Eileen Redhot's Big Adventure

Eileen Redhot is a 13 year old girl, and she lives in the city of HSBH in the country of Magmania with her family. She has black hair and blue eyes, and she loves reading and gardening.

Magmania is the country inside all volcanoes. The cities of the country are large bubbles in the magma. The inhabitants of Magmania are called Magmaniacs. During volcanic eruptions, the people of the city throw out special anchors that catch onto the inside wall of the mountain and prevent the bubble from being discharged with the magma.

Magmaniacs lead what we would consider normal lives. The fathers have normal jobs and the mothers take care of their children. The women who don't have children mostly work in the Mayor's glittering red palace as cook or maid. The Magmaniacs do have money to buy things with, but often the families just trade with each other. (For example, Mr. Redhot might exchange some food from his general store for some clothes from the tailor.) All Magmaniacs attend church every Sunday and are very devout.

Eileen and her family live on Portrait Avenue in HSBH (short for Heaven Should Be Hot) above Mr. Redhot's general store. Portrait Avenue is where all business is done, and the street is full of shops. Eileen has five siblings: Tom, Johnny, Sarah, Therese, and Patrick. Magmaniac children do not go to school. Their parents teach them to read and write and do arithmetic when they are small, and they can go to the library to learn about anything else they wish to know about. During the day, most Magmaniac children spend their time at the playground, the gymnasium, the Public Gardens, and the library.

One day, a circus came to HSBH. This traveling circus was the first of its kind because the circus manager had invented a new way to travel between bubble-cities.

The Rehot family decided to go and see the circus. They managed to get very good seats, and the children could see everything quite well. Eileen was very interested by the tight-rope walkers. After the circus was over, she asked her parents if she could learn how to become a tight-rope walker. Mr. and Mrs. Redhot considered the matter and decided to ask the circus manager if it was possible. The circus manager was delighted and said he would be glad to teach Eileen to walk on a tight-rope. He told them that Eileen could even perform with the circus while it stayed in HSBH for a few weeks.

So Eileen went to the circus during the day to learn to become a tight-rope walker. She had a natural sense of balance, so within a few days she had mastered the art of tight-rope walking. One day about a week after she had started practicing with the circus, the circus manager told her that she could finally perform with the circus!

Eileen was ecstatic now that she could actually perform in front of all her family and friends. She practiced extra hard on the last day before her first performance. Her friend Mrs. Bareback, who did stunts on horses, helped Eileen arrange the special costume that she was going to wear. The outfit was a pink leotard with silver sequins and spangles sewn onto it. For her hair there was a silver tiara. A special pair of silver slippers (just for tight-rope walkers) completed the costume.

Eileen hardly slept at all the night before the performance. In the morning she got up very early and departed for the circus as soon as her mother would let her.

She spent a lot of time putting on her costume and arranging her hair tastefully with the tiara. Before she knew it, it was time for the first show. Eileen waited backstage with the other tight-rope walkers. Their act wasn't for a while, so they had time to get jittery. Eileen watched the other acts carefully so she wouldn't get too nervous. Finally, the ringmaster announced their act, and the tight-rope walkers filed into the arena where the tight-rope was set up. They climbed the ladder and the act began.

For Eileen, it all went by in a blur. She performed her now-familiar routine perfectly, ending with a graceful flip onto the ground below. The crowd applauded wildly, and the tight-rope walkers bowed and hurried out of the arena. Eileen's family came backstage to congratulate her after the show was over. Many of her friends also came by to tell her how wonderful she had been.

For the next few weeks, the circus stayed in HSBH and Eileen performed with them. There were three shows every day, and the audience always clapped the loudest for Eileen and her act. The circus people were all very kind, and Eileen was very happy. But all at once the day came for the last performances. The circus would be leaving HSBH for another city that day after the last show. The last performance was the best of all, and the crowd threw flowers to Eileen and the other tight-rope walkers before they left the arena.

Eileen was sadly putting her lovely costume in its box when the circus master came into the dressing room. His normally kind face wore a hard expression. "Don't pack up the costume," he said. "You're not going anywhere."

Eileen was so surprised she didn't know what to say.

"I've decided I'm going to bring you along whether you like it or not," the circus master continued. "You're too good of a performer to lose. We'll be popular everywhere we go if you're the head of the tight-rope walking act."

Eileen was too alarmed to notice the praise. "B-but I can't go with you," she stammered. "I want to stay with my family."

"Too bad," said the circus master. "Come on." He grabbed her roughly by the arm and tied a handkerchief around her mouth. "Just so you don't scream," he said, looking a little sorry for her.

He pulled her outside to where all the circus things were being packed into several large wagons. The circus master lifted her into one of the wagons where a lot of the performers were already sitting. Eileen recognized some of the other tight-rope walkers, but they didn't seem friendly anymore. They all seemed to be preventing her from getting to her family. Eileen wanted to escape, but there were several rough-looking men standing near the wagon, and she didn't dare.

Within a few minutes everything seemed to be loaded on the wagons, and they started forward. As they rumbled along the road, certain landmarks told Eileen that they were going toward the Bubble Communications Inc. office at the edge of town. Eileen remembered that the circus had invented way to travel between bubbles. Although she was sick at heart at having to leave HSBH, she was curious to find out how this circus managed to pull this stunt off.

The wagons stopped at a small area next to the BCI office. One at a time, the wagons were driven onto a platform. Eileen watched in fascination as a machine formed a huge bubble around each wagon with its metal arms. The bubbles were then pushed out of the wall of HSBH with no harm done to either bubble. Eileen couldn't imagine how it was done, and even as they floated along in the magma outside of the protecting circumference of HSBH she marveled at it. The circus people seemed to be used to this type of travel, and most of them dozed or read books.

The bubbles traveled in the same direction as if they were on a track. They were moving fast and within minutes they came into view of another city. They entered the bubble-city in the same fantastic way that they had left HSBH. The wagons emerged from their bubbles and drove to an open area where they could set up their tents. As soon as the people started getting out of the wagons, the circus master came looking for Eileen. "Come with me," he said. He led her into a tent that had just been set up. A man was sitting at a table there, playing cards with himself.

"Here she is, Jake," the circus master said, motioning toward Eileen.

"What?" the man said, looking up in surprise.

"The girl that I want you to guard," the circus master said impatiently.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Jake said. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"You'll keep both eyes on her," the circus master said sharply, "or you're out of a job."

The circus master left the tent and Eileen sat down timidly on a folding chair. The man gave a big yawn and dealt another game of solitaire, glancing only now and then at Eileen. Eileen tried not to think about what would happen if she got stuck traveling with the circus. While she didn't expect them to mistreat her, since they wanted her to perform, she still didn't trust them.

Eileen studied the man called Jake carefully, trying to judge whether he would notice if she tried to slip out. She decided it was too risky. But if she was going to escape, she would have to do it soon, before the circus master came back!

Eileen continued to watch the man called Jake as he played cards on the table. Every now and then his eyelids would droop, but a second later he would shake off the sleepiness and glance suspiciously at Eileen. Eileen hardly moved for fear of arousing his anger.

After a few more agonizing minutes spent praying that Jake would fall asleep, Eileen's wish came true. Jake's head dropped onto the table where the cards were still set up in the solitaire formation and he began snoring loudly. Eileen waited another minute to make sure he was really asleep, and then she gradually lifted her weight out of the chair.

Suddenly the chair squeaked! Eileen sat back down in it, trying to keep her breathing under control. Jake was startled awake and lifted his head to look at her drowsily. Then he put his head back down on his arm and soon his snoring continued. Eileen slowly let out her pent-up breath and slowly and cautiously stood up.

Eileen was almost standing when the rusty old chair let out another sqeak, much louder than before. Eileen froze.

Jake stirred and turned his head the other way on the table, but he this time he didn't wake up. Eileen sighed with relief and tiptoed toward the back flap of the tent, which was shut. She opened it warily and peeked outside. There didn't seem to be anyone about. Eileen stepped ever so softly out of the tent and let the flap slip back into place behind her.

As she was about to move away, Eileen felt someone's hand on her arm!

As Eileen felt someone's grasp on her arm, she gasped and turned, expecting to find the circus master ready to tie her up again. But it was only Crystal, one of the tight-rope walkers whom Eileen had befriended because the girls were the same age. Eileen was frightened and tried to pull away, but Crystal said:

"It's okay. I'm going to help you. It's awful of the circus master to make you come with the circus when you don't want to. That's kidnapping."

Eileen relaxed somewhat at Crystal's soothing words. "I don't know what to do," she said helplessly. "Even if I do get away from the circus without being caught, there's no way to get back to my parents."

"I have an idea," Crystal said brightly. "But we have to hide you somewhere before someone sees you. Come on, we'll go into my dressing room." Crystal tugged on Eileen's arm and the girls hurried into one of the small tents. Crystal led the way into her dressing room. She was one of the stars of the tight-rope walking act, and she had her own private room.

Crystal pulled out a chair for Eileen and then sat down herself. "Here's my idea," she said: "We can send you back to HSBH the same way that the circus travels from city to city!"

Eileen's heart leaped, but then her face fell. "I don't think that mode of travel is open to the public," she said.

"Oh yes it is," Crystal insisted. "It's become all the rage and people have started using it regularly. I'm surprised you hadn't heard about it before the circus came to your city."

"But doesn't it cost a lot of money?" Eileen asked doubtfully.

"Don't be so pessimistic," Crystal said cheerfully. "So you'll get a job for a week to earn some money."

"And have the circus master search all over the city and find me within two hours," Eileen finished, all her hopes dashed to the ground.

Crystal seemed to be eternally optimistic. "We'll have to find a nice person for you to work for, and explain everything to him. Then if the circus master does come around looking for you, you'll be able to hide without arousing suspicions."

Eileen brightened. "Okay," she said. "So let's go find me a job." Then she remembered something. "But Crystal, you'll need to perform. You can't help me."

"I can help you find a job anyway," Crystal said briskly. "There aren't any shows today since we just got here. Come on, we'd better go, before the circus master discovers that you're gone. Let me just make sure no one is around." Crystal disappeared through the door, but was back in moment saying the coast was clear.

The girls hurried out of the tent and made it safely across the flat space where the circus was set up to the beginning of the town. They paused for breath, then quickly continued down the main streets of the town, examining shop windows. At last they came to a tailor's shop that had a sign in the window reading, "Help Wanted. Inquire within."

Eileen crossed her fingers for good luck and followed Crystal inside. A kind-faced old man was behind the counter, sewing away at a leather garment. "May I help you?" he asked, smiling and adjusting his spectacles.

"We've come to inquire about the job you have advertised on your window," Crystal said boldly, not wasting a minute.

"Okay," the man said. "I just need a helper with all the sewing that comes in here. I seem to be getting more popular with my old age, not less so. Which one of you is applying for the job?"

"I am," Eileen replied. "But I have a bit of a problem." She and Crystal then poured out the whole story, finishing with the fact that Eileen would only be working until she had earned enough money for the return fare to HSBH.

"Well, a week's work certainly isn't a lot," the tailor said shrewdly, peering at them through his spectacles, "but it certainly is better than having no helper at all." He smiled. "I believe I'd like to hire you."

"One moment," Eileen said. "Do you happen to know how much it would be to go back to HSBH in this new way of travel?"

"I believe someone told me that it's thirty-five dollars," the tailor replied. "So, in order to earn it in a week, I'd have to pay you approximately five dollars a day."

"Is that too much?" Eileen asked worriedly.

"No, that's perfectly all right," the tailor said. "Shake and I'll consider it a deal, provided that you can sew."

Eileen smiled with relief. "Yes, I can sew." The two shook hands to seal the deal.

Crystal grinned happily at Eileen. "Well, I guess you won't be needing me anymore."

"Thanks, Crystal, for everything you've done for me," Eileen said, hugging her friend warmly. "You're welcome, Eileen," Crystal smiled. "I was glad to help. I'll send you a message sometime." With a wave, Crystal left the tailor's shop.

Over the week, Eileen became great friends with the tailor, whose name was Mr. Grant. After she got her first day's pay, she ran down to the Bubble Communications Office and sent a message to her family, telling them that she was all right and that she would be home in a week. That week went by quickly. At the end of the last day, Mr. Grant gave Eileen her pay with a smile. "You've been a great helper, Eileen," he said. "Come on, I'll see you off."

The two walked down to the place where Eileen had entered the city. Eileen gave the manager her money, and walked onto the platform upon which were set up a dozen chairs. Most were already occupied. Eileen sat down on a chair and waved to Mr. Grant as the bubble formed around them, and then was pushed out of the city into the magma.

Eileen was so excited to be finally going home that she could hardly sit still. At last HSBH came into view. The bubble entered the city and settled onto the platform. The passengers disembarked. Eileen looked around, drinking in the familiar sights and sounds of her beloved home. Then she caught sight of her family, and she broke into a run.

Eileen flung herself into her mother's arms. Running through her head were all the memories of the week she had just spent; it would all need explaining, but none of that mattered yet. "I'm so glad to be home!" she whispered.