Within the Pages

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

I wake up slowly, disoriented at first before I remember what is going on. I quickly summon new clothes onto myself. I jump out of bed to the door and yank it open. I'm surprised to see Goldie outside the room, sleeping in an old wooden rocking chair.

Not wanting to wake her up I close the door slowly and head outside as slowly as I can. The guards stand at the entrance of the castle as if it hadn't almost been destroyed just a couple hours ago. They not at me. When I reach the clearing I summon up a portal and jump through it.

The impact of hitting the grass is painful as I fall into it. I groan and slowly get up to view my surroundings. Just as I get to my feet I am knocked down again as Goldilocks falls on top of me. My head bumps into the ground. Not hard enough for me to get knocked out but hard enough for it to hurt a bit.

"Oh sorry!" Goldilocks blurts out as she rolls off of me.

"Uhhhhhh" That kinda hurt. "Why are you here anyways?" I ask, a bit of rudeness in my voice from the pain.

"I wasn't going to let you go alone. Why would you even leave me in that place?" She seems genuinely hurt.

"Well that place is the safest place for you to be in. There are no more witches. The road and Emerald City is safe. You already risked a lot to come with me here. I won't let you risk anymore." That's part of the reason. The other part is that 48 hours I have that Death gave me. I need to be quick and she might slow me down.

"Well Jack I am not leaving." She crosses her arms like I've seen so many stubborn girls at my school do. "Also you can't make me leave. I saw how much power it was to teleport the witches to you and that was in the same world. And just a short while ago you made a portal for us to get here. That must have drained you and I'm sure that since you don't have the protection that you did in Oz you will want to keep a bit of power to protect yourself. Am I wrong?" She casts me that smug look that tells me she knows that she is right. Also something I've seen from girls in my school.

I really don't want to admit that she is right with that cocky attitude of hers. "You know, I've changed my mind. Having you along might help keep me from dying of boredom walking out here by myself. Of course just as I say that the ground starts to shake. A loud crash echoes out. Followed by another one a second later and another.

"You just had to say something, didn't you Jack?" Goldilocks comments.

"Be quiet and run!" A shout over to her as I turn and run the other way. Heading through the forest trying not to make too much of a sound while also trying to run as fast as I can, turning my head every couple of second to make sure Goldilocks is still behind me.

The sounds get closer and closer no matter how fast we run. Almost like it's a creature following us instead of an earthquake. We run and run. Even when I'm gasping for breath I still try to run. I look back after a few seconds and see the Goldilocks has fallen over a log and her leg is stuck in a bundle of twigs. Of course. Typical book or movie scene. Character falls and gets stuck in a bundle of twigs.

I hesitate going back for her. I could get away and whatever is chasing us would get her. I might be able to escape. The thoughts only flash in my mind for a moment before I'm rushing back to try to untangle Goldilocks' leg. The thump comes closer and a gigantic leg comes out of the forest landing right next to us and stops.