The Giant Plum

This is my take on fantasy. 

The Giant Plum

Bored school girl Susan Potter watched the rain pour down relentlessly from her bedroom window as it battered against the glass; it was the weekend and there was nothing to do. She pivoted around the room in hopes of finding some amusement.

"If only it would stop", she was about to say when it happened; a giant plum appeared in her hand, sugar crystallized it.

Susan Potter looked at the giant plum in her hands and felt delighted because it signified a change.

She walked over to the window again and reflected on her new idyllic surroundings. The plum had somehow transported her to a fantasy world filled with petite, sugar plums. The sun shone brightly on the multi-coloured backdrop. It was a place that encouraged her tendency to feel delighted.

She legged it outside to look around and it was more beautiful than she could ever have imagined.

A hilly landscape surrounded her and as she got closer, she could see what looked like snow covering the peaks of the mountains, but after she ran a finger over the snow and licked the sweet substance, a delightful laugh escaped her when she realised the snow was, in fact, icing sugar; never had she seen hills like this before.

What was even more delightful was that beneath the sugar, chocolate made up the hills entirely; she broke off the triangular peak and popped it into her mouth, feeling it melt on her tongue.

Next, she bounced up and down on the soft surface beneath her feet, like a bouncy castle. Falling to her knees she found, to her utter amazement, jelly making up the floor of the land. She giggled in excitement; she felt giddy.

Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of Harry Sweet. Harry was a cowardly rabbit with fluffy fur and little fingers. He was running towards the hills.

Susan clapped her hands at the sight of him, she loved rabbits, and went to meet him. 

"Look out!" Harry cried staring beneath her feet.

She looked down and came face to face with a pond.

Susan gulped. Glanced at her own reflection in the shimmering water. She was delightful, lovable, with ginger hair and skinny legs; she reached out and wiped away her reflection. The water was ice cold to the touch and when she lifted her arm out, it was covered in bubbles. Its scent filled her nostrils and she cried out, "yum, lemonade. My favourite." She cupped her hands into the pond and drank the fresh liquid.

As she glanced up again, Harry had reached her side. He introduced himself and she shook a soft paw.

"Where am I?" She asked him.

"That's easy. You're in Plumland."

"Of course. It explains why there are so many plums."

He stared at her. "Try one."

She took a big bite of the plum she still held in her hand. It was sweet and luscious on her tongue.

"What is your opinion?"

"They're simply divine. This whole place is filled with my favourite delights."

He squealed with happiness. "I'm glad you like them."

Then more rabbits began to join them; they quickly became her new friends. How could such fluffy delightful creatures be anything else?

 Her new Plumland friends saw her as a little helper. She stayed a long time in Plumland. Once, she had even made a cup of tea for a determined rabbit. Now they were all lovable, tea drinking rabbits; the tea had somehow helped Harry be more courageous.

But not even a delightful person who had once made a cup of tea for a determined rabbit, prepared herself for what Harry had in store today.

The wind blew like it carried a song, making Susan happy. The sun continued to shine and it never rained; she would never be bored again.

As Susan stepped forward and Harry came closer, she could see the old mushy glint in his eye.

Harry gazed with the like of an admiring friend. He said, in hushed tones, "I love you and I want affection."

Susan patted his head, even more happy and still fingering the giant plum. "It's good to see you."

She was pleased to see his new found courage growing with each day that passed.

"What a spiffing dress," Harry said, noticing the new dress made of pink rose petals she found hanging from the tree she slept under.

They looked at each other with puzzled feelings, and enjoyed a very brave dinner party, which had piano music playing in the background and two of Harry's energetic uncles laughing to the beat. Adding to this, Susan had made a plum cake, and they all drank tea together.

Susan regarded Harry's fluffy fur and little fingers. "I feel the same way!" revealed Susan with a delighted grin. "I'm going to stay your friend forever and to keep visiting Plumland always."

Harry looked surprised, his emotions bubbling over like an exploding kettle meant for a cup of tea.

He mustered up all the new found courage Susan had brought out in him and told her, "We will always be here when you should need us. All my rabbit friends too."

"I'll always need you. I couldn't manage without any of you now. You can count on me as well. We all need a courage booster once in a while."

"We will continue to drink tea and think of you whenever we have a brave dinner party."

"What can you mean? Where are you going? You said you'd always be here in plumland," she cried, panicked by his parting words and sad tone of voice.

Susan was about to take another delicious bite of sugar plum cake when she fell crashing to the ground and awoke in her old room. She ran to the window and saw her old familiar surroundings, the rain still relentlessly falling out of the sky.

Harry and the Plum were gone.

She sighed. "It was just a dream. How very disappointing. I want a friend like Harry. I hope one day to be as bored in future, then I might visit Plumland again. There is something to be said for boredom after all."