THE MYSTICAL HANDKERCHIEF AND THE VILLAINOUS VAMPIRES

Michael is a boy of about 10 years of age. He has brown hair with blue eyes. He is exceedingly intelligent and the smartest cookie in the orphanage. He has a very good attitude and talks politely. He respects and obeys his elders.

Percy is a girl of about 8 years of age. She has long blue braided hair. She is extraordinarily elegant and has pearl green eyes. She is Michael’s sister. Both of them are voracious readers and they are keen to find about their missing mother and father.

Stefan, Hiroshi and Rachiel are Michael’s and Percy’s friends.

The orphanage in which they lived was extremely timeworn. All the bricks and the floorboards were of poor quality, dusty and rotten. All of them had to work a lot and were not given proper food and health facilities. Once in a blue moon they were given new clothes and shoes.

Michael had a little handkerchief. It had lilac Madhubani borders and an impressive Mandala art pattern in between. It had a tiny hexagon shaped star in the centre.

One day as Michael was going to bed late at night as he was exhausted by scrubbing the entire orphanage; he drank water and kept his handkerchief aside. While he drinking water he noticed that the handkerchief came up the table. He kept it down just thinking that it is like when pigs fly ! But the handkerchief was flying. It was mystical. Michael rubbed his eyes in disbelief. The handkerchief said ‘Press this hexagon star.’ Michael did what it said. He pressed the star and now he was back in time. The handkerchief continued, ‘It was when Percy was 9 months old and you were 2 years old, the villainous vampires were causing destruction all around. They abducted your parents and left you both alone as you were unseen.’ Michael could hardly believe his ears and said ‘Vampires are a part of conspiracy theory. They are not real! Are they?’ The handkerchief replied ‘Everything can happen in this world. Who can stop it?’ Hearing this Michael called Percy and all his friends except Hiroshi who was a couch potato and told them about it. Michael said ‘Everyone’s parents were abducted like this.’ Stefan snapped as cool as a cucumber ‘I can’t believe!’ Michael managed to wake up Hiroshi from his deep sleep and asked the handkerchief to give the proof. All of them finally understood and were very furious with the vampires. They all asked the handkerchief to show the way and it agreed. They all quietly tried to slip from the orphanage but suddenly the care taker of the orphanage stopped them and said, ‘Hold on your horses! Where are you all going?’ Michael suddenly replied, ‘It is raining cats and dogs, we all are feeling cold’. They all decided to help themselves with a cup of tea.’ But Hiroshi who was mad asked, ‘From where did you get money for it?’ Michael got annoyed and whispered loudly ‘Don’t spill of the beans.’ The care taker stopped and asked the same question. Percy replied ‘I and Michael helped an old woman so she gave us 50 penny’. Finally the care taker allowed them to go. Michael was exasperated with Hiroshi and asked him to keep quiet. They were going slowly as the care taker was watching them from the broken, dusty and cracky window pane. The handkerchief was leading the way. The air was filled with petrichor as it was coming from the moist sand. All the fields and the grasslands were wet. Then, unexpectedly the sun beams flashed and the first rays fell on the kids. The dew drops shimmered, glistened and glittered on the fresh grown leaves. The fields became energetic and active as the sunshafts came. It was a stunning sight as the double rainbow striked the bluish crimson sky. After some time the care taker went to sleep and the kids ran. Now they were out of sight. They were ready to rescue their parents. All of them mustered courage and confidence and followed the handkerchief. After walking for a long time, they decided to rest. ‘Oh no!’ exclaimed Rachiel, ‘We forgot to bring our bag packs.’ ‘Don’t worry I will give you the necessary things’, said the handkerchief. All of them were famished and rats were jumping in their stomachs. First, all of them drank chilled water and ate food until their stomachs were full. Rachiel was observing a boy who had dark black hair and black eyes. He wore jeans and T-shirt. She asked him ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Gamer.’ replied the boy. ‘I love to play games in my mobile.’ What is your name, Rachiel?’ Rachiel was astonished and said, ‘Yes I am Rachiel.’ He said ‘The games I play occur in real lifetime. That is the reason I knew your name.’ Rachiel was amazed and told everyone about him. Michael said ‘Can you come with us to salvage our parents?’ Gamer agreed with full enthusiasm. He was ready to take risk to rescue their abducted parents.

They started following the handkerchief for the second time. Soon, they found themselves in a sandy stretch of barren land. ‘Can you guess what was it? You are right! It is a desert.’ They could see a stream of water near them but every time they walked near it, it went farther and farther. They were terribly drowsy except Michael who was interested in saving his parents. He was an indefatigable person. They all sat on the sand but the gameholic (a person who loves to play games) Gamer was busy on his mobile. They all drank water thirstily and the handkerchief advised them to take camels as they might get fatigued by walking in the desert. They found a girl passing with her train of camels. Stefan and Rachiel stopped the girl and asked help from her after narrating the whole story. Her name was Lina. She was stunned by the leadership of Michael. She decided to help them and instructed her camels to be ready. She had one camel named Gijjar. She liked Gijjar very much because they had been friends since childhood. The camels understand Lina’s language. Soon all the children mounted on camel’s back. Lina was sitting on Gijjar’s back. The handkerchief was flying and guiding them. Percy asked, ‘Do you stay in the desert, Lina?’ ‘Yes’, replied Lina. ‘I am an orphan; my parents are also abducted by the vampires. I was waiting for someone who wants to rescue his/ her parents and so I will save my parents too. Now you all are here. Can I also come along with you all?’ ‘Yes of course!’ said Michael. Suddenly, the handkerchief started to react weirdly. Michael understood and said ‘Can you all see the water amusement park. It is there.’ Percy said ‘I think in that amusement park the vampires might be there and that may be the reason why the handkerchief is acting weirdly.’ ‘Right Percy’, said Michael. ‘I also think the same.’ Shortly, they were in front of the amusement water park gate. The handkerchief instructed, ‘All of you disguise yourselves as vampires so that no one identifies you. These are your vampire dresses. Put them on.’ Gamer refused to be dressed as a vampire and told them that he will be waiting here. He told Michael to give him an emergency call by whistling and he will understand that he should be alert and ready. All of them agreed with Gamer. Soon, they all dressed up as vampires and entered the amusement water park. The water park had many gates beneath. All the people who were going inside to play in water were either bitten by vampires or they were put in jail. On one of the gates ‘Jail’ was written. All of them quickly ran into that room. When they entered, they found security guards. Lina and Percy whipped the guards while Michael and others continued to go straight. ‘Michael, I can hear some whisperings. The voice is familiar to me. Let’s break these jail door locks quietly and open all the doors.’ They all started breaking the locks. ‘Mom and Dad! I am Rachiel’. She started to sob. Soon all the parents were taken out from the jail. ‘Now it is the time to defeat the vampires’ said the handkerchief. Michael narrated the whole story to all the parents. Suddenly all the vampires came that way and Michael shouted ‘Shoooooooooo Vampires.’ The handkerchief squeaked ‘Ask them a riddle. They will start thinking about it. And throw these melons on them they will be busy eating’. All of them threw the melons on the vampires. They stopped and then Michael asked a riddle ‘How can we defeat vampires?’ All the foolish vampires shouted ‘Break their teeth.’ Poor vampires! All the people started to break their teeth and the vampires were dead. Finally, they were able to set the captives free and punish the guilty. They all happily returned to their parents and Gamer also found his parents. They all returned home. They went to the orphanage to tell other children about their parents. The parents were very unhappy upon seeing the children work. They all scolded the care taker and finally all of them shouted ’Thank you Michael, Percy, Gamer, Stefan, Rachiel, Hiroshi and Lina and especially handkerchief and Gijjar. ‘We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.’