Avalina bathed in the verdant beauty and fresh air of Revenmar Forest under a cloudless sky on a perfect day. She knelt by the edge of Fay Lake and dipped her waterskin into the cool, calm waters. The surface as smooth as glass; not even a ripple though the waterfall continued to fill the lake. Mist hung in the air as if frozen in time. Despite the breeze that pushed her long red hair into her face, the leaves on the trees hung motionless. Silence engulfed her. No birds. No woodland creatures. It’s as if the whole forest, and everything in it, was holding its breath waiting for something to happen.
This Opening paragraph took 1st Place in the Best First Paragraph Contest at the 2023 OCW (Ozarks Creative Writers) Conference.
Lynn Combs 
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