Once Upon A Fairy Tale

Chapter 1. The Book of Secrets

                  My father used to always read me fairy tales, well before he died. He said that fairy tales opened up another world to him. My naive six year old self believed and listened to him. As time went by, things changed. Fairy tales were just figments of people's imagination--nothing more. The only thing I had left that reminded me of these fairy tales was a book. This book contained many "secrets" my father had told me. He said when I was old enough that these secrets would be clear to me, but only if I was patient and didn't open the book in my youth. I don't know why, since it was obviously just a book, that I haven't opened it yet. Perhaps, something inside of me wouldn't allow me to.

                 Maybe deep inside me somewhere, I believe in what my father told me. However, it's highly doubtful, how could they be real? The way my father told them and the way we read them in books were so different though. When he told them, it seemed more tragic, even if the ending was alike.  The only thing I knew was that he had read it from this special book. Somehow, this book, this ordinary book, was important. Even though I didn't want to believe it, I knew that it had to be true. This book was full of mysteries, and dangerous secrets.

               Let's stay on track for now though. It was very warm for a winter night, uncomfortably so. It felt as if all the heaters were on in my house. It was around midnight, yet I was still awake constantly trying to fall asleep. I don't know why, but whatever the reason, I already didn't like it. I had to be awake tomorrow, it was a school day and I had a test to pass. The temperature seemed to be rising and I could feel sweat on my neck.  Did I have a fever, or was it just the strange weather?

               I threw off my blanket feeling somewhat claustrophobic. It must have been around 80 degrees and the weird thing is, I could see the snow outside. It was so hot that I couldn't take it anymore, I had to open a window or something to stop the heat. I was just opening the latch on the window when I saw it.

              A light shined from my closet, a very bright light that I didn't know how I missed earlier. I cautiously walked towards it, staying alert for any signs of movement. I opened my closet door and reached for the top, where some sort of book lay, it was the thing that shined so brightly. Standing on my toes, I reached for the book on the shelf. When I touched it though, I felt an indescribably heat. It felt like there were fireworks were exploding in my hand.

             "Ow, what the hell?" I yelped. I lost my grip on the book and it fell on the hard wood floor. I could now see the cover, it was the book of fairy tales my father had left me. 

            I knelt down and opened it slowly, making sure I didn't touch the burning cover. The page I opened it to was the Little Red Riding Hood story. I touched the page and felt myself being pulled into the book. Screaming, I was dragged into the book.