Age:
Late Elementary
Reading Level: 3.4
Chapter One: Ruby
Her hair was a blondish, brownish mess on top of her head. She wore jeans that were a tad too short. On her feet were canvas high tops in a black and white zebra pattern. They were tied loosely, with one pink and one green shoe lace. She always wore a big, blue parka with a hood over her head. Her backpack had all kinds of small toys attached to it. They clanked and clinked as she swayed down the sidewalk.
Her name was Ruby. She was twelve and a bit of an odd girl.
It was cold, one day, as Ruby walked to school. She looked at all the kids coming and going but never really looked AT them. Some said hello, some glanced away, and some even knew her name. Ruby turned her head down when this happened and often had no idea how or why anyone would know who she was.
The other kids were never mean, but they weren't nice either. If an adult was close by, they would smile and give Ruby a hello or a nod. But, if it were just her and a bunch of kids, they mostly ignored her.
When Ruby arrived at school, she walked to the far corner of the building. She passed a sign that said "Special Education" and headed into the room. In her head, she thought, Ugh, I don't want to try today.
You see, school—well, learning—was difficult for Ruby. She worked really hard every day to get through her lessons. She was miserable.
She sat down and pulled her hood over her ears.
OMG, so loud, SO loud, she thought. I cannot concentrate! Why is it always SO loud?
This was pretty much how each day at school went for Ruby. Overwhelming . . . loud . . . not a lot of fun.
Chapter Two: The Magic Bag
Finally, the day was over! Ruby exhaled and walked toward the door. On her way home, she looked down and watched her crazy shoes scrape, thud, scrape, thud—until something pulled her gaze away. She glanced over to the grass and saw a small bag. Ruby turned to see who else was nearby before heading towards it.
It was a red velvet bag that was small enough to fit in her hand. She picked it up and noticed that it was warm—even though the air was cool. She put it in her pocket and headed home.
Once she was safely in her bedroom, she closed the door. She grabbed the bag and went to the far corner of her top bunk to examine it. Inside were four shiny stones—not the kind you find on the street but smooth stones of all colors. Green, blue, red and yellow—some with gold and silver flecks. They were beautiful.
Chapter Three: Gwendolyn and the Green Stone
As Ruby examined the rocks, she noticed that the green one had begun to glow. She put the others to the side and picked up the glowing stone between her fingers. It was warm. She closed both hands around it, and the heat of the stone traveled through her whole body, until she couldn't sit up anymore. She closed her eyes and felt as if the stone grew into a giant, heavy boulder that lay on her chest. The weight felt so good, though. Her brain was calming down. Her entire body felt at peace.
What is this green stone? she wondered.
As she drifted off to sleep, she felt someone touching her shoulder. She looked up and saw a large, green . . . something. Is it a nose, a cheek? She couldn't tell.
"Hello?" she said quietly.
"Oh, hello you," the something said.
Ruby blinked twice to clear her eyes and could not believe what she saw. A huge, beautiful creature with green skin and hair stood before her.
"Who are you?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, there you are. You found my stone. That means you needed me. I am a Glindle—a fairy that can only be seen by those who touch my glowing stone. When a child in the human world experiences life very intensely, they need me. I sort out all the noise in your head, so you can see and feel what is important," the fairy said.
"What is your name, uh, err . . . what should I call you?" Ruby asked.
"Gwendolyn is my name, dear Ruby," she answered.
"How do you make it quiet for me?" Ruby asked.
Gwendolyn explained that the green stone, when close to Ruby, would calm the world around her. As long as she kept it close, it would help her brain sort out the noise and find what was important.
Ruby looked down at the glowing stone, closed her eyes, and woke up in her bed at home.