Short Stories

Adventuring with Fiction

650 words- written for school

"You see the problem," I continued, trying to whisper and be heard over the trombones at the same time, "is that while I love Beth, she just won't shut up! It's impossible to get any sleep!"

"What about Cath? Couldn't you stay in her room?" Róisín asked.

"Ha!" I laughed before taking a quick glance at the conductor. "As if she'd let me stay with her! And you'd have to pay me in nose plugs to stay in Joe's room."

I paused, bringing my flute to my lips. As much as I disliked 'Heart and soul' because it was boring to play, the copious amount of rests were great for talking. We came in right on time, despite our insistent chatter. I was very careful not to catch Róisín's eye, otherwise we'd both start giggling.

We finished 'Heart and Soul' and packed up. I arrived home with mom and had just set foot inside when dad came up to me.

"We have a surprise for you," he said.

I glanced curiously at mom but she too was grinning in that maniac way that dad was.

"Okay," I replied cautiously.

They led me down the hall and turned so I was facing my bedroom door.

"We managed to get the room done!" dad announced.

I grinned ecstatically. My room had been in the process of repainting and rearranging for the last few weeks and I hadn't been allowed in, for it was meant to be a surprise.

"Well, what are you waiting for Morgan?" mom asked me, breaking the silence. "Open it."

With no hesitation, I pushed it open and sucked in a sharp breath. It was better than I expected. The walls were light green and the furniture a creamy-white. On the wall, the one with no furniture, were photos. Hundreds of pictures that I had taken after getting interested in photography a while ago.

"What do you think Mo?" dad asked, an edge to his voice; mom was behind him looking hopeful.

"I think you've outdone yourselves."

***

That night I woke to an incessant tapping on my window. I went over and pulled back the curtain. I nearly had a heart attack for there, kneeling on my windowsill, almost hugging my window, was a girl. she beckoned for me to open the window and I did so, reluctantly. I don't know what made me do it, I've never been someone who'd open my window to a stranger, but something about her was familiar.

"Thanks so much!" she exclaimed as soon as she had climbed into my room. "That's the first time I've sucessfully managed to PageJump."

"Wait what? Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm Camilla Moore. You are Morgan Browne, right? You're my favourite character."

"you know those times where answering the question leads to more questions because the answers were too confusing? This is one of those times."

"I've been learning how to PageJump, you know, where you jump into books. I've jumped into my favourite book. You're my favourite character."

"Right," I said, thinking that the girl must be pranking me or something. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Camilla Moore," she answering immeadiately.

"As in," I paused before rushing to my bookshelf and pulling out my favourite book, "my favourite character?"

"I'm a book character?" she screeched.

I shushed her before nodding.

***

We ended up going out to the all-night shop and buying sparklers going to the playground to light them. We had a lot of ,laughs and generally had a lot of fun. It was the most amazing experience. Hanging out with your favourite character in the middle of the night. Just as Camilla was walking me home, I asked the question preying on my mind.

"How come you wanted to visit me?"

"I wanted to have a day- or night- adventuring with my favourite character before she..." Camilla trailed off.

"Before I what?" I persisted.

"Never mind."

"But I do mind."

Camilla wouldn't meet my eyes as she answered.

"Before you died."