If you go into the woods today... by Roxanne Hegarty (best ereader for academics .txt) 📕

Chapter 1:

Once upon a time there was a 14 year old girl called Emily. She had long blonde hair that she wore in a plait, big blue eyes that shone when she was happy and everyone agreed she had the sweetest of smiles.
One day, Emily was getting ready for school, when she noticed that her stallion, Bolt was standing alone in the paddock. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, to check the time.
“If I ride him now, I’ll have five minutes to catch the bus!” She muttered to herself. She grabbed her bag and flew down the stairs. Outside, she hoisted herself onto the patient horse, and clucked her tongue to make him move forward. He walked lightly at first, and then got faster and faster until he was running at full gallop, with Emily’s golden plait flying behind her. Emily whooped with delight and the horse whinnied back, throwing himself harder into the run. Emily could feel the raw power of the horse, and she shivered before pulling on the rains to make him come to a stop. He snorted and pawed the ground with his hoof as she climbed down.
“Emily, hurry up or you’ll miss the school bus!” Her Mother shouted. Emily ran to grab her bag, kiss her Mother on the cheek then run to the bus stop. Once she was at school (she very nearly missed the bus, but luckily the driver had seen her and had kindly waited) she went straight to her locker to receive some library books she had left there. There was a note on her locker, but she took it off without even looking at it. She was used to finding things stuck on her locker, and this was one of the more pleasabt things. It was then that she realised someone was behind her.
Chapter 2:

“Hello, tramp” the voice was like silk that had sewing needles sticking out of it, and when Emily turned she saw Nikola. She had black hair that was like a raven’s wing, green eyes that were menacing but beautiful and her mouth was twisted into a smirk. “Whatcha doing? Did you like my note?” She laughed horribly. Emily took a deep breath.
“I didn’t read your note, Nikola. I didn’t think it was important!” She blurted it all out, and hoped Nikola would go away and leave her alone. She didn’t.
“Everything I have to say is important! And the note basically said that I am going to get you at lunch, because yesterday you gave me a dirty look!” With that Nikola turned and walked away, sashaying her hips. Emily felt tears in her eyes, and fear had placed itself firmly in her chest. She knew what she had to do. She ran out of the school, all the way home. She didn’t care that her parents could be in; she knew one thing that would calm her down.
Bolt was standing in the paddock, his head down grazing and his tail flicking from side to side. Emily threw open the wooden gate, and waited for him to move out. When he didn’t notice she called his name and clucked her tongue. Bolt raised his head and saw the open gate, and beyond that the lush green woods. He whinnied at trotted over, past the girl holding the gate open, past the small dog sleeping in it’s kennel, past the small red cottage that had roses growing around the door until he came across the fence and the gate. He snorted. Emily quickly climbed onto his back, and using her foot, kicked open the gate. She would ride him back to school so that Nikola would see her, and Nikola would be so amazed that she owned a beautiful stallion, and she would see how powerful and magnificent...
“Whoa Bolt, no! Wrong way! Wrong wayyyyy!” She screamed as Bolt, well, bolted. He ran for the woods, the wind flying in his mane, picking at it then letting it go, knocking the girl in the saddle and pulling at her hair. Emily screamed at pulled at the rains, but Bolt didn’t stop. And then things started to change. His mane seemed to shine, and glitter sparkled around them like fairy dust. By her legs grew two pairs of light feathery wings, and when he tossed his head she saw a long horn. The flowers had become more colourful, and the trees more ancient. Her hair tumbled down her back, and her ears elongated to points. Her school uniform vanished, only to be replaced by a beautiful purple gown, embroidered roses climbing up the side. Bolt stopped running and reared back onto his hind legs, letting out a powerful whinny that echoed through the forest.
“I had a whole magical world in my own back garden, and I never even knew!” Emily muttered. She heard the sound of leathery flapping, and to her horror saw a large black dragon land in front of her.
“Greetings little one.” It rumbled, lowering its head to gaze at her intently with one icy blue eye. “I am afraid this is where your journey ends!” He flicked his tail at her, knocking her off the horse. She screamed, and scrambling to her feet she looked around for something to throw at the beast. She saw silver spear lying in the grass, and she grabbed it and spun around to face the dragon. It roared, black flames licking around its mouth and smoke curling out of its nostrils. She threw the spear right into its mouth, and watched in fascination as ice began to form around it, until the whole thing was as still as an ice sculpture. Suddenly Emily was surrounded by dwarfs, fairies, elves and other magical creatures that wished to thank her for killing the evil dragon.
“Will you stay and be our queen?” One dwarf asked. Emily smiled and agreed. She was known as the ice queen, and she lived happily ever after.

Publication Date: 07-19-2011

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