“I’m great grandma, I came first my last test” I notified her, knowing she was going to ask about my grades anyway. I switched hugging partners with my brother and went to embrace my grandfather, but instead he shook my hand saying “your growing now, I need to treat you like a man” and gave me a reassuring wink, my grandfather had big blue eyes just like my mothers, he looked surprisingly well for an 86 year old, he practiced archery and gardening regularly. He was by far my favourite out of all 4 of my grandparents, he was very generous and gave me advice on many things that I couldn’t speak to with my brother.
We walked through the orderly corridor with pictures of my fathers childhood, my grandfathers army photos, and my parents wedding. We entered the living room and the scent of Christmas pudding hypnotized me. Moe began to speak to grandpa about how the shop is doing and whispered about me thinking I cant hear them.
“He’s been acting strange lately, staring into the horizon, day dreaming all the time” my brother claimed. Which is kind of true, ever since I found that box under the stairs that contained my mothers price objects. I wandered outside again in search of something to do. As I was walking down my grandparents street, with leaves crunching under me, I came across a white rabbit, so white that snow would look too dark compared to it, with bright red eyes. He hopped slowly, looking back at me every time almost inviting me to follow him, which I did not thinking where I could end up. I pursued the furry creature for 10 minutes and finally it stopped. Unaware of where I was I looked up and to my surprise right in front of me was the house I that I dreamt about a few minutes ago. I stared at it for a while not believing my own eyes, it can’t be possible I began to kid myself into thinking it just looks like it’s the same house.
I walked through the familiar threshold, more confidently now. I began to pick up pace and ran in excitement to see what is inside, it was interesting to see that there was no cog webs obstructing my way and the back door was open just like how I left it. I began to hesitate as I entered the grimy room, it was filled with filth. I could almost taste the dead rats and bugs. I took a guess that I was in the boiler rooms, as I noticed an old fashioned heater, a breeze entered through the door and made the hairs on the back of my neck stick up. This whole place gave me the creeps, I advanced towards the door linking the boiler room to the corridor. The wallpaper so red it looked like it was painted with blood, with shredded furniture as if a lion had mistaken it for its dinner. I made my way upstairs, carefully choosing where to place my foot, noticing the holes in the steps probably eaten up by termites. Just as I reached the landing I heard a spine-chilling voice “John, its me your father, you must go into the master bedroom, go now!” I froze at the sound of my father, I began to remember my father, how he used to play football with me and smile cheerily when he scores a goal. I began to fulfill his wishes and guessed that the master room lied behind the big red door. If was different from the rest, the rest were brown and so small Moe would have to bend down to get inside!
I opened the door and instead of the usual reek of horrid objects, I smelt the sound of my father, that sweet smell of his cologne and the smell of his sweat after coming back from the gym. The room had a very different feel to it, it wasn’t chilling as all the other rooms, if anything it looked a little bit like my parents room back at our house, and instead of that blood red colour on the walls in its place lay a olive green colour, my mothers favourite. I looked around stunned at what I saw. I heard my fathers voice once more “John, you must open the closet door” he ordered. I obeyed him and slowly tip toed towards the closet not knowing what to expect I slowly opened the closet to find a mirror, and what I saw in the mirror astonished me, I stood there motionless with my mouth so wide open I can feel the cool of the floor under me, in front of me were my loving parents smiling at me just like old times. Minutes passed without me or them saying anything, the looked so real as if they were really there, first I thought it was some sort of mirage, a trick of the mind, but this was ruled out when my dad began to speak to me “Son I know you are frightened of this but u mustn’t be, we are really here and we’re not leaving till you feel you don’t need us anymore”.
“But it cant be how can you guys be here? You died 3 years ago in a car accident” I stuttered. I didn’t know what to think.
“I know, I shall explain to you if you give me the chance to!” my mother protested, she always thought I was too talkative and wouldn’t give people a chance to speak. “This mansion is where I used to live when I was about your age, your grandfather was a very rich man, and this here room was mind. And it was where I first met your father, his mother came over, as you know she was friends with your grandmother.” My mother began to enlighten me. I suddenly realised I wasn’t afraid anymore, that feeling was substituted by happiness and relief that I had my parents back. I wanted to tell them what I have done for the past 3 years, I wanted to tell them how much iv missed them. I began to feel my eyes fill up with water and sensed a tear trickle down my cheek and drip onto the floor. “ Son, I have 1 more request from you, I want you to convince Moe to move here, your mother and I want you to stay near your grandparents and most importantly, deep inside the forest that surrounds this house lies your ancestors long lost treasure I shall give you the map to it and it should tell you where the treasure is located and all the obstacles you must face in order to retrieve this treasure” my father told me then pointed towards the chest of drawers. I opened the drawer and found a sheepskin written in old style English. With a picture of map and directions.
“Good luck” shouted my parents as I ran down those stairs towards the starting point of the map, which was a pond with a tree right in the middle shaped like a star. I searched for my pocket knife in my jacket knowing that it had a compass and essential tools to help me, I began my quest. I searched high and low for the pond but I couldn’t find them. I took a rest and rested on a tree trunk and began to watch the sky darken and the sound of crickets putting me to sleep but I had to fight it in order to find the treasure. I started to think about where I could find the pond, when I encountered a frog hopping by. That’s when it hit me all I have to do is follow the frog to the pond. So I began to stalk the frog being careful for it not to notice me and frighten it off. After a long 15 minutes of stalking I saw an opening between the bush’s and saw the pond and the beautiful star shaped tree. The water in the pond was crystal clear, I could see the fish and my own reflection.
I referred to my map once again to see where my quest took me next, the map indicated that I must climb the star shaped tree and find a key, without hesitation I removed my clothes and jumped in to the pond, only to realise that I wasn’t alone, right at that moment that I had jumped into the pond a alligator had dived in after me, so now I had to out swim a marine creature! I began to thrust with all my strength towards the tree, I can feel the alligator trying to bite at my feet. Luckily I had been in my schools swimming team and had a few medals under my name. I finally reached the star shaped tree and began to climb it, again not realizing this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought, I discovered vine snakes snapping at me. I sacrificed my had and tossed it at it in hope it will distract it, the snake began to bite my had furiously. I continued to climb and I could see the golden key in arms length, as I reached for the key I saw a cleverly hidden bridge connecting the top of the tree to what looked like an old hut. I began to feel the greed inside of me, the need to find that treasure and buy all the things money could buy.
I made my way across the rickety bridge and used my key to open the door, to my surprise the hut was empty except for a dusty chest in the corner of the room. I ran towards it and opened it expecting to find the treasure but instead lay another map! I unwrapped the sheepskin and began to read that the treasure lies in a cave 3 miles north of the hut. I jumped off the bridge and into the soft landing of wet mud. I looked at my compass and ran towards the west, after about 10 minutes of running and a lot of slipping and falling I finally reached 3 miles and only to be faced by a cave guarded by duck nests, I knew from what had happened to Moe when he had slipped into that pond at our park and the ducks attacked him, that ducks are worthy opponents. I sat there for a while thinking of a way when I realised how stupid I was, I can always outrun a duck. I blamed it on the tiredness and began to run towards the cave, when I tripped and fell right next to the next, when I suddenly felt a striking pain, pain that I couldn’t match anything else I have felt before. I could feel my legs bleeding frantically, I pulled myself together and kept running until a reached it at last, the treasure, it was the most glorious thing I’ve ever seen. The gold glowing into my eyes, and I began to lose myself in my greed. I mind began to day dream again, but this time not about my parents but about how happy I’m going to be and how Moe is going to afford to go to university again.I found old sacs of potatoes on the side of cave, I emptied 2 sacs and filled them with all the gold.
I began to drag them back to the mansion, and after a long 3 hours of dragging, I reached the mansion. I ran upstairs to the master bedroom to inform my parents that I had succeeded in my mission, only to find that they were gone. That’s when I realised, when I saw the treasure I didn’t day dream about them but about how happy I’m going to be, and I could remember my parents saying there going to be here until I need them, and I don’t need them anymore. I started to make my way back to my grandparents house when I realised that I didn’t know my way back. I began to panic and fright. That’s when I heard the familiar voice of Moe screaming for me. I ran towards the voice, and saw Moe looking very relieved and had a hint of anger I his eyes, it didn’t bother me much I had to show him the treasure. I dragged him back to the mansion and showed him the sacs of gold. For once, my brothers face actually looked cheery and he smiled and hugged me.
I wanted to tell him that I saw our parents but something inside of me told me that he wouldn’t believe me. So instead I requested that we sell our old apartment and use the gold for his education and to refurnish this mansion as our new house.
From that day on, I didn’t day dream. And my brother went on to be come a doctor and the mansion was no longer a scary dirty place but the same place it was 40 years ago when my parents lived here. And I still go into the master bedroom and stare into that mirror in hope of seeing my parents again.
