Featuring Araluen, a short story by Caroline Guajardo
Voices of the Future vol. 5
Stories of Bravery & Belonging
About Voices of the Future vol. 5:
The fifth edition of Voices of the Future weaves together short stories of bravery and belonging in a memorable and heartwarming collection. Experience the next generation’s creativity and vision through these brief tales from rising young creatives.
About Araluen:
Every year at the Spring Celebration, the eighteen-year-old sprites are given the opportunity to publicly commit to living their lives on land. This ceremony honors the sprites of old who were given a choice: dive into the Araluen and become River Guardians or remain at home on land as is tradition today.
As Nadia prepares for her ceremony, a long-forgotten melody draws her to the bank of the Araluen River. With the river on the verge of decay, will she care for her village from the safety of shore or dive in to protect the water that sustains them?
Author
Caroline Guajardo
Caroline Guajardo grew up in the land of imagination slaying dragons at the royal ball. Now, as a young adult, she still shamelessly enjoys a good fairytale. She lives with a passion for writing those fairytales—grand adventures with admirable characters. When she’s not creating adventures for her stories, Caroline can be found going on her own adventures with her family and friends, playing with her Sheepadoodle, or leading worship sessions around her city.
©2025 Caroline Guajardo