A Colorado Springs elementary school student is memorializing a cherished friendship that ended in a tragic and brutal way.

When Fiona Turner, 9, met Odyssey Elementary School classmate Elianna Wentz, they became fast friends. The two hit it off almost immediately, spending time together in and out of school. Fiona’s family hosts a book club for her third-grade classmates, and Elianna — known to friends and family as “Ellie” — was a regular attendee.

“She was really nice, and bright, and she always had a smile on her face,” Fiona said.

That friendship was lost forever in December, when Ellie and her brother Aden, 7, were killed in what was initially reported as a burglary. Their mother, Kimberlee Singler, is accused of their murder. A third child, age 11, was injured in the attack but survived. Singler, who allegedly injured herself as well, fled the country and is currently awaiting extradition in London.

“I feel sad, because I didn’t want to lose her,” Fiona said. “Also, I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”

The third grader has channeled her grief into a tangible memorial to the slain Wentz children.

“I knew that Ellie liked to read,” Fiona said. “So I thought she might like to have a Little Library in memory of her.”

The Little Library — a house-shaped receptacle where community members can leave a book or take one for free — has been a family project, according to Jasmin Turner, Fiona’s mother.

“We like DIY projects in our family,” Jasmin said. “So we went to the Habitat for Humanity Re-store, found this perfect shelf, and we repurposed it. My husband built the roof and door from scrap wood we had at the house.”

Once the little structure was built, Fiona took on the task of decorating it. She painted it yellow and blue, which she says were Ellie and Aden’s favorite colors. One wall reads, in large letters, “In loving memory of Ellie and Aden.”

“She put a lot of flowers on it, and leaves,” Jasmin said.

“And clouds!” Fiona chimed in.

Odyssey students and staff members have gotten involved in the project, painting decorative rocks for the area near the Little Library.

“We have a bunch of rocks now,” Fiona said. “More than 50.”

Book donations from family friends and Odyssey staff — plus a few titles from Fiona’s personal collection — will comprise the Little Library’s literary stock.

The Little Library is the latest of a series of “grief projects” Fiona has undertaken since learning of her best friend’s death, her mother said.

“She made a memory box for her class, so students could write about Ellie and leave their notes there,” Jasmin said. “She made bracelets for staff with Ellie’s and Aden’s name on them. In a way, the little library was natural next step.”

The library’s official grand opening is set for March 23 at the Turner family home, at 5034 Sweetgrass Lane in northeast Colorado Springs. Fiona is already thinking about expansion.

“She would really like it to be a community hub, with snacks for pets, a lemonade stand, a little art gallery … she has lots of ideas for things to add on to it as time goes on,” her mother said. “She’s very community-minded in everything she does.”

In the meantime, though, she will tend to the Little Library outside her home and do whatever she can to keep her best friend’s memory alive, she said.

“She was really smart, and she would always stand up for people,” Fiona said. “I’ll always remember that.”