THE RED BUTTON

It had been a long day with mamma, papa and me transferring our furniture and all my bunnies, teddies, and other soft toys to our new house. I was overexcited to explore that house and the news that it was 3 stories high with a basement and an attic increased my curiosity. Nevertheless the 3^rd floor would soon be on rent to gain some benefits as it would otherwise be empty.

As soon as we reached our new residence mamma pushed me towards the bathroom, “It’s good to have a cold shower after being so dirty my dear Tolkien.” Having a shower and my lunch I proceeded with my exploration. I placed all my bunnies along my bed and skipped to the down floor leaving mamma cooking and dad editing other people’s drafts as a professional editor.

The basement was pitch black, so I brought mamma’s torch and began the exploration. Nothing useful or interesting was found save some old photographs, journals, chairs and shards of a broken mirror and an unusually shining mirror which I immediately pocketed. Thus the basement and first floor search ended pretty soon and I continued with the second floor. The only remarkable thing I found there was a mirror, bigger than the former one with some small mirrors. ‘Why so many mirrors, it reminds me of ‘snow white and the seven dwarfs’ mamma often reads to me.’

Wandering into the third floor I came across a red button, with an antique box enclosure and as soon as I pocketed it many more mirrors lay in my path. A creepy feeling about these mirrors swept over me. ‘Can we time travel or teleport using these mirrors? This would indeed be great. I could go back in time and see those massive dinosaurs.’

In the attic I lit the torch again (which I had dimmed as I went through the first, second and third floors). It was even darker in their when I thought to call my mamma, ‘But a real explore has to be brave.’ Soon I discovered the first weirdest thing in that house. ‘A……..cushioned……..remote control? Weird.’ There were two antennas, two regulators, two red buttons and a red light (not illuminated at the moment.) ‘I would render these to change the world at midnight.’ As this weird thought crossed my head I heard my mamma’s call, “Tolkien dinner’s ready come here fast dear, and mamma-papa’s waiting.

_____

It was almost midnight as I jumped straight on bed and lit the lamp. Placing all the three curious things in order I counted ten for which one to try fast. Stopping at the red button I resolved to press it and wait for the teleportation, ‘You and your bizarre thoughts,’ mamma would probably tell me if she came across this odd thought of mine.

As I pressed the button a most inexplicable thing occurred. Everything began spinning even faster than my top. I would have been sick if I would have the time, but everything converted into a blur, a smoke, a tornado and all furniture around me mixed to be something unrecognizable, at least for a 7 year old child. Everything was whirling around me when I felt being hoisted into the air and released to fall forever. There were stars on my wall, which just changed into the mere form of a night sky.

Suddenly I touched the ground with a thud and realized my eyes were closed shut. Opening them my irises were dazzled by the extreme brightness. Adjusting my eyes a green and red scenery came into view. ‘Is it my hometown, no it is totally desolate. Where are my friends? Do they even know I am here? Did I just teleport? But where is everyone else, why am I the only human here? Where are my mamma, papa and --------- my teddies?

Touching my pockets I felt the mirrors and the remote safely positioned, ‘But where is the__?’ “Who are you kiddo, you don’t seem to be one of us.” A heavy hand was on my shoulder as I heard a heavy voice speak to me. Soon some pink fat creatures emerged from nowhere and enclosed around me. All of them got something blue from thin air and aimed at me. They resembled my toy guns, their weapons. ‘Perhaps they want to play with me.’

In a wink did they pull the triggers and something green squeezed out from it. ‘Oh my, it’s a net,’ and soon it wrapped around me. “What is this, uncle, what are you doing? Well I am no thief leave me. I am a kid can’t you all see?”

But you are an intruder.” “Yeah we don’t let unknown people into our lands. They can be precarious. Once an old genius intruded and killed more than thousands of us. He even hid something in our land which connects all dimensions making it easy for people to travel here.” An old man spoke whose attire presented him as the head of these creatures.

“Well uncles can I take my red button?” I pointed at the boxed button I just spotted on the ground.

“No child! It might be your weapon we can’t let you harm us.”

“No its not_____.” All turned towards the red button from which streaks of red light could be seen. As they left me with one skinny little creature I felt a great urge to pluck the mirror out of my pocket. Pulling it out I viewed my own face on it only not as scared as it was supposed to be but with a malicious smirk on.

“Trapped are you?” it spoke in a muffled tone. “Well I can help you out. You need to use your freaking little brain for this okay?”

“Yeah,” I could feel my blood churning. ‘Did he just call my brain ‘freaking little’?’

“Now listen to this:

‘Pluck out the rose signalling you, and move yourself through space and ----, and let the other light direct you!’

You understand right it’s a riddle and you have all the elements mentioned in that riddle. Keep your poorly prepared work up and you might reach home soon____ I mean later than sooner!”

Soon there was nothing but me on the mirror.

‘Did it even make sense? Could I _?’ then it clicked as a light bulb was just switched on. ‘All elements’ he was talking about my only belongings here. ‘A rose’ now a rose is red it’s probably that red button. ‘But pluck it?’ how do I do that its__ oh the other guide, it has to be the controller and there are ways to move things from one place to the other. I could use the controller.’ Move yourself through space and -----’ I can move using the remote but what is ‘Space and -----’ could it be time I read this in a book, this phrase. Yeah all has matched I think I’ll soon be at home sleeping.’

Returning to reality I saw the creature trying to pick it up and I pulled the controller towards me. Then it happened. It flew towards me and landed on my lap. I felt the guard creature grip my ankle. Nevertheless I pressed the red button deep and felt dizzy as everything around me spun, all were whirling as I felt myself drift towards something pink and the red light on the remote illuminated my small palms and I just noticed something. ‘Even the light is divided into 2 parts. ‘He’ said ‘let the other light direct you.’ It is shining on the right side’. Thus I turned the controller to the right and felt myself bend.

I had left the ground since ages but there was a grip on my ankle which I still could not explain. Soon I was falling towards nothingness as I hit rock bottom. My skull was about to shatter but I was hovering till I put my foot on the ground and stood up. I was back in my room but instead of the bed I was on the floor with that grip released.

I was standing on a shadow, so looked back and…….. gasped.

“Oh my?”

So this is earth, that filthy human-planet.” spoke the thin creature.

THE END