The Hidden Emporium 

 Prologue 

You may have lived in your street for years, maybe even your whole life. Maybe, you know it so well and have been in every single shop you think there is, but trust me, there is more. Hidden secrets lie in every town, village or city, secrets that are so big you wouldn’t understand how you missed it in the first place! So, the next time you are out and about, look in every alleyway, turn every corner, follow a new path. But beware of the consequences… 

Chapter 1- Through the door. 

Ruaridh’s favourite thing to do was write in his journal. He wasn’t nosy, he was just adventurous. Every interesting thing he saw, he wrote down in his journal. Most of the children in his class would ask to read it, but what was written inside Ruaridh’s blue leather diary was a secret, even to his three sisters. 

Now that he was twelve, Ruaridh was allowed to go out on his own without an adult, to write down anything intriguing or peculiar that he could see. One bright morning, when the air was neither warm nor cold, he left a note to his mother to tell her that he was going out for a walk in the town. At a steady pace, he walked along the pavement, passing about twenty-three shop windows, but nothing interesting caught his eye, so he kept on walking. If Ruaridh had blinked at this time he wouldn’t have seen it, but a man had clutched an advertising sign about McDonalds, pulled it open and slipped in. 

Subtly, Ruaridh followed, grasping the sign, and slipping behind. This was certainly something to write in the diary! This mysterious door led to a beautiful hallway filled with fairy lights like purple drops of starlight. As he walked further in, there formed an entrance to a giant room. 

Above his head, Ruaridh read: Wonders of the World! He was so excited to step into this amazing rooms full of wonders! The room was a sort of quadrilateral shape with another hallway with what looked like hotel rooms. Hidden by a crimson curtain, was a colossal glass dining table filled where delicious dishes sat. The dish-plates were so shiny, Ruaridh could see his reflection clearly. Creamy carbonara with bacon, mushroom and spinach was piled on top of spaghetti, peperoni pizza, so juicy that sauce oozed out, and much more. 

Swiftly, Ruaridh scribbled all the things he had just seen with detail so he could share it to his family. The more he looked in this one room full of treasures, there was even more that he wanted to pick up and touch. His senses were filled with happiness as he found more. 

On an old crackly wall, sat a mirror. Ruaridh stared into it and admired the environment around him. Suddenly, he spotted a man behind his right shoulder, wearing dusty, black top hat; a chameleon of blues and greens, sat perched on his shoulder like a sneaky, sly sidekick. “I see you’ve found my Emporium,” he spoke with a wide grin… 

Chapter 2- A Warning Disobeyed 

“My name is Larry Copper, you can call me Larry if you want,” suggested Mr Copper, “You can look around but please do not enter any of the rooms without my permission” he warned. Ruaridh smiled to show that he understood.  

A split second later, Larry disappeared inside his top hat like some sort of magician, and he was gone. However, the chameleon stayed and hopped off his shoulder. The reptile grabbed the nearest pen and wrote on a piece of paper that had randomly appeared; my name is Cara. Ruaridh greeted her with a, hello Cara! It looked like she smiled but she was a chameleon of course so he couldn’t be sure. 

Her scaly skin glistened in the light of the glass chandelier that hung from the centre of the ceiling, which caused greens and blues to flicker.  

Cara hopped up on Ruaridh’s shoulder and they walked down a wide corridor that he had somehow never noticed before. He knew not to disobey any adults’ orders and rules, but this hallway seemed like it was hypnotising him, even the name plates on the silver doors seemed appealing. Each room was a sample of a country or place in the world. 

The 9th door read “Hawaii”. Hawaii was always a place that Ruaridh longed to go with all its beaches, hot weather, and huts; it was nothing like Scotland! Carefully, he turned the handle clockwise and the door creaked open. A gust of hot wind blew in his face, and it was then he knew, Larry Copper was magic. 

Although Ruaridh tried to resist, he just could not. His excitement was pulling him in. He closed his eyes in hope that he would be back in the main room with Larry Copper, but no, as his feet touched the sand, they sunk in.  

Maybe, just maybe, he could explore just as long as he got back before Larry did. Ruaridh slipped his blue trainers off and started to run further in. The door was far from view now… 

Chapter 3 

Carefully, he jogged along the beach, avoiding any stones or shells that might hurt his feet. Ruaridh felt the wet sand invading in between his toes, as he carried on further. Where about eight palm trees stood, there were empty sun loungers, rays of sun bounced off Ruaridh’s back; rows upon rows of tropical trees sat next to each other behind him like a shield of shade; an unfamiliar bird song rang in his ear; and as the waves from the sea reached the rocks, it caused them to glitter iridescently in the shimmering sun. 

Ruaridh searched but he could not find anybody, nobody that is except for Cara his chameleon companion and the birds in the canopy of trees. His feet lead him in further through the tropical climate, the sound of the sea following him everywhere. Pepsi cans and cocktails were laid out on the bar table waiting to be drank. He got further into the centre of the unimaginable room, now his eyes could see special beach houses and huts made from sticks. 

Suddenly, the birds stopped singing. The world around him grew quiet. The only sound came from a bird who was flying round and round in circles in distress. He could hear his heart beating in his chest. The ground started to shake, but it wasn’t an earthquake… 

“TSUNAMI!” he heard somebody scream. Swiftly, he stood up, put his mocktail down, and bolted in the opposite direction of the beach. Ruaridh was the fastest in his class, so speed wasn’t letting him down. Suddenly he remembered, if there is a tsunami, you need to get up as high as possible off the ground. But in the direction, he was running, the ground didn’t go up any higher than 4 metres.  

The only elevated level he could see was further west. There was only one problem; the gigantic wave was coming from the west. Without thinking, he sprinted into the direction of the tsunami, hoping for his dear life that he would make it to the hill before the natural disaster did. He reached the hill and started climbing. Cara sat on Ruaridh’s shoulder, closing her eyes in fear. 

They watched together as the tsunami grew closer, turning browner from the sand and all the trees at was swooping up and taking. They were about halfway up the hill.  

It was then that the tsunami hit… 

Chapter 4 

Slowly, Ruaridh’s eyes opened, his blue iris glistened. Cara was asleep on his chest, snuggled up in his pocket, like a sleeping bag. The only sound that echoed in the atmosphere, was the Nene’s sweet tune as it flew across the cadet grey sky which used to be baby blue. 

Astonished to find that he was bone dry, he stood up and looked around at what could have been a bomb sight. All the vivid green palm trees had been crushed and were lying on the floor lifelessly. The only mark that the tsunami had left on him was bleeding cut, located just above his right eyebrow and to be honest, he didn’t think it hurt that much. 

As he walked further and further down the hill, he could see more clearly, all the huts and houses that had been destroyed and demolished by the giant wave leaving them in piles of bricks and sticks. Cara was still asleep in his pocket.  

His leg was a little bit sore, but Ruaridh could still walk so it wasn’t too bad. Finally, he reached the bar where he had started a mocktail. The glasses were smashed and the wooden awning that kept shelter was destroyed. Ruaridh still had bare feet, so he jumped onto a crooked chair and jumped back over, avoiding the broken glass.  

Slowly, Ruaridh reached his blue trainers with his green socks tucked inside them. Carefully, he slipped his shoes and socks back on, took a deep breath, and pulled the door and round, and opened it with force.  

He jumped at the sight of Larry Copper standing at the door, as if he had been waiting for him. “Ah I see you’re back,” he said grinning, “have you learned your lesson?”. Ruaridh gulped and nodded his head. Suddenly, Larry waved his hands on Ruaridh’s cut and it was gone. “Come again next time”, Larry said smiling. He scooped the Chameleon out of Ruaridh’s pocket and disappeared with the emporium.  

“What an adventure”, Ruaridh sighed. 

“A scary one”, a voice behind him said. Swiftly, his head turned round. Nobody was there…