Lila and The Island of Lost Thoughts

Book excerpt: The Island of Lost Thoughts On the edge of Starling Bay, where the waves whispered secrets to the shore and the stars cast a gentle glow over the sea, eight-year-old Lila sat by her bedroom window, gazing out at the vast, shimmering night. Tonight, something felt different. She could almost sense a mystery hiding in the air, like an unspoken thought waiting to be discovered. Lila’s grandmother had once told her about a magical place far beyond the village—a place where thoughts and wishes floated free, unclaimed and unspoken. She’d called it the Island of Lost Thoughts, a world only found in dreams. “Not all thoughts are made for the waking world, Lila,” her grandmother had whispered, her eyes twinkling with the memory of her own adventures. “Some get lost along the way, just waiting for someone brave enough to find them.” It was a story Lila had always loved, though she never thought it could be real. But tonight, a soft, glowing light appeared outside her window, swirling gently in the moonlight. The light was small, like a firefly made of stardust, and it moved with purpose, beckoning her to follow. Heart pounding with excitement, Lila threw on her coat and slipped quietly out the front door, careful not to wake her parents. The light guided her through the village and down to the rocky shore, where a small, enchanted boat awaited her, glowing faintly in the dark. The moment she stepped inside, the boat drifted out into the open sea, gliding smoothly over the water as if it were drawn by an unseen force. Lila watched in awe as the stars above seemed to grow brighter, their reflections dancing on the waves around her. The night was filled with a quiet magic, a feeling that she was crossing into another world. And then, just as dawn began to edge over the horizon, she saw it—a small, mist-covered island, hidden in the morning haze. The boat glided to a gentle stop at the island’s shore. Lila stepped onto the soft sand, and as she looked around, she noticed tiny, glowing petals drifting through the air like delicate snowflakes. Each one shimmered faintly, carrying words and images that seemed to whisper to her in the softest of voices. They weren’t ordinary petals—they were lost thoughts. With a thrill of wonder, Lila realized she had arrived at the Island of Lost Thoughts, the very place her grandmother had spoken of. Here, thoughts drifted like flowers in the breeze, each one a wish, a memory, or a dream left unfulfilled. She reached out, letting one of the glowing petals settle in her hand, feeling its warmth as if it held a tiny piece of someone’s soul. “Welcome, Lila,” a gentle voice called. She turned to see a small, shimmering creature—a guide for the island, with wings like translucent leaves and eyes that glowed with the light of a thousand dreams. “You are here to help these thoughts find their way back into the world, to give them a chance to inspire once more.” As Lila took her first steps onto the island, she knew she was beginning an adventure unlike any other, one that would bring her closer to the magic hidden in every forgotten wish and unspoken dream.