Sisterland

by Salla Simukka

  “Did the prophecy say anything beyond traveling over the sea and finding the key?” ship’s fox Lox asked.

  “It also said something about becoming dragon-handed girls, but that part was a bit of a mystery,” Alice replied. “Dragons don’t even exist anymore, do they? The dream weavers said that now they only fly in dreams.”

  “I’ve heard rumors of a Dragon Island somewhere, but no one knows where it is,” March said. “It may only be a story.”

  “And then the prophecy said that we had to ‘free the amusement park,’ ” Marissa said.

  “Hmmm,” Lox said. “We may be able to help you with that part. There is an island that’s home to an abandoned amusement park. We’ve tried to go there before, but the only people who can get inside are two girls, best friends, who step inside together.”

  “That must be the place!” Alice said excitedly.

  “In that case, we’ll take you there first thing tomorrow morning,” July said.

  The Glimmer delivered Alice and Marissa to the shore of the amusement park island. The crew said goodbye to the girls with warm hugs all around.

  “Maybe we’ll see each other again someday,” Lox barked hopefully.

  “Or maybe next time, these water rabbits will know how to hide better,” Marissa said.

  For a long time, they waved to the ship as it set sail in search of new lost stories.

  The abandoned amusement park was surrounded by a high fence with an iron gate. Above the gate, curly letters spelled something.

  “Li-li-an-na,” Alice sounded out. “What does that mean? Does it have something to do with the queen?”

  Marissa shrugged.

  At the highest point of the gate was a metal statue of a crow. Suddenly a glowing white light appeared in the crow’s eyes, and it turned its head toward the girls. As the crow turned, they heard a rusty creaking, as if the statue hadn’t moved in ages.

  “Who comes to the gate of Lilianna?” the crow asked in a rasping, forlorn voice.

  “Alice and Marissa,” Alice replied.

  The crow clicked its beak. Its head cocked as it looked from girl to girl.

  “You aren’t the ones I’ve been waiting for. But you are best friends. You may enter.”

  With that, the gate opened slowly, with many a screech and squeal. Alice and Marissa stepped into the amusement park. It was at once ghostly and a dreamlike, enchanting place. Everything was dusty and rusted, and there were cobwebs everywhere, but the beautiful colors of the rides were still visible under the layer of dust, even if they were faded. Ivy had climbed up the Ferris wheel, winding around the cars. The wooden roller coaster cracked and groaned with every breath of wind. The carousel horses stood in a silent circle with their front legs raised, ready to gallop off.

  When Alice and Marissa stepped forward, dim colored lights lit up the buildings and rides, and an old waltz began to play in the muffled speakers. The lights and music created a magical mood.

  “Who was this place made for?” Marissa asked.

  Alice didn’t know.

  When they arrived at the house of mirrors, the door opened by itself, and above it letters lit up, saying “Welcome!” Alice and Marissa glanced at each other and then went inside. They were amazed to find that the house of mirrors had only one room and one mirror. And the mirror showed them as they really were. But just as they were about to move on, the image in the mirror began to change. First it made them look very tall, then very short, then thin, then fat. They looked so funny that they started to laugh. The reflection enlarged their laughing mouths into gaping maws, then stretched their arms and legs impossibly long.

  Once the mirror had warped them in every possible way and turned them upside down, suddenly it disappeared, and a wooden wall appeared in its place. But the wall was not entirely bare. When Alice and Marissa moved closer, they saw that on the wall was a painted picture of two girls about their age. The girls smiled and held each other by the hand.

  Above one of the girls was the word “Lili,” and over the other was “Anna.”

  “Queen Lili,” Marissa said, and gently touched the painting. “This has to be her as a child.”

  “But who is Anna?” Alice asked.

  “I don’t know, but I think she must have been important to Lili,” Marissa said.

  Just then, the wall opened, splitting into two doors at the center of the picture.

  Behind the doors was a dark chamber.

  “What on earth…?” Alice asked just as a light switched on in the chamber and a melody began playing, sounding like a music box.

  In the chamber hung two dresses in exactly their size. One was a springy green, and the other was a smoky gray. Alice and Marissa touched the dresses. The fabric was soft and light, silky and strong.

  “Are these intended for us?” Marissa asked.

  “I don’t know. Let’s try them on.”

  Alice put on the green dress and Marissa the gray. They fit perfectly. The girls decided to keep the dresses because their own clothes had begun to wear through in places.

  They walked out of the house of mirrors and saw an archery range. By hitting a bull’s-eye, they could win a large stuffed animal. The toys hung in sad rows from the ceiling of a booth.

  “Do you remember what Raven said?” Alice asked. “Didn’t he say we had to ‘free the amusement park’?”

  “Yes,” Marissa replied. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Together they grabbed two bows and quivers, and each began to shoot at her own targets. At first the arrows flew past or hit the outer rings, but with each shot they became more accurate. Finally, Marissa hit the bull’s-eye, and a large stuffed bear fell with a soft thud. Instantly it came to life, rubbing its bewildered eyes.

  “Uh-oh! I seem to have overslept,” it said.

  Alice and Marissa continued to shoot until the last stuffed animal had been saved. As they touched the ground, they came to life too, all confused but excited. The animals gathered around the girls.

  “My ladies,” a great tiger said, and bowed. “What do you wish us to do?”

  “Be free,” Marissa said.

  The animals looked at each other in surprise, as if they had never thought of such a possibility. Then they began to yell and jump and shout “Hurray!” and do somersaults and run around the amusement park. Alice and Marissa smiled as they saw the animals’ joy.

  “But I feel sorry for the carousel horses,” Marissa said.

  “Let’s go see what we can do for them,” Alice suggested.

  The carousel stood silent, the horses unmoving. Alice began to remove the horses’ bridles and saddles. Marissa did the same. Once they were through with all the horses, the carousel suddenly jerked into motion as piano music began to play. The song was strangely sad. The girls quickly jumped aside and watched as the carousel’s speed grew and grew. Finally, the carousel spun so fast that it became difficult to make out individual horses. Then the roof of the carousel rose into the air and flew away, and the horses galloped free. They frolicked around like young foals and whinnied with joy.

  “Have we released everyone now?” Alice asked.

  “The crow!” Marissa exclaimed.

  They ran back to the gate of the amusement park, which the metal crow guarded.

  “Hey, Mr. Crow!” the girls called to the bird.

  The crow turned its head toward them, its eyes flashing.

  “How can we free you?” Marissa asked.

  “I am always free,” the crow replied.

  “Don’t you want to do anything but guard this gate?” Alice asked.

  “No. This is my purpose.”

  “So you don’t want to fly in the forests and gardens? Maybe find other crows?” Alice suggested.

  “Never,” the crow replied in a noble voice. Alice and Marissa turned
to each other and shrugged. No one could be forced to be free. Or maybe choosing to stay at his post forever was freedom too.

  “And would you be able to tell us something about dragons? Do they exist, or are they only in fairy tales?” Marissa asked.

  The crow cocked his head in thought.

  “Yes, there are still dragons,” he said slowly. “But I don’t know where.”

  * * *

  —

  Alice and Marissa were able to take one small rowboat from the amusement park’s river ride. As they pushed the boat into the sea and looked back for the last time at the island, they saw the animals and carousel horses making merry—riding the roller coaster, eating cotton candy, and blowing up balloons.

  “The amusement park doesn’t look abandoned at all anymore,” Marissa said.

  “Not at all. It looks like it’s been quite rediscovered,” Alice said.

  And so the girls set off rowing, even though they had no clue where they should steer. Suddenly a light breeze blew from the northwest, and on it came the slightest hint of smoke, as if someone were burning a campfire far away.

  They closed their eyes and sniffed the air carefully.

  “Smoke…,” Marissa said thoughtfully.

  “And where there’s smoke, there’s…,” Alice said, and Marissa joined in: “Fire!”

  “Could that mean dragons? They shoot fire,” Marissa said.

  “I guess we’ll find out when we get there,” Alice replied.

  As they rowed, the smell of smoke gradually increased, and then they spotted thin gray wisps. Soon the smoke rolled over the girls like a thick fog. They covered their mouths with wet cloth and breathed through it, but still their lungs burned. Their eyes stung so much that they watered constantly.

  “I don’t know how long I can stand this,” Marissa croaked.

  “Just a little farther. I have a feeling we’re almost somewhere,” Alice responded.

  Finally, the wall of smoke was so thick that Alice and Marissa couldn’t see in front of them. They held each other tightly by the hand, rowing with their other hands and pushing through the smoke, hunched over. Then the boat ran ashore. Climbing out, the girls pulled it out of the reach of the waves. They groped their way forward, crouching and with their eyes closed, trying to breathe as little as possible. Then they found that it was easier to breathe and the air felt fresher. The girls opened their eyes and saw that they had reached the other side of the wall of smoke. Before them was the most unique island they had ever seen.

  The island really was full of dragons. Big and small, beautiful and terrible, in all colors. There were stately, slender silver dragons. There were purple dragons and frightening monsters reminiscent of winged dinosaurs. Alice and Marissa had never seen so many different creatures anywhere, but all were still recognizable as dragons in one way or another.

  In addition, the island was full of different kinds of chili plants, large and small. Red and green chilies grew side by side with yellow ones, and there were also spotted and striped chilies, which the girls had never seen in their own world.

  Along with the dragons and the chilies, there were mountains of jewels, trinkets, charms, and coins. It was as if every dragon treasure hoard ever imagined was right here.

  Everything was bright, shining, and colorful. Great, multicolored lanterns and crystal chandeliers hung from the branches of the trees. This was good because no sunlight reached the island. The wall of smoke surrounded the island not only on the sides but above as well. Actually, the smoke above the island looked even thicker and more impenetrable. Smoke surrounded the island like a dome, but on the island itself, the air was clear and clean and they could breathe easily.

  However, the strangest thing was that all the dragons were shackled with thick golden chains to a rock at the center of the island. And they didn’t seem to care in the slightest. Contentedly they ate their chili peppers, admiring their treasures and occasionally blowing more smoke into the wall. At first none of them seemed to notice Alice and Marissa’s arrival.

  “Hello,” Alice said tentatively, but it had no effect.

  “Hey!” Marissa shouted as loudly as she could, and finally one of the dragons, a red-scaled creature slow with age, lazily turned her head toward them.

  “Now, what tender little meatballs do we have here?” the dragon asked as she dragged herself over to the girls with much tinkling of her chains.

  Her breath was hot and smelled of smoke.

  “We aren’t food,” Alice said, shrinking away slightly.

  “Don’t be afraid. Old Ai-La doesn’t want to wear down her teeth on the likes of you. And no one else here does either. Why would they, when we grow the best chilies in the world? They are sufficient for our needs,” the dragon said with a hoarse laugh.

  “Is this all you do with your days?” Marissa asked, looking at the other dragons, who caressed the treasures or slept on them, munching chilies and idly puffing smoke from their nostrils.

  “What do you mean, my little morsel?” Ai-La asked. “This is our job. Queen Lili gave us this island and all this treasure because we do our assigned work.”

  “And what is your work exactly?” Alice asked.

  “We keep the White Palace hidden,” Ai-La said proudly. “Queen Lili’s palace floats above this island, but no one can see it because the veil of smoke conceals it. We protect our queen.”

  “Then why does she hold you in chains? Does she keep you as slaves?” Marissa asked.

  Ai-La looked in confusion at the chain on her ankle, as if seeing it for the first time.

  “These are our jewelry. Queen Lili loves us so much that she gave us these beautiful golden bracelets.”

  Alice could see that Marissa was growing angry. Red splotches began to appear on her cheeks.

  “She’s keeping you prisoner! She’s chained you up so you can’t fly!”

  Ai-La cocked her head in amazement. The curls of smoke rising from the dragon’s nostrils were like question marks.

  “Fly? What is flying?” the red dragon asked. Alice and Marissa looked at each other in shock.

  “Flying is what dragons are made to do,” Alice said. “Flying is freedom. If you can get the others to listen to us for a moment, we’ll tell you all about flying.”

  Ai-La convinced all the dragons on the island to gather in a circle around the girls to listen. Their eyes glowed golden, green, purple, and as black as lava rock as they stared at Alice in amazement while she attempted to describe how an air current felt under a wing.

  It wasn’t easy to explain flying to creatures who had forgotten it or had never even known what it was. The task was more difficult because Alice and Marissa were just two normal, flightless girls.

  The dragons spread their wings and flared their smoking nostrils, snorting in disbelief.

  “Watch. I’ll draw!” Marissa finally said in desperation.

  Grabbing a stick off the ground, she began to draw a flying dragon on the sand. She drew so well that even Alice felt like a winged dragon as she looked at the picture. She tasted the freedom. She saw the shining sea and green forests far below. She sped through fog and clouds.

  And apparently the dragons felt the same sensations.

  They began to shift uneasily and cast glances at each other.

  “I…,” old Ai-La finally said. “I remember. I believed it was only a dream, but it wasn’t. I have flown. And it was the best thing in the world.”

  She opened her great scaled wings, took a few running steps, and rose into the air—but only to crash back down to earth when the chain came tight. Ai-La looked thunderstruck.

  “We MUST fly. We are dragons. We have to get rid of these,” she said, jangling her golden chain and scratching at her ankle shackle.

  “But the queen gave these to us to make us beautiful!” the oth
er dragons said.

  They didn’t sound convinced anymore, though. Ai-La lifted her head proudly and straightened to her full dragon height. It was an impressive sight.

  “The time has come to throw off our chains,” she proclaimed.

  “How?” a small blue dragon asked.

  Marissa had gone to inspect Ai-La’s ankle chain. She tried the key they’d found on Heart Island, but it didn’t fit. Then she tried the key she’d used to enter the Garden of Secrets. It didn’t fit either.

  “Alice! Your key!” Marissa exclaimed.

  So Alice tried her own key. At first it seemed to work. It went into the lock, but then something caught. It wouldn’t go in all the way. It wasn’t right either. Discouraged, the girls tried all three keys on each dragon’s chain, but to no avail. Finally, they had to give up.

  “This can’t go on like this!” Alice exclaimed.

  The dragons all lay down. The spark that had kindled in their eyes just minutes earlier went out. They weren’t even disappointed or angry. They mostly seemed apathetic. That made Alice the most sad of all.

  “Don’t give up,” she said.

  “If dragons were meant to fly, then we would fly,” a green dragon said with a sigh. “It just isn’t our place. Our place is to wear these beautiful chains and protect the queen’s palace.”

  Alice shook her head, but she didn’t know what to say.

  “These are just lost dreams, distant fantasies…,” Ai-La said, and lowered her head heavily to the ground.

  * * *

  —

  The day had been long and exhausting, so Alice and Marissa fell asleep almost immediately when they lay down next to the dragons. However, after a few hours, Alice awoke to something pressing into her back. It was her key, the one she’d used to open the garden gate. Alice was just about to toss it away in anger, since it had proved useless on Dragon Island, but something held her back. She stroked the key as she thought. It bothered her that the key almost fit in the locks on the dragons’ chains.

  Right now, she needed Shadow Alice because she wanted to ask what to do. They were so close to the queen’s palace, but it was still out of reach. They needed a flying dragon, who could carry them through the wall of smoke. But how could they get the chains off? Alice felt herself choking up with loneliness.