3 Simple Steps

TWO: You Must Know That I Require Clothing

  After changing into my favorite oversized shirt for bed, I snuggled into bed. Admittedly, I didn’t wear any pants. Why should I? It was comfortable, and the shirt fell all the way to my knees, anyways.

As soon as I confirmed that I was cozy enough, I picked up the “treasure” book. It was gold with black trim. The pages were tinted a slight gold, too. Not from age, but just from paint.

After cleaning the book, I had been startled to discover that the pages were in perfect condition. Not smudged or anything. Maybe the book had only been buried for a few days…but it sure looked old.

I ended up piling a million pillows behind me to get extra comfortable and finally opened it. The tome opened with a nice, crisp sound like a newly bought book.

The first page said: "For my beloved friend, X, who taught me that magic, can be life-changing." I smiled and flipped to the next page. In large, bold letters that filled up half the page it read:

Step 1 to having an adventure: Make up a character. Describe them with as much detail as you can. (Include name)

I quickly accessed a pencil and scribbled at the bottom of the page where there were blank lines. This was a journal book! How fun! I ended up writing:

A boy with floppy brown hair with a bit of caramel mixed in. Sea-blue eyes that change to green in sunlight, and are blue in the dark. (Very wide and gorgeous). Curvy lips that tend to be in a smirk. Gold-tan skin that looks like he goes out in the sun a lot. Handsome. His name: Castel Simons. His flaws: Cocky. Teases. Big Flirt. Very self-doubting. Wears too many hoodies. Beast features: Smart. gets good grades. popular. Plays guitar and drums. He is of Greek background. He is 17-years-old. Height: 5'9'' Birthday: January 14th

I finished, satisfied with myself for being so detailed about this character. I flipped to the next page to continue my journey.

Step 2:  Show your character their new home. Make them feel welcomed. Enjoy them.

Confused, I turned to the next page only to find it even more confusing:

Step 3: Record your adventures on the following pages. Once you feel you're done, tape a photo of your character on the last page and say goodbye to them. They will be taken out of your world.

I was befuddled beyond anything else now. Looking for answers, I thumbed through the next few pages but found them blank. I'd have to buy a black light tomorrow and see if it was written in invisible ink. Yawning, I set the book down on my night stand and settled into my bed. I dozed off immediately

***

  "Um, I need clothes. Where are my clothes?" A silky, thick boy voice murmured into my ear.

Without opening my eyes, I waved the person away. Who dared wake me from my slumber before my alarm went off for school?

“Xavier,” I mumbled. It was probably my brother being an idiot. Definitely deserved a punch in the face, “Go away. I’m trying to sleep.”

“Last time I checked, my name wasn’t ‘Xavier’,” the voice replied.

Opening one eye, my bleary brain registered the fact that that wasn’t my brother’s voice. There was a boy standing in front of me, yes. But that wasn’t my sibling. So…who was it? I rubbed my eyes wearily, too tired to panic about a stranger being in my room. But as soon as my vision cleared, and I saw the sight in front of me with 20/20 vision, I jumped three feet in the air.

"AH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" I threw the golden book on the nightstand at him, flailing my arms around, rushing towards the door.

The boy who had been leaning over me blinked his eyes bewildered, his thick lashes casting shadows on his cheekbones. He caught the book easily. It had been a horrible aim and throw, anyways.