The Purple Castle

The Purple Castle, by Luna Tsuki

Chapter One

I'm Esther. Two years ago, my parents rented a room in a castle. I don't know why anymore - something about a cross-country road trip, and staying the night there.

Now, I'm going to tell you that in this story, everything that people settle on, everything that people decide on...

All an understatement.

So by now you should know that one day was more than a week.

At least, I think.

Maybe I should explain this in better words.

                                                                              ⛫⛫⛫

The car thundered along the bumpy road. My legs were sweating so much they stuck to the leathery seats of our electric car. My family was pretty adventurous, which you probably figured out from the whole staying-in-a-castle thing.

"How old is this castle exactly?" I asked.

"A few thousand." Mom replied, her eyes focusing on the road.

"So it'll cave in on us, and it'll be mice-infested," I said, wrinkling up my nose.

"No, it won't. Why would we rent a room if it wasn't safe?" said Dad.

I peered out my window. We were getting closer, I could tell. The cow-filled fields had transformed into lush gardens, then the lush gardens transformed into a moat with a melty-chocolate brown drawbridge, and the moat surrounded a beautiful castle. It was faded gray like the clouds that signaled a coming storm. As we pulled up into the indistinct parking spots, I noticed a bright blue tail disappear into the muddy water. It was the only flash of color I could see looking at the castle, the only modern in that old black and white photo.

"Mom, Dad?"

"Yes, Esther?"

"Can I go, uh, check out the moat?"

"I suppose, if you insist. But when you're done, ahem, 'checking out' the moat, meet us in room" -Mom paused to look at her phone- "102."

I nodded.

As soon as Mom and Dad left, the bright blue tail from earlier popped up above the moat, flicking water in my face. I yelped. Two heads, the same hue as the tail, came into view. As I peered closer, I noticed the teeth of a crocodile, and the long, snaky body of a worm.

"I'm Zeus!" said one head. "I'm Poseidon!" said the other.

"I'm Esther... wait, who are you?"

"Is she deaf?" whispered Poseidon loudly to Zeus. "I don't know!" Zeus whispered back.

"Um, I can hear you, you know."

"Oh, of course. We're the fabled two-headed serpent, pet of Dana Purple!"

"Fabled? I didn't even know there was a moat on this castle before now!"

Zeus rolled his yellow, catlike eyes and twitched his long, piggy snout.

"Obviously, children of the 21st century are deprived of education," he muttered.

"Obviously, two-headed moat serpents of the 21st century are deprived of politeness," I retorted.

Chapter Two

I left Zeus and Poseidon to their bickering and walked into the castle. The front door creaked as I pushed it open, and I almost coughed there was so much dust. I stomped up the stairs. The faded red carpet was supposed to look "royal," I suppose, but it made the place look even dustier.