Their Adventure Together 3

         After setting the table for dinner, Aisha realized that she had left behind something- her blue silver bracelet that she never parted with. She ran up to her room to get it. When she approached her room door, she saw a bright blue light shining through the door hole. 

    Aisha squinted and peered under the door hole. She saw TWO masked men (or women, she wasn't sure which) , holding her bracelet. The bracelet shone brightly. One of them shoved it in a black backpack and they both disappeared in a cloud of red and purple smoke. The smoke formed some kind of symbol, so Aisha remembered how it looked like before it disappeared completely. Aisha was astonished and opened the door. But it was too late. The thieves had gone. 

    Aisha regretted not going in earlier and scaring the thieves. She crawled around her bedroom floor, desperately trying to find the bracelet. But deep down she knew it was gone. Aisha knelt and salty tears traced her cheeks. The bracelet was from her mother. Her biological mother's bracelet, the only reminder she had of her. And now it was gone. 

    Meanwhile, her cousins, was downstairs, along with Sirena and Chris. They were waiting impatiently for food. They just realized that they hadn't eaten since lunch- which was hours ago. Deva boisterously came down the stairs and plopped himself in a chair. Raju was the first to notice Aisha's absence. 

    "Where is Aisha?" he asked Gowri. 

    Gowri shrugged. " She was down earlier. Then she went up to take something. " she replied, after thinking for a moment. They waited a little longer. 

    Finally, Raju decided to go and call Aisha. " She might be in trouble" he reasoned. Eventually, all of them trooped upstairs to find Aisha. 

    They went into her room, and found her still kneeling on the floor. Raju rushed to her, Gowri at his heels. Deva surveyed the room for damage. Sirena and Chris stood awkwardly at the door-they didn't feel welcome. 

    'There are all a family, Chris and I aren't even that close. I feel out of place. I feel like an intruder. ' the thoughts rushed into Sirena's head. 

    Chris has his own doubts too. ' Sure, they are a family, they can depend on each other. But who am I? What am I even doing here? ' thoughts made their way into his heart. For a minute, he felt like an outsider. He then remembered how friendly the cousins were to him, how they had accepted him into their home. He shook his head, clearing the thoughts, which were getting more meaner each second, and focused on Aisha. 

    Tears were still falling from her eyes. Aisha was sobbing, as if her heart had been broken. ' Now I will never remember her! And she will never be able to find me if I don't have the bracelet!' she cried inwardly. Precious memories of her and her mother filled her head. All the fantasies of finally meeting her mother after years disappeared. Then came the anger. 'Who were those people? What did they think she was? A girl who was easily frightened and no confidence? ' 

    Aisha shook off her cousins' concerned hands and stood up, fiercely brushing her tears. " I WILL find that bracelet, even if I have to go to the end of the Earth to find it! " she exclaimed with determination so strong, it brought Sirena to tears - of admiration and strength. 

    She could feel Aisha's feelings, angry and fierce. She could feel it in her. Like she was Aisha. She cautiously met Aisha in the eye, and felt the anger rushing into her veins. She excused herself from the room, which was getting noisier, with the cousin's demanding to know what happened, and what Aisha meant. 

    As Aisha explained, Sirena felt that talking about her biological mother calmed Aisha. She sighed in relief. Her head was starting to spin, and she decided to ask Neil later about what she had felt. Was she magic? If so, why? Who was she, really?

    Soon, everyone, including Aisha were downstairs, peacefully eating dinner without any other surprises. Sirena was thoughtful about her feelings earlier, but she didn't say a word about it to Chris when he asked if she was okay - he said she was a bit pale, she didn't want to him to know more than what he should know. 'Anyways, I doubt Aisha would like it if I went about telling people about her feelings,' she assured herself. 

    By 9.00, the dishes and food had been cleared, and everyone was relaxing when Neil returned, knocking on the door. Aisha, who had been skimming through books to find the symbol she saw earlier in smoke, immediately jumped up from the couch to answer. She opened the door to find Neil standing before her, soaking wet. 

    " Gosh. Where have you been? " Raju questioned, resting his head on Aisha's shoulder to see the who it was. Aisha pushed his head away and beckoned for Neil to come in. 

    " Goodness, Neil. What happened to you? " Gowri asked concerned. She took Neil's coat and shoes to put for drying. " It isn't even raining here" she added, looking out the window. 

    Neil sat down and sighed. " Thankfully, my clothes are still dry" he mumbled. 

    " Hmm? Something to say Neil? " Deva asked, distractedly. He was too busy watching the football match on TV. Aisha took the remote and switched it off. Deva turned around. " What are you ..." he started when he saw Neil sitting with his wet hair and half-wet clothes. He gaped. " When did you... Why are you.." he sputtered as his cousins sighed.  How they were even related was a mystery for all of them.

    Gowri brought out some warm soup for Neil. He started drinking the soup. After a while, he put down the bowl and pushed it aside. " WELL?? WHAT HAPPENED??" the children almost deafened Neil. 

    Neil winced and rubbed his ears. " You all are going to make me deaf soon," he mumbled under his breath. " Alright. When I was walking home, I came across the most weirdest thing I have ever seen..." 

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Their Adventure Together 2

      " I guess you're the help. Hi! I'm Raju. " Raju waved to Sirena and Chris. There was a flurry of introductions, and soon everyone got back to the problem at hand. They stared at the thing in disgust. 

    " What in the name of Whitbrick is that thing?" Gowri asked. (She was getting used to Whitbrick and their ways, so she says Whitbrick phrases all the time now.)

     " Its called an Aakatharisto. Which is greek for.." Deva said proudly.

    " Gross. Its greek for gross. " Gowri said frowning. There was absolute silence. Everyone in the cottage inspected the fruit. 

    " Where did you two even find this fruit?" asked Aisha at last. She turned to Deva and Raju.

    " We found a whole plantation of it. " " Somewhere near the forest. We can show you!" Deva said.

    " It seems that people around here eat it. I mean, nobody, nobody can even give me a decent burger here." Raju added.  

     Gowri snapped her fingers as she remembered something. " That's what it was! We saw some kids eating it when Aisha and I went to the market earlier! " she exclaimed. 

    " OH!" Aisha exclaimed. " Remember we asked them what it was, and they said its .. their snack? " she doubted. " No, that doesn't sound right.."

    " Their snack" Gowri confirmed. " They eat this um, Aakatharisto as snacks in Whitbrick. Well, that's one bad thing about this place. "

    Sirena and Chris were silent throughout the exchange of information. Now Sirena spoke up. " So, we are going to eat this? "she asked. 

       " I suppose. " Aisha said, glaring at Deva and Raju. " Since they brought it here, we must " she added.  

    Before she could say anything else, a loud sound was heard from the hall. " Thud, thud, thud." The door was pounded on. Everyone was alarmed, and began to panic as the door burst open and a few men in suits entered, all holding guns. " Put your hands up! In the name of the.." 

    " STOP! We are coming to help them, not arrest them. " explained a man, supposedly their boss. The men lowered their guns and the cousins, Sirena, and Chris relaxed. 

    " Who are you? " asked Aisha. 

    " Mrs Aisha Shanmugam, we are your allies. We have come to.." started a man in black.

    " Hush! Don't tell them yet! " interrupted their boss.  He turned to Aisha. " We are the members of the VDA. " he said. " Neil called us as backup. " he added. 

    " He did? " Gowri asked. " Where is he anyway? " she asked. They twisted around, trying to find him. " 

        " I did." Neil suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. " Asish..." he said, as he opened his arms for a hug. 

    " Neil.." the boss did the same. They embraced each other as old friends. The others stared on confused. 

        

        " Ok. Can I ask you a few questions? " Raju started. " One, who on Earth is Asish? Two. What is the VDA? Three. Do you two know each other? " he asked. 

        Asish and Neil laughed. " I'll explain. Come, let's have a seat. " They went into the living room and sat down. " This, " he announced, " is my best friend since childhood. Introduce yourself. " he said. 

        " I'm Asish. Delighted to make your acquaintance, " he said with a bow. " Also, I happen to be the boss of the VDA. The VDA stands for Vivaria Defence Agency. We go around Vivaria helping people and stopping crimes. "

        " So.. you guys are like spies? Or secret agents? Ooh, are you guys Men in Black? " Deva asked enthusiastically. 

    " Um, I don't think I'm familiar with the term Men in Black... but you could say that we are like spies and secret agents. I suppose. " Asish answered, scratching his head. 

        " And what, or where is Vivaria? " Aisha asked, confused. 

        " Its where. Vivaria is the land you are standing on right now. This country is called Vivaria. " Asish explained. " And I'm the head of it " he added proudly. 

        " Oh... I see. " Deva said. " But then, how come we never heard of Vivaria until today? " he questioned. 

        " It was because Neil didn't want to trouble you with all the information. " Asish replied. 

        " Asish is right. I didn't want to tell you even more about Vivaria, which would burden you even more. " Neil explained.

        " But you should have told us anyway! " Aisha exclaimed. 

        " I should have. I'm sorry. " Neil apologized. 

        " Well then, it looks like we should get ready for dinner then, " Raju said decidedly. 

        " Dinner? " chorused his cousins. " Is it night already? " Deva asked, peering out of the window. 

        " Yes. Let's meet back in here, in half an hour, for dinner." Neil said, exiting the cottage with Asish. " I'll be back in a while. I want to make sure that Asish and his volunteers are safe at their hotel. " 

        Raju nodded. They all went to their separate rooms to get ready. Little did they know that their problems were just beginning..

 

Aisha 

                                                                     

                                                                           Gowri

                                                                        Sirena

                                          

                                                             Chris

Raju and Deva

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Their Adventure Together

     "Aisha. I've called for help. In a while, a young girl and boy about your age will knock this cottage's door. I want you to answer it..and bring them straight to me. Understood? "

    "Understood Neil. Straight to you." Aisha replayed the conversation she had just a few minutes ago with Wizard Neil. Now, she stood at the door with the two adventurers he had mentioned. "Straight to him.." she muttered.

    "What was that? We didn't catch it. " Sirena asked. 

    "Nothing! I'm Aisha, and I will bring you to the man you seek. "she said.

    'Man we seek? What is she going on about?' Chris and Sirena were bewildered. But they followed her anyways. 

    While they walked, they introduced themselves. "I'm Sirena. I'm 13. "she said.

    "Chris, 13. Nice to meet you. " he said.

    Aisha smiled in acknowledgement and continued her way to Neil's room. "Here we are. Go on in! " she encouraged. They thanked her and went in.

    Wizard Neil stood at the head of a strange triangular table. He greeted them graciously. "Welcome. I am Wizard Neil. You are Sirena and Chris. Wonderful to meet you at last. You can call me Neil." he said all in one breath.

    The wizard was quite young, about 20, Sirena guessed. He wore a plain white shirt and a pair of black pants with black sneakers. It looked like the sort of clothes the lead roles in movies would wear. Sirena shook her head off that thought and back to the situation at hand. 

    She explained her issue and Chris added on about her family curse. Neil listened to each and every detail that was said, his mood extremely serious.

    When they finished explaining, Neil grimaced. "Well, the Bel-rix sisters are at it again. I forgot all about them. Imagine that. It seems like I have underestimated them badly this time though. " he regretted. 

    Before Sirena or Chris could ask anything else, Raju and Deva burst through the cottage door, both of them carrying a HUGE thing on their shoulders. ( I call it a thing  because even I don't know what to call it...) They caused quite a commotion. Soon, everyone had gathered in the hall and were staring at them and the thing.

    "What in the name of -oof- " started Gowri as she was pulled aside, narrowly missing the thing. 
    " Stop swinging um, it around can you? " asked Aisha as she eyed the thing with disgust.

    " We're trying! " came the reply of the two boys as they dumped it on the dining table. Almost at once, the entire table was filled with some kind of disgusting fluid and the poor table creaked because it was so heavy. The thing itself was an awful sight. It was cylinder-shaped. It was red and green in colour. 

" It stinks " Aisha said, with an eyebrow raised. 

Gowri wrinkled her nose and pinched it tightly. She opened her mouth to breathe. 
" A fly is going to go in there.." Raju warned.

Gowri stuck out her tongue at her brother. Raju shrugged." Don't say I didn't warn you " he said. He turned to Sirena and Chris. " I guess you're the help. Hi! I'm Raju. "

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ARROGANCE

BEING ARROGANT IS BAD

        Linda is a girl from a rich family. Her father is a businessman, and her mother is a manager of her decorating company. She always got what she wanted, and was very spoilt. Linda has many popular friends. She demanded things, and screamed when she didn't get them. Linda has bodyguards and lives in a huge bungalow. 

        Rina is a quiet humble girl. Her parents are farmers, and she enjoyed a farmer's life. She is always looking at life in a positive way. She has a few close friends, Sally, Anne, and Jackson. She occasionally spends time with Wendy too.  She doesn't have hundreds of friends like Linda, but she loves her friends too.

         One day, on their way to school, Rina's friends noticed that she was staring at Linda. " What's the problem Rina? " Anne asked her.

    " Linda is so popular. And rich. She doesn't need to work for anything."  Rina said.

    " Yes she is. But you're nicer. And soon enough, she will have to work. Don't be jealous. " Jackson said.

    " Yes, he's right. Linda loves to boast about all her riches. I hope she stops, its getting annoying. " Sally added.

        Rina sighed. She knew her friends were right. At that moment, Linda walked up to their small group.

        "Hello. Did you know that my father got me this dress from New Zealand? It was tailored exactly fitting for my size. Don't you like it?" Linda boasted.  She continued boasting about her shoes, bag and so on. Anne and Sally just listened to her as Linda boasted. Rina was angry of Linda's actions.

        " Linda. Do you know that its not nice to boast? " she asked angrily.

        " Well, I do. But, I'm just sharing with you about my stuff. Its not my fault that your parents are so poor that you have to work in a farm to make a living. " Linda said meanly.

        " You're not sharing. You're boasting Linda. And I don't like to be friends with boasters. Because they boast about everything. " Rina continued.

        A teacher overheard their heated conversation. " Rina is absolutely right Linda. You shouldn't boast about your things to the less-fortunate. Its very rude of you. " the teacher said.

        

        " Not just to the less-fortunate, but to everyone. You shouldn't boast at all, to anyone! " Jackson exclaimed. 

        Linda was shocked. She repented. " I'm sorry. I didn't know that boasting hurts your feelings. I won't do it again, I promise. " she said. 

        Sally, Anne, Rina, Jackson and the teacher forgave Linda for her mistake. They all became friends with each other. 

MORAL OF THE STORY:
WE SHOULD NEVER BOAST ABOUT OUR STUFF TO OTHERS. IT IS INSENSITIVE OF US. WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERATE AND NOT BE PROUD. WE SHOULD RESPECT EACH OTHER AND ALWAYS TRUST OUT FRIENDS. FRIENDSHIP IS IMPORTANT.

Link for animation: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEpee2VNr8/aiqtjSNQXbhojP8H8RRsxA/view?utm_content=DAEpee2VNr8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

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The Cursed Blessing & The Fantastic Four Cousins - Short Story

 

 ( The Beginning of All Evil )

        " I. WANT. THEM. NOW!! " a young lady screamed. 

        " Your Majesty, it is out of my control. I'm afraid I can't do anything." stammered a minister beside her. " I can't ..AAAHH" he shouted as the lady pointed her finger to him and he burnt into ashes. She waved her finger again, and the ashes were gone. 

        Angrily, she shouted again, " I NEED THEM NOW!!!". Her shouts echoed down the empty hallway. She paused for a breath and walked down the stairs of the abandoned castle. " I don't care what it takes, I MUST have that CHILDREN!" she screamed and disappeared with a black flash.

        She appeared in front of the abandoned castle. The castle was not maintained well. Ivy grew up on its walls, so much that you couldn't even see the walls. The entire castle's colours had faded, but, miraculously, it was still intact. Not a spot of a the castle was falling apart.

            A car stopped in front of the castle. And a very unique car it was. It stood out amongst its dark surroundings. The car was a vibrant shade of hot pink, clean and smooth, and it had a pair of black wings coming out of it. Like a flying horse's wings. But even though it looked childish, there was something about the car that you could not stop looking at. It demanded attention. 

        The car door opened and a red carpet rolled out as a pink high-heeled lady stepped out. Without pausing to greet the black lady, she waltzed into the black castle, a cloud of perfume trailing behind her. The owner of the castle frowned and narrowed her eyes. She went in the castle and stood in front of her guest. 

        " Well, what brings you here, Bella? Or should I say, Bellate?" the lady in black asked.

        Not answering her question, Bella turned to sit on a chair. She stopped, and brushed it off first saying " What a dump you live in Trix." Trix's hands curled into fists as she saw her precious cobwebs broken. She took a deep breath and uncurled her hands, sitting down. 

        " I, am asking you a question. I don't appreciate you coming uninvited to my castle, criticizing my taste and not answering me. " " What do you want?" she asked.

        " I have a deal. An offer, a promise. Call it whatever you like. " Bella replied carelessly as she tossed a few papers on the table. Trix picked it up and flipped through. Bella continued. " You want to have these children, don't you? " she asked as she showed a picture of Sirena and Chris walking to a cottage. Bella stroked her cat, Iona as she spoke. 

        " But, how do you know? " asked Trix, bewildered. 

        " Ah, I know lots of stuff you don't, " Bella sneered. " Anyways, I want to have these children. The picture changed, and the four cousins, Aisha, Gowri, Raju and Deva appeared. " So here's the deal. I get you your children, and you get me mine. Then, together we will conquer the world and spread our evil and dark friends. Can you picture it? The Bel-trix sisters.

        Trix smiled evilly. " Ah, deal accepted." 

        Bella laughed. " Now we're talking, dear sister. "

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Achamma

 

Bhavani

                        B - Beautiful and kind grandmother

                                                                   H - Happy to help with all our problems

                                                                   A - Attentive to your surroundings, even though you're old

                                                                   V - Very good cook 

                                                                   A - Able and independent person, also ACHAMMA

                                                                   N - Nice and caring for your grandchildren

                                                                    I - Imaginative and understanding to solve our issues                    

Achamma

                                                                A - Accept and accommodate to our schedules

                                                                C - Caring and loving 

                                                                H - Handy and can fix many things

                                                                A - An adoring person that is loved by everyone

                                                               M - MY GRANDMOTHER!

                                                               M - Mother to many

                                                               A - All-knowing, you know when everything happens, either                                                                                                       good or bad                                                          

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Water Drama - YUNGA

 Water Drama

By: Voothayshaan, Sherveena, Divyaana, Aarthan, Aarshara, Durriya, Suvarna, Vunathi, Sanvika, Thisya.

Scene 1

Narrator:  The villagers in a peaceful village woke up to another beautiful morning. They went about their respective chores, some of them working in the farm and raising poultry. An old lady, Mrs Smith, her daughter Lucy Smith and granddaughter Mira lived in a small hut near their farm. Everyday, she would tend to her vegetations, while her daughter harvested their plants. Today was no exception.

Mrs Smith: (working in farm, the sun is very hot, so act tired) "My, today is exceptionally hot, isn't it?"

                   (continues working)

Lucy Smith:  (comes over to her) "I agree. It has never been so hot before. Also, I was getting some water to water the plants earlier, from the river. But I couldn't get much. The river was dried up. What should we do? Some of our plants are also dying." (voice fades away )

Scene 2

Narrator: In the same village, a family of two kids and their parents raised chickens. They were having a hard time too, for the river had dried up, and they had no water to drink, let alone give their poultry. 

Two Kids: (inaudible talking while collecting chicken eggs.)

Wife: "I heard the river dried up. Is it true?"

Husband: "Yes, I'm afraid so. I knew that climate change is a bad thing. 

Kid 1:  "Yes daddy. The chickens can't find much insects to eat, now that it is so hot."

Scene 3

Narrator: Back in the small hut, Mrs Smith's granddaughter, Mira, came back home. While passing by, she heard her grandparents conversation. She decided to let her grandparents know about the cause of the drought. Over brunch, she started the conversation.

Mira: ( while narrator talking about her, act as if eavesdropping) " Mom, grandma, I heard your conversation earlier. Do you want to know why the river was dried up? We can attend my school's presentation after this, to increase our knowledge."

Mom and Mrs Smith: (nods head)

Scene 4

 

Narrator:  The two families gather for their children's presentation. 

Kid 2: "We studied the weather and climate of the Earth in school. It is very hot because the ozone layer is becoming thinner, due to the release of chlorofluorocarbons, from the sprays everyone bought. Plus, the entire world is buying and using this product. Why wouldn't it become hotter?"

Kid 4: " From what we learnt, the scientists are saying that the ozone layer covering Earth is getting much hotter. You remember the new product that was sold to the village? 

Kid 1:  The one you farmers are using as pesticide and herbicide. To avoid slugs and other insects from eating the plants. Every time you spray it, it releases chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. 

Mira : "And after a long time..the sun becomes hotter and hotter and hotter, until it dries up all the water sources, like what happened now. The river has dried up. Its our main source of water. What should we do to solve this? "

Kid 4: " Simple. STOP USING AEROSOL SPRAYS."

Kid 3: " STOP BUYING AND SUPPORTING THE COMPANIES SELLING THEM. STOP the release of chlorofluorocarbons into the air. Together, let's stop climate change!

THANK YOU

The Cursed Blessing: Chapter 8

 

The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 8

                " There is no time to lose." snapped a lady with a fierce face. She rolled up the parchment in her hand while walking out the room. " They are already on their way. Get them." she ordered as she threw the parchment into the flames behind her. She entered her bedroom chambers and kneeled beside her black pet cat, Iona. " Aren't I the smartest woman in the world?" she cackled, as she stroked its fur.

        Lightning flashed above them, thunder at its heels. The light drizzle had now turned into a heavy storm. Sirena and Chris ran around, searching for shade. They spotted a cave, and slipped inside, both of them dripping wet. They lit a fire and made themselves comfortable as the warmth of the fire put them to sleep. 

        The next morning, the skies had cleared, and they were woken up by a group of kids peering at them curiously. Sirena and Chris were alarmed and asked them some questions. " Who are you? Where are you from?" they asked. 

        " We are from a town nearby called Whitbrick, where nothing goes wrong." they answered in unison. Sirena and Chris looked at each other. Millions of questions were running in their heads, but they agreed to go to their village and meet the villagers. 'After all, ' they reasoned, ' I'm sure kids aren't that bad.' 

              

    The group of kids brought them to a dry path that led to a beautiful town, bustling with activity. A young couple were playing football with their kids in a park, kids were playing and laughing under the sun, while mothers waved them goodbye before going to work. The fathers either played with their kids, or went to work. No matter where Sirena looked, there was always someone playing with the kids. Chris was astounded. Maybe, just maybe, nothing bad did happen here. They both came from broken families, so they never experienced this.

        

            " Wow! This place is amazing!" exclaimed Chris in disbelief. " And, that's not even the best part...JUST LOOK AT THOSE HOUSES!" 

            Sirena faced him. "What? I agree, this place is nice, but what about the houses?" she asked.

Chris didn't reply, he was too amazed. He just turned her around to see the houses. Sirena almost fainted in shock. "That..that.." A flurry of emotions hit her, and she said.." I think we are in the future" 

       "NO WAY!" 

       "Wanna bet?" Sirena said, laughing. ( The positiveness around her was catching up with her. )

        And she was right. This was the future. Anyways, this is one of the houses there, so you can guess what they all looked like.

        OK. Let me just stop right there. Before you say anything, yes, you're right. This is the same town  that Wizard Neil, Aisha, Gowri, Raju and Deva are in right now. And its not  a coincidence. It was meant to be.  Now, please continue reading..

        Sirena and Chris waved at the residents of the town, still gaping at their houses and cars. As you might have guessed, there was no pollution, carbon dioxide, the entire thing was gone. The word pollution was in the past.

       They were led to a small cottage, and that really stood out among the others. Anyways, "This is the cottage of Wizard Neil. He might be able to help you." the children said before running away to continue their games. Sirena and Chris were bewildered. 

        They stepped to the door and cautiously knocked. The door opened, and a young girl, about Sirena's age, came out.

        

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The Fantastic Four Cousins : Mount Snowji (4)

       The Fantastic Four Cousins 

         : Mount Snowji (4)

      They landed in a meadow of flowers. " Oof," exclaimed Gowri.  Aisha got up.     

    "Where are we?" she asked, to nobody in particular. Of course, nobody replied, for nobody knew where they were too.  

      With a poof, Neil appeared.  Raju got angry and threw himself on the wizard, throwing them both down.

    " Raju! " reprimanded Aisha, horrified. Gowri was astonished. None of them had ever seen him so angry before. It wasn't until Deva pulled him away did Raju stop hitting Neil, although he was still fuming.

    " What do you think you are doing? Do you want to kill him!? He's the only one who can help us!" Aisha ranted. Neil interrupted her.

    " Your cousin has every right to be angry with me, Aisha. I have done a terrible thing, taking you there. I didn't know her intentions. Forgive me, Your Majesties." He bowed. The cousins stared from the wizard to Raju. 

    "Your call, cousin.." Aisha said. Finally, Raju forgave Neil, and asked him where to go and what to do next.

    " Now, we must leave for Mount Snowji. Its close. Come on." and they started walking to the magical mountain. As they walked further, their surroundings of beautiful flowers, slowly changed into a snowy landscape.

        They were given some warm clothes almost immediately. "Wow. The benefits of having a wizard with you." whispered Deva and Gowri hid a laugh. Suddenly, a blizzard hit them, and nobody could see a thing. They faced Neil. Neil gave instructions.

    " You have to find a lantern floating just in your reach. It will be white in colour, so look very carefully. Find the lantern and bring it to me." he said softly, his powers were weakening.  The cousins peeled their eyes and squinted through the blizzard, hoping to find the lantern as soon as possible. After some time, Raju spotted it, floating to a tree branch. Raju called to the others, and together, they made a human chain to get it before it hit the tree.

     Once caught, they handed it to Neil, who muttered a few words under his breath. At once, a magical light came out of the lantern, and glowed brightly. The cousins covered their eyes, and when they opened it, they found Neil, standing straight, full of energy. They cheered, and were transported to a pleasant cottage.

      The cottage was Neil's house, so they were staying there for a few days, while he made a plan of where to go. They just couldn't let the evil queen Bella destroy them and the world. They were told this was the town of Whitbrick, where nothing goes wrong. 

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The Cursed Blessing: Chapter 7

 

The Cursed Blessing 

Chapter 7

          " AREEEEEE  YOUUUUU MADDDDD????!!" Chris shouted at Sirena as they tumbled down. 

          " NOTTTT REALLLY!!" she shouted back at him. They were falling so fast that Sirena almost couldn't breathe. Plus, the wind was rushing in their ears, making it impossible to speak or hear, so they had to shout at each other to be heard.

       Finally, after what seemed like hours of falling, they reached solid ground. Chris couldn't stand. He wobbled around like a jelly and landed on a dead bush. "ARGH! I'm in a bush!" he exclaimed, trying to get out. 

      "At least, you're not wet." came Sirena's reply as she came out soaked in lake water. Chris got out and looked at her. He burst out laughing. Sirena looked really funny, well, to him. Sirena crossed her arms and walked ahead with a huff.

      Chris laughed once more and ran up to her and pulled her back, before she fell into anything. " I was just joking. Besides, where are you going?" he asked. " I'm the one with the map. Here." he handed her a towel from his backpack. 

        " Thanks." Sirena wiped herself and looked at the map. "Where are we?" she asked. 

        "I'm guessing...here?"

        "You're right! The heart must be that red glowing thing I saw!" she exclaimed. Chris was lost.

        "Red glowing thing? Am I missing something?" he asked. " Sirena explained.

         " Oh, ok. So, let's go! They started walking, and Chris almost got tangled in a spider's web. 

          "They spotted another lake ahead. "The map says we have to swim through it." Sirena said before Chris could ask. 

        " I knew I should've packed my swimsuit." Chris grumbled.

        " You aren't the only one." Sirena replied.

        They waded down the lake, and Sirena stopped. " What is it now?" asked Chris, annoyed.

        " Did you see that? That ripple in the water?" Sirena questioned. 

        " No. What are you talking about?" Chris peered at the water. " I don't see anything." Before Sirena could reply, he said," Hey! Look at that thing! Its so cut..". He broke off halfway through his sentence as a snake jumped out of the water and swallowed the "cute thing" in one big gulp. Then it disappeared.

              The snake swam back to them. Chris grabbed Sirena and pulled her out of the water and onto the rocks nearby. They narrowly missed being a snake's before dinner snack.

                 " Oh. My. God." Sirena almost fainted out of shock, but her fear kept her going. "I almost got eaten by a typical snake!" she exclaimed. 

                  "Not just any snake." said Chris, who couldn't believe his eyes. " Its an anaconda.". He let that sink in.

                "AN ANACONDA!!!" came the scream from his companion, as expected. " I thought it was a python." she said, gasping for air. At this point, Sirena was literally hyperventilating.

                "Relax. Its fine. We'll be out as soon as we get an idea on how to distract it." Chris comforted her.

                "Yeah. I'm sure everyone relaxes when they are almost eaten by an anaconda, and is stranded on a rock surrounded with water and an anaconda that's waiting for them to come in the water!" she exclaimed.

                Chris gave up and rummaged around in his backpack for something to distract the anaconda. Sirena looked around, and then looked at him. She sighed, and suggested to use the towel to distract the anaconda. Chris agreed, and on the count of three, they tossed the towel into the lake and waited. Almost immediately, the anaconda jumped out and dragged it underwater. " Now's our chance! Let's go!" Chris called her.

              They ran, or at least tried to, to the exit and emerged out of the tunnel, this time, standing on a cove.

                    Only now this time, the water became clearer and clearer until it was " Look! The water is crystal clear!" came the delighted voice of Sirena. Chris danced around joyfully, almost tripping over a huge stone. The entire place was deserted. They were the only people around.

                        After getting tired of celebrating, they decided to set up camp, and watched the sunset.

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