Mysteria

• Annabelle Dellis, Grade 2, St Therese's Primary School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

Until 8 years old, Rosie Dallas led a relatively normal life but that was all about to change…
It was the night before Christmas and Rosie was allowed to open one gift. She was a spoilt little girl who lacked imagination, creativity and spirit. A rather peculiar aunt from Norway had sent a gift with sparkly gold wrapping, embellished with bright red and green holly and a tag that said, ‘Open at your own risk’. This immediately drew Rosie closer to the gift. That was definitely the gift she would open as it tingled her curiosity. Gingerly, she opened the gift and as she did, she felt a wave of disappointment as she realised it was just an old book! ‘How disappointing’ she thought. This rather old book looked like it had been handed down for generations with its rustic smell and tea-stained blank cover. Uninterested with the dull gift from her distant aunt, Rosie placed the book aside as she was called for supper. Sometime after her delightful meal, Rosie prepared herself for bed so she could be fresh for the following day’s festivities. There was just one problem, Rosie could not get to sleep. She tried counting sheep and even meditation but it was useless. Rosie was still awake at the stroke of midnight. Tossing and turning she decided to open this seemingly goose-bumpy book, she read:
Once upon a time in a land called Mysteria there lived enchanted characters and magical creatures that happily enjoyed each other’s company and protected the kingdom from atrocious invaders. The unicorns giggled during tea and the giant ladybugs danced as they picked flowers, the fairies sung with glee...how perfect life was for those who lived in this alluring land…
As Rosie began to think about this perfect land, she felt herself being sucked into the book. “HEEELLLLPPPPPPP!!” she screamed, but it was too late. She had landed into this picturesque place of Mysteria. Had she in fact fallen asleep and this was a dream or was she really in Mysteria? She wandered around the manicured gardens and bumped into a pink pony that exclaimed, “Oh great you are here! The Princess is expecting you!” “What is happening? Why am I here?” quizzed Rosie. The pony continued, “For the Princess’s birthday party. You see she has waited for almost 100 years for someone to open this magical book and now that you are here, she wants to celebrate all of her birthdays! It is going to be a terrific day!” Rosie was led to the Princess at once. The exterior of the castle looked amazing with its tall wooden doors and brass handles, but inside was even better. There was a carousel, a theatre, a dance stage, a fairy floss station, a chocolate fountain...the list went on!
The Princess was a caring and sweet young girl and was so grateful that she finally got to celebrate her birthday. This boring book turned out to be a remarkable read and whilst Rosie promised to visit again, she knew her fun time in Mysteria had to come to an end. They both closed their eyes and Rosie returned to her room. Filled with astonishment, Rosie knew one thing for sure...you should never judge a book by its cover, for she had just experienced one of the best stories ever!