Not Everything is as it Seems
Sha Tin Junior School, Lara Griffiths, Fiction: Group 2
A
s quiet as a mouse, Lily tiptoed downstairs, she opened the door and sneaked into the
garden, just as the clock in the hall chimed midnight. Her light feet danced across
the grass, which smelled like fresh dew and roses. Her frizzy red hair spilled across
her shoulders and the bark scratched her hand as her slim, tiny body climbed her
favourite tree. Atop the tree, Lily gazed out over the horizon, the moon reflected in her deep,
sunken brown eyes. Lily loved being in the garden and she started to drift asleep in her tree.
Lily opened her eyes and she was in the middle of a bare, rocky, arid place. She was parched,
famished and freezing. Slowly, she got to her feet, sharp rocks cutting her. It was cold and dry
at the same time. It was rather mountainous here, there were a few plants, but not much else.
Suddenly, a group of camels crossed before her, and a man jumped off one.
“Hello, weary traveller’’, he said.
“W-Who are you?’’, Lily stammered.
“I am Quebek the Nomad, you are now in the Gobi Desert, spanning Southern Mongolia and
North Western China. It is probably rather far from where you live, traveller.’’
“Y-You’re a n-nomad, I-I’m in the G-Gobi Desert, but that’s s-so far f-from London’’, burst out Lily.
“You’re from London?’’
“Yes’’, answered Lily.
“You had better come with me, traveller.’’
Quebek seized her hand with his iron grip and hurried her along. Stunned, Lily was tossed
into a caravan. The caravan started up and a few hours later, they arrived at a camp of yurts. A
spiffingly beautiful girl opened the door.
“My daughter!’’ Quebek announced.
“Hello, my name is Yulsey!’’ she said.
“Hi! My name is Lily.’’
“Come with me, you too, Yulsey.’’
Quebek led the two girls to the biggest yurt in the camp. It was superior and looked like
something that an imperial emperor would stay in on a trip to Mongolia. It was cloaked in gold
with pictures of red, flaming dragons. Quebek lifted the cloak and led both of them inside. There
was a bed made out of blankets, a tiny wooden table, a little kettle and stove and that was it!
Despite all its outer glory, it was not amazing on the inside.
“Welcome to my home, I am the leader of our nomad troupe, you know,’’ Quebek babbled.
“Where do you go to the toilet?’’ Lily wondered aloud.
“We have a hole in the ground outside, we all share,’’ Yulsey whispered sweetly.
“Would you like something to eat and drink?’’ Quebek questioned.
“Yes please,’’ answered Lily.
Quebek went to the cupboard and brought out some biscuits and a cup. He placed the packet of
biscuits and cup on the table, and he filled up the cup with some greenish-brown liquid from the
bottle. Quebek opened the pack of biscuits and offered one to Lily. Content, she sat munching.
“I didn’t know that you could get tea in the Gobi Desert, let alone biscuits!’’
“There are many things that you don’t know girl, the tea is given to us by the very Earth. It
