Out of the Woods: Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
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About this ebook
Amarilla Goldlock has always been taught to never leave the enchanted forest. But when her home is destroyed and everyone she loves is killed, she knows she has no choice but to brave the outside world.
With the help of her wolf, fairy godmother, and magic, Amarilla sets out on a quest for revenge. But as she travels, she discovers that there is more to the world than she ever imagined. She must learn to trust herself and tap into the secrets of her magic if she wants to survive.
In her quest to right the wrongs and to finally live, Amarilla discovers magic, evil, love, and herself.
A magical tale of adventure, self-discovery, and revenge.
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More about Out of the Woods
The target audience for the book is young adults who enjoy fantasy novels with strong female protagonists.
The book is set in a world that is both familiar and strange, with elements of both magic and technology.
The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists and turns.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Amarilla being a particularly strong and inspiring protagonist.
The themes of the book include revenge, self-discovery, and the power of magic.
strong female lead
young adult
magic
wizards
enchantress
young adult
fairie
portals
fantasy
You might also enjoy my other works including the novella Crossed: The Karma Crusades and the novel Star Jumpers.
Bernette Sherman
Bernette Sherman is a multi-genre writer of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy as well as inspiration, poetry, music, and scripts. She lives in the metro Atlanta area with her husband and two children.
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Out of the Woods - Bernette Sherman
Out of the Woods
Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
Out of the Woods
Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
Bernette Sherman
Mount Hope Media, LLC
Austell, GA
A picture containing design, logo, font, graphic designDescription automatically generatedPublished as Bernette Sherman 2018.
Copyright © 2017, 2022 Bernette Sherman
First published in e-Book format. Copyright © 2016 A. Bernette.
Paperback Version Copyright © 2017 A. Bernette
All rights reserved by Bernette Sherman. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or recording (with the exception of unpaid personal use), or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Request,
using the web address below.
All rights reserved
Published by Mount Hope Media, LLC
Austell, GA
Also by Bernette Sherman
Fiction
Light of the Dark Moon
The Story of Ervin James
Star Jumpers: An Accidental Quest for Freedom
Crossed: The Karma Crusades
Nonfiction
Heaven is Now: Enough Excuses
Resist Persist
Protect and Clear with the Divine
Connect with Bernette
www.BernetteSheman.com
Acknowledgements
I credit Wattpad’s Once Upon a Time story initiative for the inspiration to create this work of fiction.
Contents
Chapter One: Never Leave the Forest
Chapter Two: The Last
Chapter Three: Shadows
Chapter Four: Alone
Chapter Five: Promises Made
Chapter Six: Out of the Woods
Chapter Seven: Magical
Chapter Eight: What You Wish
Chapter Nine: The Enchanted Inn
Chapter Ten: And I Am
Chapter Eleven: Fear Not
Chapter Twelve: Glimmer of Hope
Chapter Thirteen: An Enchanted Curse
Chapter Fourteen: Battle at the Inn
Chapter Fifteen: Dear Dad
Chapter Sixteen: Sorseluna
Chapter Seventeen: Undone
Other Works by Bernette Sherman
About the Author
Stay Connected
Chapter One
Never Leave the Forest
The family of bears was angrier than I thought they’d be from an innocent mistake. We were once friends; but the distance between us had grown. Leaping from the comfort of Ebar’s bed where I had found long-lost solace, I left blankets in a heap on the floor behind me. I sprinted out of the door that led away from their small upstairs bedroom and down the back steps into the forest.
The family had startled me out of my unusually peaceful sleep. After so many months of barely resting I had finally taken an escape, a moment’s respite from all the death and sadness around me.
Growler had been the first to lunge towards me and his son, Ebar, followed suit. Only Matra hadn’t moved. Perhaps she understood something it took me longer to figure out. It had been two weeks since we’d buried our last friend and now only my mother and I were left. She could no longer prepare food, or really take care of me.
The morning I went for that stroll through the forest I didn’t intend to cause such a raucous. I was out exploring; trying to get away from something I couldn’t escape. I hadn’t eaten breakfast and the porridge was sitting there, spoons ready. Ebar’s bowl had been perfect. I now understand it better, that my body and spirit were tired and I just needed a quiet place to rest.
They considered it an invasion and I’d upset them. I’d gone in when they were out. That was the moment I knew the balance in the forest had shifted and my kind were no longer in charge. Instead, we were just others living there with everyone else. Growling with a mixture of anger and frustration, they chased me away. I ran back to the safety of my home, my tangled hair in my eyes and tears streaming down my face in fear.
I’d never felt fear like that before Growler and my old friend Ebar had chased me from their home. It was a sensation I didn’t understand until then. Even with everyone dying, I didn’t fear death. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but death was natural after a long-life lived.
I felt that kind of fear again as my mother’s condition worsened. It was an evening like any other in the forest. The brightness of the stars and the low-hanging full moon cut through the blackness of the night, letting me see her clearly.
I’d asked her once more, Are we going to the lake tomorrow?
My mother glanced hesitantly at me before looking away and around the room, but she didn’t speak.
Are we, mami? Isn’t it time?
She tried to sit herself up in the bed she’d often been too weak to leave. Oh, we have so much to do tomorrow, Amarilla. There are berries to be gathered for your store. Winter will come before we know it. I must show you again how to collect the nuts and make sure you understand the power of the fire. I must teach you more lessons so you can care for the forest with the fairies. You haven’t learned yet how to work with the bigger animals to heal them. They will need you. You must practice still, to grow stronger in your magic. There is just so much, Amarilla.
She leaned against her headboard, propped up by two pillows and another on each side of her. She looked so small. She tried to avoid my gaze but I wouldn’t let her. I stood closer and touched her hand. Finally, she struggled to let her fatigued eyes focus on me. Something else was weighing heavy on her. My mother’s thin hands grasped mine desperately.
Never leave Sorseluna, Amarilla. You must listen to me. No matter what happens you cannot leave the enchanted forest. It is not safe. There is one out there who would try to harm you. And out there, they cannot be trusted. They may look like us but they are not like us. They will hurt you. You must stay here. Do you understand?
She was pleading with me, using the last of her numbered breaths to get me to make the promise. I was only nine and she was my world. I would have said anything in that moment if it meant making her happy one last time.
Okay, mami. I will stay. I promise.
Thank you, Amarilla. Your fairy godmother, Rose, will help you when I no longer can but she cannot take care of you. Once I have taught you all I can, the rest will be up to you. You can survive in these woods. You are smart. You are resourceful. You are a child of the enchanted forest and of mine.
I looked at my mother. Her pause in that moment felt forced as if there was something more she wanted to say, but chose not to. There wasn’t much time left to leave things unsaid.
I waited by her side hoping she’d say whatever it was that she’d