The Cursed Blessing: Chapter 6

 

The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 6

Before you start reading, you should know that Sirena here never really watched Wonder Woman before, and got the wrong impression of her. So everything that is written here, about anyone, is completely, definitely, a joke. I would NEVER insult Wonder Woman!

       

      Chris finally gave up trying to escape by shaking the bars of his cell while shouting at the top of his lungs, and the cube building immediately became quieter. He sat down on a metal 2D bench in his cell and used a more reasonable way of trying to escape, he started thinking. He definitely didn't trust that sneaky Doctor Sharp, especially now that Sirena was alone with him. He must have ordered all the policeman to leave them alone for a reason right? 'But what is that reason?' he wondered.

     

      Meanwhile, Sirena was also using her brains. Doctor Sharp had left her alone and went to talk on his phone outside. ' What is he doing here? He is not a guardian, so is he the bad guy then? I don't think tying me to a 2D chair is called welcoming someone, right? ' she wondered. But she didn't ponder for long. 'After all, I'm not Wonder Woman, who keeps wondering what happened. I'm more of the action girl. Like Action Girl. Is there such a thing?' But before she could find out, Doctor Sharp came back in, smiling sweetly. 

      Now, I am going to divert from the story a bit. When a mean person smiles sweetly, their face almost always looks weirdly awkward. The same is said for Doctor Sharp right now, smiling what he thinks is sweet. For example,

                                                              Maleficent smiling

   

     

Maleficent's daughter smiling

                                                           Get it?

      

      Fortunately, Sirena didn't need to know exactly how bad Doctor Sharp's impression of sweet was, because he got another call as soon as he opened his mouth. When he stepped out, Sirena noticed something. Two somethings, in fact. The key to Chris's cell was in his pocket! And...after ages of trying to untie the knot on her hands, the stubborn knot finally gave way. As it slipped off, Sirena realized she was free! 

      Not noticing the rope had fell, Doctor Sharp came in, still looking at his phone. Sirena took this as an opportunity to escape. She quietly got up from the uncomfortable chair that looked like it might shrivel into dust any moment, and crept behind Doctor Sharp. Chris spotted her, and widened his eyes. Sirena pointed to the keys, then to Chris, then to the outside. Chris got the message. All in one swift motion, she kicked Doctor Sharp and punched him in the gut. Doctor Sharp dropped down with pain, and Sirena snatched the keys and threw it to her friend. Chris caught it and started unlocking the cell. 

      Sirena punched and kicked Doctor Sharp again, this time in the neck. He fainted. By that time, Chris had already gotten out, and was calling to her, " Sirena! Let's go!" 

      Sirena took a step forward, then stopped. She bent down, grabbed Doctor Sharp's phone, and ran out without any other hesitations. Chris and Sirena didn't stop running until they were far, far away from that weird place.

     

       Chris laughed, shocked. " Wow! I never knew you could do that!

     " Just because you didn't know it, doesn't mean I couldn't do it." she answered grinning. "Where's the map?" she asked.

    " Here." Chris handed it to her. 

    " Onward, march!" They followed the map until sunset. laughing, talking, and taking in the sights around them. They found a river, and decided to pitch a tent for the night. They watched the sun set, went to bed at 9.00, having nothing else to do, and they were both tired. 

Sirena and Chris finish setting up the campsite

 

The next day, Sirena woke up to the sound of water splashing. She got up to investigate. She found

Chris swimming in the river. She blinked. " Hey! What are you doing?" she asked him.                    

       "What does it look like I'm doing?" he replied. Sirena gave him a look.                                              

     " I'm washing myself." he answered.                                                                                                   

       "You're bathing?" Sirena shouted at him. Chris grinned.                                                                             " I'm dressed, ok." he defended himself. Sirena sighed.                                                                          " I wondered when you would wake up. You didn't, so I made lots of noise until you did." he continued.              

      "Ok, quick. I want to get going." she said, before he said anything else. Chris saluted her as a sign of agreement, and came out of the river. Sirena went back to the tent and started getting something for breakfast. She took out some eggs, a pan, and took some of the logs that Chris had collected the night before and lighted a fire. Then she cracked the eggs, and put some butter on the bread. She handed Chris an egg sandwich as he came out of the tent with his towel over his shoulder, and wearing clean, dry clothes. Sirena washed up, and changed into some suitable clothes after eating. 

        While waiting, Chris packed up the tent and their stuff. When Sirena came back, they were all ready to go. They followed the map, which finally led them to a sensible place. Not really. After hours of walking and eating lunch, they reached a rocky area, that looked steep to climb. They had no choice though, so they scavenged around for some sturdy sticks, and used it to climb up, for that was where the map was leading them. 

      After two tiring hours, they finally reached the top. This time though, neither of them had the energy to talk to each other, only smiling at the scenery below them. They didn't have much time to celebrate their great climb though, for the map started shaking in Chris's hands. One of the black hearts started thumping wildly. " We must be there! It must be somewhere here." she exclaimed, looking around. 

      Chris looked around them. He just saw rocks, rocks and more rocks. He took one step in front, not looking where he was going, and fell through! It was a hole! Chris shouted for Sirena." Sirena! Come here! But watch out, there's a hole!" he warned. 

      Sirena skidded to a stop when she heard the last part. She peered down. "Are you hurt?" she asked. Chris said he wasn't, and not to worry. He looked at the map. 

     " I think the heart must be here. Cause I never moved my feet. " he said, looking up at Sirena to see what she thought. Sirena agreed.

      " I'm coming down!" she called before sliding down. She brushed herself to remove the sand, and looked around her for any signs of danger. Then she saw it. She found herself staring into a pitch black tunnel. Something red was glowing brightly.  She was too shocked for words, as she was afraid of the dark. She pulled Chris's shirt. When he didn't reply, she started shaking him. 

      Finally, he turned to her. "What is it?" he asked.

      "Look.." Sirena pointed to the tunnel.

      " Look..at what exactly?" he questioned. 

       Sirena was dumbfounded. "The tunnel! The pitch black tunnel!" she exclaimed.

       "I can't see anything, and I'm not joking. I swear!" At this point, Sirena decided to not tell him about the red thing and freak him out even more.

      " What do you see then?" she asked him.

       "Umm..a wall? Full of sand and rocks?" came Chris's reply. Sirena decided the only way to make him believe her, was pull him through it. She grabbed him and pulled him into the tunnel that was only visible to her eyes.

      Chris closed his eyes and shouted "AAAHHHH!" as they both tumbled into an abyss, going down, down, down....

     

      

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The Cursed Blessing: Chapter 5

 

The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 5

  " How do you know if this, this guardians, are even real?" asked Sirena as he closed the door. 

   " Well Sirena, your mother did disappear without a trace, so, what they said has a chance to be true." he said grinning. 

"But, but, why me?" Sirena moaned. Chris became serious again. He held her shoulders and steered her to the door. 

" Sirena, I believe in you, and I have faith that all this will end. But it can only end if we try to fix it. I promise I will help you too." he tried to convince her.

"Alright." Sirena sighed and went out of the room. 

" Will you help us when we save the world from the zombie apocalypse?" Chris asked the guardians.

"Yes, of course." answered Jerold, immediately, not really hearing what Chris said.

" But there isn't a zombie apocalypse here is there? " added Sally drily. Sirena smiled as Jerold and Chris looked down at their feet awkwardly.  

     " I'll open the portal tomorrow. Now you should get rest, and the supplies. " Sally continued. 

     The next day, after gathering the necessary supplies, Chris and Sirena met the guardians in the deserted hall. Since Lord James and Lady Ella were away, the servants were taking a break. 

    "OK, let's go. Where to first? " asked Chris.

" The desert first, as you are not dressed in warm clothes. Sirena wore a short sleeved shirt, with her black boots. Chris wore a shirt and his sneakers. Both of them wore jeans.

    " Stand back," warned Jerold as Sally took out her wand. She waved it in the air, and said a few words under her breath. A portal opened up, leading to the desert. Chris was amazed.

    " Before you go, here are some things to guide you in your journey. We won't always be there, you know, " Sally said as she handed Chris a map and Sirena two vials of liquid. " This map will lead you to the necklace parts. Just follow the map until you reach the blackheart sign there." she pointed to a black heart on the map. 

     " The blue vial is your potions. Drink them when you are hurt and need energy. The green vial is for Sirena ONLY " she emphasized. "Give it to her when she is suffering. "she told Chris. " And lastly, this chain is the third part of the necklace. When you find the first part, put it on the chain. It will stop it from working evil." she added. 

     " Go on. Be careful. Take care of each other. " said Jerold. " And here's our last words of wisdom, NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS, remember that. I hope you make it back in one piece. Peace. " said Jerold as the guardians faded away with a golden flash.

     Sirena and Chris looked at each other. They took a deep breath and stepped into the Desert of Illusion. The portal disappeared behind them. They didn't know it yet, but they would be tested, in terms of friendship, bravery and courage. 

Sirena and Chris

                                                                         The map

                                                                         The blue vial

                                                                            The green vial

The chain

                                          I haven't done this in a long time...I can do it. I can do it.
                                                            ( Sally opening the portal)

      Sirena carefully put the vials in her backpack, along with the chain. Chris looked at the map, and started ahead while Sirena followed from behind, taking in the dry surroundings. ' Luckily, we have enough food and water to last us some days,' she thought.

      

      After a few hours of walking and seeing sand, sand, sand and more more more sand, Sirena grew tired. Not to mention hungry and thirsty. " Chris, can we please rest?" Chris agreed, and they flopped down on the sand. They ate sandwiches that Sirena had packed, and drank lots of water. They ate in silence.

      "Click. CLICK. ClIcK." Suddenly a mechanical sound was heard. Finishing the last of his sandwich, Chris brushed off the crumbs from his jeans and stood up, alarmed. He looked around for the source of the sound. Sirena spotted something and was shocked. She called him.

      "Chris. Look. At. That." she pointed to some bricks being stacked over each other. Sirena and Chris looked on, shocked. Seconds later, it formed a building. A sign hung from the door, saying,

NIWIS

             The dry and deserted scenery around them changed rapidly. Around them, many red brick houses appeared, with people jogging, walking, cycling and playing. It all looked similar except for the tall building. It was like a children's puzzle, pick the odd one out. 

      But as Sirena looked carefully, she spotted a bizarre occurrence.  Everyone looked like paper dolls. It looked like they stepped into a 2D drawing!

          And when they talked, speaking bubbles popped out of their mouth. The same was said for their thoughts. THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE IN A COMIC BOOK!

      While Sirena gaped at this, Chris was frowning at the NIWIS sign. He thought back to what the guardians had said. " Nothing is what it seems" echoed in his head. Suddenly, it all clicked together. 

     " I've got it! NIWIS stands for Nothing Is What It Seems!" he exclaimed.

      Before Sirena could answer, a 2D policeman wearing a police uniform and had slicked hair came to her and asked, " Hey you! Why aren't you like us?" 

      Again, Sirena didn't even answer before he continued on, " Come with me!" He slapped handcuffs on her hands, and pulled her away. Sirena yelled, and Chris turned. Sirena fell on the road and begged the policeman to let her go. She called Chris, but he just stood blinking. 

      Chris finally got back his senses, and started running after her. They reached a black cube building.

       Dreary 2D faces poked out of bars watched them enter. Chris rushed in to find Sirena seated on a 2D chair, waiting fearfully for someone. Sirena started to say something, then stopped, and pointed behind him. 

      Chris slowly turned behind, and found himself face-to-face with a not 2D Doctor Sharp. Doctor Sharp with his mean face, the one who did nothing to help Sirena earlier, the one who hated Sirena, was here. How did he follow them here? Nobody had the time to think about it though, he quickly seized Chris by his elbows and forced him into a prison cell.

      

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The Cursed Blessing : Chapter 4

 

The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 4

" It all started a long time ago, when your great-grandfather, Nonno, met your great-grandmother, Nonna." began Sally. " They met under very difficult circumstances. During that time, their country was at war. A very devastating one, at that. Crops were dry, animals were dying, people were fleeing for their lives. " " Your great-grandparents, got married during that time, that place, and then ran away to this country, where all was at peace. Then your grandparents were born and so on." Sally said.

      Now Jerold took up the story." Due to their poor backgrounds, they never thought twice when they were given a money-making deal. The deal was, that if they accepted a necklace, they would be given a small fortune." " You and I know that this would be a bad idea, and we would not accept the deal. But of course, your great-grandparents didn't. S.."  

    " So they accepted it? " asked Chris, shocked. 

      " Unfortunately, they did, Chris. " Sally continued. " Now, when they agreed, what they never knew was that this necklace was cursed. It was a black, evil, heart pendant that's separated into two parts. We tried to reduce the evil and stop it from working, and connected the two parts together. But, when it broke, the dark monster within it was released once again. " Sally said. 

      " Ever since then, all the girls of this family have been suffering. They see strange things, like you did Sirena. It was not ordinary, that light you saw. It was the root of all evil calling you. And earlier, if Chris hadn't woke you, you might have been gone. Done, gone, vanished off the face of Earth without a trace." now Sally was concernedly looking at Sirena.

      The few seconds of silence after Sally said that was broken when Chris asked a very important question. " In that case, why doesn't Dina have anything? Sirena doesn't even live here! " he exclaimed.

         " Well, only the girls with pure spirits, like you, me, Jerold and Sirena. Sirena is vital. She is the last pure spirited girl in this family." added Sally. 

        Sirena nodded, and Jerold sighed. He was tired of being tired of explaining this to every generations' girls.

      " Is there any way that this curse or whatever can be stopped forever?" asked Sirena.

     " Yes, there is. Many before you have tried, and failed to return. They all got taken over by the evil." Sally said sadly. 

        "How to stop it then?" asked Chris. 

        "When one connects the two hearts together again as one heart. But the person who does it must be a pure spirit girl who is suffering, and is stronger than the evilness itself." Sally added.

      "But finding the two parts of the hearts itself is a challenge. One lies at the desert, and one in the cold north. Both very difficult to find." said Jerold, now with a serious look. 

        "O..K..Chris, can I speak to you for a moment?" asked Sirena. 

        "Sure." Sirena literally dragged Chris into his bedroom.

    

                                                                                 Pure spirit

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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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