Kidnapped

It commenced with a girl. She had a tanned face and a smile that lit up her eyes. You would think that she was an ordinary, well-bred Greek girl who lived in the countryside. Though she was not. In truth, her heart was black. Her eyes seemed to shimmer and shine, but in reality, they were red as blood. Her lips seemed to smile. However, her lips were always turned into a perfectly straight and unreadable expression. Her name, Celeste, was unfitting.

She had planned to be the ruler of the world.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

''Ada!’' A voice rang out from the house. ‘'Yes?'' I replied meekly. '‘Would you sweep up the floor for me?’' '‘Yes, Madame,’' I replied. I dashed up the stairs, and into the cozy living room. Velvet chairs and sofas with endless round cushions circled a fire. Beside it was a small and fragile old lady. Her eyes brightened at the sight of me. '‘Ada, I told you not to call me Madame. Please call me Mami Margeret.’’ She said. ‘‘Yes Mad- Mami Margeret.’’ I quickly seized the brush and started sweeping to cover my embarrassment. ‘’Oh, dear...’’ Murmured Mami Margeret. ‘‘A girl called Celeste has disappeared, but rumor has it that she is carrying around a dangerous object.’’ ‘‘Really?’’ I quizzed, intrigued. ‘’Dinner!’’ Mami Margeret exclaimed.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

‘‘Happy Birthday!’’ Mami Margeret bounded out with a tremendous-sized cake. ‘’I made a cake’’ She added a little pointlessly. ‘‘Thank you!’’ I felt touched. No one had ever celebrated my birthday before. ‘‘Here, your present.’’ She said. I opened it. It was a mechanical dog! In a spur of movement, a red blur shone in my eyes. As quick as it had appeared, it disappeared.

Celeste opened her mouth and screeched. ‘‘That woman has stolen my power! My beauty, my wonder! She has stolen one of my silky hairs to make a fur puppy for her granddaughter! And her granddaughter Ada, the selfish girl, has a-a power! My sister!’’ She spat on the floor. Then she glanced at a ruby, a priceless jewel. At least I still have you, to vanquish the world, she thought.

I woke up, and stroked my mechanimal. ‘‘Morning!’’ he yapped. I had called him Maurice. His fur felt odd. As if it contained something of power. I felt a jolt. A flash of light. The window had unlocked itself! I stared at it, in wonder. I shook my head and made my way downstairs. I felt tired. As if it was the night again. As fast as I could, I ate breakfast and then fell into a deep, deep slumber.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

Muffled voices, a blur of light, silence.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

Celeste cackled gleefully. ‘‘I got them! Bound and gagged, sleeping like pigs!’’ She scooped up the jewel in her tanned hands, then raised it high above the air. A breathtaking light shone through her fingers, spreading like the fastest of wind, and at once the world was plunged into darkness.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

Ada woke up, feeling chains digging into her wrists. A sour smell hung in the air. ‘’Maurice?’’ She whispered. ‘‘Are you there?’’ There was a soft whine. Silence. A different voice. A fragile sounding voice that rung in the air… ‘’Are you there dear? Are you harmed?’’ It was Mami Margeret! ‘’I’m fine!’’ I called back. All of a sudden, a light illuminated the room. There a shadowy figure stood, crossed arms, a straight back, and the most beautiful face. She had the same face that I had. The same brown skin. But her eyes were red, her lips a straight line. ‘’Look at me closer.’’ Demanded the girl. ‘’Do you realise that we look alike, Celine?’’ Something in the back of my brain twitched. Without warning, memories blazed in front of my eyes lifting me off my feet. She was Celeste. Celeste teaching me how to read, Celeste hugging me tight, Celeste helping me ride a bike. Other memories sprang into me, Celeste hitting me, Celeste killing mother and father, Celeste abandoning me. She would never be my sister. I collapsed, unconscious.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

‘‘Why? Why? Why did it have to be one of my hairs women?’’ Screamed Celeste. ‘‘I-I wanted to give Ada a extrordinary p-present!’’ Mami Margeret quaked under the piercing eyes of Celeste. Celeste threw her head skyward and barked a terrifying laugh. ‘‘I am in charge of the world now, so give that puppy back to me! After all, I am more alluring than the goddess Venus, and that single strand of hair will make me even more graceful!’’ She cackled. It happened at once. Lightning struck Celeste in a fiery second. Her beautiful hair turned gradually into the coiling shapes of snakes and her legs joined together making her into a half human, half snake. In the mist a voice called out ‘‘Your name will be Medusa and you shall be cursed eternally.’’

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

I struggled up to my feet, breathing heavily. An overwhelming sense of despair and melancholy welled up inside me. In front of me, a diamond glimmered happily. In its innards, the face of Celeste frowned down at me. Suddenly, I knew what had happened. The dark object had been this diamond. Other people’s anguished faces sorrounded her. With a jolt of realisation, I realised that my parent’s faces were also staring straight at me. They were the people that Celeste had murdered. I peered out of a slit in the wall. A constellation in the sky glowed so bright, they nearly blinded me. As I looked closer, I found that it spelled something.

Medusa is the ruler of the world!

It said. That could only be Celeste. Panicked, I looked back at the jewel. It had helped her defeat everybody. She remembered her mother and father saying something like: ‘The power is always in a jewel. Only turning it to stone will it vanquish.’ How could I turn the jewel to stone? It was impossible. Before a had time to think, a high-pitched scream echoed like a thousand people. I whipped round to see a lady. Her hair was replaced as slithering snakes, and her legs was one snake altogether. She was looked at a small mouse, and at once it turned to stone. Her features were nearly the same as Celeste, apart from her hair and legs. Mami Margeret, who was in the cage beside me, had fainted. Maurice was beside me, but his clockwork had run out. It was only me. Crying, I bent down to stroke the lifeless Maurice. At once, I felt the same kind of power again. The hair on my arms stood taller than they ever had before. With a sudden bang, the cage lock opened. I grabbed the diamond in my sweaty hands and ran behind a boulder. If I looked at Celine, then I would turn into stone. I ran out and started screaming, taunting her of her ugliness, and with a roar of fury, she span around. I held the diamond as a shield as she looked at me.

* ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ *

Medusa whipped round, coming to face a jewel. It was the jewel that had helped her all this way. As she looked at it, it started glowing black, black as her heart. She remembered her parents saying ‘The power is always in a jewel. Only turning it to stone will it vanquish.’ Realising what had happened she sank to the floor and screamed her anger to the sky. An uneven boulder rolled towards her. Medusa did not see. She raised her hands, about to do something, but not in time. The rock devoured her. Ada had won.

Notes.

I really hope you like my work, and what I have done. I know that I will not reach the standards of real authors, but I have done my best. Please don’t be to harsh on me, I am nine years old. I hope you enjoy my writing anyway.

Thank you!