Page Title

Synopsis

Moli lives in a purpose built environment under the sea because the Earth's surface has been deliberately destroyed.

She is disabled and lonely; damage to her joints leaves her body weak and painful and her moods cranky and unpredictable.

Unusual events draw Moli in when she barters an old trader for a quaint casket. The casket transforms. It is the key to unlock an ancient promise. Fulfilling this promise takes her on a series of dangerous adventures with Theo, Taheena and Kwok; new friendships that have developed not just by chance.

They encounter a 'mermaid,' eeloids, the dreadful Mausaus, heart-stopping journeys through tunnels and caves, Moli and Theo almost drown. They face danger and ruthless people. They experience sadness and hardship.

Moli's Casket (for 10-12's) is the first in a trilogy (The Outpost, The Flawed Pearl) about the fight that Moli and her friends are called on to save their families and preserve their freedom.

EXTRACTS

Chapter 1…..….but her suit had had an undetected, faulty valve. When a recovery vessel rescued them from the sea bed the pressure in her suit was released too quickly…….. Moli's tiny ears did not hear the anguished cry as her mother, hands trembling lifted her from her suit,

"Look Daan," Cassa barely whispered, "something is terribly wrong," her voice choking up with emotion as she saw Moli's silent contorted face and tiny swollen fingers. Moli did not hear her father shout,

". . .the Decompression Unit," and he bundled her up in his arms, "tell them we are on……..," he was already running and Moli didn't hear the desperation in his voice, as he yelled,

"...out…..my way," urging himself on, frantically scattering everyone aside as he hurtled towards the Decompression Unit. She was in too much pain.

Chapter 5…...The old basking shark was swimming purposefully right through the middle of the shoal. Moli watched its progress with a passing interest, until she realised, that it was heading straight for her; its wide, cavernous mouth open, rippling at the sides; its long, sleek, streamlined bulk getting rapidly bigger, as it drew closer and closer and closer. It was a formidable sight, and it was homing in...at an alarming speed….straight….towards….her…….Moli leant back, both arms raised instinctively over her head, to ward off the inevitable collision. But in doing so, she lost her balance. Her frame compensated and she swayed backwards, just as the old shark unswerving, came close, pulling up short, just out side the curved perstex wall.

"Aaahhh. .eeee!" she gasped with fright, tottering sideways; and this time she was not so lucky, for she toppled clumsily onto the floor with a clatter, bashed her head against the wall, and fell over onto her side. She lay there for a moment, head dizzy... ears buzzing.. . .stomach queasy... stunned.

She raised her head slowly, still in shock, and found herself locked eyeball to black, expressionless eyeball. . .with the shark. Unable to look away, she froze and unwillingly stared back, captured by its jet, black, stare. The shark hovered there, unblinking, mesmerising; finally releasing her, it rose up and glided over the corridor.

….She smoothed down her ruffled appearance, and was directing her frame to straightening up, when from down by her knees, outside in the water, up drifted the merest trickle of bubbles; aimlessly drifting upwards. She focused on the source. More bubbles appeared.

"What now?"

In among the bubbles, the light from the corridor shone on a silver-grey, wispy frond of hair slowly weaving about, it was followed by more silvery wisps. Moli watched speechless, as the face belonging to the hair apeared, underneath this flowing halo of silver. A face in the water; that was not unusual in Moli's world, but this face was the face of an old woman; old, wrinkled, smiling and.. . .definitely not wearing a breathing mask. The face remained suspended in the glow of the ring corridor lights.

…... Moli stared; the old woman looked perfectly at ease in the water, her mouth opening and shutting as efficiently as any fish.

Then wafting her hand through the water the old woman beckoned the shark to return. Moli watched open-mouthed as the enormous creature slowed down in front of her, and rolled over like a well-trained pet…….

Chapter 7 ….. The Grand Central Forum…..was formed from a, hexagonal framework of reinforced gold plated, metal girders, moulded together and holding the strong perstex panels of the enormous dome firmly in position.

A concentric ring of translucent, silicone pillars, hand-painted in vibrant designs, supported the whole structure. Built right at the top of the Colony, meant that the whole of the Grand Central Forum was so much lighter and brighter than the rest of the levels of the Power Unit, bathed as it was in the diffused light, that filtered down from he surface of the sea.

….In pride of place, right in the centre, on a circular marble stand was a beautiful, ornamental, metallic sculpture. Nimble fingers and expert craftmanship had lovingly fashioned it at the beginning of the Colony's construction. It was still as new. Light from above, glinted off the delicate web of gold and silver threads, woven into an intricate web, inside which, was suspended an inner statuette of a golden mermaid, sitting on the greenest of emerald rocks. Her fine spun, golden locks cascaded over her shoulders. Her slender arms outstretched and the exquisitely shaped fingers of her hands fashioned into a cup, reaching upwards. Little droplets of crystal water clinging onto thin silver threads, trickled down between the spaces of her fingers.

"MINERVA," sighed Moli, "beautiful..."

"Yes….. Minerva... .beautiful as ever …..

…... A fine mist of water settled on the top of Moli's head and dampened the end of her nose. She wiped the moisture into her hair and face. It was very refreshing. She knew not to look up as Theanne was watering her plants, for attached to the circumference of this great structure, above the heads of the crowd, were three, level, parallel platforms containing the Hydroponic Terraces…

Chapter 13…..There was the faintest….click…..another click….the merest whirr. Moli held the casket in her open hands and watched amazed as it spread out like the arms of a starfish…..

Chapter 14 …… "I'll go first," decided Theo. Moli didn't object. A musty, unfamiliar smell caused them to pause for a moment, an unfamiliar smell in unfamiliar territory…..

"Stay close and don't wander," Theo said taking command. Picking up a loose stone he scraped a mark on the side of the tunnel they had just come down, "it'd be easy to forget……"

"Where exactly do you think I'd be wandering off to then," Moli interrupted,

" …..which way was home," continued Theo, ignoring her peeved glare.

They stepped further right into the middle of the space. The odour was much stronger now. The stale smell hovered in the air of the cavern, a cloying odour of decay.

"Pheeeeeewwww….. It smells awful here like decaying fish." Moli closed her nostrils and instead opened her mouth to breath. "Yeeuuuckkk!.. . .tastes worse than it smells," and promptly shut her mouth tight.

They peered at their surroundings in silence. Theo almost slipped. He shone the light source down at his feet. It glistened on a green, slimy trail. A strangulated, gurgling sound in front of them broke the silence,quiet at first, slow and soft; the hairs on the back of their necks stood up, an involuntary shudder reverberated down Moli's frame. They held their breath, listening. Echoing around them were eerie, 'sliddery' sounds.

Green beady eyes, slitted and luminous were observing them from various rock ledges of the cavern.

"…..maybe the light is playing tricks with our eyes," Theo whispered hopefully. Large eel creatures seemed to morph from the very rocks themselves, sillouetted against the greenish glow of the wall. One, the biggest, was reclining lazily on a wide outcrop of rock jutting out from the wall. In silence it rested there, menacing and patient, and then it moved slowly at first, as if it had all the time in the world. It raised itself up in tiny stumpy legs, many twisted and gnarled, some stuck out at odd angles. It slimed forward, a rippling stretch along its jointed body. The creature's legs were useless for walking on, and it seemed quicker for I to glide on the slime produced from its underbelly. Its mouth opened, but made not a sound. Moli glimpsed two, shiny rows of serrated teeth. Then silence…..an ageless silence...a silence more unsettling than any sound the creature could have made.

"No...it is definitely not a trick of the light," Moli whispered nervously edging closer to Theo.

The creatures were watching, calculating. They started to move in, imperceptibly slowly at first, testing and waiting for a reaction, getting bolder as they sensed fear in their victims.

"You wanted excitement….adventure?" said Theo. "….what do you think…..exciting enough?" he whispered to Moli out of the side of his mouth, not taking his eyes off the creatures for a moment……..