Within the Pages

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

I wake up disoriented. I try moving to sit up but my head is spinning and I fall back down again. I decide to just lay there and try to take in my surroundings. Everything is blurry at first but then I start to see the familiar rows of bookshelves.

"Oh no!" I groan. I'm back home. How did I get here. I wished to be back home. Maybe if I wish I was back beside my dad I would be back. I close my eyes and voice out loud. "I wish I was back beside my dad in Oz."

Slowly I open my eyes and I see......the same old bookshelves. "Ughhhh. Why isn't this working!" I yell out, hearing the echos of my frustration going throughout the bookstore. If I can't get in through this way, I'll have to go in another way. Like I went in the first way. Through the books.

I make my way through the shelves to my grandfather's office. The door is slightly ajar. "Grandpa?" I call out as I slowly open the door, not wanting to frighten him if he's in there. "Are you in here?" I push the door wide open. All I see in the room are the out of place forbidden books. One of the books is wide open. When I see the title on the spine of the book I almost step back in surprise. The book isn't Little Red Riding Hood. It's Alice in Wonderland. I have no idea how that book got down there but now I have to find the Wizard of Oz book without touching the others.

I walk around to try to see the title of the books that are unfortunately laying again the shelf on the ground in a way that I can't see the titles without moving them. The only books I can see are Alice in Wonderland and the last book leaning against the others, Jack and the Beanstalk.

Should I just go into Wonderland or Jack and the Beanstalk? Or touch a book at random and hope it's Oz.

Touching a random book is tempting. I mean, there are two books I see already. So out of eight books I need to pick the Wizard of Oz one. That's a 12.5% chance. Not too bad.

I look around the room, stalling. Maybe I should leave a note for my grandfather letting him know that I'm alright. I can't wait for long to see if he is going to come back.

I head over to his desk and grab a notepad and a pen and quickly write the following note:

Hey Gramps. It's Charlie. I ventured into the books and actually found my dad.. I somehow got sent back here and now I am going back into the books to find my dad and my newfound friends again. I am safe, don't worry. I'll bring both of my parents back. Bye, Charlie.

I put the pen and notepad back on the desk, tearing out the paper with the note on it. I grab some tape lying in the second drawer of his desk and tape the note on the outside of the door so he can see it right away when he comes back here.

Now I think I should get some stuff ready for the trip. Last time I wasn't prepared, this time I will be. If I can bring all the books with me, I'll be able to get to any book I choose. I leave the office and go to our supply room to take out our huge gloves we use for the huge snow pile ups in the winter. Hopefully if the books take magic to use, they won't be able to be activated through the gloves. I also grab my book bag I used for school last year before it was called ugly and I got a new one.

Putting the gloves on, I walk back into my grandfather's office. Slowly and hesitantly I read out to move the Alice in Wonderland book. At first I just poke at it quickly. Nothing happens. I place my whole hand on it and quickly take it away. Nothing happens. I wrap my hand around it. Nothing happens. The gloves work. I slowly put Alice in Wonderland into the bag.

Next I grab Jack and the Beanstalk and put it in the bag. The book after that is Hansel and Gretel. I find myself remembering how aggressive my dad was with the witch. I guess I would be a bit aggressive if I had kids too. I put the book into the bag. I continue doing the same thing with the rest of the books. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Oliver Twist. The book after those ones is The Wizard of Oz. I leave that one out to the side. Then it is Little Red Riding Hood and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.

I take the gloves off and put them in the bag, careful not to touch any of the books and put it over my shoulders. Turning back to The Wizard of Oz, I go to grab it. Half an inch away from it I stop. If I go inside it, the book would be left here. Actually that's a good idea. I'm sure I won't need the book when I go into it. I continue to go and touch it and the portal opens up swallowing me up into into the book again. Boy I'm almost getting used to this.   

A/N: Slight detour haha. Charlie getting used to his powers is taking a bit of time.