Ella G.

A Wave of Courage

The waves crashed into the bamboo ship, almost snapping the long boat in half. Inside the ship, sailors watched Mount Fuji bob up and down with the waves. Food barrels were stored in the lower level and were rocking back and forth. Inside one barrel filled with pears hid a teenage girl named Sanye. Her smooth checks were now scratched from pear stems poking her face with each roll of the ship.

A long time ago Sanye’s father had sailed to China—and was never seen again. She had been told that a human-eating monster who lived in the giant forest had eaten him. But Sanye did not think that had happened.

The next day the sea was calm, almost as smooth as glass and shining from the sunrise dancing on its surface. It was almost nine in the morning when they reached land in China. But there was no clock in the fruit barrel. Sanye had guessed that because of the amount of sunlight coming through a tiny hole in the pear barrel.

She was listening for the moment the boat hit the sand with a thud.

The sailors would be busy anchoring the board and not paying attention to Sanye who popped off the top of the barrel and headed for the forest.

Each step into the forest was dark and quiet. She didn’t know how long she had travelled when her surroundings seemed a little too quiet. Suddenly, Sanye heard something running right at her. Her father had trained her, but instinct told her to duck and she saw an arrow flying above her head. An arrow with strange markings.

Sanye grabbed the arrow and ran. When she barely run, she began listening. Nothing. Maybe that was the one and only arrow.

She stopped dead when she saw foot steps ahead, foot steps planted deeply in the ground. They were much bigger than hers and had the outlines of claws. A trail of fur was inside the big footprints—as if the creature had just had lunch. I better be on the lookout, thought Sanye.

A few hours later of walking brought her to a tiny town. People were fishing in a nearby swamp with cranes flying overhead. She saw a sign that said the name of the town was Guyow—named for the golden fish who lived there since the time of cave dwellers. Sanye would later learn that the name came from a golden fish name Guyow who had been here when the cave dwellers were around and was greatly favored by a Queen named Yesen who loved him.

But for now, Sanye was filled with hope as she entered the town filled with music and laughing.