Shaylee’s Bedtime Story

WRITTEN: 28/07/2021

HEARTFELT, FUNNY AND AMBITIOUS TO DELIVER A LIFTIME OF LAUGHS IN YEARS TO COME;

SLEEPY AND SNUG IN A COMFY BLANKET LISTENING TO MUM TELL STORIES TO MY SISYER AND I ABOUT OUR DRAGONS.

“Mother’s commentary”

Climbing into bed after a hot milo into our heated blankets was a nightly ritual growing up, my father would read bedtime stories to us every night. I loved when it was my turn to choose the story sometimes he would read us tales about princesses and princes coming to rescue them, other times he would make them up these were my favourite so I decided to follow in his footsteps and do that with my own child, little did I know it would turn out like this.

The bedtime story;

Once upon a time in the majestic twenty first century a father and mother introduced their second child into the beautiful world, she had an aura like no other to say the least. Their first daughter was born looking like a China doll. I remember watching her little button nose and roses cheeks for hours on end her long thick brown eyelashes folded over almost touching the tops of her eyes when they were closed. They named her “Shaylee” she was two years old her new born sister was very different, they say most babies are born ugly and they grow into their skin “Kyleesha” was a prime example she had a hairy little back that you noticed instantly she was like a little monkey, her face scrunched up like a wrinkly little old man. She had jet black hair. The girls together grew years later going on wild adventures all over Australia with their parents.

They traveled to Sydney as saw a massive playground called Luna Park it was like something from a movie. Roller coasters making your heart skip a beat, Ferris wheels and tea cup rides. There was even magic dragons you could buy as pets. Shaylee and Kyleesha were allowed to buy one each so they bought some magic dragons and flew across the sunsets by the beach all the way to Melbourne.

They ate at fancy restaurants with their pet dragons one was called Trixie she was blue with glistening yellow scales on her belly, Kyleesha loved to pat the spikes along her back as she climbed on top of her. Shaylee’s dragon was like a setting sun orange, pink red and purple all the colours you could possibly imagine in the rainbow this extraordinary beast had. His name was “Millan” together they travelled together as a family across to discover a magical city in the sky called Uhlanda.

They traveled for 7 days and nights trying to follow the shooting stars in the sky towards the moon. But the moon kept moving when they did it felt like it was impossible to reach after a long day of flying Mum, Dad and the girls lay down to rest in a field of dandelions under a big oak tree. They lit a fire and roasted some yummy marshmallows when their bellies were nice and full they sat together snuggled up watching the night sky. Suddenly Shaylee noticed the tree was on fire, MUM, DAD, MUM! LOOK! She pointed shakily towards the tree.

Her mother and father snickering don’t be silly they are fire flies darling girl look, Dad clapped his massive hands together and the bugs lifted off into the air following each other into the air like whirlwinds forming beautiful patterns and shapes.

Let’s follow them Shaylee insists, Kyleesha agreed she was a crazy ball of energy forever giggling and laughing. She loved to go on adventures with her big sister. Shaylee was a mischievous little girl who was exceptionally good at reading. Her parents couldn’t find a single word she couldn’t pronounce properly!

Kyleesha and dad jumped on Trixie and Shaylee and mummy jumped on Millan they set off into the night skies, their feet grazing against the long grass and they floated every so slightly, slowly higher into the air.

The fire flies began to form what seemed to be a bridge or path flying higher into the skies themselves, they could see the moon up ahead they flew on and on until they noticed a giant rock, a mountain so large and full of what seemed to look like mysterious caves. Shaylee was a brave explorer and turned to her mother for a nod of the head as acknowledgment to head that way.

We should adventure to the top of the mountain and look inside a cave, Mum yelled out to Kyleesha and Daddy travelling beside them on Trixie. Shaylee was full of energy “to the moon and back baby” she yelled pointing towards the highest point in the clouds and up they soared up, up, up into the night sky.

They flew so high they reached the stars and they were about to reach the top of the mountain when the saw the star flutter, it moved slightly “did it just giggled” mum whispered to herself shaking her head and refocusing up ahead.

They reached the top of the magic mountain and realised it was a whole new world not like they expected it was flat for miles nothing but a volcano.

The walk up to a volcano that had signs all over it saying “keep out” “go away” “no trespassing” “no ones home” they’re all so curious to find out why Uhlanda didn’t want visitors after all the wonderful tales they had heard growing up about it! The story they heard growing up was;

“Marlowe was her name she was a goddess like Mother Nature from the earths yet transparent like a ghost, the gods said “ only when you have lived on both sides and you are still pure of heart you get to see the best of both worlds” Anything with wings is said to be her creation she was an old soul she owned the seas, skies and sees threw all eyes that fly. Amor a god seen as dark, strong and deadly from the oceans not human like Marlowe he was half man half mermaid. It was together they formed an alliance with things we thought to be out of this world bringing things people only dreamed about. He set free spirits, god’s, magical creatures and more back to the land to help guide loved ones in the right direction.”

Mum, dad, Shaylee and Kyleesha’s walked up to a cave where the saw what seemed to be a tunnel just as they were about to walk into the tunnel out jumper an old man he whispered weakly please sir do you have a dragon to spare? Instantly they thought maybe we couldn’t get home if we have him a dragon?

Shaylee didn’t want to give her precious Millan away to a man she didn’t know? but she was a kind and gracious little girl. She looked at her mum and sad and said I would like to give him my dragon so he can get home he could be lost. It was Shaylee’s dragon so it was her choice where the growing dragon would go.

The wise old man turned into the magical Amor everything instantly changed in front of their eyesight. The land filled with trees, mountains, waterfalls, beaches, everything you could imagine in the world was here! The flowers turned into flowering butterflies sending messages from heaven to Earth, little elve children came to play tea parties with the girls. They were always happy and lived in massive treehouses with sleeping bags everyday was a slumber party with friends and family, swinging from the jungle like Tarzan and sailing the star rivers like Peter Pan.

There were all kinds of creatures mermaids floating threw the skies of the milk-way the planets were so close you could se their suns and moons. They were on top of the world literally. You could see everyone from Earth looking over the edge of Uhlanda and magical balls you hold and think of the people down there and then you see where and what they are doing in Earth. We all look into different directions and the stars came straight up to Shaylee’s nose and sat on top of it. She went cross eyed trying to focus her eyes upon it.

Kyleesha was swishing her hands back and forth in-front of her face giggling in hysterical laughter as the fairy stars tickled her, sliding down the milkway like a waterslide. Mummy and Shaylee had to return to Earth to look after our loved ones Daddy and Kyleesha grew wings and were allowed to stay in Uhlanda the floating city forever.

The End.

That’s the end of the story with a kiss on the head from mummy and getting tucked into my bed, awaking with my sister and sleeping without her. I hope remembers nothing but the good times and memories left behind.

“Mother’s commentary”

So ten years later after telling my child this story numerous times the only piece she took from it was she had a magically dragon called Millan and in the world map I showed her the evidence of where the wise old man-Amor landed and they named that place after her dragon “slaps hand in face dramatically” and badda-bing-Banda-bomb were in family counciling because she’s 16 years old and can’t let it go and somehow it’s my fault?

SWEET DREAMS AND GOODNIGHT!