Tendrilland
By Yvonne Yang
Tendrilland
WELCOME TO TENDRILLAND Grace is a nineteen-year-old girl who lives in Lympstone, an ancient village in South West of England, with her mother. She is satisfied with her family, her friend, and her life. However, one day she wakes up and finds out that buildings are ripped into pieces, everyone in the village has been slaughtered, and the most mysterious part is…………her mother is gone. And her only clue is the bloody words written on the Wall --- Find
me in Tendrilland.
She thinks she will give anything to find her mother but the danger in the Tendrilland is beyond her control…………
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Tendrilland
Tendrilland Written and illustrated by Yvonne Yang
Written by Yvonne Yang of E4B Instructor: Kenneth M. Smith Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages Kaohsiung, Taiwan June 2012
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Number of Words: 6538 Words checked: 6167 Words in Oxford 3000: 90%
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About the author
Yvonne lives with her mother and a very spoiled dog in a distant area called Daliao. Although have not met a demon before, she appreciates anyone who would like to share experiences with her. She spends a lot of time drawing, writing, and playing chess. 5
Tendrilland
Table of Contents
About the author-----------------p 5 Ch1: My Dear Precious Normal Life----p 7 Ch2: Hell Revealed----------------p 17 Ch3: Lost-----------------------p 29 Ch4: The Trial-------------------p 39 Ch5: The Gateway----------------p 48 Ch6: Tendrilland-----------------p 55 Ch7: Getting There---------------p 61 Ch8: In The Belly of the Monster---p 70 Ch9: Who is the fake? ------------p 78 Epilogue------------------------p 88 Acknowledgements-----------------p 92
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One My Dear Precious Normal Life
I have always been fascinated by horror. I love horror movies, horror stories, horror novels, and anything that begin with the word
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horror. I often go to the forest near my home for a walk at three A.M. and I feel most at home at graveyards. My mom told me when I was little, I often spend five to six hours just hiding in a dark place with a flashlight. My name is Grace Divine. I am a nineteen-year-old girl living in Lympstone, an ancient village in South West of England, with my mother. I go to a school near my home and I am not the one with all the friends. If you ask me why, I can tell you that’s because people tend to forget me in seconds. It’s always a
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mystery why people either forget me or overlook me. It’s like that I let people forget me intentionally. Like I am scared someone will find me…….. Anyway, since I am too hard to get noticed, I always have an urge to award a prize to anyone who can call my name. I am different. I knew it when I was a child. Am I lonely? Definitely not! I have always been a loner, but it doesn’t bother me. In fact, I like being by myself. I don’t
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like get along with friends or go out with boyfriend like the others. I guess sometimes good people grow weary of society. And I don’t care what others think. However, the only thing I care in this world is my mom. I love her more than anything and I know she is the only person in the world that will never turn her back on me. And this is why I am a happy girl right now. I am going back home from school. That’s when I hear someone calling my name. I turn around and see a girl running toward me. That’s Katie Coulby. ‘‘Grace,’’ she says, ‘‘you’ve
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forgot your paper. ’’ She hands me the paper and walks with me. She is pretty, slender, sexy, and she has the most beautiful hair in the world. Since we live nearby, we often walk home together. She is one of my best friends at school. Whenever I need someone to talk to or do something bad, she is my girl. However, another best friend of mine is far more righteous. Oh, here comes she. Her name is Emilia Watson. Unlike me, she is cool, energetic, and smart. On our way home, Katie talks about her
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new hair style and Emilia talks about her science project. I can say three of us have totally different characters. However, we get along pretty well, which is a miracle. When I get home, my mother is preparing dinner, ‘‘How’s school today?’’ she asks. ‘‘Nothing special! What are we going to eat tonight?’’ ‘‘Oh, something you like the most.’’ she took the dishes out of the kitchen. ‘‘We are having pasta for dinner.’’ she adds. ‘‘Excellent!!” I yell. “I’m hungry. I think I can
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even eat a horse now.’’ Then the smell of intensely strong garlic makes me want to puke. ‘‘God!!’’ I almost jump up. ‘‘Garlic again?? I think you know how much I hate garlic and the garlic breath always drives me crazy.’’ ‘‘Yeah!! And that’s why I mixed it with your favorite food. Garlic is such a precious gift from God and it’s also good for your health. You will be very sorry if you miss this nutritious and powerful natural antibiotic.’’ “But…” I protest.
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“No dickering!!” Since I don’t want to upset her, I eat. And a thought comes to me that maybe I should learn cooking someday. After dinner, I finish my math homework and science project. And…oh, I almost forget to introduce you my daily activities. ‘‘Mommy?? Where are youuu??’’ ‘‘I’m here, sweetyyyy!!’’ We play this kind of mommy-sweety game everyday. ‘‘Mommy?? What are you doinggg??’’
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‘‘I’m working, sweetyyy!!’’ It’s our daily activities. We play it every day even though I know exactly where she is. I know!! I know!!! It sounds childish, meaningless, and a little bit sick. I just want to be sure she is here with me and I’m not alone. It’s like calling her name can somehow alleviate my uneasy feeling. After that, I watch my favorite TV program, Supernatural. I think the two characters in the series are cool because they hunt monsters and ghosts as their job, and they always find a way to solve the problems no matter how bad the
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situation is. As I have told you before, I just love scary things. What I don’t know is that my life will be far scarier than anything I have known.
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Two Hell Revealed.
A curious dripping sound wakes me up. Crimson color comes into view while my eyes 17
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are still half-closed. The mysterious rosy color above on the ceiling is so beautiful I wonder what it is. From the ceiling, there’s some red and sticky liquid fall down on my face. I touch it and smell. Then my heart misses a bit when I finally realize what the red liquid on my face is. Suddenly the view of my room becomes clear. I scream, totally shocked by the terrifying view of my room. Blood everywhere. Bed, walls, floor and even me. My whole room is covered with dark and
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disgusting blood like a living organ in hell. And my clothes are also drenched with blood. The dripping sound comes from a huge gap on the ceilings which I don’t remember exist in my room last night. Blood drops from the ceiling to the floor, moves lively on the walls. Except the walls aren’t walls. Instead, the walls are somehow changed into millions strands of long thick tendrils and vines. I am surrounded on all four sides by creeping tendrils which are teemed with life and throb like veins. And some of the tendrils on the walls are bristling with pointy
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teeth, and some having thousands of tiny needles on it, all of them are throbbing menacingly, and hungrily in my room. First thought comes to mind is---- I have to find Mom. I rush toward the door and slip on the floor. Blood splashes all over me again. Then a horrible thought comes to me that maybe the blood here is from‌‌No, I push the thought away. I get up quickly and turn the door open. The living room is the same as my bedroom. All covered with thick vines and blood. Leaving
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the living room, I creep up the stairs to Mom’s room. When I’m standing outside mom’s room, tears trickle down my cheek. I pray as my hand turns the door knob, not sure whether I can accept the truth inside the room. I poke the door open… Empty.
No signs of Mom. No signs of blood. Only four big bloody words written on the wall…
Find me in Tendrilland 21
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Where is Mom? How do this words related to Mom? The scarier thing is----who leaves the words here? Are the words here written on purpose? Thousands of questions run through my mind and the window on the opposite side attracts my attention. A violently shudder runs through my body as I saw the view outside. I can’t believe what I am seeing. Buildings were ripped into pieces; pools of blood smear the roads. And there are slaughtered
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humans everywhere, some cut up into bits and scattered about the place, others arranged in vicious patterns that I can’t describe. And the sky…no, I can’t even see the sky Because the sky is just like my room, all covered with dense vines, blocked out most of the sunshine. How does our village turn into ruins in one night? I walk outside, not sure what I’m going to do. I check the bodies, some of them I recognized, some don’t. Katie and her parent’s bodies are
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hanged on the ceiling. Emilia lives just beside them. However, after seeing Katie’s, I don’t have the courage to check out Emilia’s home anymore. I’m not crying. Because I don’t have time to. I have to find Mom whether she is alive or not. I think someone or something have come to our village and done all this things to our village. But how? Destroy a village in one night? While I was sleeping? I don’t even hear anyone scream. How can this be possible??
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And who has this kind of power? Is the person still here? Is the person knows I’m still alive? Is somebody doing this intentionally? Is he playing a game with me? Obviously the reason I’m not dead is that somebody want me to be alive. Although I don’t know what this person want with me. The only thing I care is…… If this is the case, it means….. Mom is still alive.
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And I have to find her. And the only clue I have is the bloody words on the wall. I sit at a slab of stone and stare at the river in front of me. The river has turned into the red color now, with some corpses floating on it. The expression on my face is unnaturally calm, comparing with the terrifying surroundings around me. I sit at the stone trying to figure out this kind of situation. I haven’t found mom’s body and the words on the wall are also hinting me that mom is still alive. The most important things here is to figure out what those words
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mean, because this is the only clue I got to find mom. Suddenly, I see something beside my feet. A newspaper. An idea hit me. Maybe‌.maybe I can find someone help me. I thumb through the newspaper and view all the advertisements.
Alex’s Detective Agency Professional. High efficiency. High reliability. Promise: Lost Items Found. Consulting. Advice. P.S. Right price, right service.
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‘‘That’s it!!!’’ I grin. If I hire a detective to help me, maybe he will know what those words mean. And maybe I can find Mom.
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Three Lost
I don’t know there are so many people in the world need a detective to solve their problems. 29
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Many people line up in a long line outside the detective agency and they all look like they are seeking help from a psychotherapist. Since I don’t have other options, I join the line. And I see a man coming out of the agency. The man is …strange, wearing sun glasses and long black coat. No, that’s not what makes him strange. I can’t find the right words to describe him. He is death pale, tall, and dangerous. I don’t know why I am so scared when I look at him. I only have to look at him to know he can
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blast the soul right out of my body with a single word. When he walk pass me, I take a peep at him and see his eyes. Red!! His eyes somehow remind me the rosy color I saw this morning, like the words’ color written on the wall. After he left, my heart still pounds like a jackhammer and my legs are shaking. I would give anything not to see that man again in my life.
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When I walk into the detective’s office, I feel like walking in a palace. The office is decorated in Victorian style. The wooden floor is richly waxed and polished, walls are painted and the ceiling
is
decorated
with
many beautiful
paintings. I see a man sitting in the center of the office.
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‘‘May I help you? I am Alex.’’ The man says. ‘‘I need your help. I know it sounds crazy. People in my village was killed and my Mom is gone.’’ I stare at Alex to show that I know exactly what I’m saying. ‘‘Calm down, tell me exactly what happened and I can help you.’’ He takes out a notebook and starts to take notes. ‘‘My mom was caught by someone I don’t know.’’ I say calmly. ‘‘You said people in your village were killed.
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How many of them?’’ he asks. ‘‘All of them.’’ He looks at me, not sure whether I’m joking. ‘‘All of them? I see.’’ he writes something on the note. ‘‘So you believe me?’’ I am surprised. I think he will think that I am a crazy girl. ‘‘Yeah, of course. I believe all my customers. And….you need to trust me, okay?’’ ‘‘Of course. Thanks.’’ I begin to sob because finally there’s someone who will help me. ‘‘Yeah!! Sure!! Before finding your mother,
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maybe……I can recommend
you a
good
psychotherapist to make you………relax.’’ I am speechless. ‘‘No, you must believe me. I know exactly what I’m saying. The murderer even left a message for me. The message is about something like Tendrilland. I think the murderer caught my mother but I don’t know where she is. Do you think I imagine all of this by myself? I can take you to my village if you want.” I know this guy won’t believe me but I have to give it a try. “Believe me. I am not crazy.’’ Tears dripping
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down my cheek as I look at him and that’s when I sense something different in his eyes. “What did you just say” he says alertly and scans me as though I get contagious flu, “about the message?” ‘‘Do you know what it is?’’ I ask. ‘‘No, I don’t.’’ he averts my eyes. He is hiding something. ‘‘Tell me!!! You know what Tendrilland means, right? I need to know what it is because it is the only clue I got to find my mom.’’ I plead. ‘‘No, I have sworn not to speak that place ever
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again. And I strongly recommend you DON’T go to that place, no matter what you think your reason is. It’s….. too dangerous.’’ I swear I see him trembling when he talks. ‘‘So Tendrilland is a place’s name?” I say. “No matter how dangerous it is. I have to go. My mom is there. I can’t just stand here and doing nothing. Please, at least tell me where that place is.’’ ‘‘I’m sorry. I can’t.” he says painfully. “But if you insist, I can recommend you someone who is working between here and Tendrilland. He is the
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only person I know who would dare go to that place,’’ he writes down something on the paper. “I warn you. This man is not easy to mingle with. He is kind of……you will see.” his tone becomes a little peculiar. ‘‘It seems like I don’t have much choice.”I say. “What’s his name?’’ ‘‘His name is Emrys.’’ He says and hand me the address.
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Four The Trial
Following the address, I come to a distant area.
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The street gets emptier as the sun sinks deeper behind the city. When I begin to wonder if the incompetent detective was lying to me, I find the location. I stand and study the old building across the street. It is constructed of yellowed bricks that look a little like rotten teeth. I creep up the steps before I lose my nerve. Cigarette butts and dirty trash litter the stairwell. According to the address, the agency is on the fourth floor. I go up the stairs and notice the walls beside me have been spray painted over and over again with so many obscenities.
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And then I hear foot steps behind me. I don’t think it’s a good idea to encounter anybody in this creepy staircase. I move quickly to the fifth floor and notice the foot steps stop…....stop at the fourth floor. I take a peek from the upper stairs and see a man in a black coat. I can’t see the man’s face. That’s when I feel something moves unbelievably fast and hit my head. My vision becomes fuzzy, and then silence.
The pain in my head wakes me up. Not sure
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where I am. Trying to stand up and realize my hands are chained to a wall. I glace around in fear. How did I end up here? “Now you wake up.” My pain turns into a rush of terror when I see who is talking. The scary man I saw at the front door of Alex’s agency. He senses my terror and grins unpleasantly at me. “Now, then, honey, let’s get down to business.”
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His eyes turn into flowing red.
“Who do you work for?” This question surprises me so much, it takes me a moment to answer him. “No, wow….this…..this is a big misunderstanding. I…I just pass by.” I am too terrified to keep my tone from trembling. “Nonesense.” He spit the word out. It’s obvious that he doesn’t believe me. “This is not an easily found place. Nobody will notice this distant place unless someone tells
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them to.” He sits down at a beautiful decorated couch and takes a sip of his tea. “While I am still talking reasonably, tell me who your boss is?” he says with more menace. “Alex told me this place.” I say. He blinked in surprise, and then laughed so loudly. He leans in and faces my eyes.”You are lying. Alex isn’t generous enough to introduce his customers to me.” Seeing his arrogant attitude, an urge of anger hit me. Why am I chained and being questioned like this?? The only thing I want is to find my
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mother. “Because my case is too dangerous for him to take. He told me you are the only person who is working between this world and Tendrilland. I need your help, Emrys.” I stare at his red eyes and my voice is calm and firm. His smirk widens. “Brave little rabbit want to rescue her mother out of monster’s lair.” “How did you know that I’m finding my mother?” I ask in surprise. “That’s one of my abilities.” Slowly he walks over, letting his eyes slide all over me.
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With a raised brow, he pulls out a key and dangles it in front of me. Then he inserts it firmly into the keyhole of my handcuffs. They fall open with a clink. “Congratulations. Your trail is over.”
“The trail? What does that mean?” “Oh, I have to make sure my customer isn’t some kind of craven. Otherwise, it may waste all of my energy just to comfort my customer when the investigations go a little out of control.” He says and hands me a cup of tea.
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I look him in astonishment. I was nearly scared to death and it was only a trail? “Oh, don’t take it personal. The place we are going requires a lot of things and the basic one is bravery.” He takes another sip of the tea gracefully. “Don’t worry. You will be okay.” “How come?” I ask. “Because most of the people lose the ability of talking when they see me.” he grins.
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Five The Gateway
“So??�I ask, after seeing him sitting there and
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doing nothing for two hours. “What?” he says. “Well, when are we going to save my mother?” “Relax, the entrance to the Tendrilland can’t be open until three o’clock in the midnight.” he says and starts eating bread. “By the way,” he continues, “everything you ever feared or dreamed of is running loose somewhere in the streets of the Tendrilland. It’s a sick, magical, dangerous place. After knowing this, do you still want to go there?” “I will go even though it’s Hell.”
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“There are many things scarier than Hell.” he chuckles. His smiling lightens up his face and makes his eyes more threatening. “Tell me more information about your mother. Like what school she studied in or something else.” he says calmly. “Okay, she…..she….”I stammer, because I can’t remember anything about her schools or friends. Strange!!! “I....am not clear..well, I know she loves reading and cooking and her favorite color is
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purple and…..”I say. “You don’t think it’s a coincidence she was caught, do you?” he looks at me with his flowing eyes. “What are you trying to say?” “It seems like your mother is somehow related to the Tendrilland. I’m not sure on this point but….I hope what I’m thinking is wrong.” “What does that suppose to mean?” I have a feeling he is going to tell me something that I have wondered for a while…..something really bad.
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“You’d better prepare yourself your mother isn’t human.” I’m not surprised at his statement because deep in my mind I’ve always known something must be wrong with all these things. “But…” at which time the clock finally strikes to three, Emrys stands up and walks to the wall to his left and lays both hands on it. “I’m starting now,” he says, “stay where you are and do not distract me.” Emrys mutters some magical words and the wall starts shaking, the shaking wall reminds me
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my village and my room. The same uneasy, scary feeling. He takes off a pentagonal pendant from his neck and says more words. The
wall
throbs
harder
and
harder
and……then silence. “What’s wrong?”I ask. “Watch.” Suddenly the wall splits open and create a huge gap, thick red tendrils squeeze from the gap like a ferocious monster hunting its prey. The tendrils stretch and spread on the wall. Blood
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start to overflow from the wall and mixed with the tendrils. All of a sudden, the office has turned into the gateway to the Tendrilland. Emrys reaches out his hand toward me. “Ready?” “Not yet.” I smile nervously. He laughs. Without thinking, I hold his hand, take a deep breath, and step in the world that full of horrible things beyond my imagination.
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Six Tendrilland
I expect to see groups of monsters and wilderness area, but what I’m seeing is far from that. It looks like a modern city. Bright neon
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gleamed
everywhere,
sharp
and
gaudy,
welcoming and embracing, frightening and intimidating all at once. All kinds of dangerous clubs, promising dark delights and pleasures. This place is all dangerous as Hell and twice as much fun. “Welcome to the Tendrilland,” he says, smiling. “The darkness here makes me unpleasant. Thank God!! The sun will rise in about two hours.” I say. “It won’t!! Sun will never rise here. That is
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why tendril is the only plants can grow in this place.� he says. Then I see a street gang comes down towards us. There are thirteen of them, with sharp teeth, blue skin and horns on their foreheads. They spot me and walk toward me. Emrys steps forward, and smiles at them. Seeing this, the gang turns and walks away. “Everyone comes to the Tendrilland. Angels, demons, immortals, and other creatures from other dimensions. Try not to be a tourist, and keep your gaze steady. Remember, they can smell
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fear here.” he says. “Who were they?” I ask. “Trolls, playing at being a street gang. They can be very dangerous if they want to.” “They were frightened of you.” “Yes,” he smiles, “let’s just say I have something of a reputation here.” “Do you have possessions from your mother?” he asks. “I need it to locate your mother’s location.” I search my bag and find mom’s comb and hand to him. “Once you find out my mother ’s location, you can know who caught her as well?”
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“Positive. And we can also know what your mother’s problem is.” I’m not sure I want to know the truth. In fact, I’m totally frightened about it. How would you feel if your mother may not be human? “Okay. Now be quiet, and let me concentrate. The briefer I can keep this, the better.” Magic words coming from Emrys’s mouth. His whole body glowing and shimmering like a sun in the dark. Suddenly he frowns and opens his eyes. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
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“I find out where your mother is and I know who caught your mother.” He says grimly. “Who?” I think my heart is going to jump out of my chest. “An old friend of mine, Red Count. A demon master.” And my whole world turns silence.
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Seven Getting There
There are twice in my life that my whole world turns silence. First time is when I went into my 61
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mom’s room and found out she was kidnapped. The second time is now. A demon master??? Demon??? Why does a demon master want to kidnap my mother??? “What do you mean by that? You think my mother has something related to a demon master?” “It seems like that. This can explain why you don’t know anything about your mother ’s past. I’m afraid she is not what you think she is.” He says sadly. “You think my mother is….?”
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“I assume she is one of Red Count’s demon minions.” He says. “So why did she in the human world?”……and how come she becomes my mother?? “I don’t know. Maybe she doesn’t want to be the minion of the Red Count. That’s why she escapes to the human world. And maybe after she enters the human world, she changes some part of your memory and let you think she is your mother” “Do you think she still wants to go with me?” “If she doesn’t want to stay with Red Count,
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she will go with you.” The truth, usually hard to believe. But I have to give it a try. Maybe she doesn’t want to stay there. If this is the case, I have to bring her home. “No matter what she is, I am going to get her back.” I say. “I know you would say that.” He grins. In fact, I don’t really care what she is. The most important thing is whether she cares about me or not. “So…what are we going to do now?” I ask.
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“Now I am going to perform a magic spell that can transfer us to the Red Count’s castle and of course, stealthily.” Later, we go to a weird bar named Shadow’s
Foot. 65
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We have to squeeze ourselves in a dimly lighted alley to find the entrance. Seeing a small neon sign hangs above the grimy door, I ask “Is here safe?” “Yes and no. There aren’t places you will call safe in Tendrilland. Shadow’s Foot is a place where neutrality is strictly enforced. In other words, no one will bother you no matter what terrible things you do. Since I’m going to perform a ritual which would definitely draw attention and attract horrible things to devour us if I do it outside, there’s no safer place than
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Shadow’s Foot.” “How reassuring.” I say bitterly. “But identities can change fast in Tendrilland, so once we get in there stick close to me and don’t talk to any strange person.” “Got it.” In the end, I close my eyes all the way through the crowd when we step in the Shadow’s Foot. The noisy music there is deafening and I hear someone or something laughing near beside me. Finally, Emrys find a place spacious and quiet enough for him to do the magic. Emrys start
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drawing a pentagram on the floor and whispering words of magic. Then he spread some kind of herb on the floor and whispers more. After twenty minutes, suddenly the herb on the floor comes to life and flies in the air like a vortex. “Come inside.” He says inside the vortex. I step in and see the view in the pentagram start to change…….change into a castle. “Are we going there?” I ask nervously. “Yeah, it’s the castle of the Red Count.” He says. “Don’t worry, we will find your mother. I promise.”
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Not knowing what to say, since all things have gone out of my recognition. “Yeah, thanks.” That’s all I can say. And we are transformed into the center of the terror.
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Eight In The Belly of the Monster
I can feel the grass on the ground. The ground is cold. Unnaturally cold. I get up and find my
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head aches due to the fast-speed transportation. Seeing Emrys sits beside me, I look behind. The neon sign back from the Shadow’s Foot is just a glowing coal in the dark now, far away. “It’s cold here.” I complain, feeling the invisible danger all around me. “It’s always cold whenever evil exists.” he says. Emrys mutters some words and fire forms on his hands. I look around and see a humongous castle in front of me. By the glow coming from Emrys’s hands I can see clearer of the castle’s
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construction and terrified me at the same time. The castle looks fleshy and clammy. Moreover, it is constructed with human’s body. The bits of people’s bodies are obscenely revealed, pulsing, and bubbling on the layers of the castle. I hear people screaming and murmuring as we move closer to the castle. “Is it safe that we go there without armored or something?” I ask. “That would be madness. We aren’t going in there through the threshold anyway. I’m going to locate your mother’s location then we can go
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straight to her and get her out. The sooner we get the hell out of here, the better.” After saying that, he closes his eyes and mutters some magic words. His eyes glowing fire as he is searching mom’s location. “She is on the sixth floor,” he says, “and she sleeps like a baby.” His laughing comforts me. I’m relieved to know mom is still alive. The last problem comes. Will she still want to go home with me even if she knows I have known her true identity? “She will.” Emrys senses my thought and says.
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I nod. “So how can we reach the sixth floor?” I ask. “Hop on my back.” he says. “Remember. Do not let go or make any sudden movement.” “Are you going to fly or..? Will there be wings growing on your back?” I ask. He looks at me incredulously, “That’s crazy.” “ Yeah, definitely.” When I’m on his back, he walks over to the wall and mutters some magic words and his fingernails start to transfer. While I am still wondering what’s going on with his fingernails,
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he digs his nails in the wall and climbs up the wall. Moving like a spider, within moments we are at the sixth floor and we step inside into the room. I see mom sleeping on a beautifully decorated bed. “Strange.” Emrys says. “The castle is too quiet.” Ignoring him, I run to her. Suddenly Emrys shouts “Impossible!! Grace, we need to get out of here.” His fear infects me instantly because I have never seen him scared like this.
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“What happened?”I ask. “Red Count has already known we are here. It’s impossible for him to sense our presence in such short time. We must leave now, hurry!!” “How..?” I panic. Then the door opens and a flock of wild demons rush into the room. Within moments, we are surrounded by thousands of demons. I stand straight, looking around and see if I can find a way to escape. “Welcome to my castle.”
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A man slides out from behind the demons. Skinny, pale red skin and eyes. Sharp tusks protruding from his tiny mouth. There is a huge hump swells high above his back and his tentacles writhed like snake. “Red Count.� Emrys says.
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Nine Who is the fake?
“Hello, Emrys,” Red Count says, his voice is weirdly smooth. “It’s good to see you again, my 78
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deadly old friend. And my dear Grace, I can’t believe you really come, overcome so many.” Red Count sighs, subjecting me with his eerie eyes. “Of course I will come, you monster. I’m taking my mother home.” I don’t know where my courage comes from. I just don’t scare of him. Red Count’s face drops. “Red Count, Grace just wants her mother back. You..” before Emrys finish his sentence, Red Count cut him off. “It’s none of your business, Emrys. I know you
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want to ask me to return your favor that you helped me years ago. But this is definitely none of your business.” Red Count says. “She is my client and I never let my client down.” “Interesting!! Grace, tell me why you are so fond of your fake mother.” Red Count says. The word “fake” hit me like a thunder. Just like what I thought!! Oh my God!! My mom really is a demon. I hide my despair and show no signs of panic. “I will never give up my mom. Even though
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she is the same race as you.” I say. Red Count laughs loudly and says, “Emrys, do you know why I can sense your presence once you enter in?” Emrys’ eyes widen, “You mean…” “What are you talking about?” I’m so frightened, because I sense they are sharing something very important. “I sense your presence by smelling special demon odor.”Red Count stares at my eyes. Wondering what he is saying, I stare at his red eyes and find something familiar.
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“Still don’t get it, do you?” Red Count smiles. His smiling and voice are so familiar….why is that? Suddenly, the whole castle seems familiar to me. It seems like I can picture myself wandering through the castle. Memories of long time ago. “I….I…”I’m confused. I frown and see Red Count, feeling strange. Suddenly, my skin starts changing and my fingernails transfer into red sharp blades. My eyes become totally black and my skin turns into light blue. My blonde hair also turns into dark
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black and snakes grow at the end of my hair. “Welcome back, my daughter.”Red Count hugs me. I remember it now. I want people to forget me because I’m scared my father would find me. I don’t know anything about my mother because she is not my mother at all. She is just a human…..and I am a demon. “How could that be possible?”Emrys says, looks at me. “Oh…my daughter is very powerful. Be able to disguise herself into human. Even I don’t
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know how she did that. She left me two years ago, went to the human world and manipulated this poor woman to be her mother.” Red Count, my father says. “I left you because your behavior makes me sick. I am not your daughter and I am nothing like you. You killed mother just because she didn’t do what you want.” I say and find my voice has changed into an unfamiliar one. “Let’s not dwelling on the past. You are back now, that’s what matter’s. From now on you are going to accept your destiny.” Father says.
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He walks to my fake mother. “What are you doing?”I ask. “My loyal servants need to be feed.” Father says. Realizing what he is going to do, I rush to my fake mother and hold her. “You can’t protect her, not in my kingdom.” “I can do far more than you have realized.”I open my magical legacy which inherit from my father and find the link between me and him. I seize his living energy, and haul it right out of him. Red Count cries out in shock. I use the
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strength to create a big tornado and absorb the demons around it. I hold my fake mother tightly. Emrys rushes toward me and hold my hands. He mutters some magic world and says, “Hold tight, we are going back.” The magic words turn into a path to the human world. “One day, all your precious monsters will get together and turn on you.”I say to my father. “Because you could never allow anyone else be truly free of you. You will lose everything.” He looks at me in detest, unable to move his
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body from the tornado. “I will find you again.” he says. “No, you won’t. Goodbye. Father.” I say sadly. I sever all links between me and him and turn my back on him, walking in the path that will separate me and my father, forever.
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EPILOGUE
Back in the human world, I erase and return 88
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the poor woman’s memories and return her to her real family. Of course, in my human form. Still don’t understand why I did such horrible thing to a poor woman. But I think people would do crazy things when they are in despair…. Emrys is waiting outside, with his usual calm expression. “Where are you going?” he asks. “Don’t you afraid of me? I’m a psychopath who kidnaps women on the street to be my mother.”I say ironically. “I’m not most people. You don’t scare me
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away.” He laughs. “By the way, you haven’t paid me the commission.” “Well…you must wait then. I don’t have mother to pay for me now.” I say. “And father.” he says. “Shout up.” He laughs, “I’m considering hiring an assistant, since I have offended a powerful demon master.” “Don’t worry. I can disguise you as an extremely ugly demon. Nobody can recognize you, I promise.” I say. “So be it.” He says.
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Then, side by side, the detective and his assistant, they begin walking into the dark.
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Acknowledgements Dear Mr. Smith, I’d like
to show
my deepest thanks
and
appreciation to you for everything from helping me revise my essays to accomplish my first novel. I’m really thankful for being given the opportunity to attend this writing class because it really affected me deeply. Also, the novel project inspired the potentia l and passion in me. Because of this writing class, I discovered my passion for writing novels and even consider being a novelist in the future. One thing that I’m sure is that this novel won’t be my last one. Thank you for being such a supportive and patient teacher. Best wishes, Yvonne Yang 92