She lies in her bed at night, wondering
What will her future be, if she never leaves this place?
Her prison, her jail, has kept her from the outside world
For these many years
How many more will she have to spend inside these walls?
The food is bland, and the bed bugs bite, but a word cannot escape her mouth
Every night, she dreams of a family that will care for her, be there for her, protect her
But her eyes flutter open, and she is pushed into reality
On full moon nights, she fingers a picture
Worn out with care
Creased edges, yellowed, but loved
Of a man and a woman
Holding a child, rosy dimpled cheeks shining
Where are they now, she thinks, why am I all alone?
A tear falls, and smudges against the picture; ink splatters
She stares into the sky, wishing, praying, hoping
The days fly by, and she is peering through the windows
When she spies, a family walking up the street
But a few moments later, she is called; her heart beat quickens
She runs through the door and stops in front
Of a family.
Their warm smiles glimmering
The young girl reaches out hugs her, and something deep within stirs
A family! She realizes; my own family!
Her heart sings, and she flies
Into their arms, hopeful, smiling, with glee
Together, they walk home
And she reaches
Into her pocket, and her fingers find the photo
She holds it against her chest, breathing hard
Her previous life fades behind her, as she slips the photo out of sight
Clutching her sister’s hand, and never looking back,
Looking forward to a roller coaster of an adventure,
She heads for home.
Together we can,
Change a child’s future, so they can have a life to live
Help them rise to great heights, and be someone in this world
Give them something they can strive for- a family.
People who care for them, protect them, love them
Let these children have wonderful reminiscent of their past
Together. We. Can.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Meaning of Beauty
Beauty can be anything
Beauty can be anywhere
Not only in your golden silky hair
Beauty can be found anywhere in this world
It just matters where you look
It could be a blooming rose or the touching words in a book
Beauty can simply be the honesty of a close binding
Beauty can be the feelings of sorrow, joy, or fear
Or beauty can be the wonderful sounds we have the power to hear
The power of a lightning,
A raging thunderstorm,
Those are all a shard of beauty, just at a different form
Beauty can be the way of the people or
The height of a church steeple
Beauty can be the lavish sunset
And the light of the moon shining upon us till the end
Beauty can be anywhere…
It’s all in our hands... the way we see it
And when we want to… later or soon
People expect beauty to be based on looks,
But the truth is; the most beautiful things can be found in cramped, dusty nooks.
Gloss and polish, powder and lipstick,
Those are not important, in fact too much of that will make you sick!
We were born with our looks, - we can’t change that,
But inside, all of us can be more than a stylish, obnoxious brat.
We are what we do,
Even if we start an animal shelter or help someone with the flu
We are all beautiful, in one way or another
It just matter where we look- outside or in each other.
Beauty can be anywhere
Not only in your golden silky hair
Beauty can be found anywhere in this world
It just matters where you look
It could be a blooming rose or the touching words in a book
Beauty can simply be the honesty of a close binding
Beauty can be the feelings of sorrow, joy, or fear
Or beauty can be the wonderful sounds we have the power to hear
The power of a lightning,
A raging thunderstorm,
Those are all a shard of beauty, just at a different form
Beauty can be the way of the people or
The height of a church steeple
Beauty can be the lavish sunset
And the light of the moon shining upon us till the end
Beauty can be anywhere…
It’s all in our hands... the way we see it
And when we want to… later or soon
People expect beauty to be based on looks,
But the truth is; the most beautiful things can be found in cramped, dusty nooks.
Gloss and polish, powder and lipstick,
Those are not important, in fact too much of that will make you sick!
We were born with our looks, - we can’t change that,
But inside, all of us can be more than a stylish, obnoxious brat.
We are what we do,
Even if we start an animal shelter or help someone with the flu
We are all beautiful, in one way or another
It just matter where we look- outside or in each other.
Beauty is...........
Beauty isn’t the appearance of someone
Not the makeup they wear,
Not their long locks of hair
It is what lies on the inside
That should give oneself an essence of pride
Love is the beauty of our emotions
It is the way we show our bonding connections
Love is the way we care for one another
To show how we appreciate each other
This feeling can be shown with a hug
It does not call for a personalized mug
Love is eternal beauty
Confidence is the beauty of your self- acknowledgement
It is the way you convey yourself and your statement
Have confidence in your thoughts and yourself
You may not realize, but you are more than how you look
Like a tattered or intriguing book.
Looks may deceive, but they do not matter.
It is your confidence that will flatter.
Confidence is eternal beauty
Intelligence is the beauty of the mind
It helps you achieve, it helps you to find
The power of intelligence helps us make the right decisions
And leads us to the end of our difficult missions
We use intelligence to untie a painful knot
We use intelligence to show people what we got
Intelligence is eternal beauty
When you see someone in need of a smile,
Show one off and you’ll feel good for a while
Use these traits to boost yourself high
So soon you’ll be a shining star in the sky
Beauty is love, intelligence, and confidence.
To me, beauty is what I am on the inside
I work hard to live a wonderful life
I work hard so I can find, achieve, and strive
My love for my family, home, and friends
You will see, will never end.
Beauty is the way I mend my soul.
Not the makeup they wear,
Not their long locks of hair
It is what lies on the inside
That should give oneself an essence of pride
Love is the beauty of our emotions
It is the way we show our bonding connections
Love is the way we care for one another
To show how we appreciate each other
This feeling can be shown with a hug
It does not call for a personalized mug
Love is eternal beauty
Confidence is the beauty of your self- acknowledgement
It is the way you convey yourself and your statement
Have confidence in your thoughts and yourself
You may not realize, but you are more than how you look
Like a tattered or intriguing book.
Looks may deceive, but they do not matter.
It is your confidence that will flatter.
Confidence is eternal beauty
Intelligence is the beauty of the mind
It helps you achieve, it helps you to find
The power of intelligence helps us make the right decisions
And leads us to the end of our difficult missions
We use intelligence to untie a painful knot
We use intelligence to show people what we got
Intelligence is eternal beauty
When you see someone in need of a smile,
Show one off and you’ll feel good for a while
Use these traits to boost yourself high
So soon you’ll be a shining star in the sky
Beauty is love, intelligence, and confidence.
To me, beauty is what I am on the inside
I work hard to live a wonderful life
I work hard so I can find, achieve, and strive
My love for my family, home, and friends
You will see, will never end.
Beauty is the way I mend my soul.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
THE ZABERWOCKIE CONCLUSION
THE ZABERWOCKIE CONCLUSION
Sandhya Iyer
Published 2008; Young Author's Fair Winner 2008
This magical book is dedicated to authors Michael Buckley and Cornelia Funke for inspiring me and giving ideas for this story.
CHAPTER 1: SARA’S SHOCK
“Yes!” said Sara.
Her long blonde ponytail swung back and forth across her tanned face. The ball flew across the field towards her, and she aimed it at the goal.
“It is going in!” Sara thought.
All of a sudden, the ball shifted and it landed right next to the goalie. Sara sighed. She went onto the side lines scooped up her backpack and her pink striped earrings, and left.
Sara Wharton was an ordinary ten year old girl who did not believe in magic of any sort, until the day after her father passed away. Sara’s father, Edward, was a famous explorer who passed away when he met with an accident during one of his expeditions.
Sara was so distraught that she spent hours looking at all his collections. One rainy day, after school, a bored Sara, decided to explore the exquisitely carved antique mahogany trunk in her father’s room. In there, she found an old crinkled book that had a stamp resembling a brown dragon. Curious, she opened the leathery book.
Inside was a note that said,
Dearest Sara,
These pages in my diary have been collected for many years. It was not easy to gather these pages from the book ‘Zaberwockies’. I have not been successful in finding the last page of this book called ‘Zaberwockie Conclusion’ and I hope you will find it for me.
Your father,
Edward.
Sara thought for a moment, and then went up to her room puzzled. She eagerly started to read the journal out loud. “Once upon a time…. “
Suddenly the book started to stretch and colors whirled around Sara and when the dust had settled… Sara could make out two sooty figures standing before her.
CHAPTER 2: THE TWO THAT CHANGED HER LIFE
“Greetings” one of the creatures said. “I am Ahelambre and I am from the world of the Zaberwockies.”
“Are you from the book?” asked a stunned Sara.
“Yes we are,” another voice replied.
Sara whirled around. There was a boy about her age. “I am Alander, but please call me Zachary,” he said. Sara nodded. She was still too dazed to speak. Her mother often told her not to talk to strangers. Ahelambre had curly black hair that came down to her shoulders, green eyes, and pierced ears. She also wouldn’t go anywhere in public without applying makeup of some sort. Zachary, on the other hand was tall, simple, and very smart. He almost always wore jeans and a T-shirt, and would never wear a collared shirt unless someone forced him to. Zachary had dark blue eyes, and short black hair that partly fell over his eyebrows.
Sara consoled herself by telling herself that these people did not look like aliens, but she was still frightened. “You look like a fish that is about to die,” Ahelambre smirked.
Sara blushed furiously, gathered all her courage, and whispered,” How in the world did you come out of that book?
“Sara, as you can see, this is no ordinary book. It is a magical book for Pete’s sake. When someone reads this book out loud, creatures or other beings from Zaberwockie land will come out of the book into your world,” Ahelambre proclaimed proudly. Sara’s jaws dropped to the floor in astonishment.
“Do you know my father then? I mean you came out of his diary right?” Sara questioned.
“Well, Zachary began; your father is a very famous person in Zaberwockie land you know. But I’m afraid we don’t know him quite personally.”
Sara felt a fresh wave of disappointment wash over her. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Sara peeped through the window and saw her mom’s car. She told Zachary and Ahelambre to quickly hide behind the couch.
When Sara opened the door, she gave her mom a big hug, helped her unload the groceries and made her some tea. While she was doing this, Sara’s freckles became paler and paler. This usually happened when Sara was nervous or scared. Noticing this, her mother asked,
“Sara, are you trying to hide something from me? Because being Miss Goodie Gumdrops isn’t fooling me! You better tell me what is going on young lady.” Lying through her teeth, Sara replied,
“I ate all of the candy bars in the pantry.” Sure enough, when Sara’s mother peeked inside the pantry, there were no more candy bars left! [That was because Sara had hid all the candy bars in her room to eat anytime she wanted]. Sara’s mother sighed and said,
“Well, we are going to make many more trips to the dentist then. Since you told me the truth, you shall not be grounded.” Then she went upstairs to take a shower. Sara had a hollow pit in her stomach. She felt miserable about fibbing to her mother.
“Ahelambre, Zachary, quick, let’s hide in my room,” Sara whispered. The trio then quickly mounted the stairs, and went to her room.
“You should never leave this room” Sara warned. “Otherwise you will end up in a zoo.” After she shut the door, she breathed a sigh of relief and dashed back to the kitchen.
CHAPTER 3: THE LAND OF THE ZABERWOCKIES
After dinner, Sara sneaked some cookies and juice and went up to her room. “What is it?” she snapped.
“Look”, said Ahelambre. Right before her very eyes, was a trapdoor! When she tried to open it, it did not budge. Grabbing her pocketknife, Sara popped open the latch and the trapdoor swung open.
“Sara, you will have to go down there,” whispered Zachary. The page lies somewhere in our world, and the only way to get there is through the trapdoor.”
Sara swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. “But I can’t leave my mom alone like this,” she protested.
“You’ll have to, and we will join you,” they said.
Sara packed up her backpack with some clothes, food and set off on her biggest adventure yet. As she crawled through the tunnel, Sara felt as if she would pass out soon enough because the tunnel was tremendously hot. Zachary and Ahelambre seemed to be completely at ease. She sighed and continued through the twisting and turning tunnels.
After a few hours and a snack break, the three reached the edge of a steep cliff and gazed down at the huge pit below. A ladder was precariously dangling a few feet away, and Zachary decided that that was their best bet. As soon as Sara placed her foot on the first rung, the ladder toppled over and she fell onto a soft bed of moss. Her buddies threw themselves down and also landed next to her. Grinning from ear to ear, they helped Sara up and then led her to another tunnel that led to a gorgeous garden.
“Welcome to Zaberwockie Land. This is our home,” said Zachary. Sara nodded too tired to reply.
The next morning, the three friends walked toward Ahelambre’s house, so they could take a shower and change out of their smelly clothes. The house was short, stout, and was surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers. Then, Ahelambre opened the door to reveal a tidy kitchen and a few tiny rooms. Near the stove was a plump lady with curly hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes.
“Mama!” cried Ahelambre.
“Oh my!” said Ahelambre’s mom as Ahelambre threw herself into her mother’s arms. Zachary also gave the lady a hug and a tiny kiss. After a few hours, Ahelambre and Zachary decided that they wanted to show Sara their country.
The city of Ansaria was absolutely gorgeous. The tall skyscrapers, unique gardens, and various types of entertainment made this city an urban paradise. The next stop was Mreggot. This city was built on the remains of a dried up lake and was extremely hot, but the people of Zaberwockie Land loved heat, so Mreggot was a popular tourist spot. Sara loved Mreggot because of the friendly people and also because of the many attractive stalls on either side of the pathways.
They also visited the town of Burbrook, where the king and queen lived in their royal castle. Burbrook wasn’t a huge city, and it was filled with basically only gardens and tiny homes. It was still a very popular place because of the royal castle. Their last stop was Atlas. Atlas was a big city and it looked almost exactly like New York, except for the fact that all its buildings were spiral shaped!
CHAPTER 4: MALCOLM
Meanwhile, in the jungles of Abulia, Malcolm was in a rage.
“Sara, that stupid girl should have never listened to Ahelambre”. He kept pacing the floor, until his wife, the beautiful Minueta, called him for dinner.
Malcolm was a tiny, witty mouse and wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion too. When Sara entered Zaberwockie Land, he had a new competitor for the Zaberwockie Conclusion. He wished that Ahelambre and Zachary had not invited her to come into Zaberwockie Land. However, the little animal didn’t know that his feelings toward Sara would soon change.
As he went to sleep, he decided that the next morning, he would go and talk to Darion, the king of the jungle. The huge grizzly always gave him good advice. A cool breeze lifted the delicate leaves on the treetops and continued down the dense countryside waking Malcolm from his deep sleep. He put on a tiny striped woolen hat, a silk robe and set out on a journey of a lifetime.
A few miles away, Sara had just finished a superb dinner of spicy shish kabobs with creamy, tangy olive sauce. She snuggled into a blue silk robe with little yellow flowers adorned with dainty lace ruffles. Smiling to herself, she plopped onto the bed and soon drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 5: THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The Zab pub near the royal castle has always been bustling with unfriendly men.
“Hey, what is that I see?” a gruff voice asked.
“It is a mouse!” said another. They cackled with glee, and Malcolm shuddered as he trudged past.
Meanwhile in Ahelambre’s house, awakened by a nightmare, Sara decided to have a bath in a marble tub that grew striped mushrooms on the edges! She then changed into a pink shirt and a denim skirt and dashed down the stairs. Ahelambre and Zachary were already ready at the breakfast table. After finishing a yummy breakfast of coconut and strawberry waffles, the trio set out to spend the day looking for the conclusion all over town.
Their first stop was the royal gardens. The royal gardens were owned by a wizard named Saraso. Saraso was a cunning fellow and knew lots of secrets and spells. The three thought that there might be a chance that the page might be hidden in the gardens. They looked everywhere especially inside all of the hollow plants including the onion bulbs, tulip bulbs, and Venus flytraps. However, there was no Zaberwockie conclusion in the gardens. Disappointed, they ventured through the town’s streets until they got to Gema’s Fortune Shop.
CHAPTER 6: THE BEAST AND THE MASTER
Gema was the most famous fortune teller in the land. She had gray hair, silver teeth, warts, and a very grumpy temper.
“Gema?” Ahelambre asked timidly.
“What?” The fortune teller snapped.
“Sara here wants to know if she can find the Zaberwockie conclusion. She is the daughter of the famous explorer Edward. We hoped you know the answer,” said Ahelambre.
The old lady pushed some papers off her desk and told the children to sit down. Just as she was about to tell them, a dark figure entered the shop. The looming creature beckoned Gema and asked
“Do you think I may be able to find the Zaberwockie Conclusion?”
As the man spoke, Ahelambre’s head turned and her ears pricked up. Yes, she knew that voice. That voice was her beloved master’s. He had come for her again. Ahelambre felt whooping with joy, but she pressed her lips shut and hurried into the shadows. There she began to transform into her gruesome beast form. Now she was ready for any of her master’s commands.
Meanwhile, Malcolm was close to reaching his destination. The forests of Magra were not far ahead. He could already see the looming trees in the distance. Weaving his way through the crowded streets, Malcolm thought about what he was going to say to Darion. Upon reaching the forest, Malcolm decided that he would tell the king of the forest the whole story from beginning to end. Malcolm reached a clearing, and when he heard Darion’s voice echoing through the forest, he knew he had reached the right place.
Sara held her breath as the man asked the poor woman his question. For once, the old lady was speechless. There in the same room were two people that wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion. Now what was she going to say? Finally she stammered
“You will go on a journey to find what you want, but you will meet someone who wants the same thing as you. So Beware.”
The man roared and shrieked in dismay. Then as he left, he called
“Come my child,” and a being so ugly you couldn’t imagine it, stepped out from the shadows. It had curly black hair, purplish [which was Ahelambre’s favorite color] gray skin, bulging red eyes, rotting yellow teeth, and the worst of all was that you could see its bones with little pieces of muscle hanging from the end of the creature’s joints.
After the pair left from the stop, Sara stood up and ran out of the shop closely followed by a stunned and shocked Zachary. When Sara and her friend reached the heart of town, they realized that Ahelambre wasn’t behind or with them.
“If Ahelambre isn’t at the shop, then I have only one suspicion left,” retorted Sara.
“I know what you are thinking, but that thought is pretty gruesome. I don’t think Ahelambre is a shape shifter,” said Zachary.
The two then strolled down the countryside keeping an eye out for Ahelambre. When they reached Ahelambre’s house, they were surprised to find Ahelambre sitting at the kitchen table with her mother.
CHAPTER 7: JOURNEY TO REALIZATION
Zachary told Sara that they should probably go to the jungles of Magra and take the advice of the wise king Darion. Sara walked through the jungle until she met a tiny mouse. By now, Sara knew that anything was possible in Zaberwockie Land. She crouched next to the tiny creature and asked,
“What is your name?”
The little being stammered “Maa-ma-Malcolm”.
Sara whispered, “Do you think that I can find the Zaberwockie Conclusion?”
The tiny figure swayed and for the first time in his life…fainted. A sudden splash woke Malcolm from his sleep. He found himself being bathed by a cheerful looking giant.
“I am Sara,” the giant said.
All of a sudden, Malcolm was wide awake. Sara? Was that really her? She seemed so nice and cheerful. Malcolm steadied himself and looked into Sara’s face.
He lay down in a bowl of bubbles, and then said, “Since you have been kind to me by taking care of me after I fainted and not let me get crushed in the cruel streets, I shall help you find the conclusion. In one condition, however, you must reward me with something at the end of this mission.”
The next day, Sara and Zachary followed Malcolm through the cities of Ansaria and Mreggot where they again saw the man and his terrifying beast.
Suddenly, Sara felt something in her mind click. “If Ahelambre is the beast, then the conclusion should be somewhere in her house because we have looked everywhere else in the past few days,” panted Sara.
“That’s right,” replied Zachary. They dashed to Ahelambre’s house with Malcolm safely tucked into Sara’s jacket. As soon as they stepped into Ahelambre’s house, Malcolm hopped up the stairs and began sniffing all of Ahelambre’s things. Oddly, he could smell no paper and no ink.
CHAPTER 8: VICTORY!
“If Ahelambre had wanted the conclusion wouldn’t she keep it with her all the time?” questioned Zachary.
So that very night as Ahelambre went to sleep, Sara crept into Ahelambre’s room and was stunned to find that Ahelambre hadn’t turned into her human self again and was still in her beast form. Silently, Sara tiptoed towards the beast and prayed that the beast wouldn’t be disturbed.
As she came close to the bed, Sara noticed that Ahelambre was still wearing her diamond necklace. It struck her that Ahelambre never took it off.
“I’m so dumb for never realizing it before,” Sara thought grinning to herself. Breathing rapidly, Sara gingerly fingered the diamonds and found a tiny clasp in the back of the biggest diamond. She tried to open it but failed.
Peering around the room, Sara‘s eyes rested on the dresser where she saw a thin hairclip. Sara hunched over the necklace and used the hairclip to widen the crack. Crossing her fingers, Sara peered inside and gasped! Inside was a very crumpled piece of paper. She used the very tips of her fingernails to pull the paper out. This could be the Zaberwockie Conclusion.
The Zaberwockie Conclusion is only useful to the person that has the rest of the book with them. Sara was now the only one with the entire book. She had no clue to how much power this last page had brought her.
Ahelambre was now waking up. She sensed that something was gone. Her eyes fluttered open to see Sara next to her. Much to Sara’s astonishment, Ahelambre turned back to her normal self. Ahelambre thanked Sara for freeing her from the terrible curse of her master. She quickly explained to Sara, that her master wanted the book, but when she refused to help him, he turned her into a beast that had to obey all his commands. Sara breathed a sigh of relief.
Sara and Ahelambre joyfully ran to tell Zachary and Malcolm the whole story. She thanked all of them for their help and kindness and promised to give each person two wishes. With her heart full of joy and relief, Sara asked Malcolm to help her find her way back home. A few days later, after Sara had reached her own house she began to read the conclusion.
CHAPTER 9: READING IT
Dear Reader,
This is the Zaberwockie Conclusion. If you now have the whole book, you can now have 100 wishes! When you are wishing for something, you must look at this very page and say it loud. Your wish will then be granted.
However, you must share over half of these wishes with other kind and generous people. If the wishes are misused, bad luck will befall you forever.
Your friends,
The Zaberwockies
Now, Sara realized why so many people wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion for themselves.
As she gazed at the London streets from her apartment, Sara knew that the next year, 2979, would bring a lot more adventures and fun for her.
************************************************************************************
Sandhya Iyer is in the 4th grade at J.F.S. school, San Jose, California. She lives with one mischievous brother and two modest and kind parents. Her hobbies include art, music, reading, cooking, and journeying to faraway lands. The Zaberwockie conclusion won her the Young Author's Fair in 2007.
*************************************************************************************
Two people. One page. The search.
Ten year -old Sara Wharton journeys to the ancient Zaberwockie Land to find the last page of the most powerful book in the world. Sara meets many interesting people including a talking mouse! Join Sara on her journey in this highly entertaining story.
*************************************************************************************
Reviews
“A very interesting story, spell binding to the end”
- Sundar Vanchinathan
“A thorough entertainment, a fairy tale must for kids”
- J.K. Rowling
Sandhya Iyer
Published 2008; Young Author's Fair Winner 2008
This magical book is dedicated to authors Michael Buckley and Cornelia Funke for inspiring me and giving ideas for this story.
CHAPTER 1: SARA’S SHOCK
“Yes!” said Sara.
Her long blonde ponytail swung back and forth across her tanned face. The ball flew across the field towards her, and she aimed it at the goal.
“It is going in!” Sara thought.
All of a sudden, the ball shifted and it landed right next to the goalie. Sara sighed. She went onto the side lines scooped up her backpack and her pink striped earrings, and left.
Sara Wharton was an ordinary ten year old girl who did not believe in magic of any sort, until the day after her father passed away. Sara’s father, Edward, was a famous explorer who passed away when he met with an accident during one of his expeditions.
Sara was so distraught that she spent hours looking at all his collections. One rainy day, after school, a bored Sara, decided to explore the exquisitely carved antique mahogany trunk in her father’s room. In there, she found an old crinkled book that had a stamp resembling a brown dragon. Curious, she opened the leathery book.
Inside was a note that said,
Dearest Sara,
These pages in my diary have been collected for many years. It was not easy to gather these pages from the book ‘Zaberwockies’. I have not been successful in finding the last page of this book called ‘Zaberwockie Conclusion’ and I hope you will find it for me.
Your father,
Edward.
Sara thought for a moment, and then went up to her room puzzled. She eagerly started to read the journal out loud. “Once upon a time…. “
Suddenly the book started to stretch and colors whirled around Sara and when the dust had settled… Sara could make out two sooty figures standing before her.
CHAPTER 2: THE TWO THAT CHANGED HER LIFE
“Greetings” one of the creatures said. “I am Ahelambre and I am from the world of the Zaberwockies.”
“Are you from the book?” asked a stunned Sara.
“Yes we are,” another voice replied.
Sara whirled around. There was a boy about her age. “I am Alander, but please call me Zachary,” he said. Sara nodded. She was still too dazed to speak. Her mother often told her not to talk to strangers. Ahelambre had curly black hair that came down to her shoulders, green eyes, and pierced ears. She also wouldn’t go anywhere in public without applying makeup of some sort. Zachary, on the other hand was tall, simple, and very smart. He almost always wore jeans and a T-shirt, and would never wear a collared shirt unless someone forced him to. Zachary had dark blue eyes, and short black hair that partly fell over his eyebrows.
Sara consoled herself by telling herself that these people did not look like aliens, but she was still frightened. “You look like a fish that is about to die,” Ahelambre smirked.
Sara blushed furiously, gathered all her courage, and whispered,” How in the world did you come out of that book?
“Sara, as you can see, this is no ordinary book. It is a magical book for Pete’s sake. When someone reads this book out loud, creatures or other beings from Zaberwockie land will come out of the book into your world,” Ahelambre proclaimed proudly. Sara’s jaws dropped to the floor in astonishment.
“Do you know my father then? I mean you came out of his diary right?” Sara questioned.
“Well, Zachary began; your father is a very famous person in Zaberwockie land you know. But I’m afraid we don’t know him quite personally.”
Sara felt a fresh wave of disappointment wash over her. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Sara peeped through the window and saw her mom’s car. She told Zachary and Ahelambre to quickly hide behind the couch.
When Sara opened the door, she gave her mom a big hug, helped her unload the groceries and made her some tea. While she was doing this, Sara’s freckles became paler and paler. This usually happened when Sara was nervous or scared. Noticing this, her mother asked,
“Sara, are you trying to hide something from me? Because being Miss Goodie Gumdrops isn’t fooling me! You better tell me what is going on young lady.” Lying through her teeth, Sara replied,
“I ate all of the candy bars in the pantry.” Sure enough, when Sara’s mother peeked inside the pantry, there were no more candy bars left! [That was because Sara had hid all the candy bars in her room to eat anytime she wanted]. Sara’s mother sighed and said,
“Well, we are going to make many more trips to the dentist then. Since you told me the truth, you shall not be grounded.” Then she went upstairs to take a shower. Sara had a hollow pit in her stomach. She felt miserable about fibbing to her mother.
“Ahelambre, Zachary, quick, let’s hide in my room,” Sara whispered. The trio then quickly mounted the stairs, and went to her room.
“You should never leave this room” Sara warned. “Otherwise you will end up in a zoo.” After she shut the door, she breathed a sigh of relief and dashed back to the kitchen.
CHAPTER 3: THE LAND OF THE ZABERWOCKIES
After dinner, Sara sneaked some cookies and juice and went up to her room. “What is it?” she snapped.
“Look”, said Ahelambre. Right before her very eyes, was a trapdoor! When she tried to open it, it did not budge. Grabbing her pocketknife, Sara popped open the latch and the trapdoor swung open.
“Sara, you will have to go down there,” whispered Zachary. The page lies somewhere in our world, and the only way to get there is through the trapdoor.”
Sara swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. “But I can’t leave my mom alone like this,” she protested.
“You’ll have to, and we will join you,” they said.
Sara packed up her backpack with some clothes, food and set off on her biggest adventure yet. As she crawled through the tunnel, Sara felt as if she would pass out soon enough because the tunnel was tremendously hot. Zachary and Ahelambre seemed to be completely at ease. She sighed and continued through the twisting and turning tunnels.
After a few hours and a snack break, the three reached the edge of a steep cliff and gazed down at the huge pit below. A ladder was precariously dangling a few feet away, and Zachary decided that that was their best bet. As soon as Sara placed her foot on the first rung, the ladder toppled over and she fell onto a soft bed of moss. Her buddies threw themselves down and also landed next to her. Grinning from ear to ear, they helped Sara up and then led her to another tunnel that led to a gorgeous garden.
“Welcome to Zaberwockie Land. This is our home,” said Zachary. Sara nodded too tired to reply.
The next morning, the three friends walked toward Ahelambre’s house, so they could take a shower and change out of their smelly clothes. The house was short, stout, and was surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers. Then, Ahelambre opened the door to reveal a tidy kitchen and a few tiny rooms. Near the stove was a plump lady with curly hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes.
“Mama!” cried Ahelambre.
“Oh my!” said Ahelambre’s mom as Ahelambre threw herself into her mother’s arms. Zachary also gave the lady a hug and a tiny kiss. After a few hours, Ahelambre and Zachary decided that they wanted to show Sara their country.
The city of Ansaria was absolutely gorgeous. The tall skyscrapers, unique gardens, and various types of entertainment made this city an urban paradise. The next stop was Mreggot. This city was built on the remains of a dried up lake and was extremely hot, but the people of Zaberwockie Land loved heat, so Mreggot was a popular tourist spot. Sara loved Mreggot because of the friendly people and also because of the many attractive stalls on either side of the pathways.
They also visited the town of Burbrook, where the king and queen lived in their royal castle. Burbrook wasn’t a huge city, and it was filled with basically only gardens and tiny homes. It was still a very popular place because of the royal castle. Their last stop was Atlas. Atlas was a big city and it looked almost exactly like New York, except for the fact that all its buildings were spiral shaped!
CHAPTER 4: MALCOLM
Meanwhile, in the jungles of Abulia, Malcolm was in a rage.
“Sara, that stupid girl should have never listened to Ahelambre”. He kept pacing the floor, until his wife, the beautiful Minueta, called him for dinner.
Malcolm was a tiny, witty mouse and wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion too. When Sara entered Zaberwockie Land, he had a new competitor for the Zaberwockie Conclusion. He wished that Ahelambre and Zachary had not invited her to come into Zaberwockie Land. However, the little animal didn’t know that his feelings toward Sara would soon change.
As he went to sleep, he decided that the next morning, he would go and talk to Darion, the king of the jungle. The huge grizzly always gave him good advice. A cool breeze lifted the delicate leaves on the treetops and continued down the dense countryside waking Malcolm from his deep sleep. He put on a tiny striped woolen hat, a silk robe and set out on a journey of a lifetime.
A few miles away, Sara had just finished a superb dinner of spicy shish kabobs with creamy, tangy olive sauce. She snuggled into a blue silk robe with little yellow flowers adorned with dainty lace ruffles. Smiling to herself, she plopped onto the bed and soon drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 5: THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The Zab pub near the royal castle has always been bustling with unfriendly men.
“Hey, what is that I see?” a gruff voice asked.
“It is a mouse!” said another. They cackled with glee, and Malcolm shuddered as he trudged past.
Meanwhile in Ahelambre’s house, awakened by a nightmare, Sara decided to have a bath in a marble tub that grew striped mushrooms on the edges! She then changed into a pink shirt and a denim skirt and dashed down the stairs. Ahelambre and Zachary were already ready at the breakfast table. After finishing a yummy breakfast of coconut and strawberry waffles, the trio set out to spend the day looking for the conclusion all over town.
Their first stop was the royal gardens. The royal gardens were owned by a wizard named Saraso. Saraso was a cunning fellow and knew lots of secrets and spells. The three thought that there might be a chance that the page might be hidden in the gardens. They looked everywhere especially inside all of the hollow plants including the onion bulbs, tulip bulbs, and Venus flytraps. However, there was no Zaberwockie conclusion in the gardens. Disappointed, they ventured through the town’s streets until they got to Gema’s Fortune Shop.
CHAPTER 6: THE BEAST AND THE MASTER
Gema was the most famous fortune teller in the land. She had gray hair, silver teeth, warts, and a very grumpy temper.
“Gema?” Ahelambre asked timidly.
“What?” The fortune teller snapped.
“Sara here wants to know if she can find the Zaberwockie conclusion. She is the daughter of the famous explorer Edward. We hoped you know the answer,” said Ahelambre.
The old lady pushed some papers off her desk and told the children to sit down. Just as she was about to tell them, a dark figure entered the shop. The looming creature beckoned Gema and asked
“Do you think I may be able to find the Zaberwockie Conclusion?”
As the man spoke, Ahelambre’s head turned and her ears pricked up. Yes, she knew that voice. That voice was her beloved master’s. He had come for her again. Ahelambre felt whooping with joy, but she pressed her lips shut and hurried into the shadows. There she began to transform into her gruesome beast form. Now she was ready for any of her master’s commands.
Meanwhile, Malcolm was close to reaching his destination. The forests of Magra were not far ahead. He could already see the looming trees in the distance. Weaving his way through the crowded streets, Malcolm thought about what he was going to say to Darion. Upon reaching the forest, Malcolm decided that he would tell the king of the forest the whole story from beginning to end. Malcolm reached a clearing, and when he heard Darion’s voice echoing through the forest, he knew he had reached the right place.
Sara held her breath as the man asked the poor woman his question. For once, the old lady was speechless. There in the same room were two people that wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion. Now what was she going to say? Finally she stammered
“You will go on a journey to find what you want, but you will meet someone who wants the same thing as you. So Beware.”
The man roared and shrieked in dismay. Then as he left, he called
“Come my child,” and a being so ugly you couldn’t imagine it, stepped out from the shadows. It had curly black hair, purplish [which was Ahelambre’s favorite color] gray skin, bulging red eyes, rotting yellow teeth, and the worst of all was that you could see its bones with little pieces of muscle hanging from the end of the creature’s joints.
After the pair left from the stop, Sara stood up and ran out of the shop closely followed by a stunned and shocked Zachary. When Sara and her friend reached the heart of town, they realized that Ahelambre wasn’t behind or with them.
“If Ahelambre isn’t at the shop, then I have only one suspicion left,” retorted Sara.
“I know what you are thinking, but that thought is pretty gruesome. I don’t think Ahelambre is a shape shifter,” said Zachary.
The two then strolled down the countryside keeping an eye out for Ahelambre. When they reached Ahelambre’s house, they were surprised to find Ahelambre sitting at the kitchen table with her mother.
CHAPTER 7: JOURNEY TO REALIZATION
Zachary told Sara that they should probably go to the jungles of Magra and take the advice of the wise king Darion. Sara walked through the jungle until she met a tiny mouse. By now, Sara knew that anything was possible in Zaberwockie Land. She crouched next to the tiny creature and asked,
“What is your name?”
The little being stammered “Maa-ma-Malcolm”.
Sara whispered, “Do you think that I can find the Zaberwockie Conclusion?”
The tiny figure swayed and for the first time in his life…fainted. A sudden splash woke Malcolm from his sleep. He found himself being bathed by a cheerful looking giant.
“I am Sara,” the giant said.
All of a sudden, Malcolm was wide awake. Sara? Was that really her? She seemed so nice and cheerful. Malcolm steadied himself and looked into Sara’s face.
He lay down in a bowl of bubbles, and then said, “Since you have been kind to me by taking care of me after I fainted and not let me get crushed in the cruel streets, I shall help you find the conclusion. In one condition, however, you must reward me with something at the end of this mission.”
The next day, Sara and Zachary followed Malcolm through the cities of Ansaria and Mreggot where they again saw the man and his terrifying beast.
Suddenly, Sara felt something in her mind click. “If Ahelambre is the beast, then the conclusion should be somewhere in her house because we have looked everywhere else in the past few days,” panted Sara.
“That’s right,” replied Zachary. They dashed to Ahelambre’s house with Malcolm safely tucked into Sara’s jacket. As soon as they stepped into Ahelambre’s house, Malcolm hopped up the stairs and began sniffing all of Ahelambre’s things. Oddly, he could smell no paper and no ink.
CHAPTER 8: VICTORY!
“If Ahelambre had wanted the conclusion wouldn’t she keep it with her all the time?” questioned Zachary.
So that very night as Ahelambre went to sleep, Sara crept into Ahelambre’s room and was stunned to find that Ahelambre hadn’t turned into her human self again and was still in her beast form. Silently, Sara tiptoed towards the beast and prayed that the beast wouldn’t be disturbed.
As she came close to the bed, Sara noticed that Ahelambre was still wearing her diamond necklace. It struck her that Ahelambre never took it off.
“I’m so dumb for never realizing it before,” Sara thought grinning to herself. Breathing rapidly, Sara gingerly fingered the diamonds and found a tiny clasp in the back of the biggest diamond. She tried to open it but failed.
Peering around the room, Sara‘s eyes rested on the dresser where she saw a thin hairclip. Sara hunched over the necklace and used the hairclip to widen the crack. Crossing her fingers, Sara peered inside and gasped! Inside was a very crumpled piece of paper. She used the very tips of her fingernails to pull the paper out. This could be the Zaberwockie Conclusion.
The Zaberwockie Conclusion is only useful to the person that has the rest of the book with them. Sara was now the only one with the entire book. She had no clue to how much power this last page had brought her.
Ahelambre was now waking up. She sensed that something was gone. Her eyes fluttered open to see Sara next to her. Much to Sara’s astonishment, Ahelambre turned back to her normal self. Ahelambre thanked Sara for freeing her from the terrible curse of her master. She quickly explained to Sara, that her master wanted the book, but when she refused to help him, he turned her into a beast that had to obey all his commands. Sara breathed a sigh of relief.
Sara and Ahelambre joyfully ran to tell Zachary and Malcolm the whole story. She thanked all of them for their help and kindness and promised to give each person two wishes. With her heart full of joy and relief, Sara asked Malcolm to help her find her way back home. A few days later, after Sara had reached her own house she began to read the conclusion.
CHAPTER 9: READING IT
Dear Reader,
This is the Zaberwockie Conclusion. If you now have the whole book, you can now have 100 wishes! When you are wishing for something, you must look at this very page and say it loud. Your wish will then be granted.
However, you must share over half of these wishes with other kind and generous people. If the wishes are misused, bad luck will befall you forever.
Your friends,
The Zaberwockies
Now, Sara realized why so many people wanted the Zaberwockie Conclusion for themselves.
As she gazed at the London streets from her apartment, Sara knew that the next year, 2979, would bring a lot more adventures and fun for her.
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Sandhya Iyer is in the 4th grade at J.F.S. school, San Jose, California. She lives with one mischievous brother and two modest and kind parents. Her hobbies include art, music, reading, cooking, and journeying to faraway lands. The Zaberwockie conclusion won her the Young Author's Fair in 2007.
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Two people. One page. The search.
Ten year -old Sara Wharton journeys to the ancient Zaberwockie Land to find the last page of the most powerful book in the world. Sara meets many interesting people including a talking mouse! Join Sara on her journey in this highly entertaining story.
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Reviews
“A very interesting story, spell binding to the end”
- Sundar Vanchinathan
“A thorough entertainment, a fairy tale must for kids”
- J.K. Rowling
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Lost City of Poompol Vuh
CHAPTER ONE
TIME TO TRAVEL
Rain God texted on his Blackberry Pearl to find out the weather in Galapagos Island, while Wind God blew balloons to strengthen his already powerful lungs. They were all huddled together, their eyes glued onto a twelve year old Mexican girl who strutted about in her school in New York. Everyone in heaven could hear her voice clearly- she was bragging to her classmates about how she had visited Egypt and Siberia with her parents on an expedition. That girl, whose name was Marissa Durante, went on and on about reasons why she was better than the rest of her classmates. After listening to that uncomfortable conversation, the gods looked at each other and made a unanimous decision to teach Marissa a lesson.
Meanwhile, down on Earth, Marissa had just received some extremely exciting news. Her parents had told her that they were travelling to Ganitos, an island just off the coast of Haiti, almost in the center of the Bermuda triangle. Since Marissa’s parents were archeologists, they were planning to study some famous landmarks in Ganitos such as the Temple of the 1000 Gems and the Temple of Poompol Vuh. Marissa packed all her clothes and made sure that her iPod, Nikon camera, and cell phone were in her bag. Then, they were off the day after.
Southwest Airlines was luxurious. However, travelling in the island was another story. The only mode of transportation available for moving through the narrow trails was on donkeys. The terrain was dotted with poison oak and Venus fly traps that sprung out of the ground like dirty weeds. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Marissa and her family finally reached the tiny village of Allokee, half way to their final destination.
Allokee was an old but charming little village. As soon as the family’s parade entered the village, peddlers began to greet them by showing off the unique goods they sold. Dirty, care-free children darted through the streets wearing vividly colored ponchos and brightly painted hats. They waved and stared at Marissa. She simply tossed her head and inched closer to her mom not wanting to be near the dirty “things.” They passed through the village until they reached an adobe covered inn. It looked like an old-fashioned Mexican cottage. Marissa stepped inside and was welcomed by a calming aroma of fresh meat stew. The aroma reminded her of days in her grandma’s home in Cancun.
For dinner, Marissa’s family dined at a damp, rowdy tavern, where they ordered fire-roasted cod served with papaya dressing, and a fresh loaf of bread with a platter of refreshing dips. For dessert, they gobbled coconut flan with pineapple puree. Marissa was in pure paradise. Just as she was about to use the restroom, Marissa heard an old man mumbling to a group of tourists. Immediately, Marissa sat back down and honed her ears. “There is such a thing as the Lost City of Poompol Vuh. It is an actual city that disappeared in 1999B.C. for some unknown reason. Four of my friends went looking for it, and only one of them returned. The one who returned lost his speech forever. None of their bodies were found. They disappeared somewhere near this village, I believe. I would advise not to go looking for it. You do not want to lose your life as well.” Marissa’s dainty ears pricked up and she moved a little closer to the old man. Unfortunately, he had switched to another topic. After hearing this new piece of information, Marissa decided that she was going to look for the lost city herself, but not the next morning-tonight.
CHAPTER TWO
POOMPOL VUH
In Poompol Vuh, Queen Laliandra hid her face in her fluffy, vibrant orange pillows which were wet with tears. Her doting parents had just passed away in an encounter with cannibals in Lakura Beach. Queen Laliandra missed her parents terribly and realized that she had the hefty job of ruling the entire kingdom by herself now. Overcome by her sudden responsibility, Queen Laliandra decided that she would run away from her kingdom. She stuffed her favorite warm cloak in a shoulder bag, climbed out of the window, down a drain pipe, and into the dark forest next to her castle. The next morning, the servants came in to greet the queen and found her bed empty. After the search party came back empty handed, the kingdom collapsed into a sea of grief and sorrow not knowing who would rule the kingdom.
In the neighboring kingdom of Lountitza, King Lombre was studying one of his many maps as he stretched across his enormous bed. King Lombre was in the mood to expand his kingdom and was looking for lands to annex. His calculations showed that the City of Poompol Vuh, a neighboring kingdom that had lost their queen, had the most land to the west of river Matzelic. “Watch out Poompol Vuh,” King Lombre bellowed with a wicked gleam in his eye, “because the Lombre team is heading your way.”
Wind brushed against her cool cheeks, and leaves and fresh ferns tickled her bare legs. Marissa was strolling around in the dark forest, carrying nothing but a bag of OREOS and a flashlight. She was on her way to the Temple of Poompol Vuh. Marissa had sneakily tip-toed out of the inn without her parents knowing. Munching on an OREO, she drearily trudged through the wilderness, until she reached the Temple of Poompol Vuh. The gigantic silhouette loomed over her. Breathing rapidly, Marissa tiptoed into the colossal tower and was confounded with eerie silence. Suddenly, there were heavy drumbeats echoing in the walls around her, a group of altos were singing, and she was thrown down by an invisible force.
When Marissa woke up, a swarm of mosquitoes buzzed around her hoping for a drop of fresh blood. She slapped them away and got up silently, her heart pounding against her chest like a drum. Marissa realized that she was not in Ganitos anymore and found herself taller than she used to be, with chocolate colored hair instead of her usual black. She was dressed in royal robes which were in shades of red, gold, white, and blue. Around her waist, dangled a turquoise belt studded with black Majorca pearls, and her wrists were adorned with gold bracelets. Marissa looked stunningly gorgeous. However, this overwhelming change to her body did not make Marissa feel any better. “HELP!” Marissa shrieked with pure shock.
CHAPTER THREE
WELCOME HOME
Marissa heard a chorus of voices shouting “Welcome home Queen Laliandra!” She turned around and found herself face to face with two guards dressed in silver armor. Still utterly confused, Marissa stared at them, her eyes as wide as dinner saucers. Woken from her daze, Marissa shook herself with disbelief and allowed herself to be helped up.
“At your service, Queen Laliandra,” one of the guards mumbled. Marissa simply nodded. Although she was shocked at how she had become a queen, she was secretly happy about it and was visualizing how stunned her classmates would be to hear this.
As the two carried her, Marissa observed the landscape around her. It was dry and cracked. All of the plants were wilted and the only river was partially dried up. Diligent farmers tried to turn over the depressing soil with no avail. Sweat had drenched up their brows. For the first time in her life, something touched Marissa’s cold heart. Marissa was trapped in a tornado of confusion and shock. “What on earth am I doing here?” she thought. However, looking at the hopeful faces of the people around, a spark ignited within her and twelve year old Marissa solemnly made a decision that she would take over the throne as Queen Laliandra, and she would help the people of Poompol Vuh.
“You know, Queen Laliandra, we are glad to have you back . There is a war and famine going on here in Poompol Vuh. Prince Alejandros, your cousin has been ruling our kingdom since you disappeared. The country is in a state of great peril.
“OK, then,” Queen Laliandra replied hotly, “I will think of something to do.”
Back in the royal castle, the queen was welcomed by a large group of admirers who were joyous to have her back. Prince Alejandros was only happy to hand over his throne to Queen Laliandra. The Queen spent the rest of the evening with her set of advisors catching up on events she had missed during her absence.
A few weeks passed before Guard Uslu received news that enemies were planning an attack on Poompol Vuh. Queen Laliandra instructed Guard Uslu and Guard Aju to inform citizens of an impending war, provide men with arms and ammunition, and instruct the women and children to stay safe. As the queen of this land, Laliandra also had many animal friends here. The King of the Army of Red Ants was one of them. The stinging red ants were led by King Questozal, a large red spider. She had a bright idea to set off red ants on the enemies bright and early tomorrow.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANT WARRIORS
Morning dawned creating a slight chill in Queen Laliandra’s bones. After a soothing breakfast of warm , sugar porridge, Queen Laliandra set off to the Ant Temple of Kalamazat. Once she reached her destination, the queen climbed up all of the one hundred and fifty steps until she reached the platform at the top, her chest heaving. A delicate, red web was strung across the two pillars one on each end of the platform. Spiders were lazing on the web, bustling around their beautiful, stringy home. When her thick heel smacked the foot of the marble platform all the spiders stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at her. A giant red arthropod, started to crawl towards her. Spiders scrambled about like leaves in a violent gust of wind as their king made his way through. He looked amused, but his face grew solemn when he saw the queen.
“Queen Laliandra, we meet again. Greetings. What brings you to our humble abode?” he questioned.
“Greetings, King Questozal. I have come to ask you for a favor. We understand that Lountitza is planning to attack us. Can I get your army’s support to lead the war against King Lombre?” The spider king nodded and scurried off on all eight legs to assemble his vast army of spiders and ants.
“Out of the way, child,” King Questozal demanded in a mellow voice.
“What?” Queen Laliandra questioned meekly.
He sighed. “Make a run for it,” he ordered his troops, “I do not want to waste any more of our time waiting.” The ants began to slowly march forward, surrounding the queen. Her face grew pale with horror and disgust as the ants crawled around her bare ankles. Suddenly they surged forward like a tsunami knocking her backward.
After the ants were set off, Queen Laliandra rushed to the castle where her troops were waiting. She gave the colonels the signal, and the troops streamed out of the castle gates. After hours of fighting, the battle was called to an end for that day. Neither army had made any headway. Disappointed, the queen ordered more troops to be ready for the battle tomorrow.
The next morning, the Queen and her three battalions were off to the war field again.
CHAPTER FIVE
STINKY BOMBS
Meanwhile, while everyone was at war, Cook Nala was in the kitchen making a filling for bombs. Nala opened her trusty cookbook and flipped through the pages until she reached an extremely yellow crinkled page. Her long, dirty fingernails searched the words for BOMB FILLING. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed with triumph. Searching through the pantry, Cook found all the necessary ingredients: rotten eggs, durian, old fish, and fresh dung from the elephants and owls from the courtyard, and rat urine mixed with liquor and oil, which was supposed to highly flammable and toxic. Cautiously, she scooped the stinky mixture using a ladle and dropped it into hollowed out coconut shells.
The guards hurled the bombs at the enemies with all their might. However, much to their disappointment, the bombs did not explode. Cook’s new recipe did not work. They just let off a stench-probably the worst stench in the world. Stinks of rotten eggs, urine, and dung filled the air. The absurd, disgusting stench did not stop the enemies. They charged forward and began attacking the fort. Queen Laliandra ran past the castle, leaving her army without help. She knew it was the wrong action to take, but she could not help it. “I am such a failure!” the queen thought to herself. She flung herself on the ground and wept, almost creating a river. “I wish I could summon spirits,” Queen Laliandra sobbed.
CHAPTER SIX
SUMMONING SPIRITS
“We can help,” a grainy voice replied out of nowhere.
“Who…Who…Who is that?” Queen Laliandra questioned croakily.
A ghost-like head appeared out of nowhere. “I am the war goddess,” she murmured, “I will help you in one condition. You must build a temple of peace and promise me that you will not get into a war unless it is the last resort for peace.” Queen Laliandra nodded her head solemnly. War Goddess let out a low whistle. Other gods appeared out of thin air: Water God, Harvest Goddess, and Tornado God. With the instructions from the Queen, Tornado God started his funnel towards the enemies’ path and soon was sucking them up like ice cream. Harvest Goddess planted a wide field of corn before Poompol Vuh’s army. Then, Water God created a flood which drowned many people from Lountitza’s army. The corn that Harvest Goddess had planted absorbed the water so that Poompol Vuh’s army would not be harmed. Queen Laliandra had saved Poompol Vuh by summoning spirits. Lountitza’s weakened army fought until they finally surrendered. A defeated King Lombre rode towards Queen Laliandra on his noble steed with his head bent shamefully. King Lombre decided to make peace with the kingdom of Poompol Vuh. She also expressed her desire to construct the Temple of Peace. King Lombre was touched to hear this and they decided to build the temple together as a monument to honor the brave soldiers of Poompol Vuh and Lountitza.
The residents of Poompol Vuh cheered, and they carried Queen Laliandra to the castle dining hall. However, Queen Laliandra still had something at the back of her mind that was troubling her. She excused herself from the castle and dashed to the forest where she summoned the spirits again for the last time.
“What else, my child?” asked War Goddess with a smile as she appeared out of thin air.
The Queen hesitatingly replied, “We still have a famine in our kingdom. Winning the war does not solve that problem.” War Goddess nodded sympathetically and she let out another low whistle. Water God and Harvest Goddess appeared. They nodded to War Goddess and disappeared. In a few seconds, the queen could hear water rushing, and she could see the plants growing from the now fertile soil. The famine was over. Queen Laliandra thanked the spirits from the bottom of her heart and dashed back to palace, her heart as light as a lone feather swooping through the air.
CHAPTER SEVEN
VICTORY!
Dinner that night was a feast for the entire city of Poompol Vuh. Everyone wolfed down fresh roast beaver with tomato and corn salsa and lemon flavored duck with baked Portobello mushrooms dipped in hot sauce. That night, before she went to bed, Queen Laliandra reflected back on how the Spider King and all the citizens and guards helped her even after she had abandoned her kingdom and put the people in peril.
The City of Poompol Vuh was not “lost” anymore. The people of the legendary city had lost their glory and happiness to the wars and famine. Thanks to Queen Laliandra, the city regained its peace and prosperity.
A sudden light woke Marissa with a jolt. She found herself lying on a mattress with a thin sheet of cloth that protected her from the cold. This was nothing like what she slept in last night. Marissa peeked out of the window of the inn and realized she was back in Ganitos, with her parents. She could not help but feel a tingling sense of pure joy and happiness. However, Marissa realized that it was still dark. Had not even a minute passed since she disappeared inside the temple? She decided not to tell her parents about her heart-stopping experience. It was her adventure and her adventure alone. This was the start for a new beginning for a more humble and kinder Marissa.
EPILOGUE
Every day, before their journey to Ganitos, Marissa’s parents prayed to the gods requesting them to help Marissa become a better person. Her lack of humility embarrassed them especially as she was growing older. The gods knew that they had to teach her a lesson soon. Seeing her interest in Poompol Vuh, they decided to take her back in time to teach her respect and responsibility. After her life-changing adventure, Marissa was nicer to classmates at school and stopped bragging about herself. To her utmost surprise, she found out that more people wanted to be friends with her.
The City of Poompol Vuh was not “lost” anymore. The people of the legendary city had lost their glory and happiness to the wars and famine. Thanks to Marissa as Queen Laliandra, the city regained its peace and prosperity.
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MARISSA WAS MEAN
SHE HAD TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON
BY THE GODS THEMSELVES
Twelve year-old Marissa Durante is mean, stuck-up and bossy. When the gods decide to teach her a lesson, a whirlwind adventure begins to unfold. A time-travelling scheme takes Marissa to an ancient land in a time of peril. Author Sandhya Iyer weaves together a tale of greedy kings, war, resourcefulness, and courage that will captivate readers of all ages.
“An edge of the seat thriller with a lesson to learn.”
-- New York Times
“Iyer weaves an interesting tale of time travel filled with magic & mystery”
-- Time for Kids
“A masterpiece….readers will not be disappointed with this twisted tale”
-- San Jose Mercury News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandhya Iyer resides in San Jose, California, with her two doting parents and mischievous younger brother. Two of her books, Arienta and the Doom of Sliash and The Zaberwockie Conclusion, have won major awards- The Certificate of Merit! Her hobbies include reading, listening to music on 106.5, and playing with friends. Her favorite subjects at school are reading, writing, and social studies. She goes to J.F.S. Elementary and is in Mrs. Swenor’s 5th/6th combo class. She aspires to be a world famous children’s author.
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to my wonderful parents for always being there for me and taking time to encourage me on this book.
TIME TO TRAVEL
Rain God texted on his Blackberry Pearl to find out the weather in Galapagos Island, while Wind God blew balloons to strengthen his already powerful lungs. They were all huddled together, their eyes glued onto a twelve year old Mexican girl who strutted about in her school in New York. Everyone in heaven could hear her voice clearly- she was bragging to her classmates about how she had visited Egypt and Siberia with her parents on an expedition. That girl, whose name was Marissa Durante, went on and on about reasons why she was better than the rest of her classmates. After listening to that uncomfortable conversation, the gods looked at each other and made a unanimous decision to teach Marissa a lesson.
Meanwhile, down on Earth, Marissa had just received some extremely exciting news. Her parents had told her that they were travelling to Ganitos, an island just off the coast of Haiti, almost in the center of the Bermuda triangle. Since Marissa’s parents were archeologists, they were planning to study some famous landmarks in Ganitos such as the Temple of the 1000 Gems and the Temple of Poompol Vuh. Marissa packed all her clothes and made sure that her iPod, Nikon camera, and cell phone were in her bag. Then, they were off the day after.
Southwest Airlines was luxurious. However, travelling in the island was another story. The only mode of transportation available for moving through the narrow trails was on donkeys. The terrain was dotted with poison oak and Venus fly traps that sprung out of the ground like dirty weeds. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Marissa and her family finally reached the tiny village of Allokee, half way to their final destination.
Allokee was an old but charming little village. As soon as the family’s parade entered the village, peddlers began to greet them by showing off the unique goods they sold. Dirty, care-free children darted through the streets wearing vividly colored ponchos and brightly painted hats. They waved and stared at Marissa. She simply tossed her head and inched closer to her mom not wanting to be near the dirty “things.” They passed through the village until they reached an adobe covered inn. It looked like an old-fashioned Mexican cottage. Marissa stepped inside and was welcomed by a calming aroma of fresh meat stew. The aroma reminded her of days in her grandma’s home in Cancun.
For dinner, Marissa’s family dined at a damp, rowdy tavern, where they ordered fire-roasted cod served with papaya dressing, and a fresh loaf of bread with a platter of refreshing dips. For dessert, they gobbled coconut flan with pineapple puree. Marissa was in pure paradise. Just as she was about to use the restroom, Marissa heard an old man mumbling to a group of tourists. Immediately, Marissa sat back down and honed her ears. “There is such a thing as the Lost City of Poompol Vuh. It is an actual city that disappeared in 1999B.C. for some unknown reason. Four of my friends went looking for it, and only one of them returned. The one who returned lost his speech forever. None of their bodies were found. They disappeared somewhere near this village, I believe. I would advise not to go looking for it. You do not want to lose your life as well.” Marissa’s dainty ears pricked up and she moved a little closer to the old man. Unfortunately, he had switched to another topic. After hearing this new piece of information, Marissa decided that she was going to look for the lost city herself, but not the next morning-tonight.
CHAPTER TWO
POOMPOL VUH
In Poompol Vuh, Queen Laliandra hid her face in her fluffy, vibrant orange pillows which were wet with tears. Her doting parents had just passed away in an encounter with cannibals in Lakura Beach. Queen Laliandra missed her parents terribly and realized that she had the hefty job of ruling the entire kingdom by herself now. Overcome by her sudden responsibility, Queen Laliandra decided that she would run away from her kingdom. She stuffed her favorite warm cloak in a shoulder bag, climbed out of the window, down a drain pipe, and into the dark forest next to her castle. The next morning, the servants came in to greet the queen and found her bed empty. After the search party came back empty handed, the kingdom collapsed into a sea of grief and sorrow not knowing who would rule the kingdom.
In the neighboring kingdom of Lountitza, King Lombre was studying one of his many maps as he stretched across his enormous bed. King Lombre was in the mood to expand his kingdom and was looking for lands to annex. His calculations showed that the City of Poompol Vuh, a neighboring kingdom that had lost their queen, had the most land to the west of river Matzelic. “Watch out Poompol Vuh,” King Lombre bellowed with a wicked gleam in his eye, “because the Lombre team is heading your way.”
Wind brushed against her cool cheeks, and leaves and fresh ferns tickled her bare legs. Marissa was strolling around in the dark forest, carrying nothing but a bag of OREOS and a flashlight. She was on her way to the Temple of Poompol Vuh. Marissa had sneakily tip-toed out of the inn without her parents knowing. Munching on an OREO, she drearily trudged through the wilderness, until she reached the Temple of Poompol Vuh. The gigantic silhouette loomed over her. Breathing rapidly, Marissa tiptoed into the colossal tower and was confounded with eerie silence. Suddenly, there were heavy drumbeats echoing in the walls around her, a group of altos were singing, and she was thrown down by an invisible force.
When Marissa woke up, a swarm of mosquitoes buzzed around her hoping for a drop of fresh blood. She slapped them away and got up silently, her heart pounding against her chest like a drum. Marissa realized that she was not in Ganitos anymore and found herself taller than she used to be, with chocolate colored hair instead of her usual black. She was dressed in royal robes which were in shades of red, gold, white, and blue. Around her waist, dangled a turquoise belt studded with black Majorca pearls, and her wrists were adorned with gold bracelets. Marissa looked stunningly gorgeous. However, this overwhelming change to her body did not make Marissa feel any better. “HELP!” Marissa shrieked with pure shock.
CHAPTER THREE
WELCOME HOME
Marissa heard a chorus of voices shouting “Welcome home Queen Laliandra!” She turned around and found herself face to face with two guards dressed in silver armor. Still utterly confused, Marissa stared at them, her eyes as wide as dinner saucers. Woken from her daze, Marissa shook herself with disbelief and allowed herself to be helped up.
“At your service, Queen Laliandra,” one of the guards mumbled. Marissa simply nodded. Although she was shocked at how she had become a queen, she was secretly happy about it and was visualizing how stunned her classmates would be to hear this.
As the two carried her, Marissa observed the landscape around her. It was dry and cracked. All of the plants were wilted and the only river was partially dried up. Diligent farmers tried to turn over the depressing soil with no avail. Sweat had drenched up their brows. For the first time in her life, something touched Marissa’s cold heart. Marissa was trapped in a tornado of confusion and shock. “What on earth am I doing here?” she thought. However, looking at the hopeful faces of the people around, a spark ignited within her and twelve year old Marissa solemnly made a decision that she would take over the throne as Queen Laliandra, and she would help the people of Poompol Vuh.
“You know, Queen Laliandra, we are glad to have you back . There is a war and famine going on here in Poompol Vuh. Prince Alejandros, your cousin has been ruling our kingdom since you disappeared. The country is in a state of great peril.
“OK, then,” Queen Laliandra replied hotly, “I will think of something to do.”
Back in the royal castle, the queen was welcomed by a large group of admirers who were joyous to have her back. Prince Alejandros was only happy to hand over his throne to Queen Laliandra. The Queen spent the rest of the evening with her set of advisors catching up on events she had missed during her absence.
A few weeks passed before Guard Uslu received news that enemies were planning an attack on Poompol Vuh. Queen Laliandra instructed Guard Uslu and Guard Aju to inform citizens of an impending war, provide men with arms and ammunition, and instruct the women and children to stay safe. As the queen of this land, Laliandra also had many animal friends here. The King of the Army of Red Ants was one of them. The stinging red ants were led by King Questozal, a large red spider. She had a bright idea to set off red ants on the enemies bright and early tomorrow.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANT WARRIORS
Morning dawned creating a slight chill in Queen Laliandra’s bones. After a soothing breakfast of warm , sugar porridge, Queen Laliandra set off to the Ant Temple of Kalamazat. Once she reached her destination, the queen climbed up all of the one hundred and fifty steps until she reached the platform at the top, her chest heaving. A delicate, red web was strung across the two pillars one on each end of the platform. Spiders were lazing on the web, bustling around their beautiful, stringy home. When her thick heel smacked the foot of the marble platform all the spiders stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at her. A giant red arthropod, started to crawl towards her. Spiders scrambled about like leaves in a violent gust of wind as their king made his way through. He looked amused, but his face grew solemn when he saw the queen.
“Queen Laliandra, we meet again. Greetings. What brings you to our humble abode?” he questioned.
“Greetings, King Questozal. I have come to ask you for a favor. We understand that Lountitza is planning to attack us. Can I get your army’s support to lead the war against King Lombre?” The spider king nodded and scurried off on all eight legs to assemble his vast army of spiders and ants.
“Out of the way, child,” King Questozal demanded in a mellow voice.
“What?” Queen Laliandra questioned meekly.
He sighed. “Make a run for it,” he ordered his troops, “I do not want to waste any more of our time waiting.” The ants began to slowly march forward, surrounding the queen. Her face grew pale with horror and disgust as the ants crawled around her bare ankles. Suddenly they surged forward like a tsunami knocking her backward.
After the ants were set off, Queen Laliandra rushed to the castle where her troops were waiting. She gave the colonels the signal, and the troops streamed out of the castle gates. After hours of fighting, the battle was called to an end for that day. Neither army had made any headway. Disappointed, the queen ordered more troops to be ready for the battle tomorrow.
The next morning, the Queen and her three battalions were off to the war field again.
CHAPTER FIVE
STINKY BOMBS
Meanwhile, while everyone was at war, Cook Nala was in the kitchen making a filling for bombs. Nala opened her trusty cookbook and flipped through the pages until she reached an extremely yellow crinkled page. Her long, dirty fingernails searched the words for BOMB FILLING. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed with triumph. Searching through the pantry, Cook found all the necessary ingredients: rotten eggs, durian, old fish, and fresh dung from the elephants and owls from the courtyard, and rat urine mixed with liquor and oil, which was supposed to highly flammable and toxic. Cautiously, she scooped the stinky mixture using a ladle and dropped it into hollowed out coconut shells.
The guards hurled the bombs at the enemies with all their might. However, much to their disappointment, the bombs did not explode. Cook’s new recipe did not work. They just let off a stench-probably the worst stench in the world. Stinks of rotten eggs, urine, and dung filled the air. The absurd, disgusting stench did not stop the enemies. They charged forward and began attacking the fort. Queen Laliandra ran past the castle, leaving her army without help. She knew it was the wrong action to take, but she could not help it. “I am such a failure!” the queen thought to herself. She flung herself on the ground and wept, almost creating a river. “I wish I could summon spirits,” Queen Laliandra sobbed.
CHAPTER SIX
SUMMONING SPIRITS
“We can help,” a grainy voice replied out of nowhere.
“Who…Who…Who is that?” Queen Laliandra questioned croakily.
A ghost-like head appeared out of nowhere. “I am the war goddess,” she murmured, “I will help you in one condition. You must build a temple of peace and promise me that you will not get into a war unless it is the last resort for peace.” Queen Laliandra nodded her head solemnly. War Goddess let out a low whistle. Other gods appeared out of thin air: Water God, Harvest Goddess, and Tornado God. With the instructions from the Queen, Tornado God started his funnel towards the enemies’ path and soon was sucking them up like ice cream. Harvest Goddess planted a wide field of corn before Poompol Vuh’s army. Then, Water God created a flood which drowned many people from Lountitza’s army. The corn that Harvest Goddess had planted absorbed the water so that Poompol Vuh’s army would not be harmed. Queen Laliandra had saved Poompol Vuh by summoning spirits. Lountitza’s weakened army fought until they finally surrendered. A defeated King Lombre rode towards Queen Laliandra on his noble steed with his head bent shamefully. King Lombre decided to make peace with the kingdom of Poompol Vuh. She also expressed her desire to construct the Temple of Peace. King Lombre was touched to hear this and they decided to build the temple together as a monument to honor the brave soldiers of Poompol Vuh and Lountitza.
The residents of Poompol Vuh cheered, and they carried Queen Laliandra to the castle dining hall. However, Queen Laliandra still had something at the back of her mind that was troubling her. She excused herself from the castle and dashed to the forest where she summoned the spirits again for the last time.
“What else, my child?” asked War Goddess with a smile as she appeared out of thin air.
The Queen hesitatingly replied, “We still have a famine in our kingdom. Winning the war does not solve that problem.” War Goddess nodded sympathetically and she let out another low whistle. Water God and Harvest Goddess appeared. They nodded to War Goddess and disappeared. In a few seconds, the queen could hear water rushing, and she could see the plants growing from the now fertile soil. The famine was over. Queen Laliandra thanked the spirits from the bottom of her heart and dashed back to palace, her heart as light as a lone feather swooping through the air.
CHAPTER SEVEN
VICTORY!
Dinner that night was a feast for the entire city of Poompol Vuh. Everyone wolfed down fresh roast beaver with tomato and corn salsa and lemon flavored duck with baked Portobello mushrooms dipped in hot sauce. That night, before she went to bed, Queen Laliandra reflected back on how the Spider King and all the citizens and guards helped her even after she had abandoned her kingdom and put the people in peril.
The City of Poompol Vuh was not “lost” anymore. The people of the legendary city had lost their glory and happiness to the wars and famine. Thanks to Queen Laliandra, the city regained its peace and prosperity.
A sudden light woke Marissa with a jolt. She found herself lying on a mattress with a thin sheet of cloth that protected her from the cold. This was nothing like what she slept in last night. Marissa peeked out of the window of the inn and realized she was back in Ganitos, with her parents. She could not help but feel a tingling sense of pure joy and happiness. However, Marissa realized that it was still dark. Had not even a minute passed since she disappeared inside the temple? She decided not to tell her parents about her heart-stopping experience. It was her adventure and her adventure alone. This was the start for a new beginning for a more humble and kinder Marissa.
EPILOGUE
Every day, before their journey to Ganitos, Marissa’s parents prayed to the gods requesting them to help Marissa become a better person. Her lack of humility embarrassed them especially as she was growing older. The gods knew that they had to teach her a lesson soon. Seeing her interest in Poompol Vuh, they decided to take her back in time to teach her respect and responsibility. After her life-changing adventure, Marissa was nicer to classmates at school and stopped bragging about herself. To her utmost surprise, she found out that more people wanted to be friends with her.
The City of Poompol Vuh was not “lost” anymore. The people of the legendary city had lost their glory and happiness to the wars and famine. Thanks to Marissa as Queen Laliandra, the city regained its peace and prosperity.
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MARISSA WAS MEAN
SHE HAD TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON
BY THE GODS THEMSELVES
Twelve year-old Marissa Durante is mean, stuck-up and bossy. When the gods decide to teach her a lesson, a whirlwind adventure begins to unfold. A time-travelling scheme takes Marissa to an ancient land in a time of peril. Author Sandhya Iyer weaves together a tale of greedy kings, war, resourcefulness, and courage that will captivate readers of all ages.
“An edge of the seat thriller with a lesson to learn.”
-- New York Times
“Iyer weaves an interesting tale of time travel filled with magic & mystery”
-- Time for Kids
“A masterpiece….readers will not be disappointed with this twisted tale”
-- San Jose Mercury News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandhya Iyer resides in San Jose, California, with her two doting parents and mischievous younger brother. Two of her books, Arienta and the Doom of Sliash and The Zaberwockie Conclusion, have won major awards- The Certificate of Merit! Her hobbies include reading, listening to music on 106.5, and playing with friends. Her favorite subjects at school are reading, writing, and social studies. She goes to J.F.S. Elementary and is in Mrs. Swenor’s 5th/6th combo class. She aspires to be a world famous children’s author.
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to my wonderful parents for always being there for me and taking time to encourage me on this book.
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