A Magical Adventure by Stevie Smith
Part One: The Boy in the Garden
Once upon a time, in the heart of a mystical French village called Saussignac, lived a magical little boy named Malachi. He had recently moved into a grand, enchanted house nestled among endless vineyards, and from the moment he arrived, he knew it was no ordinary place.
Malachi loved his new home. It was full of secrets, with winding corridors and hidden rooms yet to be discovered. He spent his days with his loyal friends: Frankie, the bouncy dog; Bob, the wise old retriever; Charlie, the unimpressed three-legged cat; and his cheeky imaginary companion, Popo le Tech, who was always up to mischief.
The garden outside was wild and overgrown, with brambles and weeds as tall as trees. Though far too messy for playing, it was filled with mystery. Beyond it stretched miles of golden vineyards, rustling in the summer breeze.
One sunny afternoon, as Malachi gazed out of his bedroom window, he spotted something peculiar—a boy in their garden! He was digging furiously, as though searching for something hidden deep underground.
“Look! What is that boy doing in our garden?” Malachi cried.
Bob lifted his head, let out an excited little fart, and barked at Frankie, “Let’s go see!” The two dogs bounded downstairs like furry cannonballs.
Charlie, curled on the windowsill, stretched lazily. “Dogs,” he muttered. “So dramatic.”
Malachi dashed downstairs, accidentally knocking into Grandma Nanson, who was mid-yoga pose.
“Take your shoes off before you come back in!” she huffed from her Downward Dog pose.
Popo le Tech bounced over her with a giggle. “Keep your hair on, Gran!” he called, pulling a silly face that made everyone laugh—except Charlie, who just rolled his eyes.
Outside, the boy in ragged clothes continued to dig.
“That’s our garden!” Malachi shouted.
The boy spun around, startled. He was pale and thin, his eyes hollow.
“Please,” he said softly. “Help me.”
Bob gently licked the boy’s hand, then turned to fetch Grandma—but the boy raised his hand. “No,” he whispered. “Only you can see me.”
Malachi’s eyes widened. “Who are you?”
“My name is Paul,” the boy said. “I lived here, many years ago. My family was happy… until the pirates came.”
“Pirates?” Malachi gasped.
“Yes. They came one night—led by the evillest pirate of all, Captain Steven, and his cruel second-in-command, Smithers. They stole everything. Even the birthday cake my mum baked for my gran’s seventy-eighth!”
“They locked up the grown-ups and kidnapped the children, forcing us to work on their dreadful ship.”
Malachi’s mouth dropped open.
“Only Grandma escaped,” Paul added with a grin. “She talked so much they dropped her off ten villages away to get some peace!”
Frankie barked with amusement.
“My best friend, Le Tech, and I snuck into their supply cart and found a chest of gold—more treasure than you can imagine. We buried it right here, in this garden. One day, we hoped to return and throw a feast for the whole village.”
“But… you didn’t come back?” Malachi asked.
“We were caught,” Paul said grimly. “Le Tech was made to walk the plank. I was spared, but I spent years as their prisoner.”
Now Paul looked desperate. “Captain Steven is coming back—with a new crew of horrors, including One-Eyed John, who’s rumoured to eat pets! We must find the gold before they do. But no grown-ups can know. And definitely not the cat.”
Charlie sniffed indignantly. “Charming.”
“If the treasure is returned to the villagers,” Paul continued, “a magical fairy will appear to drive the pirates away—and reunite the families they took.”
Malachi glanced at the kitchen window. Grandma Nanson was now wearing a green face mask and fussing about sand on the floor.
He looked back at Paul—and then at his brave companions. They all nodded.
“Alright,” Malachi said. “We’ll find the gold and save the village.”
Popo le Tech did a backflip and whooped, “Adventure time!”
And so, under the Saussignac sun, a magical boy, two loyal dogs, a reluctant cat, a mischievous imaginary friend, and a boy from the past began their quest…
Part Two: The Pirate Gardeners
The next morning, Malachi awoke to golden sunlight streaming across his bedroom floor. He stretched and yawned. Outside, Popo le Tech was already playing with Bob and Frankie.
Paul was still fast asleep beside him.
“Wake up,” Malachi whispered. “It’s treasure time.”
Downstairs, Grandma was on the phone.
“I want you to meet someone,” she said, waving them over.
Standing behind her were two large men in muddy boots and overalls.
“These are the new gardeners,” Grandma explained.
The men turned. One wore a wide-brimmed hat and had eyes like ice.
“I’m Mr Steven,” he said. “Would you like to walk the—uh—plank? I mean, some sweets?”
“No thanks,” Malachi said quickly.
The second man stepped forward. “I’m John,” he grinned, licking his lips as he looked at the pets. “What delicious—I mean, what cuddly animals.”
The dogs growled. Even Charlie hissed.
“No children in the garden,” Mr Steven snapped. “We’re digging it all up.”
“Why?” Malachi asked.
“For your grandma’s birthday surprise,” John said. “Is she turning seventy-six by any chance?”
“I’m thirty-nine!” Grandma snapped. “Honestly!”
Later, when the “gardeners” weren’t looking, Paul pulled Malachi aside.
“It’s them,” he whispered. “The pirates. They’re back.”
“We have to find the treasure before they do,” said Malachi. “And protect the fairy.”
“The gold is under this house,” said Le Tech, appearing beside them. “The pirates must’ve found one of the old maps.”
“But how do we reach it?” Paul asked.
“We’ll need a map of the house,” said Malachi. “And we must find a way underneath.”
The children and pets slipped out the back door unnoticed. The race had begun.
Meanwhile, behind the hedge, Mr Steven scowled.
“That boy knows something.”
“We should tie up the gran and torture her with a curling iron,” John hissed. “Make Malachi walk the plank!”
“And the pets?”
“Eat them!” John cackled.
“Not yet,” Steven growled. “First we get the gold.”
Part Three: The Fairy Awakens
“Oh no,” said Gran, wearing a green beauty mask to look extra pretty for her birthday. “The garden’s not looking very good.”
She leaned out of the window and called to the gardeners, “I don’t think this is right! Can you come in to discuss it?”
John looked shocked as he stared with his one good eye.
“It’s a hideous sea witch!” he screamed.
“Just act natural,” said Captain Steve, giving a wink. “It’s only that overly chatty Gran.”
As they came inside, Gran—being kind—offered them some water but insisted they take off their shoes.
This was a big mistake.
Not only did their feet stink, but their socks were full of holes—and worms crawled out of their boots onto the clean floor.
Gran screamed. “My lovely floors!”
Then she noticed something even worse. The floorboards near the kitchen sink were starting to lift.
She couldn’t believe it. “What on earth is going on?”
“Get her!” barked Captain Steve. “Tie her to the chair and gag her to shut her up. We’ll send her miles away where no one can hear her complaining. Or feed her to the sharks!”
John was only too happy to oblige. Gran put up a good fight and managed to cover him in green slime, but he tied her to a white chair in the living room, took off his stinky sock, and shoved it in Gran’s mouth.
Part Four: The Midnight Dig
That night, all was still.
Suddenly, sparkles of light danced across Malachi’s bedroom. Bob farted with surprise and nudged Frankie awake.
Malachi opened his eyes. “Look!”
A beautiful fairy floated before them. “I am Mirabella,” she said. “You’ve done well, brave Malachi. The treasure lies under the kitchen wall. Dig, and my spirit will be released—and the villagers will be free.”
“I’m too small to dig,” Malachi whispered.
“We’ll help,” said Charlie with a sigh. “No one ever lets a cat rest!”
Mirabella sprinkled fairy dust over them all. They hurried to the garden, guided by her light.
Part Five: Victory
Captain Steven was furious. “We’ll make Malachi scrub the decks forever! Let’s find that gold!”
Suddenly, the floorboards burst open with a blast of golden light.
Out came Malachi, Bob, Frankie, Charlie—and the glowing treasure chest.
“It’s okay, Gran,” Malachi said, untying her. “We’ve found the gold. And those aren’t gardeners—they’re pirates!”
The pirates screamed and began evaporating into thin air.
“I’ll be back!” Captain Steven howled.
The garden filled with glowing spirits—the villagers the pirates had once taken. They smiled at Malachi.
“Thank you,” said Paul and Le Tech. “We can rest now.”
Mirabella hovered above them. “Call my name three times if ever you need me.”
And with that, she vanished into the stars.
Epilogue
Later that day, Malachi’s mums returned.
“Terrible gardeners,” one muttered. “They’ve wrecked the garden.”
“Mum, we met pirates! And a fairy! And I found gold!”
“What an imagination,” they laughed.
That night, as Malachi drifted off to sleep, he looked under his pillow.
There were twelve gold coins.
Outside, thunder rumbled.
A voice echoed on the wind:
“I WILL BE BACK! YOU WILL WALK THE PLANK!”
The End.
2Shades Magazine 