Press enter after choosing selection
Grade
7

I smelled fresh baked lemon cake from downstairs that Mom baked. I don’t know exactly how lemon is my favorite fruit and flavor, it’s just that it has a unique taste to it, so somehow it became my favorite. I sighed while I finally finished a short story that I was working on in my notebook, put it in my huge secret pocket, and got up. The smell of lemon cake grew little by little each step that I took down, until the whole area smelled like lemons.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Mom called out to me. “Happy birthday!” She gave me a hug and continued to cook.

I looked around, and lemon juice and peels were splattered all over the table. I silently questioned her exactly how many lemons she used, and she replied, “Enough to make you gasp at how good it is. Don’t worry, I didn’t put much sugar in it. You know, I really want you to be able to speak again.”

I do too, I replied. I went and set the table, making it as neat as possible. Mom then came in with the cake, decorated with lemons. No wonder she used so many lemons. On the cake were thirteen lit candles, almost at the edge of the cake. I’ve always like my candles like that.

“Okay, make a wish,” she told me.

I closed my eyes to make a wish, but nothing came to mind. I actually didn’t know what to with for, so I guess I want to be able to talk again. This was one of my wishes that I wished for every year. Opening my eyes, I blew all the candles out.

The cake was delicious. I guess that this is Mom’s best recipe of all time. When I finished, I told her I was going to go for a walk.

“Okay, but don’t go too far,” she replied. “Oh, and take this.” It was a pen. It had a very unique color. It was crimson red, with a trailing pattern of gold added on it. There was also a rosy-red feather on the top.

Thanks, I replied, and took off.

I walked through the woods, gazing around the area. I then saw a cave nearby. Curious, I walked quickly to the cave. It seemed as if it were a thousand years old. It had a purple hue to it, and as I went on in, there was a huge hole in it. I looked down, but it didn’t seem to have an end to it. I was about to retreat before anything bad happens, but then my foot slipped, and I went tumbling down.

 

*  *  *

 

“Child, are you hurt?” I opened my eyes, seeing a glowing green figure hover above me. Remembering about what had happened, I got up. Well, I tried to get up, but I seemed to weak, so I lay back down.

Where am I? I wondered.

“Oh, so you are one of them…” she replied softly. She had greenish hair and very pretty eyes. She seemed really gentle. “I don’t understand your language, but I will try my best. I am Willow. You must be wondering where you are, right? Well, it’s exactly what it seems like. The underground.”

Seeing my startled look, she quickly said, “Oh no, not the place where all the bad people go after they die. This is exactly like the upperground, but it’s underground. So you have nothing to fear.”

She seemed really nice. She led me to her home, which was small and cozy. It had the smell of lemons, so it made me feel very at home. I asked her how to get back to the upperground, and she took a bit time to decipher it.

“What do you-” she started, and then realized what I was asking for. “No… no!” She held her head with her hands. “I can’t… I can’t bear to lose another one!” She then grabbed my arms, out of control. Her grasp was strong, but too strong to bear. I got knocked to the ground, while green flames scattered all around me, trapping me. Just then, she snapped into focus.

“Oh no,” she whispered, and all the fire disappeared. “Oh no… I’m so sorry, child. I just can’t control myself.” She gazed into the distance. “The exit to this place is over there,” she said as she pointed to a staircase leading downstairs, and looked into my eyes. “And please, please be careful. The rest of the underground is very dangerous.”

She hugged me, as she shed a single tear. She then walked away. I suddenly felt guilty and sorry for her. It was me who asked her in the first place. But this is not a time to think what I should’ve done better. Filled with determination, I went down the stairs. It was very dark down there, and it was a very long walk. But finally, I found the exit.

 

*  *  *  

 

I found myself in a very strange place. Everything was dark, with torches lit everywhere. Since there was no moon in the underground, without the torches, nobody’ll be able to see anything. Suddenly, I saw a glowing blue figure, but soon, it disappeared. I blinked, and it seemed as if nothing was there in the first place. I kept on going, creeped out on what was happening.

There was a sudden movement behind me. I turned around, and it was an orange figure instead. “Hello!” he said. “I’m Arlo. Hmm… it seems that my brother has been playing tricks on you, is that correct?” He had a wide smile and wore an orange t-shirt that said “ARLO”. His eyes glowed a bright orange color, and I could tell he was very happy to see someone else who wasn’t from this place.

“Hey, don’t blame me on everything!” The blue figure just suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was wearing a light blue jacket, which seemed like it was very old. His blue eyes glowed even more than his brother, which was pretty cool. “And ‘sup, kid. The name’s Jax.”

What is this place? I asked. To my surprise and delight, he actually understood.

“This is the Void Forest,” Jax answered. “It’s not actually a void, it just looks like one.” He eyes me curiously. “You are from the upperground, are you not?”

I nod my head yes.

“Then you should probably go to the king’s place. You must be desperate to get back,” he said, and sighed. “It’s the only way out.”

Why do you look so depressed?

“You’ll find out soon, kiddo.”

There was a moment of silence. Arlo looked at us nervously, his eyes dimming with uncertainty. He said, “Well… let’s get started, shall we?”

“Arlo and I will accompany you to the castle,” said Jax. “We can’t risk you getting hurt.”

It felt weird to have “bodyguards”, but comforting in a way. It was nice having people from the underground actually care about me. After walking for about an hour or so, we reached a passageway that leads to a desert-like place. I was really tired then, and after taking a few wobbly steps, I collapsed completely. I felt like I was going to pass out, but Arlo and Jax went to help support me just in time.

“Thank goodness I can teleport from here to the castle,” Jax murmured. “Here, hold my hand.”

I swear I haven’t even blinked my eyes, and yet I’m at the castle front door. The brothers opened the golden doors, and in we went. I was surprised that there wasn’t much decoration in it, just a huge garden of golden flowers. There was a throne chair on top of the flowers, and sitting in it was a yellow figure, which I guessed was the king. He was watering his flowers, humming a tune. The air here was very fresh, and I took a deep breath in. Unlike the upperground, the underground isn’t polluted as much.

“Your majesty,” the brothers said at the same time, and kneeled down. The king turned around, and the first thing he saw was me. He had golden and gentle eyes, wore a cape that went down to his feet, and he strangely made me think of Willow. He gasped, eyes full of surprise.

“Your majesty, please let me explain,” said Jax. “This child is-”

“Yes, yes, I know,” the king replied. “I foresaw this all coming. You don’t need to explain.” He looked down, and said, “You can go now.”

Giving me one last look, the brothers left the room. The king sighed and gave me a sad look.

“Greetings,” he started. “I am Donovan. Now you want to get home, right? Well, in order to do that, you have to…” He looked up sadly, and said, “Defeat me and take my soul.”

Wait, what? I exclaimed in my head.

“Meet me in the next room,” he said, and then disappeared.

I quickly followed him, horrified about what I have to do. Then, he stopped. Ahead of us was a beam of bright light.

“This is the exit,” Donovan said. He looked down. “Farewell.”

Just then, a person suddenly shouted, “Stop!” and threw Donovan to the other side of the room. I looked up, and to my surprise, it was Willow. She seemed really tired, probably because she ran all the way here.

“I just couldn’t stop thinking about you, my child,” she said. “We can resolve this peacefully, okay?” She then shot a dirty look at Donovan.

“Willy…”

“Do not Willy me, Donovan!”

“Hey guys, stop fighting!” The brothers then ran in the room.

“We were worried about what would happen, so we rushed back immediately,” said Arlo.

“Glad you’re alright, kiddo,” said Jax.

“Are these the friends that you have made, my child?” Willow asked.

“Wow, the queen has also returned!” exclaimed Arlo.

Wait, so-

“Yep, they are husband and wife,” replied Jax.

“So, we should all head back then,” Willow started before darkness swallowed them all up.

 

*  *  *  

 

“Did you really think that you can get away that fast?” An echoing voice rang out in the darkness. “Because you’re wrong!”

A blinding light-green light shone, filling up the empty darkness. In front of me was a light-green figure, with eyes piercing and soft at the same time.

“Howdy! It’s me,” he said. “Winov, Prince of the Underground!”

At the same time, I started glowing. Then I remembered. I took out the pen that my mom gave me, and it was glowing with all its might. I realized what I was to do. I raised the pen high up in the air, and streams of light shot out of it. Winov dodged everything, and it was obvious that I needed something stronger to defeat him. He hit me with all his might, but there was this feeling in my soul that won’t let me give up. That is the power of determination.

I took out my notebook, and the pen wrote some mystical words. Suddenly, lightning shot out from everywhere, even faster than real lightning, and it illuminated the darkness almost entirely. That seemed to do the trick. He dodged some of them, but there was a few that actually hit him.

“No,” he yelled. “I can’t give up now!”

Greenish fire appeared from above me, shooting down altogether. The fire burned like no fire could ever burn, but somehow, I was still alive. With all my strength left, I gave him one last final blow.

 

*  *  *

 

“I’m so sorry,” Winov sobbed.

It’s okay, I replied.

“No, it’s not! I am a horrible person. I almost killed my parents, and, and…”

Then I hugged him. He seemed surprised, but then relaxed. He was very warm and the hug was very comforting, even to me.

“Ha, thanks,” he said while wiping his tears away. “I’m sorry to say, but your mother is dying. Time here passes differently than time passes on the upperground, and she’s been waiting so long that she got a heart attack. I want you to go and exit before it’s too late.”

But how?

“Take my soul. I promise that I will be alright. Plus… I don’t think I’m ready to encounter mother and father.”

Are you sure?

“Yes.”

 

*  *  *  

 

When I opened my eyes, everyone was with me. Willow, Arlo, Jax, and Donovan were all there, and then I remembered.

Mom! I exclaimed. We have to go see her!

“No need,” said Jax. “She’s right here.”

Mom had her eyes shut, but she had a smile on her face. She was still breathing, but it was getting shorter and shorter each breath.

Mom? Mom!

“Mom!” I finally shouted. She then opened her eyes a little. “Mom? Can you hear me?”

“Yes, my sunshine,” she said while putting a hand on my face. “I can hear you loud and clear.” She then closed her eyes, and fell back down. Her hands unclenched, and in her hand was a mini lemon cake.

“Thank you, Mom,” I whispered. Determined, I took the cake and held my pen tightly while standing up. Extremely sad things will occur, but it’s best to accept the present and move on to the future.