Cleo's Quest

• Bella Spencer, Grade 2
• Short Story
• 2016

BING!
BANG!
“Emme Echidna is changing the weather again!” sighed Cleo: It was meant to be summer but it was almost winter. There were freezing blizzards covering everything with fresh, white snow.

Cleo’s family was struggling against Emme. But all of Cleo’s family would hopefully survive. It was hard for them, they thought they hid their precious treasure, which Cleo’s parents got when they were little. But they hadn’t. It felt to Cleo like they had one place left, where it could be left undiscovered. Cleo felt it. He really did!

“Finally, dinners ready!” Cleo felt like his belly was on fire, it hurt from being starving. He was so happy to have his flowers in sand sauce served. It only took him 2hours, 2mins and 30seconds to gobble it all up. His parents had Gumon and Guggs, also some scrum-bilious sausages for breakfast! Anyway, back to the story!

His parents asked him after dinner to set out on a quest to find Emme Echidna and bring her to their home. “But…but, I’m too yyyy-young,” stuttered Cleo.
“Here, take our magic mirror.! Any time you are scared, say, Magic mirror, magic mirror, I want my family’ and we will appear on the mirror!”

Time for bed now, you are setting off in the morning.”
“Nooooooooooooooo!!!”

Morning arrived. Cleo was up all night packing his rope, anchor and diamonds in his bag. He was so nervously scared, as well as being happy at the same time.

At 4.00AM he set off to the Australian Bush.

It was all going well until…..”Ho..Ho…Ha..” cackled the old hag.
“What was t-t-t-that?” whispered Cleo.
Me, Emme Echidna. Long time, no see! Cleo kangaroo.!”
“Well, I am going to see you later on in your quest.” Cleo then saw her disappear but Emme left a huge ice-block right in the middle of his path.

He began to chant, “Magic mirror, magic mirror, I want my family .”
“Hello. Cleo what is the matter?”
The old echidna has put a colossus of an ice-block in my way and said he will see me next in my journey,”

Brrr Brrr Brrrr…..Nooooooo! NO reception in the bush, Cleo thought. None, none at all. So he sat for quite a long time until down, it finally melted. Down it went so that Cleo set off once again, he was still worried about what Emme Echidna would do to him. But he was ready for anything.

“Almost there Cleo,” said Emme Echidna.
“Stay away from me,” Cleo screamed back.
“Pardon. What you want me to come closer? OK I’ll come closer to youuntil my head will be touching your forehead.”

Cleo tried to run, but Emme had placed a massive bridge from the side where Cleo was standing to the other side of the cliff edge. But the bridge had no wooden planks on it. He was frustrated, but none the less, quickly got out some supplies from his bag like: ropes and an anchor. Finally he found what he needed, a zip line. TBC