Hello dear friend,
I haven't managed to publish a new illustrated book this year, so my Christmas gift for you is a written story. Some of you might have read or listened to an earlier version of this. Since then, however, the story changed significantly and I urge you to read this re-edited version. I hope you enjoy it, and I wish you Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Best wishes,
Crina.
ARTHUR FINN DECIDES TO GO
A story about fears, friends, and forgiveness
By Crina-Ludmila Cristea
For my uncle,
and for everyone else
who was ever scared
Once upon a time, in a thick forest with twirling tall trees, under a yellow mushroom-shaped little house, wrapped on its edges with purple-green moss, lived a bunny named Arthur Finn.
Arthur was a bunny like no other. He was cute, bold, fun, and fascinating to be around.
How so, do you wonder?
Well, first of all, he had a marvelous book collection. Books upon books adorned the walls of his home, many of which were engraved with precious gemstones and extremely rare. On rainy days, he liked to curl up with a manuscript and get lost in its pages for hours; then, when he took a brief break from reading, he would gaze through his little window at rainbows, trees, bushes, snowdrops and violets, and whatever other flowers were in season, dotting the woodland floor. He was a dreamer and a visionary; a reader and a writer. That in itself is reason enough.
Second of all, Arthur occasionally played the saxophone. Yes, a saxophone. Unusual, indeed. Oh and how he played it! That was a scene to behold. He’d never taken a class in doing that, yet one day he surprised everyone with his performance. Overnight, he was famous and applauded by many, although that was not his intention. He just taught himself how to play for the fun of it. And it certainly didn’t happen overnight, although some would have you believe that. It was a lot of hard work. But it was something Arthur wanted to achieve in his lifetime and which he valued tremendously, so he tried his best until he succeeded.
Third, he sowed his clothes. They were quite spectacular, and that, too, he had taught himself to do for fun. It was also something practical, of course, since fabrics could be pricey and customized clothes were even pricier, but Arthur did that mostly because he enjoyed wearing flamboyant, one of a kind pieces. He was rarely satisfied with designs created by others, so the need, or rather, the desire lit a fire inside him and he taught himself how to do it. He wore his designs to bits. He was careful what materials he used, however, and they lasted a long time before they needed replacing.
Fourth of all, and perhaps the most important to his friends, he was a good chef. He wasn’t a great chef, actually, he was quite terrible at times, that’s accurate, indeed. He liked to experiment and mix ingredients and that didn’t always have the desired effect. You know how those can go. When they worked, oh how they worked. When they didn’t... well, best not to dwell on that too much. One can’t be great at everything, nor should be. The trying and the learning is what matters most, and the fact of the matter is Arthur tried and what he lacked in cooking skills he certainly made up for in foraging ones. For example, he knew where the most delicious wild strawberries grew and he had a knack of finding them quicker than anyone else. And he would always share. Even when food was scarce and most difficult to find. He would always find a way. And because of that he had numerous friends and together they had the most lavish parties.
Arthur was a beloved bunny, always happy to be surrounded by his friends and to lend a paw or an ear to whomever needed it. He told the most peculiar, far fetched, yet believable jokes and tales, and he was terribly missed when, very rarely, he couldn’t attend someone’s birthday party — he was the heart and soul of any celebration. At least, that’s how he was before the thing we never speak of. Before he left and came back.
“He’s lucky to be alive and in one piece. What he did was so dangerous, so wise, and so brave,” whispered the animals when he eventually returned, after a long time.
But in those days and nights, after the thing we never speak of, Arthur was scared. He did not consider himself lucky, wise, or brave. In fact, he was terrified and he often thought about the end, but he kept that to himself. He didn’t want to worry his friends. He woke up in the middle of the day, tormented by nightmarish dreams, so vivid he could almost touch them. He smelt them. He tasted the fear, it was so dense in the air. When that happened, and it happened quite often, he reached for his favorite book — The Forest of Dreams — with its title engraved in snow white shimmering letters on the pitch-black cover, held it close, and hoped the nightmares would just go away. But they only got worse.
At the time when the events of this particular story began, Arthur was easily scared of many things. He wasn’t the jolly fellow his friends once knew, that’s for sure. He was afraid of traffic, of thunder and other loud noises, meeting strangers — especially large ones — and trying new foods. In fact, he was afraid of several things others thought it silly to fear. Like the knock of a ball on the wall, or the clank of a spoon on the floor. Whenever any strong noises were made in his proximity, he jumped and hid, as quickly as he could. And, even more worrisome, he seemed to be horrified by honeyberries, and strawberries, which he used to love. Even catching a whiff of them gave him the most awful shivers. Mostly though, Arthur was afraid of ’the dark’ — of the unknown.
No matter how hard they tried, Arthur’s friends could not convince him to come out and play with them anymore. So, little by little, his friends stopped visiting, leaving him alone in the comfort of his safe and familiar home.
For a while, Arthur didn’t mind being on his own, but gradually, the loneliness grew too hard for him and, one day, he ventured into the scary world of the great forest. He was determined to find his friends and maybe even make new ones. He especially missed his best friend, Marina Rainn, the beltie, whom he had ’pushed’ away when she came visiting with a bushel of ripe strawberries, unaware of the effect those had on him after the thing we don’t speak of.
“Take those things away and leave me be!” he had screeched at her, and made the most scrunched up face she had ever seen. He was so disappointed with himself at reacting like that, but he couldn’t help it. Mean words just blurted out of him in those days, as if he had no control over his mind and body.
And so, focused to finally take back the reins of his life, he safely tucked a worn-out copy of The Forest of Dreams at his chest and proceeded on his quest. Even if exceedingly slow by his standards, he had finally made the first big step towards recovering and even strengthening himself.
At first, Arthur walked on the main well-known path, to avoid danger, but he didn’t find his friends there. As he turned down another path, a little less known, but equally safe, he noticed old Mr. Mantzel, the Head Hedgehog, resting in an aspen grove, near a bush of black raspberries. The aspens were whispering and the plants’ aroma of the black raspberry leaves pleasantly drifted to Arthur’s nose.
“Excuse me, Mr. Mantzel. I’m looking for my friends. Have you seen them?” asked Arthur.
“I haven’t, not today, but you might find them in the cave by the meadow,” said the hedgehog. “They have been spending time inside of it, lately. It’s dark in there, Arthur, but it’s fun and interesting, too. I would show you exactly where, but Mrs. Mantzel is waiting for me and I shouldn’t be late. It’s impolite.”
There were also rumors of beings trapped inside the cave, that once you go in, you’ll never be out the same way. The being you are now is changed forever. Arthur wondered if the rumors were true. After his past experiences, he was more suspicious than ever and tried to be prepared for anything and everything.
Better to prevent another tragedy, thought the bunny.
“Hmm… I see. Maybe I will look there later,” said Arthur. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Mantzel. Please say ’Hello!’ to Mrs. Mantzel from me. She bakes the most amazing cookies.”
“You’re welcome, Arthur. And please, call me Eugene, from now on,” said the hedgehog. “Mrs. Mantzel will be beyond the moon happy to hear I’ve seen you outside, after all this time, after all you’ve been through. You’re so brave,” added the hedgehog just before turning to head home.
Arthur bit his lip, but said nothing. He only waved at Mr. Mantzel.
Continuing his search, Arthur came upon a waterfall with thundering water. Quickly, he shielded his ears. He was so scared of the noise that he started shaking and sweating immediately. In the near distance though, he spotted a squirrel, leaping joyfully into the water. He had never seen a swimming squirrel before. As far as he knew, most of them, just like most bunnies, didn’t enjoy being in the water at all. This squirrel, however, didn’t seem scared. She was enjoying life to the fullest.
SPLAAASH!
SPLAAASH!
SPLAAASH!
Arthur was totally stunned by the vista. He had expected something terrible to happen when he heard the noise, but there he was: rainbows all around, birds singing, and in the air there was the fresh smell of a particular herb he adored munching on.
“Mmmm… basil, how delightful,” whispered Arthur. For a brief moment, he even thought he saw his best friend, Marina Rainn, hiding behind a bush, watching him.
“How peculiar. But that can’t be. Marina Rainn is probably grazing on the pasture, or playing with the others somewhere in this forest. She wouldn’t be anywhere near my house, not after how horrible I’ve been to her,” said Arthur to himself. “But I’ll find her and make things right between us.”
Arthur’s mind was going at the speed of light, trying to process what he might experience next. One could even say that, in the moment, looking at the courageous squirrel, Arthur felt butterflies in his stomach. One thing is for sure, he was timid and tense, shaking like a leaf in the wind, despite the pleasant surroundings.
SPLAAASH!
“You can do it, too!” the squirrel called to him. “Dip your feet in the water. Come join me!”
Arthur was still afraid, but seeing how happy the little squirrel was, he moved closer and listened carefully to the pounding water. Somehow, the more he listened, the less frightened he was.
“So? Will you join me?” asked the squirrel.
“I would love to, but right now I must try to find my friends. Otherwise, I might never attempt it,” Arthur said. “I’m scared of so many things,” he continued softly.
“I can help, if you’d like,” said the little squirrel. “My name is Christina, by the way.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Arthur. Arthur Finn.”
“Well, Arthur, let’s go on an adventure, shall we?” said Christina, mischievously winking at him.
“Yes, let’s go find my friends,” replied Arthur with excitement.
As they walked together towards the clearing, passing ancient twisted hazelnut bushes and silver birch trees covered with chaga, the earth started to rumble and Arthur sensed something big coming towards them. His heart started beating fast.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
He wanted to run, but it was too late: something was holding him on the spot. Glancing down, Arthur realized he was sinking in mud. Alarmed, he struggled to get out, but his feet were so deep in, they wouldn’t budge. Instead, the mud was sucking him down farther, swallowing him.
Then, with earth-shattering moves, an elephant arrived. Looking down on Arthur, and wasting no time, the elephant wrapped the little bunny with his trunk and pulled him out of the mud. Gasping and almost losing his senses, Arthur stared at the gigantic creature, huffing and puffing. Shutting his eyes tightly, Arthur expected the end.
“No, I don’t want to die. Please! Not now when I’ve made a new friend,” he shouted with all his might, heart racing in his chest.
After a few long and terrifying moments when nothing seemed to happen, he tentatively opened one eye, peeked around, and, barely audible, managed to utter, “Am I still alive…? Huh. Someone must have heard my little prayer this time.” Arthur’s thoughts trailed off and he gazed around himself incredulously. He noticed some brilliant blue and yellow dots nearby, but he was so dazed from the shock of peril that he couldn’t tell what they were even though he’d passed by their kind many times and his nose twitched and informed him of their familiarity long before he’d seen them.
“Are you alright, little fellow?” The elephant looked inquisitively at him with his massive eyes and blew the mud away as gently as he could with his trunk. When he received no reply, he asked again, “Are you alright, little one?”
Christina, who appeared to be now on top of the elephant’s head, but was in fact on a hazelnut branch dangling down on the large animal, wondered that, too, and waited for Arthur to answer.
“Why, why…. yes, I am. Phew! I thought you were going to eat me,” gasped Arthur. “You’re so big and frightening.
Wait, are you… planning to eat me? Later on maybe?” he inquired, shivering, still unsure of his fate.
“Me? Eat you?” said the elephant, amused. “I only eat grass. I don’t ever eat bunnies. Bunnies are my friends.”
Arthur felt a little foolish, but he couldn’t help smiling with relief.
“Arthur Finn, my buddy, is an anxious little bunny, but he’s determined to find his friends even though he’s afraid,” said Christina.
“That’s brave of you, Arthur. I’m pleased to meet you. My name is Florin. That’s how my friends call me, and so can you two.” He was also known as the Great Wise Elephant, but Florin left that out.
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Florin. This is Christina. She’s very courageous,” said Arthur, blushing a little.
Florin patted Arthur gently on his back and smiled at Christina.
Arthur wanted to ask Florin what kind of name was his as it sounded rather exotic and he was curious and fascinated about names and their history, but there were more pressing matters at hand, so he postponed that inquiry for a later date.
“Would you like to help us find my friends?” asked Arthur instead.
“It would be my pleasure,” said Florin.
So Arthur, Christina, and Florin continued the search and left behind the luminous and joyful cowslips and harebells scattered around the meadow. Soon, they entered another forest which grew darker and darker the more they advanced and Arthur was beginning to shake again. But with Christina and Florin by his side, he wasn’t quite as afraid anymore. Maybe, just maybe, he could face the darkness and the unknown after all.
Together they explored the large forested area for a few hours and encountered many mushrooms and other beings who were out and about, gathering food or just sniffing and browsing. Arthur inquired about his friends again, calling their names, leaving messages, and Christina and Florin helped him even to uncover bushes in hopes of finding them, but they were not there either. Arthur followed any scent that reminded him of his friends and recognized some of the marks left on the soil and on the tree roots webbing the forest floor as being made by some of his naughtiest and most energetic friends — the black goat and the wild piglet — they were too distinct not to be so, Arthur claimed with certainty, but those were not exactly fresh. They had been made two or three days ago, at least, and that meant his friends could have moved on far away already. Arthur was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and an old fear grabbed at his heart again.
Suddenly, however, just as he thought he was about to give up and fail, a donkey appeared. His name was Paul and Arthur made friends with him as well, but unfortunately the donkey couldn’t join their search. He was on a special mission to take provisions to a couple of stranded beings who were on the other side of the forest and eagerly awaited his arrival. So they sadly said their brief goodbyes and he hurried on. But not after sharing a carrot with Arthur. He looked terribly hungry and Paul graciously gave it to him.
“The least I could do to help you,” he said.
Arthur thanked Paul and then munched on the deliciously sweet and fresh carrot. He wondered in what kind of soil that carrot was grown because it was something else; he had never tasted a carrot this good and he made a mental note to ask the donkey the next time they will meet. And so, reinvigorated, Arthur carried on searching. Soon after, they reached the mouth of a cave — THE CAVE in fact — and glimpsed at the dark, mysterious passage leading inside it. An owl hooted from a tree branch nearby.
“Hello! My name is Jordan Lee. I’m the Guardian of this entrance. If you come in peace, nod once. If you come for mischief, nod twice. Beware, I will know if you’re telling the truth, if you’re friend or foe,” said the owl solemnly to the three adventurers.
Florin nodded three times and bowed.
Gazing at the elephant, and rather surprised by his grand gesture, but thinking that maybe he knows something they don’t, Arthur and Christina did the same at unison.
Satisfied, the Guardian Owl blinked three times and spread his wings wide. The three friends took that as an approval and good sign, and began to walk again. Christina and Florin were excited about the possible wonders hidden inside, but Arthur slacked behind and frowned as they touched the glistening mouth of the cave. He was worried he might have to say ’Goodbye!’ to them there. And he liked them so much. He liked them so much, he didn’t know how to begin and say his goodbyes.
“Wait a moment, you didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you? Now you have to tell me a secret fear, something that weighs heavy on your heart,” said the owl. “Just one secret, that’s all. Only then the door will open.”
“There’s a secret door?” asked Christina. “I thought we had to take this path and walk right in, didn’t you?” she whispered to Arthur and Florin.
“Why does everyone ask that? Of course there’s a door,” said the owl. “This cave is much bigger than it appears, and hides many things, secrets… mysteries. We had to save it from prying eyes. And there’s actually two camouflaged, inconspicuous doors; one at the front, here, by the forest, another at the back, by the meadow. Health and safety and all that. You may be staring right at them and not really see them.
So, what’s your secret fear?”
“What a curious and strange thing to ask,” whispered Christina again to Arthur and Florin. “Well, I guess it’s better than asking us for a password, which I certainly do not have, and I suspect you don’t either. Then we’d really be in trouble. I’m sure we can figure this one out,” she said, confident, and winked mischievously.
The task wasn’t as easy as it appeared, however. Christina and Florin scratched their heads and thought about it, but they couldn’t come up with anything so personal and traumatic. They had overcome their biggest fears some time ago and made peace with their demons. They had no secret fears to shed off, none they knew of, anyway. They frowned and wondered what to do.
Arthur pondered the situation as well. He wasn’t that eager to go into the cave because he suspected what horrors could await them there, in all that darkness. He even thought to suggest going somewhere else, although that was the easy way out, he knew that.
I’m such a coward, he thought.
But seeing how excited his new friends were about exploring the cave, he wanted to find a real solution. He wanted to bring the smile back to their faces. Also, he had a hunch his old friends were inside. Arthur sighed. Then he inhaled deeply, sighed again, and braced himself with his paws.
“I’m scared of strawberries. And honeyberries,” Arthur said, trying to wing it at first, too afraid to fully open a can of unsavory stuff.
The owl stared at him. He eyed him up and down and said nothing. “That’s not it, is it, though? There’s something you’re not telling,” his eyes seemed to imply.
“But that’s not really it,” Arthur continued, feeling sick to his stomach for even trying to omit the truth and basically lie to the owl, and by extension to his new friends. “I’m not scared of strawberries, or honeyberries. I mean, I am. But I’m not. Not really,” he mumbled, rather deflated and fidgeting with his paws. “I’m scared of what they remind me of. Failure. Loss.”
Arthur couldn’t believe his ears. He was talking about something so personal with some beings who were essentially strangers to him. After all, he only met them minutes ago, hours at best, in the case of Christina and Florin. But once he started, he didn’t want to stop. He knew secrets and fears could harbor illnesses, he’d read about that in books, and this one weighed heavy on his heart. He needed to get it out. The sooner, the better. Or so the books advised. He wondered if, maybe, it was too late for him.
“The truth is simple. Yet not always easy to admit, even to ourselves. But the effort is worth it,” said Florin, encouraging him.
“I could have done more,” spoke Arthur softly. “I left them there. They were so young, just like me; they had their whole lives ahead of them. What am I going to tell their parents? I don’t even know where they are anymore,” he confessed, words slowly pouring out, tears streaming down his little face. “I told them to run and hide, but they didn’t listen, or they couldn’t, I don’t know what really happened, if they were too hurt, or too scared to even move; they just froze, all of them. Their little faces, if you had seen them… they were petrified. They couldn’t move.” Arthur shivered, thinking back to that terrifying time.
“When I understood that, I grabbed a dirty, dark blue blanket which was lying around, I put a bunch of them on it, wrapped them well, and I carried as many as I could to safety. Twice I did that. But during the running and puffing and all the surrounding chaos, I allowed fear to creep in and get a hold of me for a couple of moments too long and that was a mistake; my body shook as if it was in a trance or something. It was uncontrollable, or perhaps I wasn’t strong enough to control it. Yes, that is the naked truth. I wasn’t strong enough. I was weak, and that cost me dearly. I recuperated eventually, but not soon enough. By the time I got back to my senses and back to the rest of them, they were gone. There was nobody there. It was too late. I was too late. I lost them.
I’m an awful friend. I’m not wise. I’m not brave. I didn’t save them all. I left them behind in that faraway place, I abandoned them. I made a choice and picked some above others. How can I ever make things right again? I didn’t keep my promise. We made a pact, way back. Even if we didn’t share the same blood, we were brothers and sisters, united in life. I said I’ll love and protect them with my own life, and here I am, and they’re not. Why?
I failed them. I could have done more, I’m sure of it,” he said, sternly and bitterly, holding his paw close to his heart and biting his lip. “I could have done more. Why didn’t I do more, why did I lack the strength when I needed it the most?”
Arthur gushed the last words out and sobbed uncontrollably, releasing a torrent of tears. For several seconds, nothing and nobody else appeared to move. Even the wind stood still. Christina slowly gazed at Florin with tears brimming in her eyes. Her lips didn’t move, but her eyes seemed to say, “Do something. Say something.”
“How many did you carry and how many were left behind?” asked Florin, gently.
Arthur continued to weep, but slowly, he searched his mind. He said, between sobs:
“Ten. I carried ten; panting and sweating, as the scorching heat of August was on me. I managed that. I received a message the other day which said those are well, thank goodness; still recuperating in a retreat, a few woods away from here, but they are out of harm’s way. Kim and Jaimie, however, Silver and Roxy, Coste and Agne, Keith and Dashaina… Oh, sisters! Oh, brothers! Will you ever be able to forgive me?” cried Arthur softly.
Christina gazed pleadingly at Florin once more. It seemed she could barely hold her tears, let alone speak, when she saw her new friend in so much pain. She courageously surfed the waves of nature, but bunny tears, unfortunately, were a bit much for her. Regardless, she stood by him, speechless yet supportive.
“You are just one bunny and you helped and saved ten other beings. Ten. In the given circumstances, alone, in a faraway place, you’ve done your best, Arthur, I can clearly see that. We all can. Some things are just out of our control, that’s all; no matter what we do or don’t do, we can’t always get what we want. Also, the universe doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders. But it does matter what you will do onwards. Will you stay down or will you get up? That’s something we all must decide for ourselves, “What do we do in the face of failure?”, because failures will come, my friend, they are part of life,” said Florin, gently again. Christina and Jordan Lee nodded thoughtfully.
“You are well intended beings. Some of you, wise beyond your years. You have my blessing to enter this cave.”
And then, addressing Arthur, the owl said, “I don’t know where your brothers and sisters are now, or what happened to them after you last saw them. Not having your chosen family safe and close by must be excruciating for you, I’m sure, but I’m pleased to inform you that some of your other friends are inside. They’ve been waiting for you for a long time, little one, hoping you would come and be with them again.”
“Really? But why would they play in there?” asked Arthur, wiping his tears away. “It looks so dark and frightening,” he whispered, glancing back at Christina and Florin, “who knows what’s lurking inside...”
“Looks can be deceiving, my friend. Things are not always what they seem,” said Florin. “What you think of as ’the dark’ is just the perceived absence of light, nothing more, nothing less. It is worth remembering that the light is always there, even if it is out of sight,” continued The Great Wise Elephant, true to his name. Christina nodded in approval. The owl waited for Arthur’s decision.
Arthur smiled at his new friends and then looked back at the dark cave. He was still shaking a bit, but he thought about how awful it is to be alone all the time and how lovely it is to have friends.
“There are things to be afraid of in this world, terrible things, but I don’t suspect anymore that this cave is one of them. Even Mr. Mantzel said it’s fun, and he has seen a thing or two in his life. I can do this. I can walk in this dark cave, find my friends, and play with them again.
I will carry on with my life, despite the pain, and I won’t just survive, I will thrive — for them,” said the little bunny, more to himself than to anyone else.
As he said those words, the door, which was actually a large boulder, shimmered briefly and then opened wide ahead of them. The three adventurers gasped in awe at the sheer size and clever way of concealing it. Beyond, there was another dark passage, long and winding.
Slowly, Arthur walked into the cave, inching forward, careful not to slip on the wet stones. Every step took him farther and deeper into the cave. Various creatures he couldn’t see scurried in the darkness along the passage and touched his feet, but Arthur didn’t stop. His heart was racing and he wondered how long until he was to see his friends again. He missed them.
Moments later, however, after Arthur crept around a sharp curve, all of a sudden, light blasted out the darkness. The walls of the cave were a dazzling dark blue, almost black, here and there covered with moss, mushrooms, and various plants growing towards the light; no longer frightening Arthur, but mesmerizing him. The cave was immense, more spacious and way different than he had imagined. The walls were not sinisterly closing in on him, and he could breathe well inside it. And there were his friends, right in front of him! They were sprawled on the massive floor of the cave, near what appeared to be a bubbling hot spring. Natural bright light shone down on the space from high above and the water below sparkled. Through the hole at the top of the cave, Arthur glimpsed colorful birds flying in the clear blue sky.
“WOW! I never would have guessed I’d find such beauty hidden in the darkness and depth of a cave,” Arthur said, his eyes glittering. Christina and Florin smiled. But as Arthur approached his old friends, he noticed they looked rather morose.
“What is going on here? Why are you looking so gloomy?” asked the bunny.
“Arthur!”
“You’re here at last!”
“Come!”
“Join us!”
“We’ve missed you!”
“So much!”
Arthur’s old friends — the deer, the duck, the giraffe, the striped skunk, the black goat, and the wild piglet — all shouted their excitement to see him. Only the beltie, Arthur’s best friend, gazed at him with tears in her eyes and a big grin on her face, too lost for words — at first, anyway — from far off at the back of the cave. He ached to gently touch her forehead, rub his ears on her big head, and give her a hug. It was their special thing. That and winning at The Guessing Game.
“I’ve missed you, too!” he said, with tears in his eyes. “Can my new friends join us as well?” he asked, worried he might offend someone, but wanting to include Christina and Florin. Old or new, all of them were his friends, a reason to play and face challenges together.
“Of course, any friends of yours are friends of ours,” said Marina Rainn, while the others smiled and nodded.
Arthur grinned and, together with Christina, the Courageous Squirrel, and Florin, the Great Wise Elephant, he leaped and joined his friends.
The group splashed and played in the clean waters of the cave, deep in the wonderful forest.
“I’m SO sorry for saying those words to you and being so rude. I didn’t mean it, please forgive me,” said Arthur to Marina Rainn, a little later on, as they rested by the edge of the hot spring.
“Oh, Arthur, I know you didn’t, and I forgive you,” said Marina Rainn. “I’m SO glad you’re here. Life was tough without my best friend by my side. Who else was going to help me have fun and win at The Guessing Game? Nobody, that’s who! Please don’t ever leave me alone with this bunch of misfits again. They’re nice enough, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not you. You’re irreplaceable.”
Not for the first time that day, Arthur blushed. Two happy tears fell down his cheeks.
“And so are you, my dear Marina Rainn. So. Are. You. Thank you for giving me time.”
“That’s what friends are for, Arthur, that’s what friends are for.”
Gently, they touched their foreheads and stayed like that for a moment. Then Arthur playfully rubbed his ears on her head and gave her a most awaited hug.
As he gazed at his friends laughing and playing together, Arthur realized he had conquered many of his fears already and he was so excited about what the future might bring. He knew that, no matter what, he was ready to face it. He held The Forest of Dreams closely at his chest, closed his eyes and, for once in a very long time, he took a deep, peaceful nap.
The End/To Be Continued…
Alternate ending / beginning of a new story featuring Arthur:
*
Arthur suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, and intently gazed ahead. Marina Rainn, who was next by, stared at him curiously.
Arthur observed his friends from a distance, his eyes fixated on their moves, but it was as if he looked through them, not at them. And that is because there was another thing he considered. The Guardian Owl said he didn’t know where his brothers and sisters were ’now’ or ’what happened to them after.’ The owl thought they could still be alive, at least that was the impression he gave to Arthur, but at the time he was too focused on getting inside the cave to think about something else. He always thought, since he didn’t find his friends when he went back after them, that all hope was lost. How could they have survived that? But what if all hope wasn’t gone? What if they were taken and kept somewhere? What if they were waiting for him? What if he could find and save them after all?
“I’m going to find them,” he said. “I’m going to find them and bring them back. They deserve to be at home, dead or alive, they deserve to be at peace.”
He worried his friend might think him crazy for this outburst, but instead Marina Rainn smiled at him and asked:
“What kind of snacks should I help you prepare? Sweet or savory? Both? And how many nights do you think we’ll be on the road?”
Arthur smiled. How could he have doubted her even for a second? She knew him best, she was going to be by his side for this paramount search.
To Be Continued…
ARTHUR FINN DECIDES TO GO
A story about fears, friends, and forgiveness
© 2022 Crina-Ludmila Cristea. All rights reserved.