𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝙸𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎 ✍︎ 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙱𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚢

𝚆𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙻𝙻 ✍︎ 10

The triplets ran as far as they could away from the gingerbread house, this time keeping up a faster pace than before. They had had their first dangerous fairy tale world encounter, and weren't in any hurry for their next.

But, Conner being Conner, he finally had to shout out. "Guys! I've got to sit down! I feel like my legs are going to fall off!"

"Conner, we have to keep going!" Alex begged. "It's already noon, and Froggy said we need to cross into the Corner Kingdom before nightfall!"

"Easy for him to say - he has frog legs!" Conner protested, panting.

"Let's just stop for a couple of minutes?" Anna suggested.

Alex was hesitant. Then, finally, she gave in, saying. "Alright, but let's find someplace safe."

They continued walking a little further until they found a cool opening between some trees. Conner found a fallen tree to sit on and catch his breath.

Anna took this moment to look around the forest, seeing nothing but shades of green around her. They were alone.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Alex asked her. "All of this has been at our fingertips the whole time, and we never even knew."

Anna smiled slightly. "It is pretty cool."

They took a seat next to Conner, both grinning.

"What d'you think dad and grandma would make of all of this?" Anna asked curiously, more pointedly at Alex. "What d'you think they would say if they knew that all of this was actually real?"

"From the way they always talked about fairy tales, you'd think they did," Conner chimed in, answering her more than Alex did. Neither could help but smile at the thought.

"I have a thousand reasons why I wish dad was still alive," Alex sighed to herself. "But now I wish it more than ever, just so we could bring him back and show all of this to him and grandma."

"We have to get back first," Conner pointed out. "And while we're on that subject, I think we should take a look at that journal. The sooner we read it, the sooner we can get back home."

"I know," Alex said dismissively. "But we should at least see a castle or a palace first!"

"I think we should 'just see' a portal back home," Conner rolled his eyes. "You can't have everything, Alex!"

"Come on, Conner!" Anna protested, punching her brother playfully in the arm. "Think what dad and grandma would say if they found out we wound up here and didn't even experience that!"

"Anna, we barely just escaped being a witch's dessert," Conner said seriously. "We can't waste any more time-"

A twig snapped behind them. The triplets froze then ducked behind the fallen tree, hidden from view.

A cream coloured horse was slowly travelling into the clearing. They had ducked just in time, it seemed, as it had a rider. A woman, who the triplets got a clear view of as she moved into their view.

She was young and very beautiful. Her eyes were big and blue, her hair half up; what was down flowing in golden blonde waves down her back. She wore a long, maroon knit coat, black leggings and very tall boots.

"Easy, Porridge," the woman said to the horse as they entered the clearing. Must be the horse's name, Anna thought. "That's a good girl, nice and slow."

She hopped down from the horse and made her way to a tree. A tree with something pinned against it. After closer inspection, Anna saw that it was a WANTED poster for Goldilocks, like the one she had seen the day prior.