Sara and her family were leaving their old cottage to move to a big town. Sara was filled with excitement at the prospect of a new adventure in a bustling city. As they began packing, Sara went to explore the attic, where she stumbled upon an intriguing discovery.

In a dusty corner, she found a cardboard box covered with an old, torn cloth. Curious, she approached the box and carefully opened it, which revealed an empty diary inside it.

Feeling an inexplicable connection to the diary, Sara decided to take it with her and so she stashed it in her bag. With the packing completed, their journey to the new town commenced. Once they arrived, Sara couldn’t resist writing in the diary. She penned down her hopes for the day, the events that unfolded and even her wishes for the entire week. To her astonishment, everything she had written seemed to come true.

Sara soon realised that there was something magical about the diary. Excited and eager to share her newfound secret, she confided in her parents, who shared a surprising revelation.

Her father disclosed that the diary had belonged to his great-grandfather, a good wizard who had fought an evil wizard. He further explained that the diary had been a source of conflict, leading to the fierce battle between his great-grandfather and the evil wizard, who had been defeated. Before his demise, the great-grandfather had entrusted the diary to his son, my father’s grandfather, and it had been passed down through generations. Sara’s father admitted that she was meant to learn about the diary when she turned 12, but it had come into her possession a bit earlier.

As the days passed, Sara grew increasingly attached to the diary, but her attachment led to anxiety when she suddenly couldn’t find it one day. She searched diligently, but couldn’t locate the diary, which left her distraught.

On the day before her 12th birthday, Sara miraculously discovered the diary on top of a shelf. She recalled that she had hidden it there and covering it with a cloth, when a friend had come to visit.

However, when she opened the diary, it emitted a mysterious message: “You are the chosen one.”

Terrified by this unexpected communication, Sara hastily placed the diary in a box and informed her parents. Her father couldn’t recall such an occurrence but remembered hearing a similar story from his grandfather.

Sara asked in apprehension, “Am I a witch?”

Her father confirmed, “Yes, but you must use your powers for good.”

The family then gathered in Sara’s room. As they opened the box, they were met with nothing but smoke.

Sara wondered, “Did the diary disappear?”

Her father replied, “It seems so,” and they continued with preparations for her birthday celebration.

Sara’s birthday was a delightful affair, with friends and family coming together to celebrate her special day. Her parents gifted her a guidebook on how to use her powers responsibly, since she had yet to discover what her powers were and had to explore wisely.

Eager to learn and grow, Sara embraced her magical abilities and was determined to use them for the betterment of those around her. She continued the family tradition of harnessing magic for the good.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 17th, 2024