When she’s not doing homework or buried in a book, 12-year-old Emma is working on her first novel. I present you with the first installment of her still untitled work…
Far away, a long time ago, an elf sat in a tree at dusk. He was watching the last rays of color slip away into the darkness. The translucent clouds became dark, and then it was all dark. Twinkling stars came out and the crickets began to chirp. The stretches of moonlight seemed to glisten upon the leaves on the woodland floor. This elf, while seeing all this come into place, was also pondering something. It was an important decision, and his life would change one way or the other. So he sat.
But, reader, I am assuming you know nothing of this elf or his life. This I am about to tell.
The elf’s name was Satrem. Satrem and his people were not any elves you are familiar with. Yes, they are very ceremonial and regularly have banquets (and the men have been known to make themselves quite merry at times, but most truly regret it afterwards) and winter and summer balls and choir sessions every morning and noon. They are truly human beings, but they have been known for their small size and later were called wood-elves. These elves live in a community around the base of an enormous oak tree, called Treek.
Treek was the biggest oak tree in all of the Woody Glades at the time, and it was the oldest, too. All the elves lived somewhere in it, the majority at the base or in the knobby twisted roots that spread out for miles in some places. But none of the elves wanted to live that far away from the center of their community because they all enjoyed the music that came from Treek’s canopy. All the Leaders made the music for the people to call them to choir sessions and to announce a change of season and occasionally just for the joy of listening to music.
The Leaders were the important elves that made decisions about local issues in the community and the High Leaders made decisions about larger issues beyond the Woody Glades. Once it concerned a worldly issue of the Ten Battles, but that is a whole different story. All of the Leaders sat at a huge birch wood table on Friday every third week. There were seventeen Leaders and eight High Leaders which were elected by the people every time one retired or in a rare case died.
All of the Leaders were important, but the Pascere was the most important. He was the religious Leader, the dearest Leader that held all the choir sessions, the Leader that directed all the sermons on Sunday. He had bright blue eyes that seemed to never cease to twinkle, and his white wispy hair was all strewn about sometimes, and he always had a bright warm smile. His eyes also had a sense of wisdom and knowledge. He was the darling preacher and he loved all of his people and he led them to know his God, who is my God, kind reader, and My God will always be my only God. The Pascere fed his people and nurtured them in faith. He was a prophet and a messenger and almost all the elves loved him except one elf. That elf’s name was Malcrux.
Malcrux was not someone who enjoyed his job. In fact, he hated it. Malcrux was quite the opposite of the Pascere. His long thin fingers were always recklessly twining and untwining together, and his thin black hair was slicked and combed to a crispy sort of a texture every day. He was the Pascere’s assistant and was a High Leader. He hated his job for three very specific reasons. One, the Pascere was so important to the elves, and he was jealous of all the attention that the Pascere received. Two, he had to take charge of all the children during choir sessions and Sunday services. Malcrux hated the children. He hated herding them back and forth to their parents and keeping their talking to whispers during the services when the parents had their fifteen minutes of the sermons without the children. He hated the spills and sticky messes, the slobbering toddlers, and he especially hated changing diapers. There were so many now, because all the elves had lots of children.
Nobody really understood why Malcrux had signed up to be elected as the Pascere’s assistant. The Pascere gave him the job fifteen years ago now, when Malcrux had begun looking for a job. He had thought to himself that it might do him some good, and of course, after two minutes, it was clear that he was not happy with the job. Once you get a job with the Pascere though, you stay, because you get paid multiple times a week and in large amounts. The Pascere was so generous with his money that Malcrux seemed to receive at least one half of the Pascere’s own salary every time he was paid, unless the Pascere cut some of it so that he could give some to the poor beggars or to pay for medical bills for a family.
The third reason was that the Pascere loved him even though Malcrux hated the Pascere. Malcrux hated love of any sort, especially the love of someone who loved him not because he thought he was wonderful but by a sort of grace-y love; a God kind of love.
It was now Friday night and everyone was going to a seasonal feast and celebration to announce the coming of autumn and to give thanks and glory to God for a big rain that would help their crops to finish the harvest season. This is before the Sunday night that you have already read about, when Satrem sat at dusk.
Wow. What a wonderful imagination you have, Emma!
Your writing and storytelling are outstanding. I also really like the way you organized this first chapter. The names are great, too.
Now I really need to know what Satrem is thinking about, what he’s contemplating. And what is going to happen with Malcrux? I can’t wait to read what comes next.
Inspiring work, Emma.
Emma, this is amazing. I am so proud of you. Another Boggs writer! You are all so talented.
I am so excited to read the rest of the story.
How old are you? This is really great writing if you were an adult.
Keep writing. I am excited to read the rest of the story. And then, keep writing another story.
Love,
Mema
Emma, this is soooooo good! I love it!
I’m amazed!
Love Maggie
Emma, Wow! What amazing talent the Lord has blessed you with! (Don’t end a sentence with a preposition!) I am delighted for you! I can not wait to read the next chapter. I love you so very much!
Grandmama
Emma,
It’s 2:05 a.m. and I just got home from Atlanta. Many thanks to you and your sister for your kind notes, and for coming to my concert tonight, AND for waiting around for us to decompress after the show.
I read your first chapter and am so intrigued to find out what happens to Satrem–and I’m especially intrigued by Malcrux (what a great name for a bad guy!). He’s so creepy and cranky, and I can imagine he’s going to cause all sorts of trouble. In one chapter you’ve done such a good job of setting the stage and introducing conflict.
The gingersnaps your sister made (unless I’m confused and it was you who made them) were delicious. We devoured them before we were a mile down the road.
Thanks again,
AP
Emma… Great job! I looked up emmaboggs.com and I see nobody’s taken it yet…
Emma! This is fabulous! Thank you so much for being willing to share it–I am already engaged and very interested to find out what is going to happen. You really have set the scene beautifully–I can see and feel everything. Well done! (And please give us more!
)
Love,
Lanier
Hi Emma, I loved the first chapter of your story. I liked how you described the tree with lots of detail and included your faith in God. It was also very neat how you made the names different depending on how they respond and act. I can’t wait to read the next chapter!
Well done Emma! What a testimony of Christ to your readers too. I’m eager to read more. Oooh, the pressure is on.
“This I am about to tell” Oooh…I’m completely enthralled. I want to turn the page and get to know everyone better, and am anxious to see how Satrem’s story will meet with the background you’ve laid. More!!