Lost – By Saanvi Talekar

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Lost

By Saanvi Talekar

 

Gabrielle loved exploring the immense garden at the back of her large country home. Although it belonged to her, it was so huge and mystical that there was always something new to discover. The vast lawn was bordered with flowers that gave off the sweetest perfume. It was surrounded by ancient oak trees with thick trunks. Beyond them was dense woodland where lengthy vines stretched down to meet the mossy ground.

Gabrielle would often dig for treasures that might be hidden there. Every time she would return home with something amazing and set about researching her latest discovery. Once there was a shard from an old vase which she traced back to Ancient China; another time she found the shiniest shell which must have fallen from someone’s brooch many years before she’d ever come to be there; her favourite find had been an old tuppence coin which she polished until it shone like new.

One early evening, Gabrielle went deep into the forest beyond the garden, further than she’d ever been before; through the vines, until she reached a long line of neatly-clipped hedges. Unusual for such a wild part of the garden. Who had been looking after those? Between the hedges was an arched entrance edged with roses of the deepest pink.

Gabrielle was drawn to it. She soon found herself wandering around an endless maze. Inquisitively, she darted from hedge to hedge. Wherever she went, she ended up nowhere or at a dead end until eventually she realised she was lost.

Gabrielle slumped in a corner and cried, “Help!”

A strange small creature emerged from a nearby bush. The creature was a small man wearing a light blue hat and a shirt with orange, sparkling buttons. He had polished shoes with long black laces.

“Do you need any help?” asked the little creature.

“Oh yes I do,” Gabrielle replied, delighted that there was someone that could assist her. “I think I am lost.”

“Micky McFlynn at your service,” he said with a little bow. “Now then, first we have to reach the centre of the maze. This way.” With his long fingers, he pointed out the direction.

While walking through the maze, Gabrielle’s legs started to ache, so they decided to have a rest for a while.

“Feeling peckish?” enquired the funny creature.

“Well… I…” Gabrielle was rather hungry, but no one appeared to have packed a picnic, so she was baffled as to why her companion had asked.

As if by magic, he conjured up a pasty and two glasses of milk from under his hat.

“What on…?” Gabrielle was speechless, amazed and amused all at once.

The two companions sat together and had a jolly good lunch and soon became friends.

Wiping the crumbs from his chin with a spotted handkerchief, and taking a last slurp of milk, Micky clapped his hands together and said, “Let’s not dilly dally any longer.”

So Micky began to lead the way once more.

“Nearly there now,” Micky chimed.

A few minutes later, they came across a large ornamental fountain, flowing with cool water. Flowers bloomed everywhere.

Gabrielle gazed around in wonder, “So this is the centre of the maze!”

“All you have to do is, step inside the fountain and think of home,” explained the little creature.

Gabrielle did as she was told. Finding herself up to her ankles in cool water, she closed her eyes and imagined herself standing on the lawn in her beautiful garden at the back of her house.

FLASH!

Gabrielle was safely back home. She looked ahead at the tall oak trees beyond the lawn and wondered about the funny little creature she had encountered that day in the forest. She’d collected many treasures in her time, but the memory of Micky McFlynn would remain a particularly special one.