It was summer and Araminta was bored...She didn’t know what to do...Aunt Tabby was in the garden. She was too busy to play with Araminta...”I’m bored!” Araminta said to Aunt Tabby. “Play with Uncle Drak, then!” Aunt Tabby said. “He is sleeping.” Araminta said, rolling her eyes. “Okay, you could play with Wanda. She is your best friend, isn’t she?” Aunt Tabby asked. “Yes, she is, but she is to the seaside...” Araminta said, disappointed. “Oh, Araminta, I’m busy! Why can’t you just leave me alone for a while? Go and play with someone or alone somewhere else, all right?” Aunt Tabby said. Araminta rolled her eyes again and went in her house. “I just wish I could have an adventure!...” Araminta said to herself.
After a few minutes, Araminta decided to explore the house. Araminta’s house was very big! It had ten rooms, two kitchens and three bathrooms (one for Araminta, one for Aunt Tabby and the last one for Uncle Drak)! Also there was a big basement where Araminta found many strange things like armours, rare and special rocks...One day, Araminta found a dead rat! But Araminta didn’t mind that (she adored rats, spiders, long, long snakes, ghosts, especially bats)...She enjoyed to help Uncle Drak to catch his naughty bats! In that basement she found Edmund, the ghost of the house. It was friendly with Araminta, Sir Horace and Wanda, too! Luckily, Aunt Tabby didn’t know that in her house it was a ghost! Araminta didn’t like to hear Aunt Tabby screaming loudly!...
Araminta liked to explore the house and look for other rare and special things...Araminta could walk in all the rooms with her eyes closed and knew every corner in the house! When she was four years old, her parents went to America. Then, Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drak had to take care of Araminta...Six years went by and there was no sign from Araminta’s parents! It was just like they forgot all about their daughter!...
Now let’s get back to our story...As I was saying, Araminta was exploring the house. She went in all the rooms to see if there were spiders or maybe one of Uncle Drak’s bats. She even went in the garden, thinking that maybe there are some long, long snakes in it, but she didn’t find anything. Finally, Araminta went to her favorite place: the basement. Araminta was upset when she finished exploring the house. She didn’t find anything pretty...only a pair of broken sunglasses, five dead green bugs and a mouse eating cheese.
Araminta was about to leave the basement when something sparkled. Araminta got closer to that thing and found...a diamond! It was so wonderful! Araminta wanted to keep it, but first she had to ask someone to who belonged it. Aunt Tabby was too busy in her garden, so Araminta decided to ask Uncle Drak.
She found Uncle Drak sleeping...Uncle Drak was half a man and half a bat. He was looking exactly like a simple man, but it was something different at him. Just like the bats, Uncle Drak sleeps at day and works at night! That’s why he is half a bat...But Araminta still likes him! But sometimes she can’t sleep at night because she is hearing noises from Uncle Drak’s dark room. Luckily, that was happening rarely...
Araminta entered the room carefully, and then went to Uncle Drak’s bed. He woke him up. Uncle Drak jumped from his bed very scared! The bats woke up, too, and started to fly and make noise in all the room. Then Araminta’s uncle yawned and asked: “Is it dinner time already?”. “No. Sorry for disturbing you, Uncle Drak, but I want to ask you something.” Araminta said. “Go on!” he said, sleepy. The bats were still agitated, but when Araminta said “STOP” to them, they were calm. “Uncle Drak, while I was exploring the basement, I found this diamond. Do you know to whom it belonged?” Araminta asked. Uncle Drak took the diamond in his hands and looked at it. “Oh, my goodness, this diamond belonged to my Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Rockhopper. He was the captain of an important ship! The ship was called Penelope. Uncle Rockhopper died two hundreds of years ago! Oh, my dad told me that he was a splendid captain!...My uncle’s name is still known by many people from around the world!” Uncle Drak said happily. “Really? Wow, cool!...Um, do you think that I could keep it?” Araminta asked. “I don’t know...You could break it or something else...And, by the way, a legend says that my uncle’s spirit is looking for his diamond. You know that I don’t like spirits so I hid the diamond in the basement!” Uncle Drak said. “You just want to scare me, Uncle Drak! And, don’t worry, I will not break this diamond!” Araminta said. “Suit yourself!” Uncle Drak said and he went back in his bed. Araminta shut the door carefully (she didn’t want to wake up Uncle Drak again...). She went to her room and put the diamond on her chest.
From nowhere, Edmund appeared in Araminta’s house. “Hello, Araminta! What do you have over there?” Edmund asked. “Oh, it’s a diamond. I found it in my basement!” Araminta said. Then a knock went from the door. And there was Sir Horace...With no head! Don’t worry, Sir Horace is only an old and rusty armour...”Sir Horace, where is your head?” Araminta asked, rolling her eyes. “AAAARGH!!!”. The shout came from the kitchen. “No need to answer, I already know where your head is!” Araminta said and rushed downstairs to the kitchen (Aunt Tabby’s kitchen). Aunt Tabby was screaming! Sir Horace’s head was on the table. “I knew it that Sir Horace’s head was here!” Araminta shouted happily. “ARAMINTA SPOOKIE! How many times I told you to keep this rusty and old head far from my kitchen?” Aunt Tabby asked angrily. “A million and a million times! Sorry, Aunt Tabby, it won’t happen again!” Araminta said, taking Sir Horace’s head from the table. “I do hope so...” Aunt Tabby said.
Araminta went back to her room and put Sir Horace’s head back where it belonged. “Where is Edmund?” Araminta asked. “He went to the basement, but I don’t know why...” Sir Horace said. Soon after that, Edmund came back. He was holding a piece of paper: “Look, I found this in your basement!” Edmund said. Araminta took the piece of paper. It was saying:
If you want to have an adventure, like you never had before
Then imagine that you are on an island full of scary creatures and they are just like a bad foe
On that island is always fall
Because the creatures like fall and many, many more...
Meet them, if you dare
But remember this word: BEWARE!
“I think that you must say this poem in a loud voice if you want to get on that island!” Sir Horace said. “Okay, let’s give it a try!” Araminta said and she started to read the poem...
Suddenly, Araminta was in another place...She didn’t know where she was, but she was sure that she wasn’t in her house anymore!...Then she realized where she was: on an island! In front of her, twenty spirits appeared. “Who disturbs our island?” the spirits asked with a scary voice. “M-m-me, Araminta Spookie! I found this diamond and a poem in my basement.” Araminta said and showed the spirits the diamond. “For goodness sake, that diamond belongs to...to...” one of the spirits said. “To Captain Rockhopper! I know, I know!” Araminta said. “Oh, little girl, your house is in danger!” the second spirit said. “What do you mean?” Araminta asked. “Captain Rockhopper found the place where it was the diamond and that place is your house!!! Now our captain went there to destroy your house and take the diamond!” the third spirit said. “Oh, no!!! Aunt Tabby, Uncle Drak, Sir Horace and Edmund! I must save them!...But how will we get back to my house?” Araminta asked, worried. “Don’t worry, we will help you!” the spirits shouted. Not even two seconds went by, Araminta was back home with the twenty spirits. But it was too late! Araminta’s house was totally destroyed and there was no sign of Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drak. Not even the bats...Just Sir Horace and Edmund were there. They were happy to see Araminta! But Araminta wasn’t happy at all! Her aunt and her uncle were in danger and her house was completely ruined!!! She didn’t even know what to do...She turned to the spirits. “Do you know where Captain Rockhopper is?” Araminta asked. “He’s...he’s on another island, not so far away from our island...” one of the spirits said. “Can we get there?” Araminta asked. “Yes, but must travel with a ship!” another spirit said. “But it will take a LONG time to get there...It’s too far away!...Ohhh, it’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have taken that diamond from its place! I should have left the diamond in the same place and if Captain Rockhopper came to get it, I would give it to him!...I’m such a troublemaker!” Araminta said and she started to cry. “If only Wanda could be here...She could help me!” she continued sadly.
The spirits were sad, too! They were sorry for Araminta! They wanted to help her, but they didn’t know how...”Hey, I’ve got an idea! Why can we take a ship that is quick as a rocket?” one of the spirits suggested. “Great idea, Pirate Hook! Sometimes you can be a genius!” another spirit said. “Yeah, we forgot all about those faster ships!” the third spirit said. “Okay, then, let’s go!” the fourth spirit shouted. “Can my friends come, too?” Araminta asked. “Why not? Maybe they could help us on our trip!” the fifth spirit said.
Soon the ship was ready. Araminta was happy. Maybe there was a chance to save Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drak, after all. Her diamond was in her pocket. The name of the ship was: Space Hop. Araminta didn’t know why was the ship called like that. She thought that the ship was called Space Hop because it was quickly as a rocket that travels in space...And it really was! A second went by and Space Hop was at the half of the way. “Wow, this ship is really awesome!” Araminta said.
Suddenly, a GIANT seasnake appeared in front of the Space Hop ship. “Watch out, there is a seasnake in front of us!” Edmund shouted. Sir Horace fainted. Even his head fell from his shoulders! “Cool!” Araminta said. Finally, she saw a snake. But not a little one! A BIG one! “Cool?! This seasnake could kill us!!!” a spirit said, scared. “If you give me a sword, a sharp one, I can take care of this monster...” Araminta said. She wasn’t scared at all! The spirit was surprised to see such courage! He brought Araminta a sharp sword. Then Araminta shouted: “Say your prayers, MONSTER!”. After that, she threw the sword and touched exactly the seasnake’s HEART! Araminta couldn’t believe her eyes! She actually killed a HUGE seasnake! She was just ten years old and she killed such a monstrosity?! Everyone clapped and cheered, especially Edmund and Sir Horace! Araminta was very brave, indeed...
Soon after that, a spirit pushed a button. Another second went by and Space Hop was finally on the right island. Araminta jumped out from the ship and ran as fast as she could to Captain Rockhopper. With him, there were Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drak, trapped in some cages. Luckily, Uncle Drak’s bats were safe, but they were closed into a big cage, too! Of course, Captain Rockhopper was a spirit just like the other ones, who were the pirates of Penelopa. The captain was prepared to hit Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drak, when...“Wait, Captain Rockhopper, stop!!!”. It was Araminta! Her aunt and her uncle were pleased to see her! “Captain, I’ve got the diamond! Please, release my aunt, uncle and my pets, I mean the bats, too!” Araminta said. Captain Rockhopper was VERY happy when he saw the diamond. “Finally, the diamond I’ve been looking for! Thank you, my dear, and sorry that I have made such a mess! I will repair your house and from now on, I will never cause troubles to your family...and pets! Oh, and please...don’t tell anyone about our meeting, okay?” Captain Rockhopper said. Araminta agreed. Then Captain Rockhopper said a spell and now...everything was back to normal! Luckily, Aunt Tabby didn’t see Edmund and Sir Horace going in the repaired house. “Ah, here we are. Home, sweet home!” Uncle Drak said. Everyone went in the house, except for Araminta. What an adventure! Araminta really did enjoy it! With spirits and a seasnake...That was so cool!
After a week, Wanda and her parents came back from the seaside. Araminta was happy to see Wanda again! “Wanda, Wanda!” Araminta shouted when she met with her best friend. “I’ve got an exciting adventure!” she continued. “What, what adventure? Tell me about it!” Wanda said. “Oh, it’s a secret! Nobody can’t know!...” Araminta said. Then she winked to Captain Rockhopper who was behind a tree...
The End
P.S. I wish you a Happy New Year full of joy, happiness and success!
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