The Lost Forest

By Fernanda Santos

It wasn't just a dream like they thought it was.
The world that once was called home for the magic creatures was now consumed by darkness and shadow.Losing her strength gradually, Queen Flora the magic queen of the Lost Forest, saw that all her efforts against the Queen of darkness were all in vain, it was then when she reached for the help of the chosen ones.
They were the last hope she had.
A hope that could bring an end to all the destruction and suffering they were facing.
Entrusted by her with her own life, they were brought to a world of enchantment and magnificence of creatures and beasts where their limits would be tested till the end, bringing them to know the power of their own strength.
The strength of the power of the love.
Join Francesca, Bryan, Bernardo, Antonia, and Markus in the journey against darkness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669845010

Fernanda Santos

Fernanda Santos covers Arizona and New Mexico as the Phoenix bureau chief for The New York Times. The Fire Line is her first book.

Book preview

The Lost Forest

39696.png

Fernanda Santos

Copyright © 2022 by Fernanda Santos.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/01/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

843025

CONTENTS

Chapter 1     Are We Here?

Chapter 2     No Harm

Chapter 3     Hello My Children

Chapter 4     Faithful to My Queen

Chapter 5     We Must Rest

Chapter 6     Waste No More Time

Chapter 7     Be Strong

Chapter 8     The Lost Forest

Chapter 9     Destruction Everywhere

Chapter 10   I am Queen Altimis

Chapter 11   Making Decisions

Chapter 12   Let Them Live

Chapter 13   A Necessary Lie

Chapter 14   Queen Flora is in Dangerous

Chapter 15   Humans

Chapter 16   Mercy over Hate

Chapter 17   Don’t Be Afraid

Chapter 18   Together We Are Stronger

Chapter 19   No More War as We Are Just One

Chapter 20   We Shall Meet Again

The Lost Forest (Synopsis)

Author’s Biography

To my daughter Francesca,

and my nephews Bryan and Bernardo.

First of all, I would like to thank my dear Father Lord in heaven for helping me to believe in myself and for giving me the strength to carry on with my project till the end.

I would also like to thank my beautiful mom, my brother, and my sisters, my amazing family for the support they gave me.

Love you all.

W orried about the magic world becoming an isolated and lonely place one day when they were gone, our ancestors decided to create life to the magic world.

After a long search, they found the world of a very specific creature. The world of the humans.

Our ancestors were very amazed by the way that race would rule their world. They saw that even though they would have no powers of their own, they were still very capable of creating their own way of living by their strength and capacity of mind.

At the same time, they saw that the capacity they possess to create, they also possess to destroy.

So from them they learned about all kind of feelings. Feelings like love and hate, hope and humility, greed and vanity.

Bright feelings, indeed, but also dark feelings that would lead them to dark powers that would cause them pain, suffering, and injustice in so many terrible ways they could never imagine.

By that, our ancestors created a world that would be guided only by love and good will in the creatures’ hearts.

Where, if they would know how to rule with serenity in their hearts, they would be wise enough to rule with their mind, bringing a world of peace and prosperity to them all.

The magic world then was divided into five large parts.

The five magic forests that would complete the magic world. So then we were created.

Through magic and by the power of the good will. And like that for so long we lived.

The humans’ world became then forbidden for us.

Even though we would know about it, we would just have to forget. The passage between the two worlds was closed at once.

And no one else could ever cross the line.

And no creature would ever enter the humans’ world again. Unless, if their need of help would be too great, then . . . only the one who was granted to the great trust would have the power to cross the border and enter their world once again.

CHAPTER 1

Are We Here?

A m I dreaming?" asked Francesca to Bryan.

Bryan was still amazed by the long leaves carpet he was standing at. "No, Francesca.

You are not dreaming. We came here together.

We found the place that we were dreaming of and talking about for so long." She was staring up there.

It is huge. It is so beautiful. What do you think is behind it? she asked.

I don’t know, he replied.

We have to figure it out. You go first.

Enter in there and tell me when I can come in too, said Francesca. "You are too smart.

We have to do this together. We must go in there together," said Bryan.

Why? she asked, trying to change his mind. "Because we were having the same dream.

We came here together, so we must go together."

Francesca was not listening to Bryan anymore. She was walking slowly toward the curtains. Francesca, wait! I was joking. Wait.

He was speaking softly.

She touched the curtain. Bryan felt uncertain.

His heart was beating so fast. Her hand was still on the curtain. He came closer to her.

What are you doing? he asked, worried. Shisss! Silence, she said.

The noises inside were delightful and soft. Do you hear it? she asked with her voice down. "Yes.

It sounds like . . . birds in there.

Many birds, he replied to her. The noise stopped. We can’t go through.

This curtain is closing the entrance," she said.

Bryan touched it too.

It will not open, how come?

Bryan tried harder; he was trying to pull the leaves aside to open the curtains.

"It is not just simple leaves, they’re too strong. It looks more like . . . like a gate. It’s a gate. They look like leaves but . . . they’re a gate.

It is impossible for us to open it by ourselves." He looked at Francesca.

She seemed to be away, staring up at the leaves. "What are we doing here?

We should go back.

Let’s go back, Francesca."

"No.

We will have to go through to see what is behind it," she said.

"Listen, if you insist to stay here, I will leave you behind. I am telling you.

Let’s go, he insisted. No.

I will stay here," she said firmly.

"Okay, you stay then.

I’m going back."

Bryan turned his back on her to make his way out of there.

If Francesca would stay, he would go home and bring someone to take her home too. Before Bryan could take any other step, he was taken by a huge surprise.

He was standing there, chin dropped.

Frances . . .

The word could hardly come out of his mouth. Francesca, he said.

Just go. I’m not afraid, she replied.

Look! Look here, quickly, he insisted.

What is it that you want?

Now Francesca was the one unable to finish what she was going to say. She was chin dropped too.

Oh God! she exclaimed.

Where did it come from? she asked, scared.

We should never have come here, said Bryan regretfully.

"What happened?

How did this wall appear behind us like this?" asked Francesca, feeling completely lost.

"I don’t know. All I can see is that we are trapped here.

We can’t go back.

It seems like this place wants us here. This wall made of leaves is the proof.

Everything was open behind us. Now, there is no behind us anymore.

There is only ahead of us,

Which is also closed, and behind us is also blocked.

There is no way to go back, and we don’t know how to go forward.

What are we going to do?" he asked, worried.

We will stay locked here in the middle of this wall and this curtain forever, he complained.

"Don’t be so silly.

You’re supposed to protect me.

Stop making me feel even more lost than I am feeling already," she said, annoyed.

"Who said that I am supposed to protect you?

I don’t even know if I can protect myself," he said, irritated.

We should try to climb it, she suggested, ignoring what he said. Are you crazy? he asked.

"We are trapped by one long and huge curtain right before our eyes, and one wall that suddenly had been planted right behind us like one magical spell and it is so high, but so high that we will never get out of here.

We will certainly fall if we try climbing it." Bryan exhaled deeply.

We will be in such a trouble, cousin, once we go back home. If we will have the chance to go back home again one day, which I am starting to doubt by now, he said, upset.

We are in trouble already, she said with her voice down.

Francesca shook her head side to side, trying to focus.

Stop saying these negative things. We will be able to go back home. She exhaled loudly.

She wanted to be positive.

She wanted to believe what she just said. but the truth was that she was lost in her feelings and very uncertain of what to think. She was actually truly confused.

They