The Cursed Blessing : Chapter 3

 

The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 3

The next day, Sirena was once again woken up by Arianna, who handed a white dress, but Sirena suggested something more easier to walk in. So Arianna chose a new outfit, a black top and jeans. After getting showered, she swept her hair into a ponytail and went down to the dining hall to find a plate of pancakes awaiting her. She was informed that Chris was eating in his room, Dina was studying, and Lord James and Lady Ella had left to an emergency trip to Dubai. Sirena decided to find Dina first, then go to Chris' room.

      She ate hungrily, the pancakes were extremely delicious. She then set out to find Dina's studying room in the mansion. After half and hour of going around in circles, she found herself in front of the studying room's door.  

      " Hi Sirena, what's up? " Dina asked as her breathless cousin entered her room and interrupted her studying.

         " What's up? " exclaimed Sirena. " Do you know how hard it is to find you in here? " she burst out. Before Dina could apologize, Sirena continued talking. " Anyways, I wanted to ask, are you busy? " 

        " Uh, yes, I have exams next week. " replied Dina sadly.

      " Oh, that's fine.. Great actually. " " Bye! " called Sirena before going out the door.

         Dina frowned. Sirena looked too happy to find her busy. Dina couldn't worry about that anyways. She drank a glass of water and plunged headfirst into the interesting world of science.

      ' Next stop, Chris' room.' thought Sirena as she came out. 

        " Knock knock!" " Yes? Its not locked!" called Chris as Sirena stepped inside. 

    She looked around the room. It was a mess. Things were scattered all around the room. Sirena picked up a stack of papers that a mini-printer spat out and made her way to Chris, who was typing furiously on his laptop.

      "Chris? Umm, what is going on here? " she questioned curiously.

         " Oh its you, I thought it was Lord James, or Lady Ella or Di...." 

            " My uncle and aunt are overseas and Dina is studying. So I thought we could explore the gardens? " Sirena interrupted him. 

      " Oh. Well, I was doing some research about that light you saw. Turns out, only a handful of people have seen it, but nobody knows what it is." he concluded. 

        "O...K..so, are you ready?" she asked.

         "Yeah, just let me...oh thanks. That was my homework," he added as Sirena handed him the papers earlier. 

        " Your homework? Why wasn't it done earlier?" she frowned. Her homework was always on time, and she had TOLD Chris to finish his before they came here. 

        "Umm, I kinda forgot.." he said hesitantly. 

        Sirena sighed. "  Whatever. Hurry up." and she went out of the room. 

      While waiting, Sirena looked out on the gardens, trying to find something unusual. Noting though, the flowers were just blooming, the gardener gardening, the sun blazing, all as usual. She leaned against the windowsill and let the breeze push her hair everywhere. Soon, something came over her, and she just left the mansion. Her heart hammered wildly like before.

      " Sirena? Where are yo.." Chris started calling her, but stopped when he saw Sirena. " OK. I'm done. Let's go! " "Sirena? " he cautiously questioned. Chris tapped her shoulder.  " Sirena? "he called her again. Chris gasped as he felt Sirena go limp in his arms. " SIRENA!" he shouted, his eyes wide with horror. 

      He took some water from his backpack and sprinkled a few drops on her face.  After a few seconds ticked by....

" AAHH!" Sirena shouted, gasping for air. 

       " Sirena! What happened to you?" asked Chris, relieved. " Oh, my head" she moaned. Chis handed her some water. Once she got a hold on herself, she explained what had happened.

      "So, you didn't feel anything at all, until I um, woke you? " Chris reconfirmed. 

" Yes. What is happening to me?" she said, shaking with worry and fear.

      " The curse of the family is what's happening to you," came a man's voice from behind.                 " Not a curse, a blessing if it can be reversed." corrected a lady's voice. Sirena and Chris were startled, and looked around, trying to find the source of the voices.

      A man accompanied by a beautiful lady emerged from the shadows behind them. 

        "Well, whatever it is, I don't like it," the old man whined. 

        " Come on now Jerold, its our job to help them and whining won't help. " the lady scolded the man.

      Sirena took a good look at the both of them. The lady wore a red dress. Her face looked determined and fierce,  and in her right hand, she held a brown wand, made of ' unicorn hair? How do I even know that? And who they?" thought Sirena mid-way.

      As if reading her thoughts, the lady's fierce features relaxed, she put away her wand and said, " Let me introduce myself. I'm Sally and this is Jerold. We are the guardians of this family. Your family. " she pointed at Sirena. 

        " Guardians of my family? Does every family have a guardian then? " she questioned the young lady in front of her.

        " Oh yes. But let's worry about that later shall we? " she trailed off. " Jerold?" she called.

      " Al'right, al'right. I'm Jerold'. I'm her helper. " he said helper like it was an insult. 

        " And what do helpers do? " asked Chris, who had now recovered from his surprise. 

        " They help the guardians." cut in Sally.

 Now, Sirena tore her gaze off Sally to look at Jerold. He was a man around 40 years old, had a kind face, wore a pair of grey shoelace sneakers, with a dark blue shirt and black pants. 

      " Now, let us explain..." began Sally, her face back to being fierce.

      

      

                                                              Sirena's outfit for the day

                                                                   The mansion's gardens

      

                                                                 Sally, the guardian ( with fierce face )

                                                                       Sally, now smiling 

                                                                 Jerold, the helper guardian.

                                             

      

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The Cursed Blessing : Chapter 2

 The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 2

Before knocking, Sirena's head started to hurt. She knocked anyways. 

    " Come in! " Chris called. She opened the door and stepped inside. Chris was lying on a blue patterned bed. " What is it? " he asked, sitting up.

     " Nothing. I mean, I was...I " Sirena stammered. Her heart started beating unnaturally fast. Chris got up, closed the door and turned to face her.

     " Pardon me? " he asked.

         " I saw, the light.." she muttered before fainting. Chris caught her just before she hit the floor. 

      When she came to, she found anxious faces peering at her. She blinked, and focused her eyes. Dina was standing with her eyes wide, Chris, with a worried face, and a man in between them, who was checking her pulse. ' A doctor' she assumed. 

      When they saw she was awake, they stepped back. " Sirena! Are you okay? What happened?" Dina shouted. 

    Sirena winced. " Who is that? " she asked, completely ignoring Dina's exclaims. 

        " A doctor who has kindly offered his services ," answered Chris , his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed at the "kind doctor" who looked like a evil man.

      " Ah, you had us worried for a minute there, " the doctor said, his voice husky and low. " I' m Doctor Sharp. A pleasure to meet you. " he introduced himself with a swift nod as if Sirena was a military general or something. " I was wondering when you would wake up. Perhaps, at dinner? " he joked, although his face showed extreme hatred towards her.

        

         Sirena wondered what was up with him. ' I'll ask Dina. ' she resolved. 

            " Sirena needs rest, why don't we leave her alone? " Doctor Sharp suggested, his tone of voice making it clear he would not take no as an answer. He obviously wanted Sirena to be left alone, but why?

      " Umm, yes, get well! " called Dina over her shoulder. Before she went out, Sirena called her.

     " Dina! Wait. I need to talk to you. Chris too. The doctor can leave. Thank you for reviving me. " she thanked the doctor even though he hadn't done anything to revive Sirena earlier. 

      Doctor Sharp nodded his head once more, gathered his things, and left reluctantly. " Why does he hate me so much? " asked Sirena, getting to the point. 

    " He didn't like your father very much. I'm afraid its just old hatred and revenge,  aimed at you now that your father is dead." answered Dina. " But he is an excellent doctor. He might look like an evil king, but he knows his stuff. " added Dina. 

      "Oh ok. Thanks Dina. You better go now, you have to get ready for dinner. I heard Lord James is having a small party tonight." Sirena said. " Yes he does! I'll have to go bye! " she called as she raced out of the door. Chris gave a small laugh. 

        " What's so funny? " Sirena asked him. " I see how you are related, you both always forget the most exciting things! " he laughed to himself.

         " Oh come on, I don't forget PARTIES. I love parties." said Sirena, smiling.  

          "  Whatever. What did you want to tell me? " Chris asked, still laughing. 

     " Right. So this is why I fainted. " Sirena explained all the strange events that took place earlier, and told Chris her feelings. 

        " A glowing light, in the garden ? " he questioned, his face now serious. " Yes. " Sirena answered. " Wow." said Chris. " OK, I'll search about it. Bye." he said, closing the door behind him. 

      Sirena gave a big sigh. She looked around. She was in a room that was purple and blue in colour, her favourite colours. It struck her that this was her room while she stayed here. Her cosmetics was neatly arranged on a dressing table, and beside the wardrobe stood a full length mirror. She got out of bed, opened the wardrobe and found many dresses that were ironed and hung.

      She slipped back into her bed and fell asleep until she was woken up by a maid.

     " Wake up! Wake up! Its almost time for the party!" a maid exclaimed, shaking Sirena.                    " What? Who are you? " Sirena asked groggily. 

        " I'm your personal maid, while you stay here. My name is Arianna." said the maid, curtsying. 

      " My maid? Arianna? Oh, cool." Sirena replied.

         "Yes" Arianna said, curtsying again.

         " Please don't curtsy at me, I'm just a person, like you." added Sirena.

         " OK, what's your name?" asked the maid. 

        " Sirena. Sorry, I should have said that earlier. " said Sirena. 

        " Not a problem," replied the young lady as she cheerfully closed the curtains. Then Arianna opened her wardrobe and took out a beautiful purple silk dress until the knees. It swirled at the bottom of the skirt. 

      After a hurried shower, Sirena put on her dress and Arianna did her hair up in an elegant bun, slipped into her heels and led her down to the staircase in the hall. Chris was there, dressed in a tuxedo, and looked rather smart. Arianna left Chris to escort Sirena down to the ballroom and went down to greet and welcome the guests.

     Fancy carriages stopped one at a time in front of the mansion. Lords, ladies dukes and duchess and even some of the city's residents stepped out all dressed in their finest clothes, the man wearing suits while the ladies wore beautiful evening gowns. Sirena observed the evening gowns and admired their fine details and patterns. Each gown was unique in its own way. There were pink gowns, blue gowns, multicoloured gowns, and even patterned gowns. 

       Guards stood alert at the gates of the mansion looking out for anything suspicious. There wasn't a need to worry though, as the party went on without a mishap.

     The ladies' dresses twirled around them as their partners spun them around during the dance.  A DJ was playing the most latest songs to dance too. The dark ballroom was now filled with a colourful disco light and Sirena enjoyed herself thoroughly.

      They had another tasty feast, this one even more laden with food than their lunch.  Lamb chop, with hundreds of sandwiches, each with a different filling were put in floral patterned dishes along with cold drinks. Delicious deserts such as chocolate fudge brownies and ice cream in various flavors were on the buffet table. Both Sirena and Chris stuffed themselves and talked with all the guests. It was past midnight when they bid each other a good night and went to their respective rooms to sleep.

      

Sirena's Outfit

                                                    Sirena's Wardrobe

                                     

                                                  The Disco Ballroom

The Cool DJ

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The Cursed Blessing : Chapter 1

The Cursed Blessing

Chapter 1

"And this, my dear niece and friend, is the most beautiful portrait of me in this entire mansion! This tapestry represented out ancestors....." Lord James droned on. 

      Dina, his daughter, rolled her eyes at her cousin who was visiting her for the first time since they were born. They didn't see each other much, but they chatted online. Finally, they had been able to see each other. Not to mention that she had brought along her friend Chris, along too. Sirena thought back to when she had first gotten the invite to stay in Dina's mansion for a month.

      She had felt excited, but then she felt weird too. She had never met her before, so it would be strange to see Dina after all this time. Dina had mentioned in her latest email to bring along a friend too. Sirena decided to bring Chris along. Since their other friends were not around, Chris had agreed. 

      The next day, they took a train to the next city, and was picked up by her uncle's private chauffeur. Chris was just gaping at everything in the mansion, while Dina hugged and chattered with Sirena. 

      Their maid, Madame Rosie, looked on with a sour face, despite her name. Not that Sirena minded though. She had known that some people would hate her. Her father was not on good terms with  her uncle when he still lived , thus the separation. Her aunt had been away, so Selina did not see Lady Ella until lunchtime. 

         Lord James had insisted on giving them a private tour of the humongous mansion, pointing out different paintings and their meanings. They had agreed, so here they were. 

      Sirena gave Dina a look of pity and glanced sideways at Chris. He stifled a yawn, and Sirena nudged him. He looked at her and mouthed "BORING!".

      Sirena nodded and pointed at the clock. " 5 more minutes until lunch" she mouthed back.

     Chris nodded unhappily. 

    Sirena understood. 'Who would want to look at portraits of Lord James for 2 whole hours anyways?' she wondered.

      DING! The grandfather clock in the hallway struck 1:00 p.m. Chris heaved a big sigh, and they made their way to lunch. A great feast was laid out on the table." Wow!" exclaimed Chris. 

      Sirena was amazed too. She had to remind herself to close her mouth from gaping. Back home, they hardly had such luxurious food at all. Forget a feast, this was an all-you-can-eat buffet!

      A big roasted chicken was in the center, surrounded by various dishes of vegetable, potatoes and fruit salads. Beside each glistening white plate, a tall crystal glass looked impatient to be filled. Nearby, two large pitchers of cool barley and refreshing lemonade stood, waiting to be served. 

      Plush red cushions were situated on every chair, making it look cozy. The air conditioner cooled the atmosphere, and everyone was grateful for the coldness, for it was blazing outside. 

      Lord James invited them to sit down, and Sirena thanked him for the magnificent feast but he brushed it off saying that they were the guests of honor. 

      So, Sirena and Chris dined with Dina, Lady Ella, who had just returned.  Lord James was seated at the head of the long dining table. They said their prayers, and started eating. The servants and maids of the household dined with them too.

      Lady Ella, who had a small appetite, finished her share and daintily wiped her mouth with a clean napkin. Then, she turned eagerly to Sirena, who had also finished eating, and questioned her about her family and friends. Sirena answered all her questions. When Lord James started talking with Chris, and the servants and maids were chattering amongst themselves, it begun to get a little noisy. Lady Ella and Sirena retreated to the living room and sat on beanbags and talked and laughed.

      After an hour, Sirena excused herself to find Chris. The servants told her that he was in his room. Following the directions she received, Sirena went along the hallway to his room. She glanced outside the big window and saw something glowing. She blinked, and it was gone. Had she imagined it? Probably. She looked in front and saw a sign that read,

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My Life Story - Part 1

       This is the story of a young, teenage girl as she lives her life. This is the story of her life,how she lived, what she faced,its all here, in this story I wrote.Everything in this story is almost 100% true.Let's start now, without the once upon a time of course.

      "Hi! I'm Harry Potter! Who are you?" "I'm Se.." A dragon appeared, breathing fire and scorching tees."AAHH!" People screamed.A child fell in the fire.Chaos broke out.Selina's heart pounded.Her eyes opened, and she sat up, wide awake. That was not the only thing that woke her though.

      "Bambambam!"Someone hammered on the door. 'oops,' she realised,that she had forgotten to unlock the door last night.' The only important rule broken..' she thought disappointedly as she opened the bolt.

      The door flung open,and her extremely angry father stormed in. He opened his mouth to speak. 'Here it comes,' thought Selina. And it did.HEr father shouted at her. 

      "What did I say about locking your door,Selina?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. "I told you not to lock it didn't I ? DON"T LOCK IT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND???" Selina cringed at the sound." Now, now,what's the matter?" asked her mother coming up the stairs." Did she lock her door again?Oh, yes she did." Her mother quickly went down again before she was shouted at too. 

      Her father took no notice. He was a very quick- tempered person,and when this happened, he found fault in everything around him.

      And now, he was walking around her room, "inspecting" he called it. 'And UH-OH!'realised Seina with horror, ' my headphones! '.Before she could do anything,her father snatched it up. As I said earlier , her father now found fault in all of the things surrounding him, he now confiscated it and went out muttering ,"oh yes,this'll teach her. " .The door shut, and Selina found tears in her eyes.

      She was very sad and angry, adn part of her wanted to scream at her father and snatch it back. But the sensible part of her, fearing her father, made sure she didn't land herself in more trouble. She sobbed on her bed angrily. Music was her solution,it took her to places where everything was alright. It was her comfort, when she lay in her bed at night, wen she was angry or troubled. It was what helped her cope with her everyday life,her mother's complaints,her family, friends' problems.It was like her life.

     Now that it was taken away,along with her access to the Internet, she was clueless on how to handle herself. 

      

      

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The Fantastic Four Cousins : The Unofficial Queen (3)

       " Where are we going? " asked Raju. " To the palace of Maromir. " replied Neil, taking great long strides towards the exit of the forest. The children had to jog to keep up to him. "Aren't you a wizard? Why can't you just magic us out of here, to the palace? " asked Deva, panting.

      " My dear boy," said the wizard. " if I could, I would. But, unfortunately, I can't. My powers have gone weak inside that fiery prison you all freed me from.But not to fear, I will get my powers back when we go to Mount Snowji, the only mountain in the kingdom that can give me back my powers." he said thoughtfully.  

      "Then why are we going to the palace?" asked Aisha, confused. " Too late," muttered Gowri. They were at the palace! A humongous, old-looking palace stood in front of them. The children gasped. It was awesome!

      " To answer your question, girl, we have to get the map of the kingdom and ........... " his voice trailed off." Anyways, what are your names? " asked Neil, for the children had not introduced themselves earlier." Oh, my name's Aisha, " she said. The others too introduced  themselves quickly, for this was done under the scorching sun, and they wanted to get some shade.

      "Let's go inside," said Neil. The children went in, and stood in awe. Unlike the outside, this looked very modern and comfy. The walls were covered with pictures of the royal ancestors, and the rooms were furnished beautifully. Even the door handles were carefully carved from wood, so that every detail could be seen clearly. Plush red carpets were laid out, wall to wall. Let's just say that it was exactly like any other palace on the outside, but the inside was completely different. 

      Neil had no time to lose gaping. He went to a nearby maid and started talking in hushed tones to her. The children paid no attention to them though. They were too busy looking around and gaping again.

       Finally, when Aisha managed to tear her gaze of the place, she looked around to find Neil. She saw him talking to the maid. Obviously whatever they were talking about was very important, by the look on their faces. So Aisha just stood quietly beside Neil, taking in all that he said.

      " They are here. Where is she?" he asked." She is coming. We have no time to lose. Change has already taken place. "said the maid." What are we to do? I have no powers , well not much. We have to go to Mount Snowji, to get my powers back. " he whispered again. " Then go. I will inform her. But I'm warning you, she will not be happy." said the maid.

      Aisha's head was spinning. ' Who was this maid, and who was the "She" they were talking about? I guess I will find out now, here she comes.' she thought. 

      The doors flung open and in stepped an extremely exquisite person, with an elegant outfit. Everyone in the room stopped moving, and dropped to their knees, including the children and Neil,though the children only did because Neil had instructed them to follow his lead.

      The person nodded her head ever so slightly, and they rose to their feet. "Where are they? " she questioned, glancing around. Neil stepped forward." Your Majesty, these are the four children you requested." he said. The children glanced at each other nervously, when the person, who was a part of the ruling family's face broke into a stunning smile.

 

       The children were pushed forward. Raju turned angrily to Neil, but Neil must have read his mind or something, because he simply said," Peace Raju boy, I will be with you and will not let any harm happen to you or your family.". Raju didn't know what to make of this, so he just turned back to the person.

 

       She gestured to the people surrounding her, and they all left, including Neil. Gowri looked on helplessly.'Who is this person, and why is her smile so sinister?' thought Raju, worried, for he was supposed to take care of his cousins.

      When the last person went out of the room and the door shut,her smile grew even more sinister, and she extended her hand. " Welcome, dears." she said, hiding a laugh. She petted Aisha's head. Aisha grew angry. " Don't you dare call me your dear!" she exclaimed.

      The person laughed wickedly, and introduced herself with a smirk. " You might be wondering who I am, aren't you? I'm Queen Bella. Queen." she emphasised on the Queen word. Her voice grew higher." And off to the cells with you!" she exclaimed. "I've always wanted you, and now I finally do!"

      The children gasped and ran out of the door, outside to Neil, who used a tiny bit of his magic which he had been saving for this time, magiced them out of there. The queen yelled, and with that, she shut the curtains in front of the door, to have some privacy.

 

 

                THE END( FOR NOW)

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The Fantastic Four Cousins : The Exciting World (2)

* Check for word in Glossary

       Packed, dressed and ready for adventure were the four cousins that day - except Raju. " Oh, what a glorious morning! "exclaimed Gowri. And indeed it was. The three of them decided to step outside to bask in the sunshine for awhile. 

        They stared in wonder at the flock of birds who were flying across the sky, and Deva was trying to figure out patterns and figures out of the fluffy clouds (which I am sure is a pastime of many of us, ) while waiting for Raju. Aisha marvelled at at the dew- kissed grass and saw a colony of ants working together to build a nest. Gowri just closed her eyes, sat down , and inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool breeze.

      Meanwhile, Raju was busy stuffing his face with breakfast for he had slept late last night and promptly overslept. The impatient Deva, started poking around in the soil only to be told off by Aisha for 'destroying periyamma's*  garden' apparently. 

      Finally finished, Raju came out and before he could feel the breeze, everyone else pushed him in , eager to start exploring. They rushed to the girls' room and pushed on the wall with all their might. Before you could say ' Delicious chicken briyani * ' ,they were in the magical place already.

      They were pleasantly surprised to find it extremely hot there,  although it had been snowing the day before. They went in further and soon took off all their layers of clothes until they were left with just their shirts and pants only. Beads of sweat trickled down their faces but nobody complained. It was a silent trip, occasionally broken with the cries of " Look, there's a squirrel! " or " Awww....what a cute rabbit! " and soon everyone was talking at once.

      They reached a forest, and everyone grew quiet. You know the feeling when you know that something more superior than you is towering above you, and with a majestic forest in front of them, the children were spellbound.

      After a while, Gowri asked what everyone was thinking." Should we go in? " she asked. Aisha and Raju nodded their heads. " Yes, let's go. " they answered. Gowri agreed. Deva was stammering, " Um....I suppose we could..,if we have to ..should we...eat? " he asked ,trying to change the subject. " No way ! " came the reply of Aisha. " You just had breakfast! " she exclaimed. " Oh do stop bickering ,you two. " Gowri tried to make peace. Upon hearing this, Raju added, " Let's go in! " and went in without waiting for replies. The others stood, unsure of what they'd find. But eventually, everyone- including Deva, found themselves walking in.

      Thick mist covered the forest, and the equally thick silence hung in the air. Deva shuddered. ' What a dark place' he thought. " I feel so dreary and sad. " he said to the others. The others felt the same.  Unlike earlier, there was no animals, no weird plants or anything for a matter of fact. 'What a desolate area' thought Gowri. And indeed it was, but let's not go into the details.Fortunately, they spotted a bright light shining its way through the dark forest. 

      It turned into a sizzling ball of energy -  that could actually be seen. It fizzled and sparkled, causing everyone to take a step back except for Deva, who looked like he wanted to run away. " What is that thing?" asked Aisha,  puzzled. " I'm not sure. But I think that we should just stay close and trust in this land- wherever we are. " suggested Raju. " After all, there must be a reason why it brought us here. " he added. 

   

      " G-g-g-good id-d-dea. " stammered Deva, looking pale. Gowri and Aisha agreed. Raju was the oldest, and he was sensible, unlike somebody. The ball of energy started getting brighter and brighter every second, making them all shield their eyes. When it reached its peak of brightness, it turned into a person with a "poof! ".

      Deva was the first to open his eyes. " Aahhh! " he screamed. " Who are you? " he asked, slowly. " Good day, kind people. " said the person, unalarmed. ( He had gotten used to people having that reaction.) " I am a wizard. An excellent one, if I do say so myself. I am The Great Wizard Neil, but you may call me Neil for short. " he introduced himself, bowing gracefully. " Wow. " said Aisha. " I can't believe this. " she said. " Neither can I , " said Gowri." so, you are a real wizard?" she confirmed. " where are we? " asked Raju.

      " Yes, I am. The wand, the pointy hat, really, can't you guess? " replied the wizard, offended. " How old are you? 100? " asked Deva, who taught that this wizard was like the old wizards in the movies. "No, no, I am just 20 years young." Neil chuckled. " I am here to find 4 children, 2 girls, 2 boys, cousins, who will be the Kings and Queens of this majestic land, Maromir. said Neil.

     The others smiled. Aisha was puzzled. ' Is it us? ' she wondered. Gowri smiled at her. Raju rolled his eyes, impatiently looking at Aisha. Deva gave a long sigh. Finally, Aisha understood. " Oh, is it us? " she asked Neil. " Of course! Can you see any other people here?" exclaimed Neil." We need to move, time is running out. Chalo, chalo*, let's go!" he called.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYING OR REPRODUCING THIS STORY IN ANY FORM OR MANNER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

      

       

Glossary for The Fantastic Four Cousins Stories

Glossary

 1. Amma -  Mother

  2. Periyamma - Father or mother's elder sister or

       elder brother's  wife

  3.  Briyani - An Indian dish made with highly seasoned

        rice and meat, fish, or vegetables.

  4. Chalo chalo -  Let's go!

The Fantastic Four Cousins : The Magical Door (1)

* Check for word in Glossary   

  "Found you!" Deva Shanmugam shouted. It was the school holidays, and the Shanmugam children were playing Hide & Seek with their cousins outside in the backyard. Deva Shanmugam had just spotted his cousin Gowri Mohan, poking her head out of her hiding spot- a big bush.He had already found the others, Aisha Shanmugam, his sister and Raju Mohan, his cousin. 

    Although Deva and Raju were a year older than their sisters who were 12, they agreed to play Hide & Seek for it was a boring, blazing hot day. "Lunch time!" Mrs Shanmugam called out. The children grinned and raced inside for they were very hungry after running about in the sun the whole day. "Children, where are your manners?" Mrs Mohan said while shaking her head. "Wash your hands and stop running around and tripping everyone up." she continued, for the children were indeed running about excitedly and making quite a chaos.

     Soon, everyone was at the table eating, Mr and Mrs Shanmugam, Mr and Mrs Mohan and the children. After lunch, the girls walked their parents to the door while the boys carried their bags. "Have a good time children, and don't mess up the house. Remember to get up early and do all the house chores before going out to play." their mother advised them. "Always lock the doors when you go to bed and when you are not at home. Never open the door to strangers. The kitchen is stocked up with your favourite food. If you want something else, there is some money I have given to Aisha to buy something. " added Mrs Mohan.

     "Alright, alright, we get it. We are 13 amma * , we know how to take care of ourselves." Raju said. "Yeah, you even left us a list of all the house chores to be done while you are gone." pointed out Gowri. "A long one that is," muttered Deva while rolling his eyes.

    "Time to go!" Mr Mohan called out cheerily. The children waved goodbye to their parents and looked  at each other as the car disappear down the street.  "So, what should we do now?" asked Aisha. They all kept silent and looked outside.

         "Why don't we....clean up the leftover food and clean up the table? " suggested Gowri, who was a neat freak. "Uhhh...No way..."' groaned Deva. Then he brightened. "How about you two girls do that and we'll play video games?" he said while fist bumping Raju. "What? Come on you two, don't be so lazy, "Aisha said and started toward the kitchen. The boys had no choice but to follow her and help them, for their money was with Aisha , and she wasn't going to give them anything if they were in her bad books.

     While Aisha washed the dishes, Gowri helped her to put it away and the boys were assigned to pack the remaining food. At least, that was what they were supposed to do..They were too busy chasing each other around the dining hall and bumped into the table, causing a glass plate to fall and break. "Crash!" Aisha gasped and rushed to the dining hall with Gowri at her heels.

     "Huh! And you were the one who said that you are 13 and can take care of yourself?! It has not even been a day yet, and you both have already managed to create chaos!" shouted Aisha angrily. Gowri was more sympathetic. "Are you two hurt?" she asked, concerned. The boys nodded their head no. They didn't dare to say anything, Aisha had a hot temper! "Oh, what is amma * going to say?" she moaned. Their punishment , given by Aisha was to stand still facing the wall and think about what they did, until the girls were done cleaning up the mess.

     For the rest of the day, the boys behaved themselves and eventually, Aisha calmed down. While completing a jigsaw puzzle in the evening, they got bored and decided to "explore" the house.

     While "exploring" the girls' bedroom, They noticed a part of the wall which had a different pattern from the rest of the walls. As Deva was leaning against it, there was a sound, and the next minute, he was gone! Everyone was alarmed and searched for him. As they were there leaning against the wall ,discussing the problem, the wall moved and a new secret room was in sight. The girls were shocked and Raju began to call for Deva. 

      Deva came up to them and told them the least expected news. "We're in a secret room!" he said excitedly. There was a long silence. Then Gowri got one of her extraordinary ideas. "Let's go further inside and see more!" she suggested. It was very dark, and nobody could make out a thing. Fortunately, Raju had a torch and the light made everyone feel better. 

     They ventured forward, and found a door handle with a key inserted into the keyhole too! Aisha opened the door with trembling hands. It opened with a creak, showing that it had not been opened in a long time. The children found themselves buried under a pile of clothes and were squashed in wardrobe which they assumed was a room!

     "Ahh!" screamed Deva." An alien is attacking me!" "Oh shut up Deva, stop being such a baby." scolded Aisha still angry at him." They're just clothes for goodness' sake!" she continued. Where's Raju and Gowri?" she asked. "Raju, Gowri ! Where are you both?" she called with Deva echoing her.

     "Guys... you should see this." said Raju appearing in front of them. Just as Deva and his sister was about to ask what it was, their mouths dropped open. Gowri was nearby, standing on SNOW!

     It was freezing, and they decided to rummage in the wardrobe to find some warmer clothes. They came out dressed covered from head to toe!  They were wearing boots, mittens, beanies and coats. Even the boys who claimed it was clothes for "girly girls" and it was not cold at all, wore them too!

     They started forward with 'Aisha the Adventurous' at the front and Raju bringing up the rear. Deva kept looking around, frightened, and stumbled along. Aisha rolled her eyes, 'Honestly, people would think that he was 5 not 13, the way he behaved!' she thought. Gowri, who was walking behind him, kept bumping into Deva when he stumbled or stopped. Finally exasperated, she started shoving and pushing him to move and eventually got tired of it, switched places with him. Even patient Gowri could not stand Deva!

     The sun was setting, and everyone began to get hungry. They decided to go home, pack food and continue their journey the next morning. They finally got something to "explore" after all! 

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