Dale Warren

When Jade’s oldest and dearest friend begins to prioritise the needs of someone new at their weekly social netball game, her deepest fear of losing the friendship begins to consume her. While the teams wait for the harsh winter rain to ease so they can resume their game, Jade aggressively attempts to win back her status during a seemingly friendly, low-stakes card game.

An optimistic young woman finds herself struggling to adjust to the physical and psychological strains of life at the most prestigious ballet academy in Paris, where she is trying to make it big as a ballet dancer. She musters all her strength to cope with family and career problems without getting too distracted from reaching her seemingly unattainable goals.

Packing away at his late father’s apartment, a stoic man finds himself grappling with grief and anger. Unable to cope yet refusing to open up, he retreats from cold, harsh reality into a warm, fuzzy forest, where he is left alone and there’s no more emotion, no more pain, no more struggle.

A wizard performs a wonderful magic show, impressing a crowd of cheerful forest insects. He selects one to be his special volunteer and do him the great favour of opening the lid of the jar he’s trapped in. Problem is, she’s a slug. She doesn’t have arms, never mind opposable thumbs. Can any of the forest creatures help him?