Daphne And The Castle Of Water

• Annabel Lee, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2013

DAPHNE AND THE CASTLE OF WATER
“Daphne! Daphne!” I heard a faraway, light voice sounding almost like a violin. I opened my eyes and looked around quickly but extremely confused. I saw tall blue walls with high, gigantic doors, made of ice surrounding me. There was an extraordinary view of a rippling lake outside the towering castle.
“Where am I?” I thought.
“What! And who are you?” I replied in a rough voice. I was alone except for the mysterious voice calling for me. I stood up and started following the voice. I went from room to room but I still couldn’t find the voice.
“Show yourself!” I shouted with frustration.
“But…..but I can’t!” the irritating voice retorted. The voice hesitated and finally said, “Come to the enchanted water room!” and finally stopped the bothersome and continuous cries. “Where’s that,” I yelled back, rather rudely.
“It’s right above you at the very top!” the voice replied but fading away slowly. I looked up above me and there was a long row of spiral steps.
“That’s gonna be exciting,” I said sarcastically.
All of a sudden, I crashed into something at the top of the steps. It was a stone door with patterns of lions in it.
“Ahhhhhhh,” my head was throbbing and I had a headache. The door creaked opened noisily. I pushed it a little bit more so I could fit into the tiny gap. It was surprisingly light. I stepped into the enormous room expecting to see an annoying little girl. I gasped and jumped in surprise as three tremendously big lions were roaring their heads off at me.
There was something familiar about the gold and black lions getting ready to pounce. They were from a book I had picked randomly from the library.
“NOOOO!” a frightened voice screamed. It was the disturbing voice I heard earlier. It was coming from a helpless teenage spirit surrounded by light blue spirals. I turned around and the black and yellow lions were running at full speed towards me. As they got closer and closer, I ran up to them boldly and jumped on the one in the middle. I grabbed on tightly to the black fluffy ears. I pulled them backwards which controlled him. I guided the lion in the two charging creatures. We crashed right into each other and hit the old, glossy floor hard and that was the last thing I remembered.
I woke up slowly. I was really tired because I had hit the ground the millionth time now. I saw the poor girl lying helplessly on the ground. I went cautiously up to her and touched the electrical blue spirals. It sent a shock of electricity through me.
“Hello?” I said in a soft and gentle voice.
“What happened?” she whispered drowsily.
“I’m not sure. I blacked out,” I whispered back.
She opened her eyes wide. “Where are the lions?”
I looked around confused. I hadn’t noticed they were gone.
“Dunno,” I replied. I put on a confused face. She finally stood up in the spirals. She kicked of the spirals easily.
“O-M-G,” I said with my mouth opened and I closed my mouth again embarrassed.
“I’ve been calling for you since you started school,” she said. “but you never even came here or replied me.” I looked at her still startled.
“Who are you anyway?” I asked.
“I’m your sister,”
“But……but that’s impossible!” I shouted. “I’ve never had an older sister,”
“Well, now you do,” she laughed. I laughed back.