An octogenarian NeoPet sits in a leathery chair encased in
a warm shawl that covers most of their face embracing a worn-out book. A warm
fire crackles like popcorn and the stranger's eyes open quickly. She glances
at you for a quick second then peers back down to the book she's carefully holding.
"The Eye of the Quiggle. It's a true story of mystery and suspense. Would
you like to hear?" she suddenly asks. You nod. The old woman breathes deeply
and begins her long and horrifying story...
The sun breaks through the long monticello window into Imaginarie's
shiny bedroom. The young Faerie Meerca yawns and climbs out of bed unto her
warm, marble floor. Imaginarie lives with her uncle, Ullsus, a strong and grumpy
Quiggle who struts around his mansion wearing metals and carrying dark secrets
about the old wars. A long time ago, when Imaginarie was barely three, her parents
were mysteriously taken from their very own home! Less than two days went by
before she was shipped off to her cruel uncle overseas.
Imaginarie stretches and quietly walks out of her bedroom and
down the stairs for a bite to eat. She is about to go into the kitchen when
she spots Ullsus in the library talking to something on the fireplace mantel.
He's muttering something and the Meerca quickly whips back and places her ear
against the wall. "You'll stay like that forever! You will never escape so no
use trying too! No one will help you, do you understand?!" Footsteps are heard,
but before Imaginarie can run away, Ullsus comes around into the hall and sees
Imaginarie. The Meerca gasps with fear.
"What were you doing you nosy little girl?!" The Quiggle roars.
He is still very loud for his tender age of 76. Imaginarie swallows but cannot
speak. "Bah! Get out of my face this instant!" Ullsus pushes her out of his
way and marches up the stairs with the aid of his cane. Still shaken up but
not surprised by his actions, Imaginarie goes into the kitchen and carefully
helps herself to a Golden
Juppie. She then continues into the great dining hall and ponders what
went on. "Who on Neopia was he talking too? Oh! I know!" Imaginarie silently
mutters. She quickly dashes up and runs into the library. Maybe the answer to
her question lies there!
In the library, the inquisitive Meerca goes to the mantel and
sees a small glass case with a scarlet pillow inside. On the pillow is a round
orb with a black dot in the center. It takes a minute for the information to
sink in and she realises it's a Quiggle eye!! Imaginarie shrieks and backs away.
"I thought Uncle threw that horrid thing away many years ago!" The scared NeoPet
continues to shiver when once again her uncle enters the room. "What is it with
your yelling?! Do I have to lock you in your room forever?!" He lunges at the
Meerca but Imaginarie swiftly flies up and out of a nearby window sobbing all
the way.
***
It's been hours, and Imaginarie has no idea what to do. What's
going to happen to her? Should she return home? No one wants to take in a sobbing
and dirty Faerie Meerca so late at night! Imaginarie gathers up every bit of
courage she has left and slowly flies back home. Ullsus was nowhere in sight,
so Imaginarie started to quietly tip toe to her bedroom when suddenly...."Help
me!" The Meerca's reflexes cause her to go into the defend position. "Who's
there?" She cautiously asks. "Help me! I'm in the library! Help me please!"
Imaginarie flutters into the main library where she is lead
on by the voice to the Quiggle eye above the fireplace. "Who's in there? What
are you??" The Meerca leans in closer for a better look into the eye and gasps
with surprise! A small elderly Cybunny is barely visible in the pupil! "W-What
do you w-want from m-me?" Imaginarie stutters. "You....You..! I..want you....to
help me out of here!!" The Cybunny moans. "Listen to me! My name is Chandelite
and your uncle is an evil man!! In the war he got mixed up with that crazy Techo
witch doctor and into voodoo and he enslaved me in this eye of a foe he defeated
long ago! You must help me out of here! Please!" The scared Meerca doesn't know
what to do!
She paces back and forth and continues with her questions.
"What do you want me to do?" The Cybunny hops around excitedly. "You must have
your father trade places with me. Once you do that, I will be free at last and
he will be enslaved in this eye for 5,000 years until someone touches it once
more! Ullsus must handle the Quiggle eye and he will instantly become entombed!"
Imaginarie nods in agreement and walks out of the library and into her room.
The enslaved Cybunny looks after the Meerca with her one of a kind, purple eyes...
It's daybreak, and Imaginarie had a restless night of sleep.
How was she supposed to accomplish this task? If her uncle knew about the Quiggle
eye, he surely would not touch it! As she was thinking of this once more, Ullsus
suddenly burst into her room. "So you talked to Chandelite, huh? Is that correct
you nosy little Meerca?!" Imaginarie is speechless. She tries to speak but Ullsus
cuts her off. "You listen to me, and you listen to me good, do ya hear?? Chandelite
is no good, and whatever she told you she is lying! You stay away from her or
else!" He clutters out of the frightened NeoPet's room.
Imaginarie stays in her room all day until night falls once
again. How was this possible? It's impossible. But the Meerca knew her uncle
was evil just by the way he acted! No way was Chandelite lying. She was a scared
Cybunny and Ullsus did this to her for no reason at all!! Imaginarie crawled
out of bed and slowly into the library once more.
"Chandelite? Chandelite...are you there?" Imaginarie quietly
whispers. "Cha--" She's quickly interrupted by a loud bang. Ullsus bangs his
cane upon the floor again so hard the marble chips. "What did I say?! She is
no good! Do you ever listen to me?!" Ullsus lunges at her and the scared Meerca
flies toward the ceiling. Suddenly..."Remember! You must have him touch it!
Have him touch it!" The Cybunny's mysterious voice appears and soon after along
with her face. Her purple eyes stare at Imaginarie from the entrapment she is
in. "Touch it!" she repeats.
Imaginarie soon knew what she must do. She fluttered to the
right and Ullsus, as though he could not hear the Cybunny follows her. Imaginarie
flutters up and back down again then stops in front of the eye. "I'll get you,
you meddlesome little girl!" Ullsus shrieks for the very last time. He lunges
at her and his hand gently touches the Quiggle eye. Ullsus' terrified moans
reverberate throughout the grand mansion. The Quiggle eye cracks open and Chandelite
gets bigger, and bigger! The whole room becomes illuminated in a magnificent
purple glow, and Imaginarie passes out from fright!
"Wake up! Wake up, sweetheart!" Imaginarie suddenly opens her
eyes. Is it over? She looks in front of her and Chandelite stares down at her.
"Where's Ullsus?" she questions. "He's away now in the Quiggle Eye for 5,000
years or until someone touches it again!" Chandelite briefly explains. Imaginarie
jumps for joy and hugs her friend. "Thank you Chandelite! Thank you so much!"
But the Cybunny only smiles. Her smile turns into a cackle and she grabs the
Meerca and hisses, "You pathetic fool...and you believed me....! Your uncle
was right all along. He vanished me in that eye after I destroyed off everyone
within miles with my magic, and thanks to you...I AM FREE!"
Chandelite cackles and quickly pulls out another eye from under
her cloak. "And you...my sweet, sweet, Meerca...I have made a special eye just
for you!" Imaginarie yells with fear. "Please! I thought you were my friend!
I helped you!" Before Imaginarie can even continue to protest, she is quickly
transformed and placed into the tiny Meerca eye that is to be her home for the
next 5,000 years....
The storyteller sighs. "That...is the story of The Eye of
the Quiggle." She throws the book in the fire. "The story is done now, so
you may leave." You cautiously get up to exit the stranger's mysterious lair,
but as you do, you can't help but wonder, "Was the story actually real? Could
the eye still be out there?" As if reading your mind, the storyteller quietly
whispers, "The Quiggle Eye is still out there my dear." You turn around with
surprise and can't help but wonder, How did she get such purple eyes???
The End | 
