Hollidaye and the Evergreen Forest

Chapter One

Hollidaye Eyre is a perfectly normal teenage girl living a perfectly normal teenage life. 

Hollie's only problem? She's shy. 

One day, Hollie and her little sister Kelcie got ready for school the way they normally did: Hollie yelled at Kelcie to get moving so they wouldn't be late. 

"Come on, Kelc! We're going to be late!" Hollie shrieked, gathering her backpack and binder in a rush. Kelcie was to scared to even squeak, so she started gathering her school supplies faster than ever and they both ran through the hall, down the staircase, and right to the kitchen where their mother Adeline was standing with their breakfasts. 

"Eat!" their mother exclaimed, smiling. "Come on, you'll be late for the bus!" 

Hollie and Kelcie both sat down at the table and started eating as fast as they could while their mother poured orange juice for the girls. "Don't be so quiet, Hollie," Her mother kissed her forehead and then went to wash her daughters' breakfast dishes. 

Hollie and Kelcie finished their breakfasts in the nick of time, and too soon they were on their way to school. 

If Hollie was quiet at home, she was silent at school. Where Kelcie was a social butterfly, Hollie stuck to herself and her fantasy stories, occasionally reading cookbooks. 

Hollie's great aspiration was to be a world-famous chef and own her own restaurant, something her mother and sister supported wholly. 

On Hollie's way to school she kept thinking about the birthday present she wanted to give to Kelcie. Kelcie was her dear little sister and best friend, and she dreamed about inventing something important, like a device that could take pollution out of water and air, or something that would stop global warming. 

I'll get her an inventing journal, Hollie decided. If I can save up enough money to make one, she added bitterly. 

When Hollie got off the school bus, she looked to her right. "Hey, Daya!" A girl's voice crooned, startling Hollie out of her thoughts. Chloe.  

Before she could reply, she heard Kelcie's sweet voice, a stark contrast to the cruel one she heard a second earlier. "Come on Hollie, let's go!" Kelcie said excitedly, taking her older sister's hand and leading her into the school.

During recess Hollie was looking forward to going to the library after school to borrow a cookbook, or maybe a new fantasy tale. Hollie loved fantasy almost as much as cooking, and loved loosing herself in tales of brave heroines, pretty fairies, dangerous dragons, and impish elves.  

When the bell rang, Hollie got up from the bench where she was sitting with her cookbook and started walking to the door, where all her classmates were pushing to get into the cafeteria. 

Hollie was really happy about her time in the library: she not only managed to borrow a cookbook she'd been wanting to try out, but she also got a new fairy tale: The Evergreen Forest by the Ryans Sisters. They were Hollie's all-time favorite writers, and she couldn't wait to read it. 

Hollie ate lunch by herself that day, with one hand on her fork and the other turning pages in her book.

After lunch she went to math class and did her weekly test, and for the first time she was the only one who got full points. Hollie was so excited when the teacher gave her a homework pass, and she couldn't wait to show Kelcie and her mom. 

Hollie carefully tucked the slip of paper into her fairytale, and kept the book firmly in her hand as she got onto the school bus. 

When she got home, the first thing she did was tell her mom that she got a homework pass. "Mom! Kelc! I got a homework pass!" Hollie nearly squealed the exciting news. 

"That's great, sweetie. If you have a homework pass, you can read all afternoon!" Hollie's mom smiled warmly at her daughter, and brushed a hand over Hollie's golden hair. 

Hollie nearly ran to her room, where she jumped onto her bed and opened The Evergreen Forest excitedly. She was so excited to read the text, she didn't notice that the cover was sparkling, even though it was made of leather. 

Hollie occasionally stopped reading to snack on some carrots and drink some water, but late that night, she fell asleep, book on her lap. 

Kelcie peeped into her sister's bedroom, looking for her, but didn't see her. She saw her sister's book lying face-up on her bed, and read the page that Hollie left off on. 

Hollidaye Eyre, asleep by the Crystal River, was soon going to be discovered by the Fairy Princess Celia, who was practicing her archery nearby. 

"Hmm..." Kelcie frowned, but she smiled. Hollie was probably excitedly telling Mom that her name was in her new book. 

Kelcie went off to bed, carrying the book under her arm, not realizing that her sister was in her room. 

In the book.