Pulled inside

Chapter two-

Chapter two--

The morning after was a Saturday so I just lay in bed for as long as possible, trying to avoid going downstairs where I knew my father would be. I pulled out my book and carried on reading, letting all my tears just fall around it's pages, careful not to get the book itself wet. I turned the page and felt my heart leap involuntarily as one of my tears fell and splashed onto the writing, leaving a small patch of damp. I held the page slightly aloft, studying the spot. As I stared I started to notice.... Shapes. I pulled it to my eye and felt it open wide as I saw the young boy himself, sword held high above his head as he gazed out across the hills. I could see every detail; the curls in his dark hair, the silvery shine on his cheeks caused by his fierce dilemma, the golden ring on his little finger.

My mouth curved into a slight smile as I watched him cry, just trying to look brave as he held the blade into the sky. I cast a glance around the room and, once I was sure nobody was around, looked even closer. The boy, Cameron, stared across Dagmoore, his jaw set in a steady line. But beneath the surface I knew he was terrified, still fighting his inner battle. I bit my lip and slowly raised my finger to the page. I didn't know why, but I felt that I had to touch the page.

It was warm to my fingertip as I brushed it against the paper. I held my breath as I wiped some of the water off, and it clung to my finger. I rubbed it onto my jacket and then held my finger just above the page once more, still longing to touch it. With one last quick glance around, I pressed my finger to the damp page.

All of a sudden my head spun and I felt as though my hand, then my arm, then my whole body, was falling, tumbling through the paper. My stomach lurched as I felt myself fly downwards and the air whoosh around me as I fell. The air seemed different but I couldn't see anything to tell; my mind had no idea of what was going on.

After what seemed like an age of falling(like Alice)I slammed to the ground with a thud. The wind flew out of me and my head smacked against the ground. I lay there for a few moments, panting and wheezing, then sat up slowly. I pressed a palm to my head and groaned as I looked around. I found myself to be laying on a wide grassy meadow, the morning dew soaking through my pyjama shorts and spreading the freezing cold across my legs. I clambered to my feet, spreading my toes against the wet grass. My breath caught in my throat at what I saw.

The grassy meadow opened out into miles of hills all around me, scattered with wildflowers. The sky hung over the scene, cool and blue, and the sun was bordered by two of the huge hills, it's light just beginning to spread across the land.  A few sheep grazed sleepily on the slopes, their heads bent steeply down to access the grass. I rubbed my eyes a little and turned to face the shock of my life.

Cameron stood before me, head hanging and sword dragging on the floor. He hadn't seen me yet as his eyes were closed, but I could imagine what his reaction would be when he did. "Um...Hello." I muttered, and his eyes snapped open. As soon as Cameron saw me he shrieked and leapt back about a foot in surprise. I stumbled to my feet, my shorts clinging to my legs from the dew, and raised my hands in what I thought was a non-threatening gesture. "H-hi!" I exclaimed, flashing a cautious smile at him. He stared at e, eyes wide as saucers, before answering.

"Greetings." he said warily, and I saw how his fingers clutched his sword. "Who are you?" I gazed at him, at his little terrified face, and grinned. "I'm Skyler Tiffany. I...I don't really know where I am or... what's happening. Can you help me?" Cameron studied me carefully then smiled back at me. "Of course. I must always help a lady." he explained, and with that he wrapped his velvety cloak round my shivering shoulders and we set off due east.

"This is Dagmoore," he told me as we walked, "It is my home land. We are headed to Gradnor, the great town in which I was born and raised. There I will take you to visit the queen; you're obviously not from around these parts and I think you need some new clothes..." I flushed furiously but nodded, holding the cloak tight round my shoulders and trying to ignore the feel of the freezing grass on the soles of my feet. The cold bit into my skin and as the sun rose Cameron seemed to notice my discomfort."We're not far now," he reassured me, "Just a few minutes." I smiled a grateful, shaky smile and just kept following him.