The Golden Key
Their once lived a girl, Doreen with her mother. They lived in a circular house on Yemora in South Texas. When Doreen was young, things were perfect. She had friends of both genders and her grades were good. At the age of eleven, things changed. Her friends dropped out of the picture, and her grades dropped from A to F. Doreen’s mother, Rona, went to the school to see about this matter. She decided to leave Doreen at home. As she approached the school, she saw one of Doreen’s former friends. The girl smiled.
“Ms Luce, hi, how’s your daughter?”
“Oh, she’s doing poorly in school. I came to see Ms Prints, is she in?”
“Yes, my Mom’s just come from there,”
“
Oh, what about?”
“We’re to have a picnic next week and she wanted to give the permission data file.”
“She couldn’t just send it?”
“We don’t have the equipment just yet. Father’s going to North Texas to see what he can do about it.”
“Ok, I’ll go see Ms Prints, now.”
They both went on their way. Ms Prints was in her office when Rona came to the school and as Rona had run into one of the children, she knew of the pending arrival. When Rona walked in, Ms Prints said, “Afternoon, Rona, why have you stopped by? I know you wanted to have a discussion.”
“Oh, alas, my Doreen’s grades are dropping and her friends won’t come to see her, nor will they mention her by name. “What am I to do?”
Ms Prints sighed.
“She hasn’t shown any disinterest in schoolwork, and her former friends want to be near her, but I fear a curse has placed on the students. They have all begun to fight amongst one another and only hang out with their enemies.”
She reached to her right, and opened a door in the wall.
Picking up a small wooden box with a soft triangular hand, she passed to Ms Luce, who took it with a soft circular hand. She pocketed it in her shorts suit top. “Take care to read the instructions within and follow them strictly or you’ll not find whom you seek,” said Ms Prints, following close behind Rona.
“Yes, of course,” said Ms Luce walking out.
Now all this time, Doreen was quite miserable at home, thinking that perhaps her friends didn’t love her as they once did. She could think of no reason and hadn’t noticed their constant fights among them or her declining grades, for the curse’s design was to only adults to see their deterioration.
S
he soon heard her mother come in, and not knowing why her mother looked distraught, she asked, “What’s the trouble? Does the school plan to close?”
Her mother sank into a chair near Doreen. She sighed and asked, “Haven’t you noticed your grades? I thought you were ashamed to tell me.” “My grades?” the girl inquired. “I can’t imagine that I’m failing. I’ve done well all these years.” Her mother told all and the girl wept copious tears then ran to her room closing its door.
The next day, Ms Luce retired to her room also and retrieved the box. Lifting out a data file, she read its contents. The instructions seemed simple.
Steps
1 Find the golden key.
2 Ask for sorceress Bidworth at Bidworth School for Blind sorcery.
3 Kill her.
The next day, Rona prepared to set out on her journey. Doreen, seeing this, asked, “May I go with you so I can find the golden key while you destroy our lady of ill?” Her mother nodded and after packing some items in a rectangular bag they went about their task. On the way, they met a young girl picking ice flowers.
“Where is the golden key?” asked Doreen.
The girl looked up.
“In the golden lake next to the patch of dragonweed.”
Doreen thanked her and she and her mother went off.
They soon came to the mentioned patch and Doreen stepped forward. Her mother shrank back. “I’ll leave you to your task,” she said, glancing quickly at the instructions. I must get on with mine or all will be lost.”
So she set out.
She rushed to the aforementioned school and went in. Now, how am I to go about this terrible task? She wondered. I have no magic skills and her students are there to be sure.
She approached the classroom marked Sorcery in training A. She pulled the chain and she heard a click.
The class grew quiet.
“Who enters!” the sorceress asked, raising her voice.
Her voice reverberated throughout the halls and it seemed as if the whole school stilled.
“I do, Miss.” Rona said, shivering slightly.
Back at Doreen’s spot, Doreen set about undressing. Afterwards, she gathered up her courage and leapt in. Rona turned to face the sorceress. “You have transformed our children.”
The sorceress laughed cruelly.
“Your system is so perfect.” Rona lunged towards the evil woman.
Meanwhile, Doreen swam about in vein searching for the golden key. Suddenly, a mermaid approached. Her blue hair was spread across the water to form a bridge. “May I help?” she asked.
“I can’t find the golden key,” replied Doreen.
“Oh, well, walk across my hair and you will find a door at the end of it. Open the door and walk straight into the room at the hall’s end without coming back or turning around else you’ll not find it, and your mother will not be able to kill the evil mage.”
With those words, she dove below the surface only leaving the bridge which Doreen was to cross.
She did this and found the door mentioned. She opened it, and soon came to the room where she key hopefully lay.
Upon entering, she soon came to a golden dresser and upon its top lay the golden key. Near it lay a note: How to break the curse
Although the curse can never be broken, this key will help the wearer to avoid further effect of the curse.
She placed the key around her neck, and then walked out of the room. Once she’d gotten to the patch she found her mother waiting for her.
She handed her mother the note saying, “It’s a shame the curse won’t be broken.”
Her mother nodded and they started home.
Want to comment on this Short Stories?
Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Short Stories and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...
|
 |
|