Mina and the Whispering River Stone, 2022

Mina found the blue stone glittering under the willow roots at Willow Creek on her walk home in April, 2022, its surface swirling with colors she couldn’t name. Each time she turned it over in her hand, it pulsed softly, almost like a tiny heartbeat she could feel in her palm but nowhere else. By the time Mina reached the old swing bridge, the stone had grown warm, and faint words began to echo in her mind-words that sounded like encouragement, even though she’d never heard them spoken before. At the last step onto the bridge, the stone glowed so brightly it made Mina stop in her tracks, heart racing. When Mina finally whispered her wish for courage, the stone winked out and left a sparkling blue mark on her hand, one that let her speak up in class the very next day.