This short story is participating in Write Story from Picture India 2012 – Short Story Writing Competition.
WSPI-2012-02
Photo credit: Nevit Dilmen
“Hi! How are you” asked Molly
“Hey, I am better now.” replied Dolly
“That was kind of fun” said Molly
“Ya sure it was!” agreed Dolly
“Did you tell anybody?”
“Nopes, you?”
“Me neither”
“Ready to do it again?”
“Sure!”
Dolly and Molly are the daughters of Colson family. Mr and Mrs Colson live in Miami and come to the nearby island of Hullabaloo some times in summer for a very nice family vacation. Mr Allen Colson is a software engineer by profession where as Mrs Brady Colson writes articles and short stories for children magazines. They have visited the place many times and the children seems to enjoy themselves very much.
It was a normal family vacation until last weekend, which has made the place very special for them now. It was a sunny afternoon of a Saturday when Dolly and Molly were walking on the rocky beach. Mr. Colson was busy on his laptop and Mrs Colson seems to be absorbed in reading a very interesting novel.
Mrs. Colson raised her eyes from the novels, her vision races behind the girls. They seem to enjoy each others company,walking hand in hand along the beach.
“Don’t take your sister too far Dolly” Mrs Colson tells them loudly as a normal protective and caring mother.
Dolly in return turns her head back, waves her hand to her mother and smiles sweetly, assuring that she can take care of everything now. The girls move a little further and they are hidden by the big rocks and so they are out of the sight of their parents.
This is when Molly sees strange mark at the end of a big black rock. The rock seems to be weathered by constant fight with the waves and air but the mark is still faintly visible.
“Hey look, it looks like palm of a child” wonders Molly
“Yes it does. It is too small for my palm. Let’s try yours” said Dolly after scrutinizing the rock.
“It fits” Molly put her hand on that mark.
Suddenly a strange thing happens and that mark seems to shift inside like a button of a doorbell.
“Its sliding Dolly”
“Push it more”
“No it doesn’t”
Molly pushed it as much as she could but the mark just slid about an inch and then stopped.
Suddenly they found the rocks under their feet as trembling.
“Oh my God its going down. We will drown Dolly?” Molly screamed at Dolly as the rock was moving down in a perfect square shaped floor of a lift.
Dolly was afraid too and both the little ones closed their eyes and started screaming while the lift floor continued to go down.
“Aaaaaa…uppp!” suddenly the rock floor stopped and the screams too.
Both the children open their eyes to find themselves in the center of a big hall.
“Where are we Dolly” Molly grasped her sisters hand tightly and whispered. It was not totally dark. The place was faintly lit with some moonlight. And then the lights were turned on one by one.
“Wooo” exclaimed Dolly by the magnificence of the place.
“It is a palace” Molly screamed with some joy in her heart. The little ones were no longer afraid. The lights have lighten up there hearts and both were smiling.
Dolly looked around to find that the ceiling was too far. The ground was of shining black and white marbles except for the one black one on which they came down. There were white shining pillars with gold decorations and there were many seats there. Two seats were large and on there sides were smaller chairs, on the left side of one and on the right side of another big chair.
“You are right, welcome to the Hoolaboola palace. Suddenly the children heard a loud but benevolent male voice. And they saw some people entering the hall from the left side.
“Would you like to eat something?” asked a very soft female voice. Molly felt its like honey to her ear and she chuckled with joy.
Suddenly a small table was brought infront of them by some servants. They were very neatly dressed. Then they went in and came back with bowls of fruits, icecreams, sundaes, chocolates, pastries and many dishes.
“Pastries Dolly”
“Yes Molly”
They saw that the king and queens were very kind to them. They ate a lot and lot.
Molly ate so much that all her dress was smeared with the chocolates and icing of the cakes. And then they were about to sleep when the queen herself came and picked up Molly. They went to a very soft bed. It was of fur, pure white and very warm.
The queen sang a song in her beautiful voice and the little ones slept for hours and hours .
“Molly… Molly wake up” Dolly shook the baby girl
“No, I want to sleep more”
“No, Molly its already evening we have to go back”
“Hmmm”
Molly tries to wake up.
“Lets go, we have to deposit today’s collection to Kallu Baba” Dolly said
“Mine is only fifteen rupees”
“Mine is fifty rupees. Take fifteen from me and tell him you got thirty. You will get to eat as much you want” Dolly said
“What about you Dolly?”
“I ate yesterday”
The little ones got up from the rocky beach of Mumbai and headed for their meeting place. Kallu Baba is their head who gives them to eat if they collect good money by begging on the traffic signals . Dolly and Molly sometimes come at the beach and rest for a while.
“Are Mr and Mrs Colson real people?”
“Yes Molly?”
“Will they come for us….”
And they keep moving for their shelter.
__END__
