Darren And The Myth Of The Six Rings!

• Jarryd Wood, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2013

“Well that was a...” Darren’s stream of thoughts was stamped out by the constant flashes of bright light that filled a little alleyway. Curiosity had; and was; always one of his weaknesses, and it showed now. He tiptoed down the alleyway. Peering in, he saw flashes, lighting up a ring. There was a little blue diamond on the top of the ring and that was all. He was studying to be an archaeologist and any archaeologist in this situation would’ve done the same. He put the mysterious ring on.
As soon as the ring was on his finger, he was thrown upwards and he disappeared into thin air. The next thing he knew he was standing in the supermarket he recently worked at. He was in the bathroom section but no-one was around. The supermarket was closed. Suddenly something caught his eye. In his hand was another ring! It was exactly the same as the last one but he knew it was different because he had seen the other one disappear as soon as he arrived. “Ohhh...” said Darren “This must mean that when I put one ring on it takes me to a place close to my heart and then it gives me another ring to take me somewhere else- well, I’ll put this one on.” So he did.
After he landed he felt woozy. This disappearing wasn’t good! But as soon as he looked around he felt that something was seriously wrong. He was in a malodorous dungeon! He walked forward trying to ignore the crunching sound his feet made on the skulls that littered the floor. He HAD to get out of there, but no ring was in his hand now! He was lost and stupid! My curiosity failed me again!” Suddenly huge spiders crawled out of the cracks in the skulls and the walls! Darren screamed! Then something caught his eye... a glint of blue. Another RING! He dived for it and put it on. Phew!
He was still lost! “Where am I?” he asked. He was standing in a graveyard! He was just going to face it; he was lost and alone but on the bright side it couldn’t get any worse. Suddenly the eerie graveyard came alive with GHOSTS! Just when he was going to die in a swarm of ghosts... he disappeared.
“What happened... hey I know this place!” it was his parents’ old basement. Suddenly the cupboard that always was locked was open to expose a huge golden chest. It had a sign on it which read... I will take you ONE place you want to go!
“HOME,” yelled Darren.
“As you wish.” said a voice. Darren disappeared. “Huh? Where am I? I said I wanted to go home! In answer to that, lights flicked on. He was on his couch in his living room. “Well it’s good to be home and curiosity will never be my weakness again!” he said drifting into sleep.