I just watched the movie and just had to write this. Maybe I will continue it, maybe not but for now I'm just happy that I wrote it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Terabithia, but I own the lands around it because I made them up.


Jess was going through Leslie's things. Her parents had asked him to come round and help them with it, because one look at her notebooks, the doodles and passages from dozens of different scenarios, was enough to make her mum start crying again. It was there, in the cluttered mess that was inevitably Leslie's room, that Jess first found it, properly: Leslie's Terabithia.

He was helping clear out Leslie's notebooks, but had ended up reading them instead. He had known that Leslie had an incredible imagination but seeing on paper...

There was stuff about Terabithia, describing the mountains, laden with woodland. The dense forests with low hanging branches and creepers, filled with monsters of the Dark One, but also the warriors of Terabithia, tiny in size, but make up for that with courage (and there are a lot of them). There are Giant Trolls, who look like trees if they stand still. Birds that sing more beautifully that any other on Earth, sweeter that a nightingale with the soft note of a harp. There are women in Terabithia who have birdcages for chests and who train these birds and, when they place the sweet singing birds in their birdcages, they can sing a chorus so beautiful that angels would come down from Heaven to hear them.

The delicate silver leaves that could grow on special trees in the deepest parts of the woods. It is said that the Dark One searches for these trees, for whoever wears a crown made of these silver leaves is said to rule forever. But he will never find it, as foretold by the Prophetic Brook, only a true King or Queen of Terabithia will find the enchanted grove where the tree leaves are silver and the bark is gold, where it rains sapphires when the great gem dragon passes overhead and emerald grass grows because of the special insects that farm the ground, so if you ever go walking in the enchanted grove, be careful where you tread.

Deep in the Oceans lies the merman palace and the green skinned people play in the sea all day with their dolphin companions. They are the navy of the Rulers of Terabithia. They would lay down their lives for their King, or Queen, for they bring peace to Terabithia.

Far to the North are the colder mountains that are peaked with snow that glistens in the dim sunlight that filters through thick clouds. The air is much colder here. Giant polar dragons and sabre toothed mammoths live here. It is a frosty desert land where only the strong can survive. However, if you survive far enough, you can reach a point where the aurora will shine for you and if you reach the point where the snow and aurora meet, you will receive one wish. Most people forget about the wish, or waste it accidentally, because they are so overwhelmed by the beauty of the aurora spot – where light interacts with reflection.

However, witches have said to have overrun this once beautiful place. They warp wishes and challenge adventurers to a battle of wits. They feast on the fear of the adventurers and steal their imaginations for their own usage. Who knows what lies at the bottom of a witch's caldron after they have tipped the fine pearly either of imagination in and who knows what comes out when the witch calls.

To the west are the Golden Lands. This mountainous range is so named after the colour they turn when sunlight hits them as it sets. Many a fool has been led to believe that everything is made of gold. Gold can be mined but at great risk. For the Golden Lands are the lands of dragons. There is the great Gem Dragon who guards the enchanted grove and flies to and fro from that place and Golden Lands, scattering blessings upon those who walk beneath it and harm it not. There are twin dragons of white and black who are the Judgement Dragons of the land, keeping the peace in that area. There are many, many lesser dragons that can be tamed, but only by the bravest and strongest of Terabithians. And, of course, there is the Golden Dragon, said to be the wisest creature in all of Terabithia and the father to all reptiles. There is a famous story about the Golden Dragon meeting his mate, the Gem Dragon. Though she was plain at the time, he saw something beautiful in her and changed her so that all could see it. She was the mother of the White and Black dragons who promised to keep the peace and then their father disappeared. No-one knows where he is but everyone knows where he is. He sits at the heart of the Golden Lands. But no-one knows where that can be found, so no-one has found him.

To the East are the waters of the Ocean where the mermen ride the waves and, beyond that, the Rainbow Valley. It is said that lands are always plentiful there, the flowers are always in bloom, and the hearts of the people are always at peace. There are no troubles in the Rainbow Valley. The Rainbow that is always in the sky never fades, for if it did, the land would slowly die. No-one knows the exact purpose of the Rainbow Valley other that it keeps a balance in the world. Maybe one day, someone will find out. It is said that there is a twin to the enchanted grove of Terabithia here that anyone can enter. It is said that the Rainbow Valley is the most enchanted place in the whole land. Who knows, because everyone who has set out across the vast Ocean has never returned.

To the South are the planes. Vast expanses of green grass and flowering shrubs as far as the eye can see, except in the south west where the Golden Lands slip into darker areas. This was where the Dark One came from. His rein stems from the volcanic growth that has sprung up at the border of the Golden Lands before becoming the planes. Here, the Dark One gathers his followers, in the caverns of the Darker Realm, waiting for his time to strike. He rarely ventures out and never in physical form. He is the Shadow Master, the Lord of Darkness and it is this form that he takes when he ventures into the woods of Terabithia.

Jess turned the page. It was blank. He flicked over the next. That was blank too.

Leslie really went into detail about this land of Terabithia, Jess thought sadly.

Footsteps in the hall outside and then the door opened. 'Everything alright in here?' Leslie's dad asked, poking his head around the door.

Jess looked up in surprise. 'Yeah,' he said distractedly, 'yeah, I was just... reading...'

Leslie's dad smiled a sad smile. 'Yeah, Leslie's writing has that affect on people. Once you start you just can't stop. Well, your parents will be looking for you soon so you better pack up. Thanks for helping.'

'Anytime.'

Leslie's dad gave another wan smile and shut the door. Jess scrambled up from his position on the floor at the foot of Leslie's bed when the notebook dropped from his lap. Frowning, Jess bent down to pick it up and read the last words ever written in this notebook. It was scrawled at a random point near the back of the book, and was upside-down, as if Leslie had written it in a hurry, not caring that she got the wrong page and even had the book the wrong way up.

Look for the girl in the white dress. Look for the innocence shrouded in guilt. Look for the light that can shine away the darkness and bring hope back to Terabithia. Look and you shall see. Seek and you will find. Knock and the way will be opened to you.

I will go ahead and find it. You must follow if we are to succeed.

Maybe she knew, Jess thought, maybe she knew that if she left, I'd struggle to see Terabithia anymore. She had clearly got the "look, seek, knock" bit from the Bible when she came to church with us. But who's the girl in the white dress? What's the rest about?

Jess straightened up and as he did, something outside the window caught his eye. Glancing out, he looked down into the garden and there, gazing back up at him, was a girl with dark hair wearing a white dress.

Jess pulled his gaze away. That was not possible. He was imagining it. When he looked back, she was gone.

Look and you shall see. Seek and you will find. Knock and the way will be opened onto you.

Jess tossed the notebook back into one of the packing up boxes and scurried out of the room. Don't think about it, he told himself, don't think about it.

From the safety of the shadows of the trees, the girl in the white dress watched out for him.


Do you like it? Because if you do, my imagination is swimming with ideas for this story so you might be in for a bumpy ride if I continue with this.

Please review so I know to carry on or not.