Fiction: Group 2
The Pearl Cliff
ISF Academy, Welch, Claire - 10, Fiction: Group 2
an you go adventuring with me?” Melissa pleaded. “I want to go to fairy-tale pond.”
“No! How many times do I have to tell you?” snapped Indae. “I have homework to do!”
Indae watched Melissa slouch out of the room and sighed, got nothing better to do. Of
course she knew that wasn’t true. Her family lived in a house on the banks of the magnificent Pearl River,
so her house was surrounded by never ending thick woods, with plush green leaves and crystal clear ponds
(The most magnificent being the Pearl River). She longed to run outside and play in the many gardens
nearby, to put on her bathing suit and jump in a stream close by, to laugh and smile with the winter breeze
blowing in her face.. She longed to stop doing homework!
Besides Indae thought, I’ve already done 1/8 of this page. Frustrated, she started to calculate 1004
x 3248. Suddenly, she heard something calling her. She glanced out of the stained glass window and
glimpsed a choir of birds tweeting and chirping “Come To Me.” in harmony. Bursting out of her chair,
Indea decided homework could wait. Right now she was going exploring and adventuring with her little
sis. She dashed out the door and cast a fleeting glance at her mother who was weeding the grass by the Pearl
River, waiting for the infamous nod of permission. Beaming, she yelled for the world to hear, “I’m going
adventuring and I’m doing it now.” Melissa leaped up from her game of pick up sticks, grabbed her bucket
and ran with Indae into the magnificent forest of plush green trees.
Entering the woods, Indae began to observe a curious looking piece of bark. It was silver with
crosses. After observing it for a few seconds, she turned around to call her sister “Melissa, where are you?”
Indae was puzzled. Where was her sister? Suddenly, she heard a gagging sound coming from behind a
cluster of strange looking berry
bushes
. It was her sister, gagging on some foreign berries that had probably
been swept up by the raging currents and carried here. Indae hurried over and started thumping Melissa on
the back, making weak attempts to remove the berries from her sister’s fragile figure. But it was too late as
her sister had fallen limp in her arms. Foaming with rage and a thirst of revenge she lashed out at the only
thing possible: The Pearl River. “I curse you and all your inhabitants to wither and die.” She screamed at
the ‘sort’ of the river
She picked her up, desperately feeling for a pulse. Melissa moaned with agony. Her sister in her
arms, Indae started sprinting towards the direction of her house. Too late she discovered she was running in
the wrong direction. She skidded to a stop and turned. A huge column of water was almost upon her.
Frozen with shock, she suddenly had a flashback… Last night she was reading legends and folktales to her
sister, and one tale was telling the story of ‘The River Curse’. In it a angry man curses the spirit of the river
and pays the consequences. Recalling this, her eyes widened and she started sprinting faster than ever
before, determined to get her sister to safety.
Water rushing in her ears, Indae stumbled on, determined to get her sister to safety. She glanced
back at the ever-building tower of water and whitened at the site. Was this really all just one teensy weensy
curse consequence? She wondered. The water was ten feet high, a roaring column rushing at her with its
watery arms held out. Heart pounding in her ears, she ran on. Rushing through the trees, Indae dodged
left and right, using her feet to guide her. Suddenly, the trees cleared and a high Stone Mountain appeared.
With a sense of accomplishment, she found a new burst of speed. The mountain was perfect! The high
stone column was slightly slanted preventing water from traveling up. Beaming, she dove for it, grasping
her sister tight. Too late she saw the crevice in front, invisible to the naked eye. Gripping her sister with
cold, clammy fingers, she prayed to God, “Save us.” Then, everything went black.
Indae awoke covered in soot, lying next to her sister. Scrambling into a kneeling position, she
carefully assessed their conditions. Her sister’s worried her. There was a red rash blossoming on her cheeks,
and her pulse was faint. Indae pondered her options. She had no tools, no equipment, nothing. She
scanned her surroundings and realized that one of the walls was slanting forward. Looking closer, she saw
there were many pieces of rock jutting out from the cliff face. Hoisting her sister over her shoulders, she
started to climb.
Eyelids flickering, Indae struggled to reach the last handhold. “Almost there” she whispered.
Summoning the last ounce of her strength, she heaved herself over the edge of the cliff. Cradling her sister,
she lay down to catch her breath.
******
“C
Comment [CM1]:
What do you mean
here?
