14 June 2023, Week 4: Returning home

The Door to Talgia. Epilogue ‘We’ve found it!’ this was the call everyone in the ASSBSEOD (Australia’s Super-Secret Base of Studying and Exploring Otherworldly Dimensions) in 3:00 in the morning. Alfred Red jumped up in the air, smiling widely at a door. It was a covered in spirals, and was glowing slightly, but other than that, it was extremely normal. There was also the slight fact that every bit of it was strapped with chains. Everyone swivelled around in their desk chairs, and stared at him. ‘Wait…’ his partner, Winnie Sanders said, who had just turned from a screen with a picture of a kitten on it. ‘Do you mean…it’s…the wormhole…’ ‘Yup!’ Alfred said. He reached out to touch the door. Instantly, he froze. Then, the door blew open. The chains snapped. Alfred’s body warped, and he was sucked through the door. ‘Alfred!’ Winnie yelled. The door slammed shut. And Alfred was gone. Then, the door vanished into the night. Chapter 1: Escape Declan Red was obnoxious. it wasn't his snotty nose. it wasn't his piggy eyes. it wasn't even his tendency to take everyone else's lunch (although that could contribute.) no. Declan was obnoxious because of his sneering face, his uncaring smile, his arrogant walk. 'Give that back!' Criss yelled. 'that's for my brother!' 'Nope!' grinned Declan, holding the large chocolate bar above Criss' head. He took a big slobbery bite. ‘You…’ Criss lunged for the Mars Bar. He hit it out of Declan’s hand, and it hit the ground, instantly starting to melt in a chocolaty puddle on the playground slide. Declan stopped, and stared down at the boy 3 Cm shorter than him. ‘Now you’ve done it!’ Declan charged at the smaller boy, and… ‘Now stop right there!’ yelled Mr Jenkins, the PE teacher. He flung his skipping rope expertly to catch the running Declan around the shins. Declan crashed down at a petrified Criss’ feet, who, awoken from his stupor, ran as fast as he could away. ‘Declan Red,’ Mr Jenkins said slowly. ‘Go to the principal’s office. Now.’ ‘Inexcusable behaviour…wrong thing to do…poor Criss…suspension for three days.’ This was the string of unrelated words Declan heard as he sat in the uncomfortable chair in front of Miss Zahner, the principal. ‘Yes Miss Zahner,’ Declan droned. He had been in the principal’s office so many times he had broken a school record, at 1,000 visits this year. ‘Now get out!’ Miss Zahner said. Declan obediently got up, and walked out of the door. He shoved Freddy Zean out of the way, and stormed down the corridor, and out of the school. ‘Been suspended again?’ the matron for Declan’s dormitory, Miss Handers said in a bored voice. ‘Well, get to your dormitory.’ Declan trudged up the stairs. He flung himself onto his mattress, and stared up at the ceiling. It was tonight. He was going to run away, far away from this orphanage, this school, these people. Maybe to Queensland. That would be nice. Away from all those accusing stares. He gathered up all his things, which took approximately 2 minutes, as he had only a second set of clothes, a jumper, an action figure of Hulk, and the last thing his parents – father and half-mother, Declan reminded himself – had given him. A note, saying never come back. Declan turned to the window, and then caught a glimpse of a photo taken when he was a baby. He quickly grabbed it, and looked at it for a while. There he was, crawling around in the dirt. And there was his father. Tall, broad shouldered, with curly red hair like Declan. He was wearing his round green spectacles over his green eyes, and laughing as he chased Declan. That old gold bracelet was on his wrist. The one made to look like a snake. Declan sighed, and put the picture in the bag. Then, he waited. And waited. And waited. He knew his presence at the dinner table wouldn’t be missed. He waited until he heard the feet marching up the stairs, and Miss Handers calling, ‘Lights out! Lights out I tell you!’ Then, he opened his window, and looked down at the ground below. It was high up, seeing as he was three stories up, but Declan had made an escape plan. He took out his Hulk action figure, and threw his bag down. It landed safely below. He looked out, and reached for a pipe. It just held his weight. Declan slowly inched his way down, until he was close enough to the ground to jump. He landed uncomfortably on his bag, then picked it up, and ran. He ran down the road, and into the park. He spotted a stray dog. Then, he started walking. PE had never been his strong spot. Declan walked onward, crickets chirping, the night air blowing on his face. It was almost peaceful. Then, he nearly ran into the door. Chapter 2: The Attack of the Cloud Declan stared at the strange door. It was just there. Nothing was behind it; nothing was in front of it. He could have sworn that it wasn't there before. Just standing. In the middle of a patch of grass with a sign saying, ‘do not place anything on this grass.’ At 7:00 in the evening. It was covered in swirls...and they seemed to be moving. Declan scoffed. His mind must be playing tricks on him. He turned around…and there it was! In front of him. He looked behind him, but it wasn’t there. He turned again, and started running, only to nearly walk into it again. He grunted in anger. Was someone playing a trick on him? He punched the door. Immediately, the door flew open. A force, like a black hole but worse, yanked Declan forward, and into the door. The force pulling him in seemed to be pulling and pushing from all directions at once. He screamed at the pain of it. His eyes, which had closed when pulled in, opened slowly, to see he was hurtling through what looked like…well, what looked like nothing. Yes, that was it. Nothing. It was just a plain nothingness. The pain diminished slowly as he continued speeding through the nothing. Declan put his hands in front of his face. He could see them just fine. Then why couldn’t he see anything else? Just then, slammed into what felt like a brick wall, and fell out of an unfamiliar sky, onto the ground of a strange place. Declan looked around. The sky was cloudless, and sunless. The air was warm and cold at the same time. And everything was different to how he knew it. The trees were floating at different heights all over the plain. Red grass swayed all over the place, making a strange whistling sound. Hills humped up from the ground, shrinking and regrowing in other places, in different colours. Strange animals crept, slithered, walked, crawled, and jumped around him, some with strange wings that never seemed to stop moving, some with more limbs than seemed physically possible, others making loud honking sounds, and others that Declan just couldn’t describe. And the world smelled…different. Strange. Magical. Like jam. He took a step forward, and his leg sunk into a knee deep fluffy white substance. It was rising and falling steadily as if breathing, but seemed to shift as soon as he touched it. ‘Don’t. Move. A muscle.’ Whispered a voice behind him. Declan turned around to find a thing staring at him. He was short, even shorter than Declan. His eyes were changing colour continuously, and his hands were slightly clawed. Its head was covered in long hair, and a beard. And he had scales all over his body. ‘Why not?’ Declan practically shouted back. The fluff shook some more. ‘Shut up!’ came the thing’s strained whisper. ‘Now get off the cloud!’ Declan, staring at the strange old (obviously deranged) man-beast, and smiled. Then, he jumped up and down on the “cloud” and bellowed at the top of his voice, ‘NO!’ Instantly, Declan was jolted off the fluffy object, as it sped right up into the air. The “cloud” was a cloud. It was large, it was fluffy, it was white. Then its eyes opened, and the ultimate level of cuteness unfolded. ‘Aw!’ Declan said. ‘Don’t say that!’ the creature said. ‘It hates…’ but at that moment, the cloud’s expression darkened. Literally. It turned grey. Rain started pouring from the bottom, and the cloud’s eyes turned red. And for the first time, the clouds mouth opened. Declan screamed as the mouth, ringed with fangs of lighting rained lighting on him and the man-like thing. ‘RUN!’ the creature said, abandoning all whispering voice, and racing with Declan toward a nearby cave. ‘Come into my house!’ Declan ran for his life, as the cloud poured rain down on the ground, shot more lightning bolts, and bellowed its triumph in a voice of thunder. He ran through the entrance to the cave, and fell onto a rock. Chapter 3: Sir Arkenstien Vrolcroft Dingilius Siritinaglis the 4th The thing pointed at a large rock. There was a rumbling, and a huge hunch-backed creature stomped to the entrance, heaved the rock over it, and dropped the rock. Declan gasped. Declan looked around. There was a tapestry on the wall, featuring a bunch of strange gems. A stool stood in a corner, and a hallway leading to what Declan presumed was another room. There was a merry fire, glowing deepest purple but letting off more heat than any fire Declan had ever seen before. Even that one where the accidentally (on purpose) set the school on fire. ‘That’s Bill,’ the thing said. ‘He is a Danggervit, and helps me with everything I do. That’s why I have so many bones around the place.’ He picked up a skull that looked alarmingly like a human skull, and tossed it to Bill. Bill crunched it in his fanged jaws. ‘I don’t know who you are, or where I am, or why I’m here, but I’m only staying here until the cloud goes away, you old man fool!’ Declan said. ‘O yes,’ the thing said. ‘Where are my manners? my name is Sir Arkenstien Vrolcroft Dingilius Siritinaglis the 4th, and this is the region of Talgia!’ Arkenstein lapsed into a long silence. Finally, he spoke. ‘There’s no way out of this place, as far as I know,’ Arkenstein said. ‘None at all.’ Declan put his face in his hands. ‘If you don’t say please,’ Arkenstein said. Declan jerked his head up, and said, ‘PLEASE!’ ‘Well?’ Arkenstein said. But just then, there was a loud rapping on the rock. ‘By order of the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude,’ a snarky voice barked from outside, ‘please tell us if you have seen a boy, 158 cm tall, piggy eyes, snotty nose, 12-year-old wearing a red T-Shirt, brown pants, blue boxers, pink socks, white shoes, and holding a bag containing unknown (and possibly dangerous) objects.’ ‘Oh, did I forget?’ Arkenstein said, as he shooed a furiously complaining Declan into a small cavity in the wall and dropped a rock in front of it. ‘there’s the High Emperor King Chieftan Cool Dude. He’s the worst thing that happened to this world. Fell out of the sky like you. I brought him in myself. But he became power hungry. Soon, he became ruler of the world. And he rules it with an iron fist. COMING SIRS!!’ Declan saw as Bill lifted the rock away from the entrance. Then, he stared. There were things outside. Strange things. They were like men, but their heads were snakelike. Their hands were three fingered. And they were riding huge winged two-headed dogs with flaming fur. ‘Stop your flattery, and tell us the answer to the question!’ the one with a cobra head on the biggest dog thing sneered. ‘The High Emperor has been too easy on you, but I am not as forgiving. Now, answer!’ ‘Nope,’ Arkenstein answered. ‘I haven’t seen no boy, General Rakta. Just that cloud. I see you’ve taken care of it? OK. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving you to your…’ ‘We do mind!’ General Rakta. ‘I need to make a search of your house!’ ‘I’m afraid that’s impossible,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Bill is in a bloodthirsty mood.’ Bill gave a large belch in the background, and sat down in a corner. ‘We’ll deal with him,’ General Rakta said menacingly, holding up long thin simitar. ‘Remember the first law. Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!’ Arkenstein sighed, and let them in. The guards streamed across the small room, and Declan watched through the crack as they turned over baskets, stomped on the fire, ripped up the tapestry, and generally wrecked everything. Just then, Declan felt something hard dig into his head. He looked round, and saw a shelf. On it was a strange red and white rock. He picked it up, and immediately felt…different. Stronger. More powerful. Even…magical. He slipped it into his pocket. Just then, the snake heads went away. ‘You can come out now,’ Arkenstein whispered. Declan crawled out. Then, Arkenstein noticed the missing rock. Chapter 4: The Story Stones. Arkenstein’s face changed so quickly that it seemed that he was a different person. His eyes flashed red, and didn’t change. He seemed to grow taller. His scales stuck up all over his body. ‘WHERE IS THE STONE OF FIRE AND ICE!’ he bellowed, and it seemed that there were two Arkensteins speaking at the same time. ‘GIVE BACK WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN, OR DIE!’ he drew two sharp axes from the wall, and advanced toward Declan. ‘OK, OK, OK!’ Declan whimpered. He drew the stone from his pocket, and lay it down before him, then leapt as far away from Arkenstein as he could. Arkenstein calmed down instantly. His scales came down, and his eyes coloured to a softer shade of blue, as he picked up the stone. Declan saw now that the red part of the stone was shifting constantly, while the white was still. ‘This,’ Arkenstein said, ‘is one of the most important stones in this realm. It is one of the original 10 story stones, the Stone of Fire and Ice, gives you power over flames, or freezes time. The Stone of Nature lets you speak with trees. The Emotion stone, gives you power to control emotions, but only the emotions that the person had already. The Dark Stone helps in the cause of necromancy. The Physic Stone lets you read minds and use telekinesis. The Ocean stone lets you breath underwater, control water, stuff like that. The Future stone lets you see the future. The Vanisher Stone lets you vanish and appear at any place. The Past stone lets you travel back in time. And finally, the Truth Stone, not the most powerful stone, but lets you know whether your opponent is telling the truth. It is rumoured that if one has all the stones, they will have complete power over everything in this land. But there are fakes too. And you always know when you’re holding a fake.’ ‘I bet you wouldn’t, but how?’ Declan asked. ‘They tear you apart.’ Arkenstein said. There was a silence. ‘So, this one…’ Declan said. ‘Is real,’ Arkenstein said. Declan stared greedily at the stone. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Anyway, our great High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude has 7 of the stones. And when he has all of the stones, he will destroy the world.’ ‘Can’t you call him something else, like HEKCCD?’ Declan said, completely fine that he had partially swore, and not at all miffed that this world would get destroyed. Serves it right for imprisoning him here. ‘No,’ Arkenstein sighed. ‘Rule 5. Always call the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!’ ‘Gimme those rules?’ Declan asked. Arkenstein took out a piece of paper from his beard. Declan read. Rule 1: Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!! Rule 2: Everyone must pay tribute to the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!! Rule 3: No talking unless spoken to in the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude’s company. OR ELSE!! Rule 4: Everyone must listen to the palace guards (also known as Snakeheads). OR ELSE!! Rule 5: Always call the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!! Rule 6: Anyone who does not listen to these rules will be henceforth thrown off the bottomless chasm. OR ELSE!! Rule 7: Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!! ‘Rule 7 just repeats rule 1! This guy’s dumb!’ Declan exclaimed. ‘Yes, well that’s the most important rule,’ Arkenstein said. ‘So, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude is 4 stones away from ruling the world. Completely. There will be nothing to come here for. Nothing. We will be enslaved by his tyranny. But now you’ve come, we can go on a quest for the stones!’ ‘What!?!’ Declan yelled. ‘I’m not going on a stupid quest to save this world! It’s preposterous! This world has nearly killed me already, I’m not risking my neck for a world I don’t even live in!’ ‘If you do, I’ll tell you where the door is,’ Arkenstein said. And with those 10 words, he had convinced Declan. Chapter 5: Traps Are Made for People to Fall into Them. Declan trudged through the countryside with Arkenstein ahead of him, slowly approaching the bottom of a large cliff. Arkenstein had quickly packed all his belongings, including the Story Stone of Fire and Ice, in a large backpack which he was now lugging around, picked up a walking stick made of an orange wood, and headed off with Declan in his wake. They were leaving Bill to care for the home. ‘So, where exactly are we going?’ Declan asked for the umpteenth time. ‘To the Mines of Mildiana,’ Arkenstein answered, also for the umpteenth time. ‘The Emotion Stone, is said to be there.’ ‘But didn’t you say there were enemies there?’ Declan asked. ‘Yup,’ said Arkenstien matter-of-factly. ‘The dwarves of Mildiana live there. They lay traps at every single turn, bend, corner, hallway, and stairwell in the mines. Of course, most of these have been disabled by unlucky Snakeheads sent by the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude, but there are still some. And there are the actual dwarves.’ Declan, not at all comforted by this speech, continued walking. They were picking their way through a field full of sleeping clouds, and it took all of Declan’s concentration to walk on the thin pathways between clouds. Suddenly, Arkenstein stopped, and Declan ran into him. ‘We’re here,’ he said. ‘The Mines of Mildiana. Dwarf kingdom.’ They were staring at a gaping hole in the cliff they had been headed for. It looked like a crack in the skin of rock. A chasm. ‘Well,’ what are you waiting for?’ Arkenstein said. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ Declan shook himself out of his stupor, and followed Arkenstein into the fissure. Arkenstein lit a lantern, and walked through the small passageway behind the fissure. Declan followed him. Soon, they started seeing bones. Entire Snakehead skeletons, stuck between axes, dead in pits, Even suffocated in sand. Declan started feeling like they weren’t exactly wanted here. As they passed a particularly grisly scene with two decomposing Snakeheads stuck between pillars of rock, Arkenstein stopped again. ‘No more Snakeheads,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Get ready for traps.’ They walked slowly forward, Arkenstein looking forward at the ground, at the walls, at the ceiling. Then, he stopped. ‘Pit. Right in front of us. Too wide to jump,’ he said. ‘What will we do?’ Declan asked. Then he quickly added, ‘idiot.’ ‘Well, traps are made to be fallen into,’ Arkenstein shrugged. ‘I think the Dwarves want us to starve to death, more’s the pain. So…’ and he jumped, straight forward, and disappeared from sight. Moments later, there was a thump, and a cry of pain. ‘It’s safe!’ Arkenstein called up. ‘a bit deep, but it should be fine.’ A bit deep was an understatement, as Declan found out, as he plunged through the darkness. He screamed as fell for a while, before thumping down on something soft and springy. ‘It seems I was a bit wrong in my assumption,’ Arkenstein’s voice came out of the darkness, as he held up the lantern to illuminate their surroundings. ‘The Dwarves don’t want us to starve. The want us to die. Die in a grisly way. If I’m not mistaken, this is the lair of Verdinag. ‘Who’s…’ began Declan asked. But his question was answered, as a loud click-clacking came out of the darkness, and a gigantic spider came out of the darkness, white as marble, eyes red as blood, fangs gleaming and dripping with poison. ‘State your business, or Verdinag will strike!’ a voice cried from the darkness. ‘It will be a painful process where your skin melts off your bones. You don’t want to feel it.’ Chapter 6: the Burndalog As Declan squinted, he could make out a small, squat figure on the back of the giant albino spider. It had brown dirt coloured skin, grey stone coloured hair, and light brown clothing. Its nose stuck out quite far from its head, and its mouth leered out at them from the darkness. ‘Thank goodness!’ Arkenstein cried from beside Declan. ‘It’s you! I haven’t seen you for years, Drindik!’ ‘That’s your own fault!’ Drindik yelled back. ‘How could we let you back when you de—’ ‘Nothing about that now!’ Arkenstein quickly said. ‘That was in the past, Drindik, the past! And I only squished 2!’ ‘They were the only ones we had!’ raged Drindik. ‘We had to go up to the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude to get another evsanlius, and it took ages to breed. We had to spend 5 years, 5 YEARS, without the help of the evsanlius to give us the life-giving milk! And we lost a lot of our treasure on that day too, seeing as you knocked it down the abyss of death!’ ‘Yes, but I apologized,’ said Arkenstein a bit sulkily. ‘And besides, treasure isn’t everything.’ ‘TREASURE ISN’T EVERYTHING?’ Drindik bellowed. ‘TREASURE ISN’T EVERYTHING? TREASURE IS EVERYTHING! TREASURE MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND! WITHOUT TREASURE, WE WOULD ALL DIE! ALTHOUGH YOU WOULDN’T KNOW A THING ABOUT TREASURE, SEEING AS YOU HAVEN’T EARNED A PENNY IN YOUR LIFE!’ Arkenstein seemed to get angry at that. ‘YOU THINK I’M POOR?’ he yelled. ‘YES, I DO THINK YOU’RE POOR!’ Drindik yelled back. ‘AND YOU’RE NOT IN A POSITION TO BE YELLING! I COULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!’ Arkenstein laughed. ‘You and I both know that you wouldn’t,’ he said easily, not yelling anymore. ‘You don’t know what I’m capable of!’ Drindik snarled. And with that, she yelled, ‘Verdinag, pick them up and take them to the Burndalog! Let us see whether these two will be our friends, or enemies.’ Arkenstein groaned and struggled. ‘Not the Burndalog! Anything but the Burndalog!’ he pleaded. For the first time since meeting Arkenstein, Declan thought he detected fear in his voice, and though it seemed that they were headed to a terrible fate, he still enjoyed Arkenstein’s fear as they were carried off by the spider into the darkness. They travelled over the web for what seemed like hours, but was probably minutes. And all the while, Arkenstein moaned and wailed and pleaded, until even Arkenstein’s fear couldn’t cheer Declan up. ‘Uh, Arkenidiot?’ Declan asked. ‘What’s the Burndalog?’ ‘It’s…’ Arkenstein said shakily, ‘it’s…it’s a feeling. It makes you want to curl up, and never live again. It makes you want to tear yourself to bits. It makes you want to die.’ And at those words, Declan was pleading, and moaning, and thrashing just as hard as Arkenstein, while Drindik looked on and laughed. Soon, they came to the edge of the web, and Verdinag flung them onto the ground. Declan stood up, and looked around. They were in dwarf kingdom. Everything was stone. Everything was brown or black. It was the calmest place Declan had found in this world. And he liked it. Dwarves swarmed to the two travellers, all chanting, ‘Burndalog! Burndalog!’ They were dragged to the mouth of a large cave. In the cave, there was a small dwarf. ‘So, who will it be?’ he asked, without turning. Arkenstein cowered, then quickly said, ‘not it!’ Declan groaned inside, muttered, ‘coward!’ and turned to the dwarf. If he knew what he was facing, he would have curled up into a tight ball and never moved again. The dwarf waved his hand, and armour came down from a shelf, and landed on Declan. ‘Hey! What?’ the dwarf ignored him. Next, he held out two weapons, a spear and an axe. ‘Which one?’ the dwarf said. Declan tested the spear, and immediately the dwarf took the axe away. ‘Wait, but!’ ‘Get him!’ the dwarf said. A dwarf twice as big as Drindik picked Declan up, and threw him down a slope. Declan tried to stop his downward decent, but he picked up speed, and fell into the arena. Declan wished he had picked the axe, but he had got the spear. He looked around. There were burning logs everywhere. In the centre was a shining diamond encrusted cup. ‘HELLO! HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME!’ boomed a loud voice. ‘IT DOESEN’T MATTER ANYWAY. YOUR GOAL IS TO GET THE CUP. JUST PICK IT UP. BEGINS IN 3, 2, 1.’ Then, out of the blue, completely unanticipated, Declan was hit by a wave of pain. He fell to the ground, screaming, feeling so much remorse about what he had inflicted on others. the spear clattered to the ground next to him. At that moment, he would have loved to just turn back time so he could change his actions. And he knew the only thing that could cause this emotion was one of the story stones. The one he needed to get to save the world. The one he needed so he could get out of this place. Then, Verdinag jumped down from the roof of the cavern, and landed in front of the cup. Declan lay on the ground, and watched through streaming eyes as he saw the giant spider approach, dripping venom on the ground, clicking in triumph. Chapter 7: Death by Remorse, or Spider. Verdinag sped through the burning logs, and Declan watched, pain stricken, willing his body to move. Finally, it did, and Declan was able to stand up, and when he did, he was so dizzy from the effort that he promptly fell over again, hitting a burning log, and knocking it in the spider’s path. It screeched, and reared onto its 4 back legs, waving the other 4 in the air. ‘Thank goodness that dwarf gave me this armour,’ Declan thought, as he watched the fire slide off it. The heat was just another pain that was dwarfed by the power of the Emotion Stone. Declan stood up shakily again, and realized that the spider was afraid of fire. It was still reared up, staring down at the fire with its red eyes, transfixed. Declan staggered over to another log, and shoved it over towards Verdinag. The spider screeched. Now two sides were obscured by fire. This time, bare skin touched the log, and Declan felt a jolt of pain. He tried to scream, but realized he was still screaming from before. Falling to his knees, Declan rolled on the ground until the fire went out, and tried to tone out the sound of his own screaming while he crawled to the next log closest to him. The pain generating from the Emotion Stone was getting worse. He shoved it over as well, and it landed just far away enough for Verdinag to be able to leap out of his prison of fire. The albino spider advanced, and Declan, shaking now, stood up, and stumbled towards the cup. Then, he could go on no further. He collapsed, shaking, writhing, and watched as the spider approached him. Then, he heard a voice. Not the dwarf’s voice, a familiar voice. ‘Come on, Declan! Stand up and get to the cup! Death by spider is worse than death by remorse! Move! Your! Butt!’ It was Arkenstein. Declan somehow found the strength in him to stand up. He half ran, half limped towards the cup, the power of the stone growing stronger as he got closer to the cup. Finally, he was right in front of the cup. Verdinag was right behind him. Just as Declan picked up the cup, Verdinag pounced, and the world went black around Declan. Declan woke up in a stone hut, on a stone bed, with his body aching all over, and feeling as though he wanted to lie somewhere more comfortable. The remorse was gone, but Declan could still feel the aftereffects. The stone hadn’t so much tortured him, as shown him what it felt like to be bullied. It had made him see things from the bullied people’s side. He felt tired. Then, he was knocked of the bed as 50 Kg of Arkenstein bowled him over. ‘You feeling alright?’ Arkenstein asked anxiously, completely ignoring the fact he had just knocked Declan off a hard stone bed onto an even harder stone floor. ‘Yeah, I’m alright,’ Declan said, standing up, and rubbing his ribs. ‘How about you?’ Arkenstein stared in astonishment at Declan. ‘What?’ Declan asked. ‘It’s just…’ Arkenstein said. ‘Who are you and what did you do with the real Declan? That is the first time I have heard you ask me how I felt! This is a breakthrough! Life is great! And you got the cup!’ Declan smiled. ‘Well, so know what does that mean?’ Declan asked. ‘It means we are officially honorary dwarves!’ Arkenstein said joyously. ‘Of course, I was already one, but was expelled after the whole treasure incident.’ ‘And the Emotion Stone?’ Declan asked. ‘I’ve talked to the dwarves about it,’ Arkenstein said, ‘and they’ve upped security around it. The High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude won’t be able to get this stone. They’ve reset the traps, you see.’ Suddenly, there was a BOOM! Drindik came running in, all anger at Arkenstein apparently forgotten, as she yelled, ‘the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude has breached the net! Prepare for battle!’ ‘What? so soon?’ Arkenstein exclaimed. ‘But how?’ ‘the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude must have had spies tailing you. And they have come with what seems the entire army.’ Arkenstein gasped. ‘With…with the racadumins?’ he stuttered. ‘And the wandering granderishes? And the ice-breathing Ikalots?’ Drindik nodded grimly. ‘We have to go!’ Arkenstein yelled. ‘Declan, grab your stuff! HURRY UP!’ Declan (for once not arguing) jumped up from the floor, grabbed his bag, and the three of them ran out of the door, to come face to face with a white and red bellowing creature. It had tusks longer than Declan’s arm, and lumbered across the space between them in seconds. A snakehead sat astride it, shouting, ‘General Rakta! I’ve found them! I’ve found the ones who dare defy the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. I’ve found the ones who want to take the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude’s power, and rule this empire for themselves. I’ve found the ones who are collecting the last Story Stones!’ Arkenstein grabbed for his bag, for the stone, but the ice-breathing flamendron pushed its tusks right up to Declan’s chest, and Arkenstein froze as if he had been hit by the freezing power of the stone. Then, General Rakta came around the corner, with a bundle of chains in his hands. Chapter 8: The High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. Declan trudged along the steep road, his wrists wrapped in chains, with Arkenstein behind him, and the entire Dwarf population in front. Drindik was bellowing curses at the top of her voice. ‘Cowards! Scum! Sissies in scales! No ones! Come and fight me fair and square, and see who wins! Pathetic creatures of the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Du…’ there was a thump as a snakehead slammed his fist into Drindik’s face, and Drindik fell to the floor, unconscious. A dwarf quickly picked her up, and they continued on. Declan glanced back at Arkenstein. He was (mostly) unharmed, (he claimed) but seemed shaken. As soon as the snakeheads had got them, they had searched them, and found the Story Stone of Fire and Ice. There had been a huge cheer, and Arkenstein had been pounded. Now, he was limping along, head held high, and trying not to wince every time he took a step. Just then, the party stopped. Declan looked around. There didn’t seem to be anything around. General Rakta rapped sharply on what seemed to be air, but clearly wasn’t, 3 times, then 3 more times, but softer. Then, he bellowed, ‘Hail the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude!’ immediately, a castle materialized in front of Declan’s amazed eyes. They were standing in front of a large orange wood door. It opened, and two apelike things beckoned them inside, sneering with yellowed teeth at the prisoners. Everyone trudged inside, and the doors slammed behind them, like jaws. (It probably helped that the edges of the door were jagged, and fit together just like…you guessed it. Pointy, sharp, teeth!) Declan couldn’t help admiring the enemy’s palace. The ceiling soared up high, high into the air. The gold walls glistened with diamonds (courtesy of the Dwarves), and the floor was made of amethyst. There were plants growing in quite a few places, out of the wall, through the floor, down from the ceiling. This somehow made the place look more magnificent. They walked through room after room, each filled with treasure, weapons, armour, and large hippos (Yes! Large hippos!). Declan had a nagging feeling that he knew someone who liked large hippos. But he couldn’t remember who. Finally, they went to a room larger than the others. There was a ring of lava encircling a ring of gold encircling a ring of water encircling a ring of diamond, encircling a ring of amethyst. And in the centre was a throne. There was someone on the throne. He was tall. He wore a long red fur-lined cloak, and a bronze crown sat on his head. A bracelet glimmered on his wrist. It looked like a snake bitting its tail. Declan had a feeling he had seen that bracelet before. the man’s face was in shadow, but Declan was sure it was a man, not a creature. The snakeheads all raised their fists in the air. ‘All bow before the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude!’ the snakeheads forced everyone to the ground. Then, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude stood up, and Declan was hit by a revelation. Declan looked closer. It couldn’t be. Could it? He had the same curly red hair. The same broad shoulders. The same green spectacles over his green eyes. But it couldn’t be his father. His father wasn’t in this place! And his father didn’t have a grave face, it was always laughing. Declan, trembling, brought out the picture he had of his father. And then he realized fully for the first time, that he was now facing his father, and that his father was an evil tyrant! That’s not something you experience every day. And here was his father, glaring down at him, not a glimpse of recognition in his face. His father’s face was stern, and hard as a rock. Declan stared up into his dad’s eyes, and a tear fell from his eyes and landed in the lava. ‘Dad?’ Declan whispered. Chapter 9: Things Don’t Always Turn Out the Way You Want It To. ‘So,’ Declan’s Dad (or the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude) growled, ‘Arkenstein. You’ve joined up with a band of ragamuffins in order to oppose my kingdom?’ ‘Huh? Oh, yes!’ Arkenstein said. ‘Yeah, well you seem to be trying to destroy the world. I do not agree with world destroying, Alfred.’ That actually confirmed it. ‘Um, Arkenstein,’ Declan whispered. ‘Not now,’ Arkenstein said, staring up at the High Emperor blah, blah, blah. ‘I’m having a very serious staring contest.’ ‘Arkenstein!’ Declan muttered. ‘He’s, my father!’ ‘Oh yes! He is!’ Arkenstein said in excitement. ‘What a breakthrough!’ ‘My dad is the one who wants to destroy the world!’ Declan his strained voice nearly breaking. ‘Yeah,’ Arkenstein said thoughtfully. ‘What are we going to do?’ Declan whispered. ‘Convince him not to.’ Arkenstein said. There was a long silence in which the High Emperor blah, blah, blah glared down at them. Finally, he said, ‘What did the traitor say?’ a snakehead said, ‘You! Traitor! What did you say?’ ‘Oh, I was just talking to this young fella Declan about burritos. Do they really contain tomitas?’ ‘No, tomatoes,’ Declan said, going along with the act, and wondering how Arkenstein knew about burritos. Poppycock and fried bananas!’ the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude (actually, from now on, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude shall be known as Declan’s dad) said scornfully. ‘What are you plotting now?’ ‘Um, High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude,’ General Rakta said. ‘Yes?’ Declan’s dad said impatiently. In answer, General Rakta held up two stones. One was red and blue. The other was a stormy shade of grey. Declan’s dad gasped. ‘Any minute now,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Just say something!’ But Declan was frozen to the spot. Declan’s dad grabbed the stones, and pressed a secret button on his staff. It opened, and 8 more stones rolled out. ‘He got another one!’ Arkenstein said. ‘The tree-dwellers of the Randuin Forest must have given up the stone of nature! Do something Declan!’ Declan’s dad brought out a podium. ‘Scum! Worthless creatures of muck!’ he shouted. ‘Today, you shall witness my rise to power before you die!’ Everyone groaned. Declan’s dad placed an emerald green stone in the podium. It glowed brightly. Next came the stormy grey stone. It too glowed brightly. Then the red and white stone, a purple one, a deep impenetrable black one, an ocean-blue one, a stone that didn’t really have a colour, and was continually fading in and out of focus, a stone with images too fast for you to see, a stone the colour of old wood, and finally, a stone that looked just ordinary, all glowing brightly. ‘Come on!’ Arkenstein said. ‘Do it!’ But Declan couldn’t. He just couldn’t! But he had to, otherwise, his friends would be killed. It was strange to think about them as his friends, but he realized, he did think of Arkenstein as a friend. Just as he cleared his throat, it suddenly got blocked. Why was this so hard? Declna’s dad grabbed his staff, and waved it over the podium. ‘Inda tafta frandik doot!’ he chanted. ‘Granda dakla dundi frot! Ransing endolk whipliy quik! Abnik jiqua vindic rans!’ the world turned bright as there was a blinding flash. When Declan could see again, his dad was smiling evilly, holding his staff high in the air. On the tip, the 10 stones gleamed. ‘Now, you shall face my wrath!’ he laughed. He pointed the staff at the dwarfs. ‘Wait!’ came a voice. Declan’s dad looked around to see his son clearly for the first time. He stared. Then, he fell to his knees. Chapter 10: Time to Face Your Doom…or not. ‘Hello dad,’ Declan whispered. ‘What are you doing here?’ ‘I could ask you the same thing!’ Declan’s dad AKA High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude AKA Albert Red spluttered. ‘You shouldn’t be here! You should be in the orphanage where you’re safe!’ ‘Safe? SAFE?!?!’ Declan shouted. ‘I SPENT YEARS, YEARS, THINKING YOU HATED ME! YEARS OF PAIN, YEARS OF KNOWING YOU GAVE ME AWAY! I WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER WITH YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE CAN BECOME WITHOUT CARE AND LOVE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN?!?’ Years of feeling worthless, thinking his parents didn’t love him, pouring out his pain on everyone else, and now here was his dad, saying he gave him away to protect him? Said dad was spluttering on the throne. ‘DO YOU THINK I DON’T UNDERSTAND?’ he finally shouted back. He hit the staff against the floor, and there was a minor earthquake. ‘TIME AND TIME AGAIN I REGRETED MARRYING THAT…THAT WOMAN AND GIVING YOU TO THE ORPHANAGE! I SEARCHED FOR AGES FOR YOU, BUT I NEVER COULD FIND YOU! AND BEING STUCK IN THIS PLACE FOR AGES! ISOLATED FROM ALL HUMANITY? I’M SURE THAT IF YOU WERE IN MY SITUATION, YOU’D WANT TO DESTROY THE PLACE THAT TOOK SO MUCH FROM YOU!’ Declan stared. His father’s situation seemed quite dilemma. ‘I know what it feels like to be isolated,’ he finally said. ‘But I’m sure destroying everything isn’t the answer. Look at this world. Look at these people. Do they deserve to get destroyed? Do they deserve this? I know that this world has taken so much away from you. I know what it feels like. But destruction isn’t the answer! Please change your mind. Please don’t destroy the world.’ Declan stepped back. He felt…different somehow. That must have been the first time that he had ever tried to save anyone. It felt good. Albert sat on his throne, staring down at his son. He considered for a long time. Finally, he sighed. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘Destroying everything won’t help in the slightest. I don’t know what I was thinking. And he let the staff clatter to the ground. ‘Guards!’ Declan’s dad bellowed. ‘Release the prisoners! Release everyone captured in these dungeons! Release them all!’ There was a storm of confused shouting, and a lot of people nearly got trampled. But in the end, everyone was freed. There were some of Albert’s men who didn’t want to turn from their evil ways, and these few trooped out of the castle, muttering things about how they were going to destroy the world anyway. Creature after creature came trooping out of the dungeons. There were the old slumbers, the black brandoins, the dwarves of Mildiana, the tree-dwellers of Randuin Forest, the mesmerists of the sky city of Falinador, the seafolk of the endless sea, the no-ones from the plain of tomorrow, the wanderers of the Windy Ridges. Everyone was thanking Declan, slapping him on the back, shaking his hand, and giving him hugs. So, this is what it feels like to be popular, Declan thought, as a particularly misty no-one tried to give him a fist bump, and went right through him. ‘You’re famous!’ Arkenstein said happily, as he walked by with a large meatloaf in hand (the wanderers were famous cooks, and they had provided a feast for this occasion). ‘The seas will be drumming out your story on the seashore for sure!’ ‘Yes, I’m so happy that I’m famous and all that,’ Declan said, pushing his way through the crowd to a shadowy corner, ‘but I want to know where the door is. You told me that you would show me after I helped you. And I can bring my father home, and we can all…’ he stopped at the look on Arkenstein’s face. ‘Um, I did say that didn’t I?’ He said in a very false jolly voice. ‘Um, yes about that…’ ‘You lied?’ Declan asked incredulously. ‘I might have tweaked the truth a little,’ Arkenstein said guiltily. ‘Many have spotted the door, but it never stays in the same place for long. So, you’re probably…’ He gasped. ‘What?’ Declan asked. In answer, Arkenstein pointed. Declan turned around, and gasped too. It was the door. The very same door that had brought them into Talgia! ‘Dad!’ Declan shouted. ‘Dad! We can go home now! Come here!’ Albert came bustling up, and his jaw dropped open. ‘I expect you’ll be going now then?’ Arkenstein asked tentatively. Declan hesitated. For some strange reason, Declan felt like he wanted to stay. Here, he belonged. Here, he was admired. Loved. Over in Earth…not so much. ‘Um, yeah. I guess so,’ Declan said. There was an awkward silence. Then, Arkenstein brought out his strong orange wood staff. ‘Take this, as thanks for saving the world and all that mosh,’ he said gravely, handing the staff to Declan. Ignoring Declan’s stuttered thanks he burst into tears on a nearby slumber, and it jumped away quickly, white fur drenched. Drindik stepped up next. ‘We give you this diamond in thanks for saving us from near death,’ she said, handing Declan a huge diamond. ‘Even though you put us into that situation in the first place,’ Declan heard Drindik mutter as she strode swiftly away again. ‘Declan. Let’s go now,’ Declan’s dad said, putting a hand on Declan’s shoulder. ‘Well,’ Declan said, ‘I hope to see you again!’ and he and his father stepped to the door, and pushed. And they were sucked, back into the door, back through the vortex of nothing, and back to the real world. Epilogue. Criss walked through the gates of the university fence, and it clanged behind him. His newly earned PHD in Physics was bouncing along in his bag. Life was great, and even better, Declan wasn’t there to bully him. He thought back to that encounter a long time ago, when they were still kids. Declan had approached him right after he had taken his Mars bar. Declan walked up to him, cornered him in an alleyway. ‘You know about yesterday?’ he asked. Almost sheepish. ‘Yeah?’ Criss asked. At the time, he had been formulating the best way to get out of the alley. He was just going to put his plan into action, when… ‘Look, about the Mars bar…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I know that I’ve been a jerk, but can you please forgive me?’ Criss stared, open-mouthed, eyes wide, feet ready to spring onto the trashcan right next to Declan and run. ‘It’s…it’s ok,’ he finally said. ‘And you were being a jerk.’ The two boys had laughed, and from that day on, they had been friends. Now, Criss was heading off to see something that Declan had said he would show Criss. He travelled up the familiar path, to the park in the intersection. Declan was waiting there. ‘It has taken me months to track it down,’ Declan said, ‘but I’m sure it’s here.’ ‘What’s here?’ Criss asked. ‘You’ll see,’ Declan said. They walked toward the centre of the park. Then, Criss almost crashed into a door that he had nearly run into. Criss stared at the strange door. It was just there. Nothing was behind it; nothing was in front of it. He could have sworn that it wasn't there before. Just standing. In the middle of a patch of grass. ‘Come on,’ Declan urged. ‘Touch it!’ Criss reached out, and touched the door. And they were sucked into the land of Talgia.

I was adopted. I hate the thought of it, that Ann and Tim lied to me. Saying that they were my parents, when they weren’t. So I broke my promise. ***** “You used to be the kindest girl, Ellie, what happened?” Silence. “Ellie, answer me.” Silence. “Ellie!” Silence. This was my tactic. When people wanted me to answer a question, or admit to something, I would stay silent. Then after about three attempts, they give up, and leave me alone. It works every time. So, I count to three in my head, and just like that, she leaves, slamming the door behind her. Once her footsteps had faded down the hallway, I shuffled around to face the window. I pressed on the slab of wood underneath the windowsill, a drawer comes out, inside are photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, and an old, rusted heart locket. They’re evidence, things that might help me find my real parents. Not my fake parents. Not Ann and Tim, who both are sleeping happily in their graves thinking that I still don’t know. I lay out the contents of the drawer on my bed. I opened one of the envelopes, it contained 5 photographs, all taken about 10 years ago, the mum suspects. I pick up the first one, Brianna Reid, who went missing 9 years ago. I stare at the photograph, nothing about her looks like me, she just feels so familiar. “SUPPER TIME!” ***** I have no friends. I sit alone. I know I don’t deserve friends. And those who have been friendly to me, I’ve treated like dirt. I’m fine though. I have my siblings. They always talk about their friends, and that’s the closest thing I’ve had to experiencing real friendship. But they never arrived at the table today. I sat alone. Feeling truly left out. Even my own family hate me. Well, I guess they’re not my family, but they were lied to as well, so, to me they are. Well, they were. ***** That night, my eldest “sister” Kate, came to my room. “Ellie?” I stay silent. “Fine. If this is what you want. To be rude to your family, as well as everyone else.” “You’re not my family!” I shout. Kate stares at me in utter disgust, “Wow. You know you are a truly horrid person. This is why we didn’t sit with you at dinner, you don’t even care what we talk about. You just sit there. Doing nothing. Everyone in this orphanage hates you, you are the most unlikable person I know. Goodnight.” She leaves. I’ve had the same “conversation” with almost everyone who lives here. I’m used to it. And I don’t really care. ***** I take that back, I do care. Every time someone comes to tell be that they hate me, I go. To the attic, where no one will find me. So once the lights are turned out in the hallway, I open the door. Check for carers, then tiptoe down until I reach the door that says, STAFF ONLY, ORPHANS NEED PERMISSION TO ENTER. I take a bobby pin out of my hair and stab it into the keyhole. I move the bobby pin around until I hear a click. The door swings open and I walk in, silently closing it behind me. I run up the stairs and walk towards my corner, the one I curl up and cry in. But something else has taken up my spot. A mirror, shining bright and silver, lighting up the room with its luminescent glow. I walk towards it, it was beautiful. Intricate designs were carved into the golden frame. My arm instinctively reaches out, the silver glass moves as I touch it, it’s cold, like water with ice in it. Then, as if something has grabbed the hand touching the mirror, I am pulled. “Let go of me!” I shout, “Do you know who I am, I can make your life miserable!” Creeeeaaaakkkk. I curse under my breath; the carers must have heard my shouts. Distracted by the ever-approaching footsteps, I stop pulling away from the mirror, and I am dragged through. ***** Everything disappeared, I was aware of the room around me, I just couldn’t see it. The only visible thing was the darkness that hung around me like a bad smell. That’s when I saw it, tiny speckles of pollen, I shuffled backwards. But nothing I could do would make the pollen go away. I inhaled breathing in the tiny pollen speckles, my nose began to itch, then … I sneezed. The darkness around me abruptly vanished, I was in the attic room again, or was I. I peeked through the crack in the wall, outside was a beautiful meadow, with a variety of small flowers. I reached out to touch one, my hand the size of a small stone compared to the flower, I pulled my hand back in shock. “WHAT!!!!!!!!” “Shush” I turned around. The boxes in the attic room were glaring at me. I glared right back, that usually makes them leave. But it didn’t. They continued glaring with their oversized cartoon eyes. So, I continued glaring. Then someone screamed in my ear. And I turned round, “SHUT UP!!!!!” Then I realised the scream came from the 5 rats I’d seen in the attic room, except these ones had wings and were screaming …. Um, I mean, singing …... Opera. I blocked my ears and closed my eyes and tried to wake up. But I couldn’t, because this was real, I could never wake up from this. “Uh hum. Are you Mistress Eleanor Wattle of the Muttleberry Orphanage?” A strongly accented voice spoke. I looked up to see one of the boxes standing in front of me, holding a scroll of glowing paper. But unlike the other boxes, this one was wearing a navy-blue uniform and a captain’s hat, on the right pocket of the box’s jacket was a golden thread reading the letters: R.G.A.M.O.T.E “What’s rgamote?” I say, ignoring the question the box had just asked. The line on it’s face bent to create a smile; it was obviously proud of whatever R.G.A.M.O.T.E. “Royal Guard and Messenger of the Empress” I nodded. I really didn’t care. “Um.” The box said, interrupting my thoughts, “Your Mistress Eleanor Wattle, right?” I shook my head, “No, I am just Eleanor Harris. Not a mistress, and my last name is not Wattle.” “Alright. Well, I’ll still have to take you to the Empress, because if you’re not Mistress Eleanor Wattle, then you’re an intruder, and those are forbidden.” The box turned and began walking, then turned around when it realised, I wasn’t following. “Why aren’t you coming?” I glared at it, “I’m not going anywhere with a talking box.” “Suit yourself,” The box said, “But if we don’t confirm that you are Mistress Eleanor Wattle within the next hour, then you will die, so if you want a chance at living, you must follow me.” I told myself he was lying, but from what I’d seen so far, it could be true. So, I stood up and followed the box. We walked towards a corner in the room where there were millions of tiny class bottles of a sparkling powder. Then he began searching through them all, making no noise at all, everything around was silent, the rats had stopped singing opera, and the boxes had stopped chatting. “Um, Mr Box?” “Shhhhh. They’ll here you.” I stopped, wondering why I wasn’t allowed to talk. So, I stayed silent. Plus, I had nothing to say. Then the box handed me one of the glass bottles and whispered in my ear, “pour it in your hands.” So, I did. “Now rub your hands together.” So, I did. “Now sprinkle it on the ground around you.” So, I did. The glittery powder floated up creating a barrier around me, then dropped back down. I looked around. I was in a hallway, the walls, floor and ceiling were covered in a royal blue velvet, lined with gold. I looked up and down the hallway, it seemed endless. And I couldn’t see the box. I panicked, I had no idea where I was and how to get back to the familiarity of the dark attic room back at the orphanage. Pop! I turn to see the box in the navy-blue uniform appear a few metres away from me. “Sorry about that, Mistress Wattle. Now, lets get going, we’ve already wasted half an hour.” “Harris, not Wattle, Harris.” I said sternly. The box ignored me. I began walking down the endless hallway. After walking for about 20 minutes, I got tired of the silence. “I like your moustache.” I say, completely regretting it. I don’t give compliments. I hope that the box didn’t hear me. The box turned to face me, eyes gleaming with happiness, “Why, thank you, it’s just started growing.” I smile. Why did I every bother breaking the silence. “Here we are.” The said, stopping in front of a door with the words: Royal Greeting/Meeting Room Writing in golden letters. The box reaches into its back pocket go pull out a ring of keys. All of them different shapes and sizes. The box flicks through the keys until it picks out a blue key that was shaped like a crown. The box puts the key in the oddly shaped keyhole and opens the door. The room was draped in red velvet, in one corner of the room there was a table with tea and cookies on it. In the middle of the room was a throne, tall, with red and yellow jewels sewn into the edges. On the other side of the room was a woman. She was dressed in a long velvety gown with long sleeves and a cape, she was staring out the small window. “Your majesty?” The box spoke. The woman turned to face us. Her smile gleamed, lighting up the room. “Hello?” The box bowed down and then glanced at me, so I bowed as well. “This girl came into our world today, she claims that she is Eleanor Harris, not Mistress Eleanor Wattle.” The woman turned to face me, I glared at her. “I understand. Come here child.” I didn’t want to, but I did. I walked up to her, she held up my hand a traced a symbol on in with her fingers, sparks flickered, and I stepped back abruptly. The woman turned to the box, “It’s the right girl.” Then she turned to me, “Now, child, you have been brought here to help us.” “I’m not helping you!” I shouted. “We’ll see.” The woman said, sitting down on her thrown, “There is a darkness, at random points in the day it begins to control the citizens of the Empire. The darkness uses them, to find information, about the whereabouts of the castle, so that it can come and destroy The Heart and take away all the joy and happiness in the world, both mine and yours. Your job is to find the bearer of darkness and stop them from making the world miserable.” I scowled, “Why would I ever help you?” The woman smiled, “Because I am Empress Liliana June, and I know all the secrets of the universe, including who your birth mother is.” I froze. I stared straight into the shimmering eyes of the Empress, they twinkled in the light from the chandelier, she wasn’t lying. I nearly burst inside; this woman new who my mother was. But I said nothing. I wasn’t going to risk my life just to find out who’s child I am, even if I’ve been searching for 4 whole years for the answer, I don’t care. ******* We wait almost a whole hour before the uniformed box spoke up, “The sun is setting.” I glanced out the window. The sun was orange on the horizon, like the yolk of an egg, only half of it was visible. It was beautiful, the fluffy clouds the colour of the bubble gum I stuck in the Flora’s hair when I was eight. She hasn’t spoken to me since. I don’t care. Suddenly the light from the room vanishes, the Empress rushes to close the curtains, she whispers under her breath and the candles on the chandelier went out. I screamed. Normally if I do that, Kate will come and get me what I need. But Kate wasn’t here, she was in a different world. The normal one. “You must leave now.” The Empress’s soft voice whispered urgently in my ear. Then something heavy is placed in my hand. My heart is beating rapidly. But I do as she says, I walk towards the doors. They open as soon as I get close, revealing a grassy plain, shadowed by the clouds covering the moon. Suddenly the doors slam behind me. I’m alone, in the dark. In a magical world where anything could happen. And for the first time in my life, I was scared. Then I looked down and saw the heavy thing that the Empress had put in my hand right before I was pushed outside. It was a necklace, with a small golden key that shone in the night. I put it in the pocket of my pants. Then I walk towards the woods that lay ahead. As I grew nearer to the trees, I noticed that they all seemed to shine different colours. Or maybe they were just normal green trees, and I was just tired. Yeah, that was probably it. I sat down, the soft grass tickled my feet, then I lay back, looking up at the stars in the night sky. They all sparkled like diamonds, all of them a different shade of pink. Then a shining light suddenly pierced through the night. The clouds covering it had moved to reveal the bright full moon. It lit up the whole grassy plain. And the eyes of the creature looming over me. I screamed. But nothing happened, no one came to rescue me. I was alone. In a world that wasn’t mine. Completely alone. The creature growled, its saliva dripping down on to my face. I jumped to my feet, accidentally head butting the creature. Now that I was standing, I noticed how big it was. I am quite short, and the creature that stood before me reached just below my shoulders. I took a step backwards. The creatures round yellow eyes followed me. Then it pounced, the white speckles on its midnight fur shimmering as it flew through the air, straight at me. But I couldn’t move. Then the creature stumbled backwards, confusion in its eyes, they matched the confusion in mine. The creature lunged at me again, and again it fell back onto the grass. Then I noticed a light coming from my left pocket. I reached in and pulled out the golden key, it was glowing. I whispered a silent thankyou to the Empress, then looked up at the creature. It looked like a lynx. I smiled. Then I noticed the chain around its neck. It looked too tight. Then I hear the lynx whimper. It’s hurt. I approach it slowly, then kneel down infront of it. Then I hold the golden key up to it. The metal burns away. The lynx’s eyes changed from a yellowy-white to orange. Then a piece of paper appeared where the burnt chain used to lay. I picked it, it was a map. And now I wasn’t lost. I stand up and head into the woods. ******* After a while of walking, I come across a river, running through the woods. It’s waters sparkling in the light of the moon, the colour of the endless galaxies they lay beyond. I watched as a leaf fell from the tree above and landed on the river, suddenly the river erupted, swallowing the leaf. I stared shock. This wasn’t on the map. I look down at my pocket, where the golden key necklace lay. No, it wouldn’t help. Would it? I looked behind and plucked a large leaf from a tree. The leaf wasn’t green like the ones back at home, it was the colour of lavender, my favourite plant. The plant I through into people’s hair when they weren’t looking, so that it would stay there forever, until shower day. I place the leaf on the ground and put the golden key on top of it, then I lifted it up carefully and put in on the rough waters of the river. Then I waited. It had been 30 seconds, and nothing had happened, the leaf was not taken. I reached out to grab the locket when suddenly the strongest gust of wind hit me, and I was pushed into the water. I panicked, I can’t swim, especially in the kind of water. I was going to die. ******* I was in a room. A plain grey room, just like the one that I had back at the orphanage. Someone was sitting on the bed. They had short brown hair, they were wearing the orphanage uniform, like the one I am wearing now. They are crying, tears rolling down their cheeks. I looked around. I notice a plant sitting on the windowsill, it was Lavender. The same plant that lay on the windowsill in Kate’s room. “Kate?” I speak. The girl looks up, eyes scanning the room. That’s when I realised what I’d done. That I had hurt her. Stabbed a dagger into her heart. Suddenly the room begins to fade, “I’m sorry.” ******* I open my eyes, I’m back in the forest, at least I think I am. A darkness surrounds me, like a black cloud that is wrapped around me like a blanket. I squint hard, trying to see clearer, but it didn’t help. Until I saw the silhouette of something. I stand, and shakily walk towards it. The darkness pushing down on my shoulders didn’t stop me. As I grew nearer, the shape became a child, about the age I was when we were taken to the orphanage. “Hello?” The child looks up, I see fear in their eyes. I kneel down, and the darkness lets go of my shoulders. “My name’s Ellie.” The child nods. “I’m Charlotte.” I smile, and wonder, how could a child this small and this innocent could create such havoc, that endangered a whole world. I reach out my hand, “Why did you do this?” Charlotte grabs my hand with hers, they are soft like silk, “They lied to me, they told me I was safe, they told me I would be treated like I belonged. But I wasn’t, they all stared. They told me they were my family; they weren’t.” That’s when I realise this child, Charlotte, is me. “I understand.” Then I let go of her hand and hold out my arms. Charlotte steps forward and I wrap her up in a hug. And slowly the darkness around us, and the forest comes back to view. ******* I took Charlotte back to the grassy plain and gave her to the Midnight Lynx, I thought the lynx would take better care of her than the people who live in this world. “Goodbye, Ellie.” ******* “We are so very grateful.” The Empress smiled down at me. And for the first time in my life, I felt happy that I did something for someone. As I left the room, and walked down the hallway, all the boxes, dipped their heads and shook my hand. Some of the young ones wrapped their arms around me and wouldn’t let go. I felt terrible when I had to pull them off. I had to run fast so that I could catch up with the box that had taken me here. We walked a while until we arrived at a bright red door, “I hope we meet again. And I’m sorry The Empress lied so you would help. I’m sorry she didn’t know who your mother is.” I smile, bending down to give him a hug. “That’s ok. I don’t need to know.” Then I opened the door and left the strange world behind. ******* As soon as I left the attic I ran to Kate’s room. I hoped with all my might that she was still there, that no time had passed since the vision I had in the forest. As I grew nearer, I saw Kate closing the door. “Kate!” Her head turned abruptly. “Ellie?” I hear her say, her voice silent with a hint of confusion hanging on her words. I run towards her and wrap my arms around her, “I’m sorry.” I say, tears flooding my eyes. “I forgive you.” Kate’s voice quivering in the air around us. ******* I didn’t sit with my siblings today at lunch. I sat somewhere else. At a table with a girl named Kitty. “Wait.” Kitty says, “You’re saying that you saved a whole world from a darkness, that was just a little girl.” “Yup.” “Can you take me there?” ONE YEAR LATER … (to understand the epilogue, you need to read my story from term 3 last year) “Eleanor! Someone’s here to see you!” I walk down to the dining hall. A girl stands in the middle of the room. Tears streaming down her eyes. I don’t know what’s happened, but I give her a hug. “I’m Olive. I’m the witch who sent your friend to find my sister.” I stared in confusion. Kitty hadn’t mentioned this. But I hadn’t seen her in a week, so. “She found her.” I smiled. “Oh, that’s good.” Olive’s voice cracked. “They died.”

Destroy the Dragon Unfortunately, I didn’t get to finish writing this story properly because of a few things that messed up my schedule and motivation for writing in general. It ended up as a strange patchwork of proper scenes and summaries, each style separated by a section marker. I hope you enjoy what I’ve got!!! - - - ~*~ - - - Sid stared, eyes keen as an eagle’s, as Tucker walked up to his friends. “It’s my dad’s,” Tucker whispered. “He said I could only show you guys.” He slowly reached into his shirt and pulled out a glittery pendant on a chain. Immediately a chorus of sickeningly sweet gasps of admiration arose around him as his friends flocked around to get a better look. Sid pretended to retch, clutching his stomach, and looked up to meet the narrowed eyes of Jayla. “Just make sure Sid doesn’t nab it,” she muttered. As Sid smiled at Jayla, music started playing over the speakers. “Well, Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam, I was a drab little crab once.” All the kids who had scattered around the playground to have their lunch turned to their classrooms and started walking. “Now I know I can be happy as a clam. Because I'm beautiful, baby!” Sid sidled up to the classroom door and peeked inside - Tucker was holding his cupped palm out to Mx Thompson. Mx Thompson scooped something out of it, lifting up a length of silver chain and putting it in their desk drawer. “Did your granny say listen to your heart, be who you are on the inside?” Mx Thompson disappeared into the storeroom as Tucker left, walking right by Sid and practically letting him snatch a $5 note out of his pocket. Poor Tucker wouldn’t get that ice cream from the cafe this afternoon. “I need three words to tear her argument apart. Your granny lied.” Sid crept into the classroom like an intrepid adventurer, tiptoeing across the carpet to Mx Thompson’s desk. Pulling the drawer open felt like opening a treasure chest - Sid could almost feel the golden rays of light emanate from it and light up his grinning face. “I'd rather be shiny!” Sid hummed as he left the classroom. Maths was as dull as usual, but at least he had something better than homework in his bag. “Fish are dumb, dumb, dumb, they chase anything that glitters,” he sang under his breath. His face split into a smile as he saw Jayla stomp over. “Beginners.” Jayla’s eyes blazed with a frankly hilarious righteous fury. “Give it back.” “Give what back?” Sid shrugged, walking backwards to the school gate so he could face his arch-nemesis. “Tucker’s dad’s necklace!” she snarled, “We know you have it!” Sid looked left, right, then up at Jayla, and let his mouth quirk into a smile. “What are you going to do about it?” Sid held back his laughter to preserve the drama as Jayla glared at him. After a long moment he swung himself around and sauntered over to the bike racks. Sid shoved the door open, threw his school bag onto the sofa and leapt after it. His good mood had seemingly evaporated on the ride home, but a sliver of it returned as he lifted his prize up and walked toward his room. A whole necklace, glittering in the light. Easily the best thing he’s stolen so far. He carefully took his old backpack out from under his cupboard, then pulled the shoebox out of the main pocket. He opened it to reveal the collection of his life’s work, his pride and joy. He laid the necklace on top of it all, layers of trinkets most grownups would call junk. He thought of it more like Ariel’s secret grotto, a trove of things he declared were treasure. And now it was put away, he had nothing to do. Sid pulled himself up with the handle on his cupboard and slammed it shut. The rest of the house didn’t have any trinkets in it - at least not the parts he was allowed in. His parents’ room and office could have any number of treasures in them while the rest of the house was completely devoid of whozits, whatzits and thingamabobs. The cutlery in the kitchen was boring, all a uniform silvery metal. There wasn’t anything else in there he could take without being noticed. He considered his conundrum, looked around, saw a box of biscuits on a shelf and continued considering while enjoying the taste of chocolate. He munched contentedly for about a minute then almost spat out his chewed Tim Tam as he heard a CRASH. He sped toward it, hugging the box of Tim Tams to his chest. He spun around the corner but the end of the corridor, the source of the noise, was empty. The only change was a trapdoor in the ceiling that had opened, letting down a ladder that beckoned to Sid. He couldn’t remember ever seeing that trapdoor before. Who knew what knickknacks could be hidden up there? Grinning at the promise of entertainment, he ran to get his phone and his old backpack and climbed up the ladder. He popped his head over the trapdoor and scanned the room. It was crammed with boxes from the floor to the ceiling, which sloped gently with the roof. The only sources of light were from a grimy little window and Sid’s phone, though he could see a lightbulb. He climbed all the way up, flicked a switch and watched the lightbulb flicker on. Other than the dirt on the window, it was a fairly well-kept room - nothing but the faintest traces of dust lingered on the walls or boxes. He looked around for the first thing to open and noticed a tiny door. It was minuscule, not as small as the curved blocks people nailed in their front yards and called fairy doors but not big enough for a toddler to go through, standing straight up, and avoid hitting their head. It was painted the same colour as the room and the only other spot of colour on it was the tarnished gold doorknob. Sid reached out to open it but found himself hesitating. His hand twitched a little on the doorknob before gripping it tighter. It felt- it felt like there was something behind it. The more he thought about it the stupider that sounded, but he couldn’t stop his heart from stuttering or force his arm to move. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try. He glared at his arm, and bit by bit he could move it despite the stiffness. He tugged at the door then pulled it sideways and scrambled back as- oh, phew. Nothing’s there. Just a dull dimness. There could be more in there, though, and both meanings of that thought - the promise of treasure or the threat of danger - made his heart quicken. He scooted forward, shining his phone into the dark, and slid through the door and onto the flooOOOOOOOOAAAAAHH THAT’S NOT THE FLOOR-!!! Sid blearily cracked his eyes open and immediately closed them again as light shone into them so brightly they burned. He inhaled a noseful of a lush lawnish smell and pushed himself up to his knees. His palms rubbed against grass and roots. He blinked at his surroundings, letting his eyes adjust, and rubbed a hand across his face, astonished. All around him were trees so tall he thought he might’ve shrunk- well, he couldn’t have shrunk, so the trees must just be really tall… and as twisted as pretzels, looping and curling around each other… with leaves coloured a sunny yellow that contrasted with the coal-dark bark… Sid frowned as he got up and stared around. The twisting trees dominated the land for as far as he could see. No clouds drifted across the orangey grey sky, though he could see a little white mountain peak if he stretched. Despite the expanse of forest, no noises could be heard no matter how hard he strained his ears. His breathing and steady heartbeat were the only sounds in the entire wood. The dead silence was probably the reason why he jumped so high when a quiet rsh-rsh-rsh came from a tree. It was quite a thin one, maybe as thick as his head, and it swayed at the touch of whatever was leaning on it. He narrowed his eyes at the shadows and froze when he saw something stare back. Its eyes were a deep amber, almost honey-coloured, with slit pupils that dilated as he watched. It stepped forward gracefully, quiet as a falling feather, revealing striped orange fur and a feline head in the light as it slowly raised one digit to its muzzle. Frowning, Sid put a finger to his lips too, then stopped as he heard a rhythmic thumping sound from behind him. The trees shook from the force of it, filling the air with an awful cacophony that made him want the silence back. There was a wind picking up too, which blew leaves around and battered his back. He looked for the source of the sound and whirled back around as his eyes started stinging. He blinked and the thing in the shadows leapt at him, forcing a paw onto his mouth and pushing him onto the ground. A root he was lying on made his back ache but he didn’t dare speak a word, just stared up at the massive tiger with watery eyes and listened to the thumps get closer as a massive silhouette crossed the sky above the trees. After it passed, the wind and the sound of its wingbeats died away but the tiger still didn’t let him go. It just sat on him, looking at his face as its long tail twitched into a question mark. It was much larger than Sid thought a tiger should be and it was shaped like a human and dressed like one too, albeit one going to a medieval cosplay festival or something. A dull metal breastplate over a dark shirt covered its chest and wrappings of some leathery material covered its arms. It didn’t seem to be getting up sometime soon, so Sid decided to get its hand off his mouth at the very least. “Eww!” It hissed, recoiling and wiping its paw on its shirt. “I just saved you, why did you lick my hand?!” Sid scoffed. “Saved me? You sat on me!” “I stopped you from getting the dragon’s attention! You’re welcome!” it spat, lashing its tail. “Dragon?” Sid frowned. - - - ~*~ - - - The tiger told Sid all about the dragon, its vicious claws and its insatiable greed. It told him how it took anything that moved or shone or looked vaguely interesting to its lair. It said he looked vaguely interesting, so he’d definitely be taken and imprisoned - or worse - in the cave on top of the mountain, where the dragon kept its massive wealth of treasure. Towering heaps of gold that deserved to be called mountains on their own. The tiger spoke of freeing the captives, but all Sid could focus on was the promise of more things to take. He agreed, but the smile on his face was the same one that Jayla saw when she demanded that he return what he stole. He picked up the things he brought in but found that they had been altered. His phone became a strange tool with a metal prong, a lightbulb and a button which turned it on, his backpack grew and gained many pockets, though the zipped middle section was kept shut by a padlock emblazoned with golden stars, and his Tim Tams became a box full of the most delicate and delicious treats he’d ever seen. He asked the tiger why his things changed and it said something cryptic along the lines of “in this world, possessions have power.” He offered to share some of the treats with it as they walked through the forest, but it declined. - - - ~*~ - - - Sid huffed. He tried sharing for once and this was what happened? Nope. He’d stick to hoarding in the future. “Mysterious bipedal tiger,” Sid started, breaking the silence of the forest. He looked around and the dragon didn’t spontaneously appear and swoop at them, so he continued. “Do you have a name?” It took a second to consider, tilting its head to the side as it loped forwards. “It’s been too long. I don’t remember.” Sid tried to ask what it had been too long since but all he got in response was a fierce amber glare. “Can I name you then?” Sid asked before taking a bite out of an exquisitely iced brownie. “Perhaps,” it shrugged. “If you take it seriously, I’ll think about it.” Sid finished chewing and swallowed. “Fluffy?” “No.” “Dang,” he sighed, looking at it as it flicked its tail again. It stared right ahead, reminding him of Mx Thompson’s face when he got ChatGPT to do his homework. It might move and speak like a human, but it definitely wasn’t. There was still something wild to the way it walked, making it look… “How about Fierce?” he suggested. It didn’t immediately turn and growl at him, which was a good sign. “…Alright,” it answered, still not looking at Sid. “You can call me that.” Sid licked the crumbs off his fingers. “Cool.” - - - ~*~ - - - They continued walking but were stopped by a group of sunshine-yellow anthropomorphic chickens, wielding weapons in their wing-hands and clad in similar medieval fantasy cosplay to Fierce. They demanded that Sid and Fierce hand over any treasure they have so they can give it to the dragon as tribute. Fierce told the chickens that the dragon is incapable of mercy and will take them anyway. As they argued, Sid heard something. A rhythmic pounding of air, getting closer and closer. He tried to warn them but they didn’t listen until the dragon, a massive silver lizard with gold coins and brilliant jewels stuck between its scales, swooped down with an unearthly shriek and picked up one of the chickens. The others lost their nerve and gave up. Fierce told them about Sid and its quest and they vowed to help. They all continued trekking until they reached the foot of the mountain. Its jagged side had no paths or footholds, but luckily one of the chickens had a grappling hook that they couldn’t use because they didn’t have opposable thumbs. Fierce took it, grabbed hold of Sid and they grappled up the mountain. At last, they were at the mouth of the cave. The dragon’s snores shook the whole mountaintop. Fierce told him that they were almost finished, but they had to be very careful not to wake the dragon. Sid nodded, smiled and said that after that they’d have the treasure. Fierce realised that Sid only went along with the quest for his own gain and angrily called him out. They argued and both ran off. Sid sulked for a while, so caught up in his bitterness that he didn’t notice that the rumbling had stopped. He finds himself face. To face with the dragon, who has an evil villain monologue and laughs at Sid before slithering back into its cave. Sid runs to check that Fierce is okay and finds them crying. They tell him about a memory he’d forgotten, when he stole a girl’s favourite plushie so she locked his in the middle pocket of his bag with a diary lock. His plushie was a little orange tabby cat. In this world, where possessions have power, it took on a form it could protect him in like it couldn’t protect him before. Sid apologised for being selfish and Fierce acknowledged that he became a better person and that they shouldn’t have dismissed his progress. As their determination returned and their bond strengthened, they walked into the gaping mouth of the cave. They carefully snuck through the dragon’s lair but despite their stealth, the dragon woke up when it smelled Sid’s food. Fierce stayed behind to fight the dragon as Sid raced ahead to the prisoners and the treasure. He had a decision to make when he gets there - keep the treasure or pull a lever to use it to distract and defeat the dragon. It wasn’t even a choice anymore. He called out to Fierce, pulled the lever and watched the treasure tumble. There was a lot more of it than he realised and it completely crushed the dragon. Fierce ran up to him and they tried to find a way back to the real world, but it was up high on a ledge that the treasure once formed a ramp up to. They got out the grappling hook to get up and Sid and Fierce had a tearful farewell. Sid went through the door. Fierce stayed behind and talked to one of the chickens about what this world was going to be like now that Sid and the dragon were gone. - - - ~*~ - - - Jayla frowned at the things Sid had poured out of his old bag onto the floor with her mouth slightly open. Every so often she looked like she wanted to say something but she remained silent. “Dad’s necklace!” Tucker cheered, smiling at Sid. “Where did you find it?” All around the pile, Sid’s classmates were picking through and finding lost treasures. Stolen treasures. After everyone had found their old trinkets and toys, only Sid, Jayla and one treasure left. - - - ~*~ - - - Sid and Jayla talked for a while. Jayla didn’t forgive Sid, but said it was good that he returned everything he stole. He asked if the last treasure, a tiny star-shaped key, was hers, but she just shrugged and said she lost the corresponding lock years ago. As she walked away, Sid picked up the key, looked at his old bag and grinned.

Another detention is just what I needed. The clock ticked rhythmically against the wall, tick, tock, tick, tock. Eyes staring devilishly into my soul hidden under a racing heart. “Isabella Jones. How many detentions have you had, including this one?” the principal asked. “Four detentions Ms Buck.” I answered proudly. “WRONG! You’ve had FIVE detentions not FOUR!” Ms Buck replied sternly. Bummer. I’ve always been terribly horrible at math and pretty much everything else. “And why have you been sent to detention today?” Ms Buck shouted. Her face filled with rage as she gripped tightly to her desk, her tight bun high in the air. “I was playing with fire. But it was an accident!” I insisted. First lie. Oh I know that you’re thinking something like, ‘This girl is so revolting!’ or ‘This girl is so dangerous!’. I promise I am nothing like that and have always been a good little girl. Second lie. Racing out of the office, I shoved past students as I ordered everyone to MOOOOOVE! Skiing around the corner I awaited my delicious lunch as I entered the canteen. BANG! As soon as the door opened I strolled into the kitchen waiting to make my move. Peering through a gap I spotted my prey whilst I crept toward the steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese. Glancing across the room, I snatched the bowl as I snagged a seat to enjoy my meal. I wonder whose meal it was? Eh, who cares? Instantly, I heard a screeching wail from the long line. “SOMEONE TOOK MY LUNCH!!!” he screamed. Time to chicken out of here and find somewhere else. Yep. This is my everyday life as a despicable girl. No one ever thought girls could be naughty but they always thought of the male. “Could Isabella Jones please come to the principal's office. Isabella Jones.” the loudspeaker announced. As soon as they called my name I froze as still as an ice statue stuck to the ground. Not long after that I ended up in the office next to my mum. After a long talk about stuff like unexcceptable behavior, being rude and blah blah blah yada yada yada. I don’t usually pay attention to conversations except my own. My mum had to go back to work and my dad is still at his long conference in Mexico. Kicking the same rock over and over again I thought about whether I should get pizza from the canteen kitchen or off someone else tomorrow. THUMP! A door landed right in front of me. Nothing behind it with no door knob and a single dragon keychain hanging in the middle. Not the weirdest I’ve seen in the past 10 1/2 years. Yanking open the door I realized it was a big mistake. Sorry, did I say “big mistake"? I meant a big dream come true! Bright neon colors splashed here and there as glitter showered over the entire place. Crooked trees hung over dazzling creatures with either a horn or a pair of wings. Birds singing a melodious song as the trees talked about… croissants??? As soon as I set foot the door magically disappeared as my surroundings on Earth changed into brave knights, beautiful maidens and much more! The most horrifying thing was when two long ears sprouted out of my head as fur white as snow wrapped around my body as I realized I was a- “BUNNY!?” I exclaimed. “Oh hello! Welcome to Sparkle Land, home to the Kippies.” a strange dog welcomed me. “WHERE AM I AND WHAT IS A KIPPIE!? TELL ME NOW!!” I ordered. “Well, there’s no need to be rude but you are in Sparkle Land. And a Kippie is every being who walks Sparkle Land and is an official Sparklen. To be official you must fill out a form at the Sparkle Palace with Queen Croissant.” the dog informed. There was something truly peculiar about that dog as I glanced behind it and I realized why. Out of his back was a pair of butterfly wings that perfectly matched his shiny blonde fur. “Hi Bella! How are you?” a passing bird asked. I don’t want to stay in this land, I want to be on Earth. EARTH! “So Bella, why am I here and how do I get out of this… this… Flarkle Fland or whatever!” I grumbled. Giving me a sad look she replied, “The color from Sparkle Land is disappearing!” I glanced at a nearby bush as slowly its color began to fade away from its leaves. In the blink of an eye, it had turned a dull shade of gray. “Who’s doing this? And what do I have to do with it?” I grumbled. “An evil witch has been gathering ‘color draining balls’ that can get rid of any color it touches. Even Kippies. And Sparkle Land controls all the color on Earth. So if the color in Sparkle Land is gone, all the color on Earth would be gone too! I’d be pretty devastated if I were you.” Bella explained. Before I could answer her a strange figure appeared out of nowhere! Two pointy horns sprouted out of its head along its scaly skin bearing sharp claws on the tip of its fingers! Reaching into its bag it yanked out a smoking black ball and threw it at a tree. Immediately, it had turned a horrifying shade of black! I realised that those must have been the ‘color draining balls’ Bella was talking about. These balls could make lots of Kippies sad. I mean, I don’t care! Do I? “Um… Bella, who is that?” I asked. “That's the witch’s assistant, Morbumconnoritcallifrajour.” Bella replied. “What? How do you say it?” I whined. Bella repeated it exactly as it was. Bella motioned for me to follow her as we squeezed through a narrow valley. Spiders hung from their sticky webs staring at us with their many eyes. Soon, we reached the other side to discover a river filled with squirming balls. Cautiously, I placed my foot onto one of them to find they stayed perfectly still. Just as we were halfway through, Morbumconnoritcallifrajour arrived as he threw a ball towards the river. Slowly all of its color drained out of sight. I felt a violent rumble as it rose into the air thumping up and down rapidly! “Have fun!” he snickered. I leaped onto steady ground as I realised Bella was stuck in the center. I glanced at the path to escape and back at Bella. “UUUGGHHH!” I groaned as I offered my hand to her. With one final jump I pulled her in! “Thank you. You saved me!” Bella thanked. I felt a warm feeling in my heart that I had never felt before. It was different. “Meh, it was nothing.” I replied, trying to hide a small smile. That feeling felt so good! What was it? Bella continued to lead the way leaving me thinking about that strange feeling. Oh no. It couldn’t be. Was that feeling…kindness? Eventually, we landed in a place with no vegetation or color. Suddenly, a witch appeared in front of our eyes as she revealed a mischievous smile. “I know you are here to stop me. I know the bunny is actually a human. I know it all. But if you truly want to stop me I will give you a task. You must work together to build something that will change my mind using Lego.” the witch offered. “I am terribly sorry but for a moment I thought you said we had to build something using Lego.” I told. “You did not hear wrong. And if you change my mind I will stop draining the color. If you don’t then I will continue my task and rule all of Sparkle Land!!!” she cackled. Just at that moment, I knew we had to get to work. “Be we don’t have any Lego to bring the color back!” I cried. “Have you realised all the good deeds you’ve done? The Lego was created by those and have been following you. Just look behind you!” the witch called. They glanced behind to find a pile of Lego just sitting there. I looked at Bella and she looked back. Picking up the little chunks of Lego we got to work. We stuck pieces together and tore some apart. We thought for hours and built for hours. “Times ticking. And the longer you take the more color is going to be drained. MWA HA HA HA HAAAA!!!” the witch cackled. “You’re not helping!” I exclaimed. Finally, we had finished our masterpiece. Holding up our piece we revealed a nice pink heart. My heart raced as I awaited her answer. Eventually, she gave us her answer. Bella held her breath as the witch stated her reply. “This would have definitely changed my mind… if I were not a witch. Sparkle Land will be mine and my own to rule! Everyone will fear and bow to ME!!!!” she screeched. Tears swelled up in Bella’s eyes as she turned pale. I watched as the color began to disappear from the face of this world. In an instant, a strange creature leaped up and sliced the witch’s heart causing her to fade into thin air. Bella’s eyes lit up as the color slowly returned to Sparkle Land. Apparently, the creature was Morbumconnoritcallifrajour! “You saved everyone! Why?” Bella asked curiously. “I’m sick and tired of doing that witch’s dirty work. I’ll probably go back to my home now. This place is too glittery for my taste.” he replied. Then in the blink of an eye, he vanished. Suddenly, Bella leapt up and presented the door that sent me here in the first place. She gestured for me to walk in. “I’ll see you later. Goodbye Bella.” I told her. Giving me a warm smile I pushed the door open to go back home. One year later… Strolling across town I came by a stand with a sign that said, Beach Clean Up. Jotting my name down I continued down the road to find my parents. “I’m sorry I left you!” I cried. “Aw… that's alright. We’re just glad you’re back.” they replied. I noticed a girl was standing behind. Without a second thought I leapt into her arms. “I’m sorry I left you too.”I cried. “I forgive you, dear sister.” she replied. That’s when I saw Bella the Butterfly Dog who helped me on my adventures. Ah, the good old days.

It was a beautiful, fresh, crisp day in the suburb of Brerina, and 16-year-old Samira set foot outside, into her rather empty garden. She had planted many plants in her garden, and they are all not growing because she forgets to water her plants. The neighbours have complained about how unpleasantly barren and lifeless Samira's garden is. A few hours later, Samira arrived at a busy garden nursery to get even more plants, and she stopped at a metal, brown, rusty door at the back of the building. Samira gazed at the door for a long period of time, thinking whether she will go through or not. But this door might lead to an authorised personnel only room, or it might be the perfect opportunity to stop me from killing all my plants, Samira thought. You know what, I might just enter it. she thought. Samira carefully opened the door and went down a granite staircase. It seemed to be a greenhouse inside! She noticed the bright red spathes and rotting smell of a corpse flower, the terrifying spines of a venus fly trap, and the intricate shapes of pitcher plants. It was completely silent. There are no animals or people, besides Samira. The carnivorous plants must have taken over. Walking through the greenhouse, Samira wondered how the plants were thriving. There was no sign of any water, or insects. I wonder if this is magical, Samira thought. She had never seen as many carnivorous plants before. But suddenly, when she walked along the path to the other end of the greenhouse, a mysterious glow of green light came out of the path. Immediately after the mysterious beam of green light, several pitcher plants withered right before Samira’s eyes. Then a corpse flower, a sundew and a Venus flytrap did the same. Why is this happening? Samira thought. I need to rescue them now! It all relies on her to keep the plants thriving. But how? she thought. She tried saying magic words. “Abracadabra!”. That didn’t work, hmm, Samira thought. Light. Samira turned on her torch on her mobile phone. That didn’t make them look better. Aha! WATER! she contemplated. But there was no water sources. Eureka, there is water droplets, on the pitcher plants, and inside the corpse flower! Samira realised in her mind. She scraped some water droplets off the pitchers. Then she nervously followed the rotting smell, and came to the red corpse flower. She positioned her hands like a scoop, and extracted some of the water. Samira then carefully walked around, and gave the plants a watering. She watered them over again, until they were looking a bit happier. Aha! I don’t water my plants at home, she thought. Now that’s a positive thing. Hmm, but how could I return home and start gardening, Samira thought. She couldn’t get out of this greenhouse. Hmm, there could be a key, she thought. After walking around the greenhouse for a bit, she spotted the perfect key! A leaf that had a similar shape to one! Samira picked up the key-shaped leaf and twisted it, once, twice, and then the door unlocked! She finally saw Nursery Road again after 5 hours of being in the greenhouse! Aah, this road is so familiar, she thought. 2 years later, Wow, how nice is my beautiful garden, remember those days when I kept forgetting to water my plants, Samira thought. From that greenhouse trip, I learnt to always remember to water my plants.

Kingdoms of the Lost Prophecy: The diamond of truth (shortened) Chapter An Derlia Veruli Tertulia was one of the worst people in the world. She lived on Vancouver Island. She would take all of your lollies, make you trip by tying your shoelaces together, throw your hat onto the road and heaps more. She was 15 years old, and was the tallest person at her school, reaching up to 2.23 metres /7.3 feet. She had long blond hair, and you could always see her wearing ripped jeans and a reddish-black dress. She had been expelled 43 times, breaking the current world record of 14 in 6 years. Her parents were outraged and were constantly trying to find a solution, but every attempt had failed miserably. ~ One day, precisely on Friday 27 September 2013, when Mr and Mrs Tertulia were walking down the city roads when they saw a skyscraper with a sign reading ‘Evil Children Fixers’. They immediately hastened to the building were they asked for an unbooked appointment. They were immediately put with their best man. “This might be dangerous, Mr T. Are you sure you want to risk it?” “Please do whatever you can, Mr..” “Call me Tefla.” Answered the worker. Little did they know that Tefla was plotting a most horrible plan…………….. Chapter Twain* When Mr, Mrs and Derlia Tertulia got home, Tefla was already inside, which was suspicious, because the door was locked. Derlia went upstairs, noticed Tefla, shrieked and ran to her room as fast as she could. She tried to ask her parents, but they changed the subject every time. ~ The next day, when Derlia woke up, she saw Tefla’s big, beady eyes staring at her. She screamed. “Don’t be afraid” hoarsely croaked Tefla, followed by Derlia’s “WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH ME, YOU INTRUDER?????” Tefla grinned evilly. “That’s for me to know and you to wonder about it.” And with that, he lifted her up, carried her to the door he had made and threw her inside. The door disappeared momentarily. *old fashioned word for two. When Derlia looked around, she saw that she was sitting on a floating tawny-brown rock next to a cliff, she could see her reflection in the crocodile-green sky; next to her was a black cage with a fern-green goblin inside, his ears were exceptionally long, they poked out the sides of the enclosure. The goblin asked if Derlia could pick the lock on the cage, which she was exceptionally talented at, so she did. It was actually a Eary Treyul, and his name was Clerfal Lindik. He was related to sphinxes and the minotaur. When Derlia asked him where he lived, he replied with a glint in his eye, “That, is a question that cannot be answered verbally.” And with that, he grabbed Derlia’s hand and leaped off the cliff, flinging her off with great force. They landed on lilac-purple sand. When Derlia stood up, she noticed there was a bottle with a message inside of it. Clerfal said that it better to open it at his house. Ten minutes later, Derlia was walking along hundreds of tin shacks when suddenly, something hit her in the butt!!!!!!! “What was that?” “It’s probably the Whacking Wicked Witch-hazels” replied Clerfal, followed by someone shouting “YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” When Clerfal finally opened the bottle, there was a message in it reading: At 5:00 PM on the 1st of October,2013, the kingdom Zarazuda will get destroyed. You must return the Diamond of Truth to Mount Xyuilokojaga before the given time. Yours sincerely, Derutas Guizhou Dusk Leprechaun Chapter Treyes “We have to get to the temple of Occipaliso in four days. It’s approximately 97.8 km away from here!” said Clerfal, panicking. “Do I care?” replied Derlia. “I don’t even want to be here! I just want go home!!!!!” She stormed out of the house, furious with her parents, Tefla and Clerfal. Derlia could hear the treyul’s footsteps following after her. She didn’t care. Suddenly, a giant monster appeared out of nowhere !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was in a tyrian-purple robe, with only his head and stick-like claws sticking out, he had eight Egyptian blue claws underneath; his blood-red eyes floated in the air. A great wind rose under his claws, Derlia gripped onto the ground with her sharp nails; she was getting sucked in , there was nothing she could do about it……………. “HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” she cried, hoping that Clerfal would come and rescue her. No-one did. She was right near the end, she was never going to see her parents again…….. “Bye mum. Bye Dad.’’ Just then, she saw a splash of fern-green. Is that Clerfal? thought Derlia. When the thing came up close, it grabbed her hand and flung her out onto her feet. It was Clerfal!! The creature was a Razor Crippleback, the most dangerous creature in the kingdom, and said that they better get going as they got off track, the temple of Occipaliso was quite a long way away from here. Approximately 131 km. Day 2 Hour 4 Minute 31-38 56.18897458684857483929284747865473644773643746664736464 km Just when they were walking on a sea side path along the lavender sea when, unexpectedly, they crashed into a talking brick wall!!! Derlia picked up a medium- sized rock and threw it at the obstacle, which she was very accurate at because of her experience and threw it into the mouth. The barrier swallowed it. She got another stone and lobbed it at the wall, this time next to the upper left edge. It crumbled partly, but most of the wall was still upright. She threw the rocks until, eventually, the wall was smashed to bits and the pair moved on. Day 4 Hour 2-3 Minute 17-33 130.546716272178475747573038883848384838336446535454 km The two were fatigued when they approached the rich 45 hectares surrounding the temple of Ocippaliso. Then Clerfal woke up, shaking Derlia like crazy. “I forgot! The temple grounds are covered with fifty thousand Wicked Whacking Witch Hazels!!!!!!!!!!!!” “Let me take care of this.” Derlia rushed over to the forest. “HEY YOU STUPID PILE OF BARK! I’M OVER HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The trees turned to her, as if looking to find out what was going on, but were reassured and grabbed her, twisting around all her limbs. “You go into the temple. I’ll distract the trees!!!!!!!!!” They immediately wrapped around Clerfal. Derlia immediately took out her pocket knife and cut the branch that was wrapped around the Treyyul, causing him to fall onto the ground. She plummeted soon after. Day 4 Hour 3 Minute 48- 57 131 km As they entered the Treasury, Derlia asked how would they get to the mountain, to which he answered that there were portals around the temple. When Clerfal touched The Diamond of Truth, an alarm went off , deafening the kingdom. Epalog 15 October 2013 Derlia brought thousands of sweets into her school, giving them out evenly to each teacher and student. She volunteered her recess time to tie up kids’ shoelaces and her lunch time to stop bullying. After school, she picked rubbish lying on the ground, but she started feeling sad that she had left Clerfal. When she got home, she found out that the door was gone. Her parents were extremely mad at Tefla for “trapping our child in a parallel universe”. She ran out of the house and looked under the manhole. Nothing. Behind the tall building. Nada. Derlia was inconsolable. She sat down on her bed for the rest of the evening, missing dinner even though she was starving. Suddenly, she heard a voice. “Hello. Thought I should pop in.” Derlia loked around and saw a red goblin. She shrieked. coming soon: Kingdoms of the lost Prophecy: Colliding worlds

James Sicily set his eyes on the prize, a piece of Almonds best chocolate, it lay there on the teachers desk ,its gold wrapper shining. It easily required stealth,the teacher was busy talking on the other side of the room. He had to make a grab for it. Stretching his arms, he grabbed just as he tumbled off his chair. With an ear splitting crack his arm broke. Every kid in the classroom turned his or her head towards him.The teacher stared at him menacingly as she had just parted ways with her chocolate. Which now lay gooey on the floor. Eyes watering in pain he sighed as he was sent to hospital. “Seriously James, another mischief incident. These are becoming too often James Bryon Sicily.” Groaned James Mum as she watched the doctor wrapping up her son's broken arm. “Right before the holidays, I thought you would put on better behaviour.” She emphasised every word. A small Toyota trundled along the dusty lane with way too much baggage that it bent the car slightly off balance. Looking out of the window, James felt crammed in the car, it was hot and stuffy. His spoiled sister greedily chomped on Almonds best chocolate she hadn’t broken an arm for. Mum was snoring loudly and dad was wearing sunglasses under an expressionless face. A minute seemed like an eternity. Finally they arrived at the holiday house. 13 acre wood. If you were thinking that the house was recently built you are wrong. The house was a grand Georgian house that was built thousands of years ago. Exploring the halls of the house James found ancient scottish tapestry, gilded cages and 13 grand bedrooms. But not a single cobweb was found. Down the hallway, through the door of the 13th bedroom James found a bed readily made with silk sheets on the paper white pillow, a box velvet and smooth. Hairs tingle down his spine. He touched it gently.The window blew open. “Whoosh!” A fractured part of a door flew in. Elaborate runes glowed down the oak wood. And a paper tag, quite like the ones you find in shops read: Enter. Thousands of thoughts swirled in his mind. What was the door doing in his bedroom? Why should he enter a door without leaving the house?The door stared back at him. James didn’t know what he was thinking, but he wrenched open the door. Light flooded his vision. Down he went amongst a blaze of confusion. “Thud!”He landed on what seemed to be like water. Water droplets went flying everywhere. Fish got startled and swam away at top speed. James starred as his own two feet planted solidly on the water's surface. “Eeeeek!” A hideous sound echoed beneath the surface. “Jeeeeeeeeeeek” A horrifying sight, a policeman on top of a slimy bestial of a whale. “Do you have the authorization to go to the surface?” “Arnold and I just happened to be patrolling for lawbreakers. You happened to be breaking five of our country’s laws. Namely, you are not even touching water.” The stout and tall policeman showed James a fancy, gold rimmed passport. “You have to wear a government- approved uniform.” He showed James an elaborately trimmed tight ceremonial robe, I personally think it is a reasonable law.” The policeman kept explaining ridiculous laws until… “One more golden rule is that you may never leave the kingdom,the penalty is banishment to the realm of the door.”He shivered, unless the Grand Bruja De Fiona wishes to give her permission which has only happened once. “All the laws you broke are under no charge so I’ll take you down into the main city pronto.” James took one step on to the slimy whale. Down they went. Under the sea he found he could breathe. Fish swirled around the whale like silvery darts. But a giant wall of glittering tentacles. It swayed menacingly. “ That’s a wyvern. “Why should I care?” “This isn’t my world!” Frustration took hold of him. James snorted at the idea that he would ever cross the wall. Until it expanded. Tentacles wrapped around everything. One reached to grab James wrapping around him like an anaconda. It got tighter and tighter. He was gasping for air. He felt a weight in his pocket. A hopeful one. Using all of his strength he grabbed the thing in his pocket. And it was spiky. The tentacle immediately let go of him. James went flying. Technically you can’t fly underwater but he was flung into a library? Books lined the shelf. James wasn’t underwater. Opening a book he found a piece of almonds best chocolate,limited edition. James tore open the wrapper and ate the chocolate. He felt himself going down the books slowly getting bigger.The whole library slowly loomed over him. “Oh no” he thought. “This is bad.” He heard cheering. The sort you find at Sunday's Football game. Hurrying towards it James saw a stadium, in fact it was the colosseum. Its glorious curves seemed to be newly carved.“Welcome to the Grand Bruja De Fiona’s gladiatorial tournament. Of course she never comes, let's get cracking. As James entered the stadium he was met with laughter. “What have we got here, a weak boy!” “He is joining team nerd!” The announcer laughed. James felt his face go red. “TODAYS FIGHTS PRIZE IS THE POTION OF GROWTH!” James didn’t know what that was but it could help him get out of the library. “The Grand Bruja is ever so merciful for our losers, the weak kids over there, so she has requested a forest to be our course for today. Great views, not sure if it works.” The announcer made sure each and every one of the audience heard him. As James looked across to the other team he saw three tall muscly men and three tall muscular women. They all had shining armour on and sharp weapons at hand. James felt confident until he saw his own team. He saw another boy with a book at hand. No sharp weapons. No shiny armour. The girls of his team also had no armour and no razor weapons. “The rules are easy, the victorious team shall rule them all!” “Weapons ready, shields up FIGHT!” “OR RATHER FLIGHT.” Then the teams began erupting in….. insults. “You dumb adult no scallywagging carbuncle could be rotting smelly nuisance like you.” The opposing team was insulted. Then the real fighting started. The nerds vs the bullies. Pairs of axes were brandished in a swirl of silver. The opposing fought with brute force. Swinging heavy hammers it nearly hit a girl with raven black hair. A man ripped away everything in his path, mutilating tree after tree. James scrambled to get out of the way. “Hey, come over here!” A boy about his age beckoned him to come. He was high up on a nearby tree. Then James sprinted like he had never sprinted before. Tripping over a low hanging branch and staggered to the tree. A nearby man zoomed towards him ready to strike with his double sided axe. The man grabbed James’s leg. The other boy reached out and grabbed James by the hand. As you imagine being pulled on both sides wasn’t the most pleasurable thing.Pain engulfed his vision. James made his final struggle onto the tree. He kicked and squirmed. The man levitated off the ground. Wrenching and screaming. James slid swiftly up the grand tree. The boy nervously glanced at the forest floor. “My name’s Oliver Thompson.” His voice was full of terror. “Mines James.” James replied. “Thanks for saving me Oliver.” “No worries, I think these brats down there deserve ten thousand red cards for violating the illegal nudge rule.”The woods grew deadly silent. Too silent. “Hey!” Another voice whispered above them. It was a girl quite like Oliver. “That’s my sister, Skye. Please ignore her.” Then a cold dark voice came out of nowhere. “My name’s Artemis.” A wild looking girl came out of the shadows. Her silver eyes glinted like the moon. “Where are the opposing?” Artemis asked. In unison they looked down, complete silence. James felt the familiar weight in his pocket. He took it out and a transparent glass vial was in the palm of his own hand. “What’s that?”Oliver asked. “When can we get home Oliver? Skye asked. I’m wanna have dinner and continue our holiday?” “Wait your on a holiday, where?” Oliver casually replied “Some place, a Georgian house.” Skye looked at him straight in are you sure?” “Its thirteen acre wood.” “I was there too for a holiday.” Artermis finally spoke. “I found this door, I fell down into this world.” “Hey I think we all did after finding that door.” “Woah that’s cool, this world is like a parallel universe.” Oliver stood back dazed. “How do we get home?” Skye opened her eyes wide, snatching the glass vial she drank its contents. James furiously grabbed it back. Too late, growing back up to her normal size she took the others in the palm of her enormous hand. James gave the other kids a sip. Oliver yelled with delight. James examined himself. He was definitely bigger than a few minutes ago. “Let's all get out of this library, follow me!” Artemis yelled at the top of her voice. The group followed Artemis as she led them through the towering shelves of the library. Each step they took seemed to make the room grow smaller, and soon they were back to their normal size. The group of kids followed Artemis as they made their way out of the colossal library. James marvelled at his increased size, feeling a surge of confidence and strength within him. They emerged into a vast, enchanted forest with towering trees, vibrant flowers, and magical creatures roaming about. Artemis led them through the dense foliage, her silver eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. The group walked in silence, their footsteps barely making a sound on the soft forest floor. As they ventured deeper into the forest, they came across a clearing bathed in golden sunlight. “Wow.” That was the the only words James could utter. The group of newfound allies sat down in the clearing. “So how do we go back.” Oliver asked. “Well do you know who the “Grand Bruja de Fiona”?” James looked into the distance. “Whoever she is, she might be able to help.” So they all set of convinced that the Grand bruja de Fiona was just around the corner. Which she was……….. “Hush!” “I sense moment.”Atermis looked around. “Worlds, reality. Is this really true. Madness deception. My game continues.” A voice echoed around the forest. It was her. the imposing figure of the Grand Bruja De Fiona, cloaked in a dark, flowing robe that billowed around her. Her eyes burned with an intense, malevolent light. James, Oliver, Skye, and Artemis stood united.Unwavering. “Woah, that's a grand entrance.” The silence was broken by Skye. “Have you ever wondered why the solution always comes to you. Manipulation is my game. That isn’t reality. Come let me defeat you outlanders.” “You cannot be in this world. But unluckily Fate,my cousin is on your side. She helped you on this journey. Your journey ends ” Scenes flashed through his eyes The Grand Bruja conjuring the wall of tentacles. The Grand Bruja wielding the power of reality, upon a throne. Then he was in a void of darkness alongside the others. It wasn’t the time or place for that to happen but he thought about almonds' best chocolate. From nothing an imaginary almonds chocolate packet appeared, he opened it expecting chocolate but it was better a chocolate sword. A light bulb lit. “Hey guys imagine what you need.” “Huh?” Artemis had a lot of trouble imagining. Finally a bow appeared. A giant flaming soccer ball appeared then the most horrible thing happened. Skye had imagined a giant unicorn it charged at the Grand Bruja. “Control your imaginary object.” “Charge!” The unicorn hit the bow and arrow. The soccer ball melted the chocolate sword. Each yielded with slightly disappointed“Guys attack at different times.” The Grand Bruja multiplied and tripled. Soon there was a lot of her. James attacked first. He swung the sword. Some chocolate fell off. Some unlucky duplicates got dissolved by the chocolate bits. James smelt the glorious smell of chocolate. The duplicates are “Oliver your turn.” The flaming soccer ball was kicked by an invisible foot. It rocketed straight into a flaming goal post and rebounded. Burning other unfortunate duplicates. Next was Skye's turn. She controlled the unicorn to stampede onto the duplicates. But the duplicates unfortunately disappeared leaving one rising in the air. Artemis stood tall and unwavering. “Courage, friends and do not yield.” She let loose a hail of arrows imbued with pure light. But a powerful shield shielded the Grand Bruja. The shield shimmered with an otherworldly energy, deflecting the arrows with ease. The Grand Bruja de Fiona cackled triumphantly, reveling in her apparent invincibility. But the children refused to be deterred. They knew that they had to find a way to penetrate the shield and defeat their formidable foe. "I won't let you win!" James shouted, his voice filled with defiance. He closed his eyes and focused on the strength within him. Images of the shattered chocolate sword flashed in his mind, reminding him of the sweetness of victory. Drawing on his imagination, James summoned his inner power. He envisioned a surge of energy flowing through him, transforming his entire being. When he opened his eyes, his arm was no longer wielding a mere chocolate sword, but a mighty blade of pure light. With a swift movement, James swung the radiant sword towards the shield. The collision created a dazzling burst of light, temporarily blinding everyone in the vicinity. When the brilliance subsided, the shield had cracked, revealing the vulnerable form of the Grand Bruja The Grand Bruja de Fiona writhed in pain, her illusionary duplicates disappearing one by one. The power of the children's combined attacks was overwhelming, and they pressed on with unwavering determination. But the Grand Bruja was not one to be defeated easily. With a surge of dark energy, she summoned a whirlwind of shadows that enveloped the children, threatening to swallow them whole. The darkness tugged at their spirits, trying to break their will. In a display of immense power, the children channeled their inner light, pushing back against the encroaching darkness. Their combined energy resonated, creating a radiant aura that dispelled the shadows and weakened the Grand Bruja's grip. As the darkness dissipated, the children stood tall and resolute. Their determination had triumphed over the forces of evil. The Grand Bruja de Fiona, weakened and battered, could do nothing but tremble before their unified might.Breathing heavily, they took a moment to collect themselves, their hearts filled with a mix of exhaustion and elation. They had faced unimaginable challenges, but their bond had carried them through. The realms were safe once more, thanks to their bravery and unwavering spirit. As the dust settled and the echoes of the battle faded away, the children exchanged proud smiles. They had not only defeated the Grand Bruja de Fiona but had also discovered the true power of imagination, unity, and the strength that lay within each of them.

Warning: This story has descriptions of demons and giant spiders. Viewer description is advised. THROUGH THE FISSURE CHAPTER ONE: WILBUR One cold, snowy night, a small baby in a potato sack was left on the steps of an orphanage. There was no name tag, no nothing. Nothing to identify who this little person was. His parents, whoever they were, were too poor to properly care for their infant son, and decided to leave him to be taken into an orphanage. This was relatively common in 19th century London, as so many people were suffering and starving. Though, sadly, no place could provide a worse beginning to life than this particular orphanage. One of the orphanage children heard the baby crying while they were dusting the doorway, and brought the child inside. “Hey, Millicent, look. We’ve got another one.” Millicent, the oldest and sort of the leader, sighed. “Oh dear. Well, does it have a name tag?” “No.” “Is it a boy or a girl?” “Uhhhh…” Droned the child, having a quick peek, “It’s a boy.” There was a pause as the 8 orphanage children packed into the one bedroom and thought up a name. “H-h-how a-about -A-A-A-Archibald?” Suggested a stuttering little boy, clutching a grubby pillow like his life depended on it. “BLUURK!!” Went the baby, throwing up. “Definitely not Archibald.” Muttered Millicent. “Caspian?” Somebody said. “What?!” (This is a funny joke because the name “Caspian” had only been coined in the 21st century.) “Ok. Well, how about Wilbur?” Everyone looked at the baby. The baby didn’t throw up. And the baby was henceforth named Wilbur. CHAPTER TWO: CRUELTY The owner of the orphanage was a bitter old boot called Miss Mann. The hairy woman had lost a lot of the hair on her head, but made up for it in the hair on her legs, arms, and face. She would remind the onlooker of a gorilla crossed with a witch. And boy, did she behave like one. She treated the orphans terribly, giving them one little bowl of food every two days, and played horrible tricks on them. A favourite of hers was to declare that there was a bug or a bit of dirt or something like that stuck in the spine of one of her massive hardcover books, and when the child would peer into the book to see, the old hag would slam the book shut so that the child’s nose got caught. At Christmas, all the children would line up, and Miss Mann would pelt them with chunks of charcoal (Thankfully, it wasn’t fresh out f the fire, because then the whole orphanage could burn down) Wilbur suffered all this and more. He yearned so much to be completely free, out on the streets, doing whatever he wanted. He decided that he was going to get his freedom. Some day, somehow… Wilbur walked into the bedroom after a long day of chores. He was tired and hungry. He snatched a smaller kid’s bowl. The poor child was too frail and weak to fight back. Wilbur sat down and ate. Everybody else in the room stared at him in exasperation. Please, their expressions said. Please stop. Wilbur yawned and tucked in. He had felt terrible the first time he did this, but over time he had hardened and stopped caring too much. A rather large brown spider, a huntsman to be exact, crawled across the ceiling. It descended down from the ceiling with a trail of silk. Wilbur reared back in disgust and flicked it halfway across the room where it landed with a plop! in some poor child’s bowl of stinking soup. Suddenly, Miss Mann burst in. “YOU!!” She screeched, jabbing a finger at Wilbur. “COME WITH ME!!” She grabbed Wilbur’s hair and yanked it so he stood up. She quite literally pulled him by the hair to her bedroom. “YOU CALL THIS PLACE DUSTED?!?!?!” She roared, her cheeks red. Wilbur looked around the room. The room looked like an explosion in a flour factory, even though he had cleaned it earlier. “Ummm…no?” “INDEED!! I WANT YOU TO CLEAN THIS ROOM TEN TIMES OVER UNTIL YOU’VE DONE IT TEN TIMES OVER!!!!” Yelled Miss Mann. Then she stalked out, going off to make somebody else’s life a misery. As soon as Miss Mann was gone, Wilbur went right over to the tiny window in her room and resumed chipping at it. It created massive amounts of dust all over the floor. Which was why it was so dusty in the first place. Finally, Wilbur created a big enough hole for him to climb through. But not just yet. He rushed back into the dorms and grabbed a very large, very smelly metal bucket, full of dust, water, the sloppy, disgusting soup that the orphans were forced to eat and just general muck from around the place. He ran back into Miss Mann’s room. “Miss Mann! Come quickly!” The old woman pushed open the door. “What do you wa-“ Her sentence was cut short by a wave of disgustingness that engulfed her. “AAARGH!” Wilbur leapt out of the window and landed head-first in a dumpster. Lovely. He jumped out, and made his escape into the cool night air. He had done it. He was free. CHAPTER THREE: FREEDOM Considering how vain and bitter Miss Mann was, Wilbur thought that she would chase him, so he ran as far away from the orphanage as possible. He ran and ran and ran, and as he ran, the feeling of worry that Miss Mann would give chase faded away. He was free. But then, when he was too puffed to go on and came to his senses a bit, everything around him was unfamiliar. The buildings towered over him, and the dark alleys loomed threateningly, as if they would suddenly lunge forward and gobble him up. His joy melted like an ice block dropped on the pavement, and he curled up into a ball where he was. Suddenly, he heard voices, and the light thudding of shoes. His heart leapt into his throat. It must be Miss Mann. Wilbur leapt into the air as if electrocuted and took off. He couldn’t run for long, and he didn’t. He had to hide. There was a big, dark hole, with steps going down it. It loomed at him, like a giant, gaping mouth, waiting for something to fall in. Wilbur shuddered. But then he remembered Miss Mann and the beatings and the starvation and the work. He jumped down the hole. The hole was connected to a network of tunnels that were supported with wooden posts. He even came across burnt-out lanterns and rickety railways as well. He didn’t know it, but this was an abandoned mineshaft. The mineshaft was cold and dark, and Wilbur was creeped out of his wits. He sat down for a while. Maybe Miss Mann would have gone by now. Yes, probably. Or… SHE COULD BE SILENTLY CLOSING IN ON HIM AT THIS VERY MOMENT!! Wilbur jumped up and ran. Stumbling and panicking in the dark. CLANK!! What was that? A falling pickaxe? Good. Go. This went on for quite a while until he tripped over a railroad, and fell flat on his face. He curled up into a ball and huddled in a corner. He had no idea where he was. He was lost underground. CHAPTER FOUR: LOST Wilbur sat in silence for a while. He almost longed for the rooms of the orphanage. Sure, he was treated horribly, but at least he got food. Almost anything was preferable to knowing that he would starve to death down here alone, in the dark, completely alone. Suddenly, he heard a faint humming noise. Not like a person humming a tune, but a sort of humming, whirring, mechanical sound. He got up and followed his ears. Perhaps the humming noise lead to a way out. Eventually, he came to a dead end. But there was something in front of the dead end. And that something scared the daylights out of Wilbur. CHAPTER FIVE: THE FISSURE It was a giant crack, just floating in the air. It seemed to be leaking out some sort of glowing reddish-brownish-bluish material. It flickered and shuddered, like it was a picture on the screen of a glitchy computer. It seemed… out of place, like it wasn’t meant to be there, like vegetables on a birthday cake. Almost otherworldly, like a big fissure in between dimensions. It called to Wilbur, like a song. As he crept closer, he noticed that on the other side of the fissure, there was another land. It was disoriented by the weird glowing stuff leaking out of it, but Wilbur could make out that it was a largely flat world. He reached out and touched the stuff leaking out of it. He couldn’t feel anything, apart from a slight numbing in his hand. Odd, thought Wilbur as he took a step closer, and stuck his whole arm through the hole. This would prove to be a big mistake. Within about half a second, the glowy stuff leapt out of the fissure and engulfed Wilbur completely, and then pulled him into the crack. Everything was red. And then blue. And then green. And then a colour that has never been seen by human eyes. The world was a mishmash of disoriented images and disembodied sounds. His body rippled and twisted and stretched. He watched as his arm grow, his hand kilometres away, before it retracted and drilled him in the face like a rogue soccer ball. Everything flashed and scrunched up and roared all around him, until everything stopped. CHAPTER SIX: ANOTHER LAND Wilbur awoke yelling his head off. He jumped up and looked down. His body was back to normal. Gone was the infinite kaleidoscope of weirdness, but the place Wilbur found himself in was possibly even more disturbing than that. He was in a barren land with a completely grey sky. The landscape was almost completely flat, with only a few small hills. The ground was carpeted in some sort of wiry, beige grass that swayed in the wind like seaweed underwater. The occasional tree dotted the sparse landscape, and Wilbur swore that he could see them moving out of the corner of his eye. The wind rasped like a dehydrated snake. It seemed like the definition of an unsettling music sting. Not a big fan of unsettling music stings, Wilbur began to panic. Where was he? How had he gotten here? Is this another horrible trick played by Miss Mann? Eventually, Wilbur mustered up enough bravery to speak. He was big for his age. He was strong. He wrestled with Miss Mann once, and nearly won. He liked squashing things smaller than him. Things bigger than him were afraid of him. “Show yourself!” He squeaked, highly disappointing himself. He drew in a deep breath and yelled, “I said, show yourself!!” His voice echoed around the surrounding emptiness. “Show yourself now! I know you’re there!! I know SOMETHING is there!” Still nothing but the reply of his echo. “Arrrghh!” He seethed in frustration. He pulled huge clumps of grass out with his hands, and hurled it as far away as he could. His outburst went on for quite a while, until he pulled up a clump of grass that had a creature attached to it. The creature’s skin was like raw ginger, and in was shaped like a crab. It hung there, staring at Wilbur, who was also staring in absolute shock. The crab-root-plant thing hissed, and tried to pinch Wilbur with its claws. Wilbur dropped it and and crumpled to the floor, unconscious once again. CHAPTER SEVEN: TSK, TSK, TSK Wilbur awoke to a rapid little clicking noise, like a mix of somebody rubbing their dry hands together and clicking their tongue. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wilbur sat up and looked around. It was evening, or whatever you would call it in this strange world, and the clouds were turning purple. The crab-root-plant thing was gone too. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wilbur looked behind himself to the source of the sound. An enormous huntsman spider, about the size of a grand piano, its legs as thick as tree branches, was sitting sitting behind him, staring. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wilbur screamed and jumped up. Movement and thought left him, and he just stood there, in a mixture of shock, confusion, and absolute fear. Wilbur had squashed so many spiders and insects back at the orphanage that he lost count, but he guessed around a million and a half, and for a second he thought that the spider was here to punish him for what he did. But this was no ordinary spider. It wore four monocles that looked like they were rimmed with gold, a navy blue checked coat, and a bowler hat. It had 6 legs that were firmly on the ground, and two others which were clutching some sort of staff or walking stick encrusted with crystals. It also had a very glittery spark in its eyes. Tsk, tsk, tsk, It said. “What were you doing, you foolish delinquent, ripping up the grass like that?” It had a very deep, manly voice, and spoke with almost an echo. “Well? Hmmm?” Wilbur stared at it in horror for a few more seconds and then shook his head in disgust. He was imagining things. He turned and picked up a large rock from the ground, and hefted it high above his head. The spider did not panic, try to scuttle away, or show any fear whatsoever. It just stared at him with a look that said, “You can’t be serious.” Wilbur hurled the rock at the spider. Within a split second, the spider raised one of its legs, and the moment the rock touched it, it shattered, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere. Some of those chunks hit Wilbur, and he felt it loud and clear. That settled it. This was not a hallucination. “Tsk tsk tsk. Bad child. Bad. Do not throw rocks at me.” It jumped up and scuttled towards a large hole in the ground. It paused and looked back up at Wilbur. “Are you coming, or what?” Wilbur reared back. “What?! Nuh-uh. I am not following a spider wearing clothes into a gaping hole in the ground. Where does it even lead to?” He tried to kick the spider, and succeeded, but the spider didn’t ever react. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.” The spider sighed, as if Wilbur hadn’t reached his expectations, and disappeared into the hole. “W-wait!” Cried Wilbur. He looked around at his surroundings again. It was almost completely dark now, and the wind whistled softly through the grasses, creating a long, wheezy moan. Something rustled in the grasses. Wilbur spun around, expecting something to leap out onto him, but nothing happened. A purring sound rang out. But not the sort of purring you would get from a domestic cat when you scratch its tummy in just the right way, but the sort of purring from a tiger that had just seen its prey take the bait of a trap without hesitation. The grass rustled again. “H-help!” Yelped Wilbur. “Come. Tsk tsk tsk.” Whispered a voice as something grabbed him and yanked him down the hole. CHAPTER EIGHT: MARGO Wilbur looked around and found himself in a hollowed-out underground room. It was actually rather spacious, with the ceiling being a good 2.5 metres high, and a nice, wide living space. The walls (if there were any walls) were mostly obscured by bookshelves that were brimming with hardcovers, paperbacks and a few journals. The ground was covered in a spongey carpet, which, under closer inspection, proved to be moss. There was also the tunnel to the outside world, and another tunnel that presumably led to another room. In the middle of the room, there were two long sofas that looked almost completely new. In fact, everything looked freshly dusted and polished. “Tsk tsk. Come. Sitsk. Sorry, sit.” Said the spider. Wilbur cautiously checked under the couch cushions for something like a spring or something else that Miss Mann would put under there, but was surprised to find nothing. “Tsk. My name is Margo Spyder.” Said the spider somewhat warmly. “Your name is mango spider? What a stupid name.” Sniffed Wilbur. Margo frowned. In one move, he leapt off the sofa he was on and scuttled over at alarming speed to Wilbur. “My name is Margo Spyder. With a Y.” Wilbur shrugged, trying desperately to pretend he wasn’t intimidated by the giant spider scowling at him, and failing. “Suit yourself.” Margo crawled back over to the sofa and buried his head in a book. “Name’s Wilbur.” He added somewhat meekly. Margo blinked. “Um…Hey. How…did you make that rock explode?” “The one that you…Tsk…threw at me?” “Yep! That’s the one.” Margo, without looking up from his book, grabbed his staff and tapped it on the ground twice. Wilbur shot up a good 3 metres and banged his head on the ceiling. “Woah! What? What just happened?!” Panicked Wilbur. Margo tapped his stick another time, and Wilbur shrunk back to his original height. “Woah.” He breathed, staring at Margo in amazement. This creature possessed an awesome power. “Hmmmm.” Droned Margo as he crawled into a tunnel to a seperate room. Wilbur followed him, expecting another old fashioned room, but was instead completely blown away. The room had white, concrete walls, and there were these strange moving paintings and gadgets and even a few test tubes and bubbling mixtures. Wilbur, who was living in the victorian era, had no idea that they were computers. Margo dashed over to one of the computers, typed a few commands in and frowned. “Hmmm.” He muttered. “The Arachnid Collective meeting is in 10 minutes.” “The what?” Asked Wilbur. Margo turned around and studied Wilbur for a while. “You are…not an Arachnid. You must wait outside.” Wilbur was confused. “Where am I going? Why can’t I attend the meeting? Stupid Spider! Answer me!” Margo tapped a button on the computer keyboard, and suddenly a bright flash lit up the entire room, and then subsided as quickly as it came. CHAPTER NINE: ARACHNID COLLECTIVE “What was that?!” Screamed Wilbur. “Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk.” Clicked Margo, as if giggling. “Are you laughing at me, eight-legs?!” Wilbur followed Margo out of the room and looked around in shock. Instead of the cosy living room that he came from, Wilbur was in a massive cavern, with theatrical chandeliers hanging from a bunch of stalactites. In there middle there was a large round table with a number of spiders and a number of scorpions. (Not that Wilbur knew what scorpions were, having grown up in London) They all started hissing in some language that was incomprehensible to any eavesdropping human child, much to the frustration of Wilbur, who was leaning against the door and still fuming that he couldn’t attend the meeting. It was just like back at the orphanage. Miss Mann never let him be in any of the meetings with fat officials in black coats where she kissed butts and pretended that she loved the orphans she treated so terribly. But then again, she didn’t let any of the other kids be there either, but Wilbur didn’t care. They could stay in the orphanage for all he cared. But at least Miss Mann spoke English, so Wilbur could eavesdrop and get all the information he needed. But these bloody spiders and whatever the heck those things were (Wilbur had never heard of scorpions, let alone seen one) were talking in their own language. At least, that’s what he thought initially. He realised that the arachnid language was sort of like a hissy, mangled version of English. He could barely understand it, but what Wilbur picked up chilled him to the bone. “Margo…the…child…” “Tsk tsk tsk…” “Tasty yum-yum…” “Must…eat…” “…………” Wilbur almost screamed in both rage and fear. That ruthless trickster! That damn spider was so kind to him at first…but he was actually trying to eat him! Desperately, he rushed over to the computer. On the screen it said, Teleport ready. Press flashing button to activate. Having grown up an orphan, Wilbur had no idea how to read, but luckily there was a picture of a spider pressing a button and being teleported back to Margo’s place, so Wilbur knew more or less what to do. He pressed the button and was whisked away, unknowingly running away from his destiny, his redemption and him being the saviour of an entire universe, for alas, the Arachnid Collective did not plan to eat Wilbur. “Margo…Certain, you are, about the child?” “Tsk tsk tsk. Yes, I am.” “The flipped version, he is?” “Tsk. Yes, he is. I am sure of it. We must not let…him…realise what his alternate is here, and we must also hide the truth from the child, otherwise he could run away, and all life will vanish.” “I would never be able to taste a tasty yum yum fly ever again if I died!” “Tsk tsk. Calm down.” “Worried I still am though, about the child. Our only hope, he is.” “Well, we can mull it over while we eat. Bring out the banquet of roasted flies!” CHAPTER TEN: RUNAWAY Wilbur shot out of the hole like a rocket, trying not to think about the monster he almost encountered earlier. It was fully nighttime, or whatever you would call it in this ridiculous world full of giant man-eating bugs. Wilbur was mainly used to squashing bugs, and he was quite shaken. The moon was shaped like a massive splat of who-knows-what, and it softly glowed a greenish-yellowish colour as little bits of light dripped down onto the world below as if the splat-moon was melting. The grass had seemed to grow with the moon, and it came up to his shoulders. He ran as far away from the hole so when the spiders and bugs worked out that he had escaped, they wouldn’t know where he went. When his breath ran out, Wilbur tried to crouch low into the grass, but it didn’t really help, so he decided to climb a tree. Growing up in a ramshackle brick building, he did not have much to practice on, but he found it surprisingly easy. Meanwhile, back at the hole, the Arachnid Collective had just finished their banquet of roasted flies and where heading their seperate ways. “S-s-sayy, M-m-Margo, w-where is the ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-child?” Margo’s grin disappeared like cupcakes at an elephant’s party. Or, more relevantly, roasted flies at a spider meeting. He sprinted to the magical teleporting room he came from, and sure enough, Wilbur was gone. “TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSKKKK!!!!!!” Yelled Margo in despair as he pounded the keyboard and teleported back to his den. He turned the place upside down looking for Wilbur (Quite literally: He used magic to shift the gravity inside his house upwards) but to no avail. With no time to waste, Margo scuttled out of the hole and followed the trail of flattened grass that Wilbur had carelessly left in his wake. At the same time, Wilbur began settling into his tree. It looked—and was— the easiest thing you could ever climb. It was almost as if the tree wanted Wilbur to climb it. “Well, that’s a first. At least something in this stupid place actually cares about me.” Sulked Wilbur. And that was when the tree curled up its branches and swallowed him. CHAPTER ELEVEN: DARKNESS FALLS “Let me out. Let me ouuut!” Wailed Wilbur, slightly muffled inside the tree. The tree had made a cage of sorts around him, and all he could see was pitch black. A nearby voice began cackling its head off. It was very robotic and stiff, and made Wilbur shiver. Mustering up all his courage, Wilbur yelled, “Show yourself!” The branches parted slightly with a creak, and light streamed into Wilbur’s little room. A horrible, metal skeleton with wires crisscrossing all over it poked its head through one of the cracks and leered at Wilbur. It twitched and gave sparks randomly, as if it was malfunctioning and completely unstable. “I didn’t realise that capturing you would be so easy.” It said monotonously without moving its mouth. Wilbur lurched back and started trying to wriggle through the gaps of the tree-cage. He succeeded. The metal skeleton watched Wilbur run away and sighed. “What a shame. I was hoping more of a challenge. But no, you are just a pathetic, grotty child.” It made a short, sharp whistle and a terrifying, mechanical creature appeared at its side. It was a metal skeleton with wires sticking out all over the place, like its master, but it was huge, about 2 metres tall, and it had very long, very thick arms that were about twice the length of its body with razor-sharp rusted talons. It had a human-looking skull, but with gruesome-looking fangs instead of teeth. The skeleton-man whistled again and pointed at Wilbur, and the skeleton-monster went berserk. It lashed out with its fearsome claws, swiping at Wilbur, only just managing to lunge out of the way before getting sliced. Eventually, Wilbur didn’t duck fast enough and was snatched up. The monster opened its mouth and slowly lowered Wilbur down into the sparking depths of the beast’s metal belly. “Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha.” Laughed the cyborg master. If you could call it that. Margo was still scuttling along the path of flattened grass when he heard roars, screams and monotonous laughing. As he cleared a rolling hill, he froze. There was a giant metal cyborg monster about to eat the child who could save the multiverse. Margo bolted over and bodyslammed the creature, causing it to drop Wilbur and fly into a weird-looking nearby tree. “Margo!” Said Wilbur, happy to see the giant spider for once. “Tsk tsk. Idiot. Don’t you dare run away again.” “Yeah, yeah…” Suddenly, the mechanical terror leapt and crash-tackled Margo. And so a furious battle began. Margo had eight legs, and had magic on his size, but the mech had those horrible claws and sharp teeth that could rip one of Margo’s legs off. “Wilbur. Take out Grinder, the other metal skeleton. Its controling this thing—ugh!” Grinder, for that was its name, recoiled at this and looked at Wilbur in alarm. Wilbur stared at the metal skeleton and tried to look intimidating. It was skinny and gangly, and Wilbur was big and strong. It didn’t look so tough. But it wasn’t finished yet. It garbled malevolently and jumped into the air, slamming its foot on the ground like the world’s crankiest toddler. A gaping crack appeared in the ground between Wilbur and grinder. It looked like it went down for miles. “Jump. Wilbur.” Yelled Margo desperately as he was pummelled by the mechanical monstrosity. “I can’t!” He called back. The rift was getting wider and wider. The more Wilbur hesitated, the bigger it seemed to get. “GO!” Bellowed the spider. Wilbur gritted his teeth and jumped. He cleared the rift by a good half a metre and landed smack bang on Grinder. Quick as a flash, Wilbur grabbed a handful of wires and ripped them out. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh…” Screamed the skeleton flatly as it fizzed, sparked and died. The mechanical beast Margo was battling flipped onto its back and began throwing sparks and waving its limbs and claws in the air like a dying insect. Margo threw a swift punch to its head, which then caved in and the beast stopped wriggling. “Tsk tsk tsk tsk. You. Did. It. Wilbur.” Said the spider. “No. We did it.” And for the first time ever, Wilbur saw another person in his life as a friend. CHAPTER TWELVE: HIM A few minutes later, the entire Arachnid Collective had caught up with Margo. One of them, a giant scorpion, in a green plaid suit, surveyed the scene. “Hmmmmm. L-l-looks l-like w-w-we missed all the f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-fun.” “I wouldn’t call it that.” Muttered Wilbur. Margo turned to Wilbur. “Tsk. It seems, Wilbur, that we owe you an apology. We kept the truth from you at first, because we were afraid that you would be daunted by the responsibility and run off.” Wilbur snorted, but not angrily, more in amusement. “Well, that didn’t work. I overheard a part of your conversation. I thought you were going to try to eat me…” Wilbur’s voice trailed off as he looked around him in horror as he remembered what they said. “You’re not, are you?!” He asked in panic. “What?! No!” Cried the scorpion. Wilbur calmed himself with logic. If they were going to eat him, now would be a perfect time, because he is tired, injured, and surrounded. But still, he decided to watch his back around them. “More to the point, what was THAT?!” He yelled, pointing at the smoking metal skeleton lying on the grass a few metres away. The scorpion sighed and took a deep breath. “That, my boy, was Grinder. Grinder is one of…his…mercenaries.” “Who is ‘he’?” Asked Wilbur. The Arachnids looked at eachother and nodded at eachother silently. “‘He’ Is a demon who plans to destroy us and any other creature in the multiverse who opposes him.” He let this sink in. “Many years ago, we managed to defeat and corner him. But, being the extremely sore loser he is, he used massive amounts of black magic to vanish into the depths of the multiverse. As a part of the magic that resides in everything, he began creating a rift in between our universe and your universe. Only then did we discover that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of different universes. “We also realised that the longer…he…was a part of the fundamentals of the multiverse, the more he gained control of it. Already the rift has widened by about a metre, and we have noticed differences and distortion in the way our universe operates. “We knew if we left this long enough he would come to control the entire multiverse, so we knew how to stop it, but we didn’t know how. Until we found a chink in his armour. Only one week ago, Margo here experienced a vision where he told us to give up and take cover, as the end was about to occur. But then he made a critical error. He said that no amount of magic would ever be able to stop him. But he revealed more than he realised. By saying that, we realised that he quite literally gave us the answer—only a non-magical being could stop him and save the multiverse. Unfortunately though, no creature in our universe is non-magical, so we knew that we somehow had to lure a non-magical creature from another universe. So we reached through and contacted you on a magical level, and lured you here.” Margo felt a bit bad lying to Wilbur, but he knew it was for the best. Wilbur paused as he digested what Margo had told him. “Who is ‘him’? Does he have a name?” There was a pause. “Probably.” Piped up a bored-looking house spider at the back. “But we don’t know it. His mercenaries just call him ‘His darkness.’ And it’s not like he’s introduced himself properly.” “And…I’m supposed to defeat him? A freaking demon? All by myself?!” Spluttered Wilbur. “No! Tsk tsk tsk. Of course not! You’ll have us.” Said Margo, gesturing around him at the spiders and scorpions. “Uh…How many more…creepy guys like that weird robot guy does he have?” The spiders shrugged with all four shoulders and the scorpions scratched their heads. “We dunno.” Wilbur sighed. “Could you at least tell me you have a plan?” “That depends.” “On what?” “It depends on wether or not you’ll get angry if we say we don’t.” Wilbur sighed. “Well, we do have something…” Began Margo. CHAPTER THIRTEEN: BATTLE ROYALE “CHARGE!” Bellowed Wilbur, holding an enchanted cutlass and leading a small group of spiders and scorpions (Including Margo) toward a looming fortress. The fortress was an ashy black all over, with vibrant flashes of rainbow-coloured light leaking through the gaps in the brickwork. Distorted, ugly disco music rang out, echoing about the hills. It looked and sounded terrifying, and Wilbur was terrified, but he knew he would have to stay confident if it was to work. The bored-looking house spider (Who actually looked quite nervous now) summoned a fireball and hurled it at the towering wall of the fortress. The fireball slammed against the bricks, but unfortunately, it did not do anything more than to alert all the creatures inside they were under attack. The terrible disco music stopped, and Wilbur heard a few glasses of who-knows-what smash to the floor. There was silence. Suddenly, right where the fireball had hit, a hatch swung open. A yellow, reptilian eye on the end of a very long stalk poked out and gave the small group below a very dirty look. The house spider threw another fireball and the creature disappeared. For a few seconds, there was silence, and it was deafening. Finally, a mid-sized section of the wall came crashing down and out came a crowd of strange and terrible creatures. Wilbur and the Arachnids and the terrible creatures commenced with a battle that shook the land around them, scorched the grass underneath them and left bodies strewn over the battlefield. Fireballs exploded like thunderclaps. Lightning lit up the sky. And Arachnids and creatures alike screamed in pain. Amidst all the chaos, Wilbur managed to sneak past and into the fortress. It was dark and sweaty in there, and it reeked of some horrible drug or drink that the monsters were obviously binging on. Looking back to the battlefield, he noticed that a few of the enemies looked unsteady and a bit wobbly. Something in that castle made Wilbur’s heartbeat quicken, and he felt like screaming his head off. He felt flustered, desperate and angry all at the same time. There was something entirely unnatural happening in that fortress. He rounded a corner, and this time he actually did scream. There was a big, fat floating ball about the size of a melon just sitting there, slowly bobbing up and down. It had stalks growing all over it with little growths that looked like mould on the end of them, and Wilbur had nearly run smack bang right into it. At the sound of Wilbur’s scream, it spun around. It had one humongous eyeball at the centre of its face, and that was it. Wilbur quickly flattened himself against the wall so that it wouldn’t see him. But then, a very peculiar thing happened. It closed its eye, but when it opened it again, the eyeball had turned into a nasty, hooked nose! It sniffed the air like a bloodhound. Wilbur’s heart was almost crawling up his throat. Probably the most scary feeling of all was being in the most pathetic hiding spot and knowing that a monster is trying to find you. Eventually, it found him. Wilbur yelped and punched the monster right in the eye/nose, who screeched and reeled back. Wilbur shoved past in and bolted down the corridor… Causing the floor to fall down beneath his feet and sending him plunging down, down, into darkness. CHAPTER FOURTEEN: FINALE When Wilbur came to, he was chained by the wrists and ankles to what felt like a cold, grotty piece of metal. He was in a dark, damp and humid room, completely surrounded by dark red bricks. Wilbur looked up and, lo and behold, was the fissure. In the time that had passed it seemed like it had grown and changed colour, like an open cut weeping and swollen with infections. The demon was coming closer and closer to ultimate domination. “Master-r-r-r, I have brought-t-t you the child-d-d-d.” Garbled the voice of that strange, ball-like creature with the multi-use eye. The fissure rumbled, hissed, and spat like some especially rude sausages frying in a pan. The swirling colours inside it formed something that could almost be called a face. It had two pure red eyes, and a wide, bloody mouth with jagged, mismatched teeth. “Gooooooood…” It said. Its voice was extremely loud, and filled the air all around it like thunderclaps. Wilbur tried to cover his ears, but he couldn’t because he in chains. “Vvvvery good. Now, get lost.” The floating ball quickly floated out. It was evident it was just as terrified of the demon as Wilbur was. Although…there was something familiar about its voice. Had he heard it before? In my nightmares, maybe. Thought Wilbur sullenly. The face in the fissure cackled, and everything around it was engulfed in blinding white light. Suddenly, Wilbur was standing up. His chains had simply disappeared. The fissure had gone a deep inky black, like it was glowing darkness. Somewhere in the distance, Wilbur could hear a mechanical humming sound. Other than himself, the weird humming sound and the silhouette of the fissure, Wilbur was completely alone in a void of white nothingness. At the sound of footsteps he jerked up, and scanned the surrounding area. The fissure had morphed into a figure, still silhouetted. It was short, about the same size and stature of Wilbur. It stopped. The darkness of the silhouette dissolved, and Wilbur reared back in shock, for the person standing right in front of him was… Himself. It was exactly the same as Wilbur in every shape and from, except that his irises (the colourful bit of the eye) were a deep, burning, crimson red, and it wore elegant, black robes instead of tattered, unwashed clothes that probably used to be flour sacks. Wilbur’s breath was whisked away from him. “What…Are…You?” Wilbur managed to gasp out in horror. “I AM you.” Responded the demon simply. “I am the mirrored version of yourself. Unlike you, I grew up in a wealthy mansion, with parents who trained me to be the marvellous creature I am now. I grew up cherished, and I did not have to do a single thing for myself.” Wilbur was screaming inside his head. Why did THIS horrible thing get loved and cherished? Why not HIM?! All HE got to do was constantly work, work, work, be yelled at, beaten, starved and ordered to do more work. “But,” Continued the demon, “You still have a chance. I am so generous, in fact, another by-product of my upbringing, that I am giving one to you.” He flicked his hand and out of the void, a door appeared. It didn’t seem to have any description to apply to it, it was just a door, like it was an abstract, half-forgotten thought in somebody’s mind. Wilbur found himself inching closer and closer. “Open it.” Hissed the demon. Wilbur got ever closer until the tip of his nose was brushing against the door. “I said OPEN IT!!” Screeched the demon, shivering a little. Wilbur opened it, and inside was one of the most delighting sights Wilbur had ever seen in his life. There was a gleaming kitchen with ornaments, flowers and the sweet smell of some kind of delicious meal wafting through it. There were no bloody knives. No grot. No rats scampering about the place licking the bloody knives. It was perfect. And no ugly old boot shuffling around in there tapping a rolling pin against her hand like she wanted to murder someone with it. And then it got even better. “Wilbur!” Called a rather pretty woman. “Dinner time!” That must be my mother. Thought Wilbur without even realising it. He had fallen into a happy, almost thoughtless stupor. “Wilbur!” Cried a rather handsome man, walking into the kitchen. That must be my father. Thought Wilbur again. He smiled and laughed softly, descending deeper and deeper into the illusion. “Where is that boy?” Asked Wilbur’s mother. The father shrugged. “Perhaps he’s upstairs playing with his toys.” Upstairs! Toys! Wilbur almost fainted with delight. It was almost too perfect to be true. And this was when Wilbur snapped out of it and realised that it was. “NO!” Yelled Wilbur, eyes wide in panic. “This is wrong. It can’t be real!” Wilbur turned around to see the demon standing there with its eyes shut and holding out its hand. A funny-looking trail of mist was streaming out of it. Wilbur followed it with his eyes. The mist expanded and coloured itself in to create the pictures that made up the scene before him. Wilbur, beyond words by now, exclaimed in rage and slammed the door shut, catching the demon’s fingers in it. The demon made a noise louder than Wilbur had ever thought possible, and began making the most horrific, inhuman, rasping, strangled screeches as it writhed around on the floor. Aha! Though Wilbur. If I can hurt it by slamming its fingers in the door, then I must be able to destroy it! Just as it began to stand up, Wilbur crash-tackled it to the ground. And so, a furious brawl began. They rolled around on the ground, punching and strangling eachother. The doorway that Wilbur had almost been lured into no longer showed a lovely kitchen and loving parents, but the edge of a charred cliff where a sea of lava churned beneath it. That was the world Wilbur had almost stepped into. As Wilbur was realising this, the demon shoved Wilbur over and onto the edge of the crumbling cliff. “Goodbye, Multiverse’s last hope.” Growled the demon, before bursting out into shrieks of hysterical laughter. As it reached through the doorway to close the portal, Wilbur saw his last chance. He grabbed the demon’s arm, yanked it through the doorway and spun it toward the cliff. It stood there wobbling for a few seconds, teetering on the edge of life and death. Yes…YES! Thought Wilbur. But no. The demon balanced itself back over. “Haha. Whew! I have to admit you almost had the jump on me there for a sec. Nice try. But FUTILE.” Snarled the demon. And with that, the overhang of cliff that the demon was standing on promptly crumbled and dropped him into the churning sea of molten rock below him. The demon shrieked in fury as it fell into the lava and immediately started melting. It formed scaly, dragon-like wings and began flapping with all its might, but the lava was stickier than superglue, and it held the demon tight. The demon continued to morph into an impossible amount of people, creatures and monsters, in a blind rage denying that it had been outwitted. It turned into a giant troll-looking creature with tiny wings on its head, a dinosaur with two, giant gnashing heads, all the while shrieking and bellowing and roaring with all its might. Eventually, when the noise subsided and the demon sunk down into the lava, Wilbur knew that it was finally defeated. EPILOGUE Wilbur sped across the pavement of a street in 19th century London, bursting with excitement. He passed all the landmarks he had stared at, miserably looking out the window of his room in the orphanage. “Huff…Tsk tsk…Puff…Tsk tsk…” Panted Margo, tiring slightly under the weight of Wilbur on his back. “You…Really…Need…To…Go…On…A…Diet. Tssssk.” Gasped Margo as they screeched to a halt at their destination. “Oh, shush.” Muttered Wilbur playfully. A sign above them read, “OR HANAGE.” “Or hanage?” Said Margo incredulously. “Somebody’s taken the P! Wow, it feels like ages I haven’t been here.” They walked up the steps, which Margo deemed “Unworthy for a spider to use” after he tumbled down them a few times and simply jumped up and over them and crashed through the doors. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Roared the unmistakable voice of Miss Mann. Then she saw the giant spider standing amongst the remains of her door. “AAAAUUUGGGHHHH!!” Then she noticed Wilbur standing next to it. “You…” She said. “Uh-oh.” Muttered Wilbur to Margo. “Here it comes.” “YOU!!! HAVE!!! MISSED!! ALL!! YOUR!! CHORES!!!!” Bellowed Miss Mann. “I WANT YOU TO DO ALL OF THE CHORES YOU MISSED IN UNDER TWO HOURS!!! GET TO WOOOOORKK!!!!!!” She screamed. “Tsk tsk. She’s worse than you said.” Whispered Margo to Wilbur. And with that, he leapt over to Miss Mann and pinned her to the ground. By now, a great number of children had gathered around and were cheering as the spider lifted the bulky Miss Mann above his head, who began parading her around like she was a trophy and Margo had come first place in some gruelling competition. “PUT ME DOOOOOOWN!” Howled the old hag. With that, Margo promptly dropped her head-first into a chamberpot. All the children cheered loudly, truly happy and free for the first time in their lives. Wilbur chuckled gleefully at this old memory. He had a long, grey flowing beard now, and lived in a grand old home. A rather large brown spider, a huntsman to be exact, crawled across the ceiling. It descended down from the ceiling with a trail of silk. It landed on his hand. Wilbur looked down at it and smiled. The End. (∩🌔 ͜ʖ🌔)⊃━☆ﾟ.*