THE POWER OF FOUR - PART 1

'Can you keep it there?' asked Mrs. Jones.

The removal man grunted but did the same.

Piper looked around her new house happily and hugged her mother 'It is so lovely here mom!'

'It certainly has to be.' said Mr. Jones, appearing from the door. 'We shelled out half of our savings.'

'It is certainly worth it!' Piper said as her father sat on a chair

The removal man made a throat-clearing voice to attract Mr. Jones's attention.

'Yes?' Mr. Jones said, without looking. He was busy checking if the chair was damaged or not.

'We are done sir.' The removal man said gruffly.

'Good! Here you are.' Mr. Jones said, handing him a wad of notes.

The removal man grunted again and stomped out of the house.

'Not a nice man, I can grant you that.' Mr. Jones said, pointing the removal man.

'Pops, can I bring my friends today?' Piper asked.

'Certainly! Actually we are having a small barbecue party celebrating our new house.' Mr. Jones winked.

'Wow!' Piper said. 'You are a star pops!'

Mrs. Jones unpacked her recipe book and said 'If you call them, tell Tom I am making his all time favourite peri-peri barbecue. He could never resist those.'

'Of course!' Piper said and become indulged in her mother's phone.

First she called Clarissa and gossiped a bit. When she finally remembered that she had to invite her and her other friends, she hastily told about the barbecue night and called her other friends.

When she finally finished talking, she slipped from the sofa and went to the living room. It was already 7 pm, just few hours before the night. She threw her suitcase under the bed, planning to arrange her things the next day. Then she settled to read her book.

After she had read about 20 pages, the doorbell rang. When Piper closed her book and went towards the door, the doorbell rang again. 

When Piper opened the door, she was greeted by Tom, who was grinning like a manic. When Piper tried object, he quickly spoke "I know the barbeque starts at 8 but I could not resist the peri-peri barbeque. You should not have mentioned them when you called me. I sat to draw a dragon but instead I began drawing the barbeque."

Piper blinked and thinking it as an invitation Tom came in.

Mr. Jones peeped from the kitchen and looked Tom with a puzzled expression.

Tom waved and started telling his tale again.

Piper shook her head and turned to get back into her book.

'Piper wait!' Tom said and ran to get to her.

'What?'

'As the barbecue starts at 8, why don't we go to the Internet cafe? I want to show you some sites I have build.' Tom beamed.

'What site did you build Tom?' Piper asked excitedly. Tom always build funny sites which, after seeing, would make you weak from laughing.

'You will see.' Tom said and they both headed for the door.

When they were about to use the stairs, a man, who was carrying a big box, asked them with a weird voice and frowned.

'Who are you? What are you doing here?'

Piper replied 'We have just moved in to E212. This is my friend Tom.'

The man relaxed and said 'So you are the new ones who have joined us?'

'Yes, I think so.' Piper said.

'Be careful. In these days, one should not believe another so easily.'

'Okay.' Piper replied, who was bit puzzled.

While Piper and the man were indulged in their conversation, Tom was looking what was inside the box.

'Why are you carrying so many tools?' Tom asked.

'I just repaired the broken lift.' The man said, pointing the nearby lift. 'You wanna try it out?'

'Um.. No thanks. We are going to the cafe and would be late. We would try it, maybe the next time.' Tom said.

'Ok.' The man said but when he turned around, a tear began to travel through his cheeks.

What a funny man, thought Piper. 

'Come along.' Tom said and they went to the cafe. The site which Tom made was too hilarious then usual. After few minutes, Piper grew weak from laughing.

'Oh! My sides are almost splitting from laughing . You make really funny sites Tom!' Piper said and started laughing again.

'I know. That is my talent.' Tom said proudly.

'Hey!' Piper said, glancing her watch. 'It is almost 8. We should be get going.'

'Yes.' Tom said as he saw the wall clock. 'I cannot wait to eat those barbecues!'

Piper shook her head yet again and they went out of the cafe.

As they reached their flat, Tom gazed at the nearby lift and said 'Should we try out the lift?'

Before Piper could answer, Jason came out of the house 'Well well. At last you came. Come in. The party has almost started.'

Soon they went in and they had lots of fun.

After the party, Clarissa gave Piper a hug and said 'The party was wonderful Piper!' She turned to see Mrs. Jones and said 'I am sure that no one could beat your barbecues Mrs. Jones!'

'That is world known fact Clarissa!' Tom said, licking his lips. 'Those peri peri barbecue made my day!'

'It is almost 9:30 guys.' Jason says. 'We should be going.'

Tom nodded and they went for the door.

Suddenly Tom turned to Piper and said 'We will try the lift tomorrow.'

'What lift?' Jason and Clarissa asked in unison.

'We will talk about that later guys.' Piper said. 

'It is very late. Are you three are going to all right?' Mrs. Jones asked.

'Please don't fuss Mrs. Jones. We are going to be right as rain.' Clarissa said and the three went out.

'It was a wonderful day mom!' Piper said and went to her room.

She was tired and soon went to the world of dreams.

Piper woke late the next day. It was her vigorous habit that she writes at least 6 pages about the previous day in her dairy. When she had finished her writing and entered the hall, it was about 10.

'Good afternoon.' Mr. Jones said without looking. It was Saturday and he was reading his newspaper.

'Sorry. It was bit difficult to go to sleep.' Piper said as she went for an apple.

'I understand. After all it is the first time we are sleeping beside a river' Mrs. Jones said, pointing the nearby river.

Piper nodded and quickly finished the fruit. Then she called Tom and asked about the lift.

'What lift?' Tom asked, forgetting all about the strange man.

Piper sighed impatiently and repeated their encounter with the bizarre man. 

Tom seemed to think for a moment and said 'I think we should keep our word. I am coming right away if it is okay.'

'Of course it is.' Piper said.

'You could just try the lift first till I come.' Tom suggested.

'No. I will go in that lift if you come.' Piper said.

'Why you are fussing so much over an ordinary lift?' Tom wondered aloud.

'Well, I don't know. It seems as if the lift is radiating some sort of negative energy.' Piper said, not quite sure if going in that lift was a good idea.

Tom laughed 'I thought you were not spiritual!'

'I am not!' Piper snapped. 'It's just the lift does not seem right to me.'

'Oh so you are scared!' Tom mocked. 'So foolish of me to not to know that!'

This really infuriated Piper.

'If you are not coming, I will alone!' 

'Well, That is a dare. A pound and a eclair would be the reward!' Tom said, licking his lips 'I am almost tasting the eclair right now!'

Piper cut the phone and headed towards the lift.

You can do it Piper, she said to herself. Show Tom wrong!

When she pressed the button, a slow creaking sound came.

After a minutes, the lift managed to crawl to the 2nd floor.

Piper took a deep breath and stepped on the lift.

And pressed the ground floor.

The doors closed and Piper was trapped.

Oh my god, Piper thought. I should not have taken the bet.

The lift creaked like old floorboards but soon the lift managed to reach its destination.

Then the doors opened.

To Piper's shock, the lift reached a open space which had redleaves?!

Then she saw a board.

Welcome to htrae.

Htrae? What kind of name was that?!

Then panic gripped her.

She had instructed the lift to go to the ground floor but it bought here somewhere which was unknown to her.

Then she glanced at the grasses. She rubbed them hard. They were really red in colour. As red as an apple.

She knew one thing clear as the water that the grasses are green on Earth, certainly not red!

But that means......

This is not Earth.

The panic gripped her tighter and tighter.

Sweat beads began to form on her forehead.

But she knew that nothing is going to happen if she got tensed.

Piper wandered here and there trying to find something to prove that she still was on Earth until a single sheet of paper flew in front of her. She waited for the paper to fall on the ground and then she picked it up. In that sheet, a riddle was written.

Welcome Adam's children who are pretty lame.

From the reverse world of Earth.

Let's play an interesting game.

Where the loser burns to death by going into my hearth.

Try to escape from my lair

With my eyes open wide.

Don't try to escape the dare.

Cos to people on Earth you have died.

After reading the last line, the lift slowly faded.

'No!' Piper screamed.

 She ran at top speed but when she reached there, the lift had fully disappeared.

Oh no! How shall I go back?, Piper thought bitterly.

***

Tom was walking briskly in silence.

He had almost reached Piper's place and began rehearsing the speech he had prepared before he started.

After Piper rang off, Tom began to laugh. It was so easy to wind up Piper. But after few minutes, he felt guilty. He should not have teased her so much. He also knew that Piper almost never forgive someone who make her cry. Maybe I should plead for sorry, Tom thought miserably. After all, what he did was wrong.

Soon he was facing the door thinking whether it was the right time to be yelled at.

But he pulled up himself quickly said to himself furiously.

'Go on Tom. Don't be afraid to correct your own mistake!'

Then he rang the doorbell.

The door opened almost immediately.

'Piper?' Mrs. Jones appeared, looking bit worried.

'No, Mrs. Jones. Tom here. Actually I have come to meet Piper.' Tom said politely.

'Piper is not here, dear.' Mrs. Jones said. 'She did not say anything to me and went out. It has been about 20 minutes and still she has not returned.'

'What? Not returned?' Tom said in horror.

'Yes dear. Goodness knows where she is and when she would come.' Mrs. Jones said with a bit of a scared quality in her voice.

'Don't worry Mrs. Jones. I would update you if I see her.' Tom promised.

Mrs. Jones smiled and said 'Why don't you have a bite of my shepherd pie? It turned out to be good.'

'No thanks Mrs. Jones. I have eaten my fill today. Would you mind if I leave your pie untouched?'

'No Tom. Just inform me if you see Piper. Would you do that for me?'

'Yes Mrs. Jones' Tom said and exited the building in a flash. 

'Something is not right! I told Piper to just take the lift. What is taken her so long to do so?' Tom wondered.

Soon he reached to Jason and Clarissa's place.

'Hi Mrs. Lemmington! I have come her to see the twins. Are they here?' Tom asked.

'Yes dear. They are in their playroom. You could join them if you want.' Mrs. Lemmington smiled and led him to the playroom.

Jason was the first to see Tom. 'Hey Tom! What's sup?'

Tom waited for Mrs. Lemmington to leave and said 'Piper has disappeared!'

A moment of silence followed.

'What you mean by disappeared?' Clarissa asked. 'She must be somewhere around here.'

Before Jason could get his word in, Tom poured out what happened that morning.

'I don't know why came over me then. I had been so stupid. I knew that something was fishy about that man. Now Piper is missing.' He completed and suppressed a sob.

'Now now. Nothing must have happened to her. She must have hidden somewhere to make you miserable.' Jason said, trying to console Tom.

'I would have loved that if that was the truth.' Tom said. 'That is not Piper's way.'

'I agree.' Clarissa said, as tension began to rise within her.

'Okay.' Jason said. 'We would ask the man to help us. Maybe he did not fix the lift well.'

'That could be it! The lift must have been stuck somewhere in between!' Tom ejaculated and sped out to Piper's place.

Clarissa turned to Jason.

Jason nodded.

Then the twins ran to join their friend.

***

Jason pressed the button.

The lift started to rattle and slowly pushed itself to travel to the first floor.

'What the-' Tom started but Clarissa shut him up by raising her hand.

As Jason was about to give up, the doors of the lift opened.

It turned out to be empty.

Jason gasped and turned to Clarissa.

Slowly, Tom's vision got blur. The floor turned to a fast treadmill and Tom's legs failed to obey which made him hit the floor. The ground greeted him like an old enemy and pulled him with a breath taking force.

'Hey!' Jason's last word echoed and everything went black.

To read the next part, please click here https://storymirror.com/read/english/story/the-power-of-four-part-2/btmpoq4f