THE OTHER WORLD

CHAPTER 1: HOLIDAYS AND CLEANING   DUTIES 

  

        The five Brackwells emerged from the thick fog near the station, their vision clearing and then approached the Parkinson family awaiting them. They greeted each other enthusiastically. Molly, Fred and Alice Brackwell were overjoyed that they got to spend the winter holidays with their best friend George Parkinson. George bid adieu to his parents who had to be away during this vacation due familial issues. Yet, George was elated to get to spend the holidays with his friends at their Grandma, Mrs. Ariana Brackwell's home at Charlington. With excitement and enthusiasm in their hearts the four sixteen year-olds and Frank & Hannah Brackwell proceeded on their way to Charlington.

                Ariana Brackwell's Home

      Evening was approaching fast. It was the eve of New Year. The festive spirit had surrounded the whole town. It was as though the Festive Spirit Bug had been flying around stinging people and infesting happiness and a festive aura all around. But four teens, sat distressed in the attic of a well-furnished, neat and clean home. Molly, Fred, Alice and George had fancied that they got a perfect vacation. But Alas, this wasn't meant to be their dream holiday. Or at least that's what one obviously assumed when, they were assigned the job of thoroughly cleaning the attic. 

      "I thought we were on a holiday. But this is practically manual labour!!!", Fred exclaimed, wiping away his sweat and readjusting his glasses. "Come on Fred! Don't overreact. There's nothing wrong in cleaning the house. We are just helping", Molly admonished, glaring at him. Fred merely rolled his eyes. 

     Fred Brackwell

     "I hope you don't mind working with us George", Molly said turning her kind; bright brown eyes towards him. George shook his head in a no, grinning, his slightly crooked buck teeth showing prominently.

   Molly Brackwell

       "Why should he even mind? We are all friends, right? We should definitely share our work load. Am I not right, George?", huffed Alice, jokingly. 

       George only sighed, saying, "When are you ever wrong, Miss I-am-always-right-and-no-one-should-dare-to-contradict-me?". 

       Alice chuckled. Everyone was sweating profusely and coughing, thanks to the dust. Molly, the ever thoughtful one, opened the attic window, allowing a cool breeze to enter, making them all sigh with comfort.

      The Attic

       All of a sudden, everyone heard a loud metallic clang and Fred's yelp. Everybody rushed to Fred, who was lying on the floor, motionless; his eyes closed and a large metal box that had fallen down from a shelf. Molly, George and Alice hovered over Fred, peering at him in concern. "Hey, are you alive?", Alice said. Fred opened his eyes with the speed of light and glared at his sister, who was shaking with silent laughter. 

       "Oh! Fred! Why were you lying there motionless, if you were fine?", Molly asked him, half angrily; half concerned. 

       Fred got up, still glaring at Alice, who was now, smiling innocently at him. He then looked at Molly and said, "It was so relaxing to lie down after working so hard, Molly. You can't blame me". 

                     Alice Brackwell

       "Yes, of course I can. What's the hard work that you've been doing? All you've been doing since the past one hour is just lazily dusting these shelves. Same goes for Alice. It's just me and George doing some real work", Molly said coming into full-on war mode, while giving angry looks to Fred and Alice. Alice huffed indignantly. 

       "That's definitely not true", Fred shot back. 

       "Hey! Just shut up you two. Come and look at this. What is it?", George said, shutting them up and making all three look up at him.

       "What is it?", Molly rushed to see what George was holding. Alice and Fred came up and stared at it in confusion. 

       George was holding a huge book titled, 'A History Of Magic', of around God-knows how many pages. It had artistic designs on its cover. Keeping the book on the fallen metal box, they sifted through its pages. Everything was written in Latin. Fred, Alice and George looked up at Molly. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?", Molly asked them, bewildered. "Hey, you are the brainiest one among us. You must know what's written", said Fred, and George and Alice nodded vigorously. 

George Parkinson

       "That's not logical. I am smart and studious, doesn't mean I know everything. Yes, I do know Spanish and French and Italian, a bit of Greek and some basic Japanese, but I certainly DON'T know Latin. Although, I know few words here and there, but I still don't fully understand the language", Molly ranted, shaking her head in irritation. Although, her face heated up in embarrassment.

           

                     The others hurriedly looked at the book and continued sifting through it. Reaching the very last page, they noticed three intricate symbols there. 

The Symbols

Fred absentmindedly started tracing the symbols. "Fred don't fiddle with the book. I say, let's...", Molly started, and what she was about to say, was unknown, as all four teens, looked at a slowly widening portal or hole or whatever in the world it was from within the book, in absolute horror. 

       Shrieks of, "Is that a black hole?!", "What in the world is that?", were heard before all four of them got sucked into the portal......

 

      TO BE CONTINUED...