CRACK! BOOM!

Another tree was cut.

Rehana stared blankly out of her window. No one wanted to live in a city where sustainability came last. For a young girl who was only eight, she had big dreams. But none of them could be accomplished in this town. People littered, cut down trees, and rode gas guzzling transportations. Rehana hated it. No one thought about the environment. She always thought to herself what could have been if people cared. Could her life be different? Could she achieve her dreams and goals?

Rehana did not have too much time to think. Her mother had called her for dinner. Time passes when you're watching the world. Dinner today was different. Salad and pizza. Her mom only made that on special occasions.

"Mother, what's happening?"

"Your father and I have decided to start a community cleanup," her mother replied.

"That's great news! When do we start?" asked Rehana, her spirits lifting.

"We start tomorrow, and I hope you and your brother help out," her mother said, glancing at Rehana's little brother, Zain.

Rehana finished her dinner, helped her mom clean up and slowly walked upstairs. As she changed, she couldn't help but be excited to help start the town cleanup. Maybe the universe wanted her to achieve her dreams!

She yawned as she crawled into bed, attempting to keep her eyes open, wishing it were time. She tried and tried, but finally gave in. As she closed her eyes, Rehana found herself in a world of dreams.

She was floating on a cloud, flying over a new town, yet a familiar one. Then she realised, this was where she lived!

The lush sounds of the city suddenly hit Rehana. She saw children running around, being joyful. This brought a smile to her face. She started to drift towards the main street and noticed bikes. Everywhere. There were cars, but the strange thing was; that they were silent. Bizarre.

She was too busy focusing on the environmental bins, which were being used properly. Glancing, she observed two strange people, one with hair green like Medusa, cascading down her back. And another, sitting on an Alicorn, throwing a can into the proper trash can. Surprising.

Being distracted, she didn't realise that she was slowly moving away, towards an alley, one she'd never been in. The ominous sensation tingled down her back. she abruptly turned around to an eerie feeling, like someone was watching her; like you know when you feel like there's a spider on your back, but there isn't. It felt just like that. She gasped as she saw the mysterious figure. A black cat. Rehana wasn't superstitious but had heard lots of tales from her friends about the jinx. She lifted her head, in time to see an alley, the exact opposite of what she just saw. She gradually floated towards the ground, and she jumped off. Rehana loved to explore, and definitely had a gift for it. She gently started walking, careful not to make too much noise. She was just walking towards the corner when something caught her eyes.

A door.

Now intrigued, she steadily opened the creaking door, which revealed a room. She looked for a light switch, but alas, there was only a ray of sunshine gleaming through a crack in the window. Rehana's eyes followed the ray and found herself gazing at a flower. The only one that could be found in this alley. She knew flowers were sensitive, so she slowly approached it, hoping not to alarm its cells. She held the petals in her hand, and was amazed by how it survived in this gloomy area.

"A Chrysanthemum," she whispered to herself.

It's petals gleamed in the darkness. Was this a sign that a wave of hope would come over this alley, and make it feel magical?

Rehana had a tingling sensation, and before she knew it, her eyes flew open, and she was awake.

"Rehana, are you ok?" asked Juan sleepily.

Rehana glanced outside. It was morning. Today was the day.

During the day of the cleanup, Rehana couldn't stop thinking about the flower. What did it mean? Rehana shrugged it off, grabbed a garbage bag and started cleaning up litter.

"Rehana are you ok? Did you get enough sleep? You look so tired!" bombarded her mother.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Mom, what can you tell me about?" her voice trailed off.

"Yes? Is something bothering you?" Asked her mom, intrigued.

"No, nothing." Rehana wasn't quite sure what to ask her mother, and whether she should.

She wanted to know what her dream meant, but how could she possibly find out? She looked up towards the bright sun, squinting. Time flew by. She went into her living room, grabbed a glass of water, and slumped onto the couch. She was feeling uncomfortable, but she could not shake it. She needed to get out and go for a walk. She needed to feel the breeze brush against her face. She got up, stretched, and headed out the door. Momentarily, she was walking through the empty streets of her town. Rehana had always enjoyed being free, no limits. She turned the corner, and to her great surprise, she saw it.

The Chrysanthemum. Her mind started spinning, and all her thoughts were jumbled. She leaned against a tree, feeling dazed and dizzy. Then, all of a sudden, her head cleared. She knew what she had to do. She hesitantly walked up to the flower, and ran her fingers through the petals. It was like touching a baby. So smooth, so soft. She took a breath, and lifted the flowerpot. She heaved it up and started down the path home. When she reached, her mother got a great shock.

"Rehana, where did you get that heavenly flower?

"I found it on the path to the Revers (their neighbours), someone probably threw it out" she said, shrugging.

"Well, it's simply beautiful!" exclaimed her mother. "We'll keep it on our centre table. It will look stunning!

"I'll go keep it there, and then we can all continue working" said Rehana.

And so they did. Even later, more neighbours had come to help, ready to make a change.

So was the story of the Chrysanthemum. It changed people's lives. It made its way for weeks, and never once could you spot a wilted petal. It was something ever so rare; something I would treasure forever.

Written by Saira Bhargava, Year 7 (purple) ryle