Star Lane - The Forest of Stanyfa, Ch 1

To everyone who knew her, Violet was an ordinary girl with a very vivid imagination. She lived in her house in Star Lane with her Mum and Dad and their dog, Barty.

However, what most of her friends didn’t know, was what Violet did at weekends and after school. Well… that’s not strictly true. Violet did tell them, but they thought she was telling them about imaginary games she played when she was alone. What they didn’t realize, no matter how often Violet told them, was that these extraordinary stories were real.

When Violet was 8, she and her parents had moved into the pretty, rose-covered house at the end of Star Lane. With its huge garden, it was paradise for a child who, until then, had lived in a concrete jungle in the city, where the only plants were those in the pots she and her mother had lovingly tended.

And so it was that 2 minutes after they had arrived at the house in Star Lane, Violet went exploring in her new garden. Way down near the back of the garden, she found a shed. It looked as though it had once been used as a cubby house, but the building’s use had changed over time as its owners grew up. To Violet, the shed seemed a very exciting place, full of other people’s unwanted junk. She spent hours pouring over all the things stored there, as her parents pulled them out and decided what to keep and what to throw away.

Most interesting of all to Violet, were the old cupboards doing service as wardrobes and which were crammed full of musty, old-fashioned clothes. Although most of them were too big and smelled funny, Violet loved trying on the heavy coats, long and baggy trousers, colourful shirts, pretty hats – some with feathers, others with bits of soft fur and wool – and the beautiful dresses. But even more interesting than trying them on, was rummaging through the pockets and old bags and finding, amidst the accumulated dust and bits of fluff, some rather surprising and exciting bits.

A few old pennies; some buttons; old reels of cotton; a silver, rather tarnished, charm bracelet; and most curious of all, a chunky polished stone star. Violet turned the star over. It felt rather heavy in her hand, although it fitted in her palm perfectly, if she didn’t want to curl her fingers right over the top of it. It was pretty, too. Purplish-red with flecks of gold in it, which sparkled when the stone was held just the right way. Out of the light, it was just a dull brown star. The stone was very smooth, apart from a small, lined ridge, before tapering off smoothly at the bottom.

Violet tried to imagine what the star was for. Certainly not a piece of jewellery. It was too heavy, and had no way of hanging around your neck, no hole, hook or loop. It might have been a paperweight, but seemed too small. And why would someone carry a paperweight in the pocket of a voluminous old-fashioned dress?

Violet slipped the star into her own pocket, where she carried it for the rest of the day, absently stroking it and turning it over. The stone felt… warm… and… right. Violet was certain that she had been meant to find it. That, somehow, if it is possible for a stone, it had been waiting… just for her.