The Fantastical Blog: The fantastical adventure...

Chapter 1

It was a cold February morning, around half past seven. Alice awoke to the buzzing of the blender from downstairs.

"Mum's Friday smoothie," she thought.

Alice rubbed the sand from of her eyes and jumped out of bed. The floorboards were freezing. She jumped right back into bed.This was a slipper morning.

"Alice, are you awake?" called out Mrs.Kinderfoot from the kitchen.

"I am," replied Alice.

"Good, now hurry yourself up or you'll be late for school!" said Mrs.Kinderfoot.

It took Alice no time at all to get herself ready and downstairs for breakfast. Mum had laid out Friday breakfast on the dinning room table - Alice's favourite.

"Chocolate Puffs and strawberry jam!" she cried.

"And a banana smoothie for health," said Mum, plopping down the drink in front of Alice.

"Thanks, mum," replied Alice.

With breakfast eaten, Alice excused herself from the table and made her way for the stairs.

"Alice," Mum called out "You're not going to get the red bag, are you?"

Alice pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose.

"Of course not," replied Alice. It was a lie. Four months had past since Alice was allowed to take her beloved red bag out of the house.

"Good," said Mrs.Kinderfoot "Your imaginary friends have caused this family enough strife!"

It was true that her friends, the Kinderfoot creatures, may have been a disturbance to some, but in Alice's eyes, that was no reason to ban them from leaving the house!

"I'm just grabbing my other school bag," said Alice.

"Be quick," replied Mrs.Kinderfoot.

Alice rushed into her room and grabbed her red bag.

"Time to wake up," whispered Alice. "I'm off to school - please behave!"

She dropped the bag, grabbed her coat and rushed to the front door.

"Bye, Mum!"

"Bye, Alice," replied Mum "and don't..."

"...slam the door." Mrs.Kinderfoot shook her head and smirked "That little monkey."

-

The sound of the door slamming stirred the Kinderfoot creatures. The red bag began to dance around the room as the creatures struggled to get free.

"Move out of the way, Miguel!" ordered Gretchen.

"You're standing on my tail!" cried Miguel.

"I can't concentrate with you two squabbling!" scolded Abner.

"Please!" snapped Marigold "Let me handle this!"

Marigold unzipped the bag causing the creatures to tumble out, knocking over Alice's art drawers in the process.

"Just the start I needed," said Marigold, less then impressed.

She was in charge of maintaining order while Alice was away. Sprites, magical as they are, were not known for keeping things under control, yet this special job was a source of great pride for Marigold.

Miguel eyes became wide like saucers at the site of scattered paper on the floor. "Breakfast!" he cried.

"Please, Miguel," she ordered. "Pick up all of the drawing paper and put it away."

"I can't help it!" sobbed Miguel. "It's what we griffins love to eat! Just one nibble?"

Marigold rolled her eyes. "Look," she said, "Paper is not for breakfast! In fact, paper is not even a food group! It's..." -KNOCK KNOCK...KNOCK- went the front door. "What was that?" She turned her head sharply and listened. The noise she heard next was the most terrifying noise the Kinderfoot creatures could ever hear...

Marigold felt her heart sink. "Quiet please!"

"What now?" said Grecthen.

"I..I think I heard...them!" whispered Marigold. The creatures froze. They stayed absolutely still, their bodies tense.

"Th...them?" stammered Miguel.

"Are you sure?" queried Abner. "It's been, what, a century?"

"Quick, look out the window!" cried Gretchen.

The creatures crowded around the window and glanced out across the road. Sat out in front of Mr.Terry's house was a long black Cadillac with tinted windows. "Could be the CIA?" said Miguel.

"What? They got those sort of cars."

KNOCK! KNOCK!...KNOCK!- again went the front door. "No, I think it's them," replied Marigold. "It sounds like HIS knock."

"If it is them, then Mrs.Kinderfoot is in some serious danger!" cried Miguel, nervously gathering up wads of paper.

Gretchen slapped the paper out of Miguel's hands. "We don't even know if it's really them," she said.

"You're both right," replied Marigold, removing a sheet of paper off her head. "Which is why I'll go downstairs for a closer inspection."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" said Abner.

"I'm the smallest and can stay hidden," replied Marigold. "Now, if I'm not back in 10 minutes, head to the rendezvous point."

"Hopefully it won't get to that," said Abner.

"I hope so," replied Marigold "Otherwise, we'll have to tell Alice what we really are."