Eternal Chain

Do you remember your first day of school?

Under a sky painted midnight blue, Amanita Muscaria adjusted her big red-and-white cap, put on her backpack adorned with the felt toy doll she proudly made herself during the summer and tiptoed through the dewy grass. Tonight was her first night at Moonlit Meadow School. The lanterns swayed, casting soft golden circles on the cobblestone path. An owl hooted in the distance and a bad feeling entered her mind as she set foot into the school grounds : "what if I don't fit in?" she thought. She had never fitted in anywhere yet except with her froggy friends of the Glimmering Pond. The lanterns flickered, shadows twisting like claws across the walls.

Inside the classroom, the teachers’ voices echoed like creaking branches. They weren’t kind. “Pay attention, little sprout!” one barked. “Sit still, or you’ll make a mess of the moonlight!” another snapped. She became so overwhelmed she could not form a complete thought anymore, her mind started buzzing with chaos as if it had suddenly transformed into a hornets nest! Amanita tried to smile, but hear seat pricked like thorns. She could not sit still anymore. The teachers sneered. “Why are you even here?” one hissed. “Pathetic little fungus,” another spat. Amanita shrank under their gaze, she could not hide her feelings any longer, she was about to scream.

Then, to her own surprise she sprung up and started running! She ran and ran with no destination, just wanting to get as far away from that horrible feeling. She ran out of the grounds and ran back through the forest. Her tiny shoes leaving damp prints on the mossy path. Without wanting to she arrived at the Glimmering Pond, her froggy friends were waiting, eyes wide and green as new leaves. “They were… mean,” Amanita whispered, lowering her head under her cap. “They said I didn’t belong, that I couldn't behave enough...” Her froggy friends croaked softly in sympathy while giving each other meaningful looks, circling around her. “But you belong here” they croaked in unison. “And tomorrow, we’ll help you shine brighter than the stars.” Amanita’s heart fluttered like fireflies in a jar. She lifted her head and smiled. Under the dark midnight blue sky, surrounded by friends, Amanita felt a spark—small, stubborn, defiant. From that night on, schools and teachers became the enemy. She would learn the secrets of the moonlight on her own, guided by the glow of the stars and the loyalty of her friends.