie." Maya shrugged, not understanding why her bestie was reluctant to write her secret on a paper.

"Talk for yourself. What's your secret, anyway?" Sarah said, feeling a little annoyed with her friends who had talked her into doing this. Her theory about the rumor differed from the rest of them. She believed some teen started the rumor to use other people's secrets. She was sure there was someone at their school who retrieved these pieces of paper and laughed at the silliness of the whole thing.

"Oh, now I understand," Sarosh raised her eyebrows and teased Sarah, "so, you have some dirty, dark secret. That's why you don't want to play along." She punched her lightly on the arm and laughed with mirth.

"I'm just saying it makes no sense. Why would a paranormal being want to know a bunch of teenager's secrets?"

"I don't care. I'm doing this. Come on girls, who is with me?" Sarosh folded the piece of paper she just teared from her notebook and walked towards the oak tree. Smiling at her friends, she threw it into the hole and closed her eyes, praying for it to work. Maya followed suit.

They stared at Sarah, urging her to share a secret with the wood nymph. Sarah dragged a breath in and let it out with a whoosh. Slowly, taking measure steps, she walked to the tree, and with care, put the piece of paper into the hole.

The next day, Sarah came to the school earlier than usual. Dying to learn what treasures her friends found. As soon as Sarosh walked through the classroom door, she said, "So, what is it?"

"Nothing, you were right all along." Sarosh looked dejected.

Maya walked in just then and confirmed she also found nothing. Hearing her friends, she didn't have the heart to tell them she found a treasure of her own. It was an unpublished manuscript of the next book in her most favorite series. Apparently, magic worked in mysterious ways. Now, Sarah had another secret she couldn't tell her friends.