FTS-The Basket (part 7)

 

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Padre’s Ramblings wrote this:

. . . a rather morose tortoise.

“Morning Esther.  See you got youself some-muer learners,”

“Well, I’m not at all sure of that,” Esther retorted, “I don’t think this pair could take a nap, much less take a hint.”

“Why that is urnfotunate,” Henry Tuttle replied, giving the children a stare that seemed to suggest that they would deserve whatever they got.  “You two a better be minding Esther, hear.  This ain’t no place to be a foolin.”

“Henry Tuttle, we are in a hurry, so I don’t have any time to waste, please move out of the way so we can pass.”

Dot turned to Evan and sniggered, as she whispered, “The turtle’s called Tuttle.”

“You know that I am not only magical, but that these big ears aren’t just for show,” the hare snapped.  That’s strike two.  Crocodile tears and sniggers.  My badness, you children won’t learn a thing, I’ll wager.  I don’t know why Cousin Bunny is even giving you a chance.”

With that, she pushed past the tortoise and snapped, “Keep up or I will just leave you here.”

It was all the children could do to follow her into the hole in a hollow tree where . . . ”

 

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Joanne’s part:

… they found themselves sliding down the longest slide they had ever seen in their lives.  It went on and on into the depths of the earth. Evan wondered if they were going to end up in the Earth’s core. After what seemed a long time they finally landed on a floor made of stone blocks. They both looked around. The walls were made of stone, as though they were in a castle, or maybe a dungeon. The room was dim and lit by only a single lantern hanging from the low ceiling. Esther stood before them looking impatient, like she had been waiting for a long time for them to finally appear.

“That was fun!” Dot cried out. “Can we do that again? PLEASE?” Esther just looked at her unmoved.

“I’m afraid not. I brought you down here because I have something to show you.” Esther said seriously. “Follow me!”

She hopped to a wooden door the children hadn’t noticed before and opened it. The children followed her. They came to a balcony that overlooked a huge room below. In this room Evan and Dot saw hundreds of children like them, they were melting chocolate and pouring it into molds, others were removing chocolate eggs and bunnies from the molds, while some could also be seen wrapping up the eggs and bunnies in foil. All of them looked expressionless as though they were automatons. The overwhelming smell of chocolate made them hungry.

“What is this place?” Evan asked. Esther turned to him.

“This is what happens to the bad boys and girls, and the unfortunate ones (but let’s not worry about them). This is where they all end up, and you will too if you don’t pass the test. It’s a neat little business, huh?” Esther told them as she looked at the children working below. Evan frowned. He didn’t want to end up here.

“Look at all that chocolate! They’re so lucky! They could eat as much chocolate as they want.” Dot observed, but Esther gave her a cold smile.

“Eventually they get sick of eating chocolate and stop liking it, as you would too.” Esther warned. Dot stared at her uncomprehendingly. How could anyone get sick of chocolate? That was crazy!

“I would never get sick of eating chocolate!” Dot stated.

“You may found out how wrong you are.” Esther countered. “Given your track record so far, they may be getting two more workers shortly.”

“So what happens now?” Evan asked.

“Now you follow me, the test continues.” Esther replied. She hopped to another door in the balcony and opened it. Again, the two children followed her.

My part

The door opened to what looked like daylight, which startled Dot and her brother because they were obviously deep within the bowels of the Earth. But, there was a sun and a sky… not quite blue but darker and indistinct. Looking down, they saw that there was still a long way down. In the distance, forests grew… but not green forests. Mushrooms that seemed the size of skyscrapers. Through it all ran rivers… most seemed cool and inviting but a few boiled and steamed and left a patch of bare earth along them.

Esther seemed to be thinking. Her fur blew ever so slightly in the dull warm breeze. Evan didn’t seem to like being so high. “Can we go in, now?”, he asked. Esther replied,

“If you go back in, you’ll be candy slaves until you die; and, your bodies will have absorbed so much sugar that they’ll be thrown into the vats to sweeten the chocolate for other workers to process”

Evan instinctively reached for his sister’s hand. As if they both had the same thought at once, they looked up at the sheer wall that was above them. They weren’t going up. And, below them was a thousand feet of the same sheer wall. “To do this properly”, Esther stated flatly, “We need to get down to THAT river”. She pointed vaguely with her paw. The children squinted at the distance and made out a wide river that flowed so slowly that it seemed to be a lake. Dot thought she even saw a boat on the water moving in and out of the mist.

“How do we get down there without going back inside?”, Dot asked Esther.

Esther took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have many talents”, she answered, “But, you’ll need to trust me. Can I count on your trust?”

The two children nodded mutely.

“Grab some fur… tightly”, Esther ordered, “–but, not THERE. Anywhere but my ears”

The children grabbed tightly at the fur on her back. They felt Esther start over the balcony wall. Both children closed their eyes.

“Here we go”, Esther said…

I’m going to ask Deb Whittam to add to the story.