Hi! My name is Devanshi Rai, and I am here to tell of a specific moment of my life…
It was a Friday morning. The sun was shining through the clouds and hit my face. I woke up from a strange dream that had involved ice-cream, a cheesecake, and a Lion-Sheep diamante. Anyway, when I woke up, I was with my sister, Advika, on the bed. It seemed like Mom and Dad were talking about something outside… As I went to brush my teeth, I stopped and creeped to the living room instead. There I caught a few words from my parents, “-through the wilderness…,” said my mom. “Yes, I think we can go trekking to the jungle…” That’s where I stopped listening.
Walking through the Jungle? Doesn’t sound bad! I brushed my teeth and took a quick bath. The water splashed against my brain, refreshing me… After a bath, I slipped on an orange T-shirt with track pants and that’s when my dad came in. My dad is tall, but I am tall enough that I reach his shoulders. Anyway, when my dad came in, he told me this, “Devanshi, I have a plan for today’s outing-,” I cut him off and told, “Yes papa, I know we are going to the jungle, I…” I looked at my dad, and continued “I… overheard you when you were talking to Mumma”, “Sorry,” I apologized… “I was just curious,”. My dad laughed and said it was OK and I must ready my sister and pack bags for both of us. “Pack things that will be useful to you both, because we are spending two days there.” Then he left the room and left me to help my sister and pack bags. My sister wore the same outfit as mine, I packed bags for us in a flash, extra clothes, masks, sanitizers, flashlights, pop-up tents, water bottles, a cuddly toy for my sister and a book for me. When I reached the kitchen for breakfast, I found a piece of information I didn’t know. My dad was saying this, “We will split up in two teams and live separately, Devanshi and Advika, you will have one pop-up tent for both of you, a blanket and a pillow. And both of you, take your phones, too!” Breakfast was an omelet with bread, it smelled so tempting, I forgot about everything and shoveled it down. It tasted delicious, I asked for more and packed some in my bag for later… After a tender breakfast, my dad gave some money for transportation, hugged good-bye to both of us, and left… With tears in my eyes, I turned to the Map in my phone, and the nearest bus stop was 10 mins away. I took my sister’s hand and went off on my first adventure.
After 10 minutes
We had boarded the bus to a nearby Jungle. There was no one on the bus, except for us and a jungle explorer.
Me and my sister were bickering about how we could get water, when the Jungle explorer said “Aye, thou are correct”, he pointed to me… “Thou can use transpiration,” he said, in his funny accent. I was taken aback, “Uh, thanks?”. As soon as I said that `I knew it sounded absurd. My sister, the jungle explorer and the driver started laughing. I felt my face turn red with humiliation. And soon I was cracking up too… Finally, when we were playing SNAP! the bus stopped in front of a bizarre looking forest… We got off and waved at the bus driver and the Jungle Explorer… Finally, we arrived at a clear spot and set up our tent. I went inside and spread a blanket to smoothen the ground of the tent. Then, I unpacked the food and we both tucked in. Soon, night fell, and I took a flashlight and told my sister not to leave the tent. I went searching for firewood. I returned and made a fire to roast marshmallows. It was relaxing. After that, I put the fire out and we both dragged ourselves inside to sleep.
The Next Day
The next day, we were packing the campsite, when a golden thing caught my eye. I went there and picked it up. It was a key. I groaned. I had given the house keys to Advika, and she didn’t keep it in its place. I went to her in hot pursuit and questioned her. She scowled and rummaged inside her bag to find the real key. “Then we could find the door to this key!!!” I squeaked impatiently She said “Ok, big sis. But remember if we get chased by a tiger, I am gonna hide right behind you!” We packed our stuff up and started hunting for the source to this key. We searched for hours yet; we didn’t find it. Before I could complain, I tripped and landed into a concoction of vines. “Oof”. My head had hit something hard. I looked carefully at it and gasped. I shrieked for my sister, and she had no choice but to dive there too! I pointed at a door and her eyes widened. The Door had a lock too.
I looked at my sister, at the key and at the door. The only choice was to plunge the key in the lock. Believe it or not, the lock fitted the key! I looked at my sister, who looked as she might pass out of shock. But she nodded and I turned the lock and pushed. The sight that I could see was so beautiful that I first thought it was a priceless painting. It was the most beautiful garden ever. I stepped forward, in wonder (and my sister followed). The vines were a splash of golden and purple, daffodils were everywhere, poppies grew around us, the grass was as green as an avocado. Flowers of every shape, size, color, and smell were growing and ahead was a mansion. Everything looked so dusty. I fitted the same key in the mansion door. Everything looked so dusty and old. I called my mom and dad. They were here in twenty minutes and were so proud of us… The police came to check the house for criminals and when there were none, he told it’s habitable. “And since you children found it, this house is yours and your parent’s” And since then we have been living in the same house with the secret trapdoor and a beautiful garden.
Hope you enjoyed listening to me.