I was venturing into the most dreaded wood near our village. I stepped over a last pile of smelly, damp, mouldy leaves and entered the wood. Fear, like a current, went down my spine and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I tip-toed and soon I couldn’t see much of moonlight any more and I had the awful feeling that I was being followed. Suddenly I heard a twig crack. I turned around and had the suspicion that the wood was cursed.

All at once an enormous silvery ghost swept out from behind a tall tree, casting a faint but silvery shadow on the ground.

I screamed “Aghhhhhh!” as the ghost grabbed hold of my neck.

“Get off….” I yelled shaking. “What do you think you are doing shaking me like that? You have no right to go strangling me like that!”

“Shut up!” said the ghost sharply.

I punched the ghost hard in the chest. He rushed forcibly brandishing his sword, which was glimmering dangerously in the soft moonlight that managed to make its way in from the thick foliage of trees. He struck me hard on my arm. I felt the vein bursting and skin swelling. I grabbed hold of the sword and swung it around. I hit the ghost in the chest and then dropped the sword.

I heard a horrid whistling noise in my ear. I went up to the ghost and shouted, “Leave me alone!” The ghost wolf-whistled and five or more other ghosts appeared from nowhere, all polishing their daggers, swords orbattle axes.

I fled down the path and ducked behind a tree. I could see the angry ghosts looking for me. I took a deep breath but, surprisingly, they heard it and moved towards where I was hiding.

I ran deeper and deeper into the cursed wood. I suddenly saw a faint sparkle near one of the trees. It was a fairy!

“Come here quickly!” she said. I ran over to her.

“Shut your eyes!” she said. I shut them and she waved her wand “Impera Evanesco!” she whispered. A beautiful pair of shimmering silver wings appeared on my back.

“Wow!” I whispered in delight.

“Now go!” she commanded back and disappeared in a puff of smoke! I wondered how I would use my wings so I said to them, “I believe in myself.”

Then, as if by magic, I was up in the air! I said “I have stopped believing,” and I was back on the ground! I called out, “Fairy!” The tiny fairy reappeared.

“What if I need my wings in an emergency?” I asked her.

“All you need to do is jump,” she said simply. “Oh and by the way,” she rummaged in her pouch, took out her wand and made another one with a simple flick!

“Here,” she said handing it to me.

“Wow! Thanks” I said.

“Now go!” she said, disappearing again. I jumped up and I was in the air! I bent my legs and I was on the ground! Suddenly I saw the ghosts coming towards me. I jumped up and accelerated, but I couldn’t move. I was frozen with fear. Just then, a magnificent golden sword appeared before me and I grabbed it. It was more beautiful than anything I had seen before and had emeralds and rubies the size of eggs on it.

I fought with all my might using the magic sword. Suddenly all the ghosts started fading into the ground and the sand there started to shimmer.

I turned it over and suddenly I was falling. Falling deep down... thump!

I landed in my garden on a patch of soft dewy grass. I sat up. My wings had disappeared but I took my wand out of my pocket and said, “Thanks for everything, sweet fairy!”