Jack and Smiles

The book of Adventure

One fall day at the old library on Circus St. there was a little boy hanging around. He did his normal after school activity of searching the old brown bookshelves in the old building. The paint on the wall was peeling off in random spots from when the library was busy with younger kids being the energetic beings they are. The little boy walked up to the front counter where an older lady known as Miss Thompson or as the local children call her the wicked witch with the cursed books. “Ma’am?” The little boy asked politely. “Yes Jack dear?” Miss Thompson asked. “Do you have any books that can take me on an adventure?” He asked, looking to read a new book. “Why yes I do, Let me retrieve it from the back room.” Miss Thompson trudged towards the backroom to retrieve the book that Jack requested. “Here it is dear.” Miss Tompson said as she handed the book towards him. “Thank you Ma'am,” Jack said as he took the book. “No problem dear, How is your mother doing?” Miss Thompson asked. “She is doing good I guess, I miss her though she is hardly home anymore because of her two jobs.” He answers back to Miss Thompson's question. “Well it's getting late and I don't want to keep you from your new book.” Miss Thompson said to Jack. He nodded his head and excitedly made his way to his empty home to start his new book. Miss Thompson waved at his residing form even if he couldn't see it. Jack returned to his faded blue house that stood at the end of the cul de sac he called home. He entered the house and flicked the lights on. He entered the kitchen to see a note on the table. He read the note, “Hey Jack, I'm sorry that I won't be home for dinner again. There are leftovers in the fridge. I won't be home until late tonight. - Love Mom” He sighed and set the note down. He retrieved some leftover meatloaf from the fridge and heated it up. He sat down and started to examine the cover of the book. The back of the book was dusty and if it sat and rotted anymore it would have fallen apart. The boy read the back of the book. “ Reading this book will make you feel as if you were the main character on an extravagant adventure. Journey through a land that mirrors your land but with a twist.” The boy was startled out of reading from a beep that signified that his meal was done. He retrieved his meal and finished it quickly now more intrigued to read the new book. Jack quickly rinsed his plate and grabbed the book. He sped up the stairs and to the end of the hall where his room was located. He opened the door and almost immediately launched himself on to his bed. He leaned against his pillows and bed frame and opened the book. He read the first ten chapters and he was intrigued, The book talked about a bout who woke up in a forest and he met good fairies who played with him. He was getting tired so he went to put the book down.The book began to glow on the page he left off on. He raised an eyebrow questionably as he reached for the book again. He picked it up and cautiously opened the book to the glowing page. He looked at the page and realized it was blank. He stared at the book longer and then decided to brush the light off as the glare from his bedside lamp. Before he closed the book all the way he saw something form in the corner of his eye. He opened the book again and watched both stunned and scared that words were forming right in front of his eyes. He read the words when they finished writing. “Hello dear reader, You got this book because you wanted an adventure right?” Jack read. He thought for a moment and decided to answer the mysterious book. “Yes?” He asked more than stated. Jack started to feel dizzy and before he knew it he was surrounded by darkness. Jack didn't know how long he was out but when he came to he found himself in the woods. He looked around and saw a tree with a shape carved into it. He walked towards the tree and ran his hand over the carving slowly. He felt like a wave hit him as he remembered how this
carving came to be. A little boy was in the woods all alone when he met a being that was hiding in the shadows. “Hello?” Little Jack said, confused at the strange creature. “Im Smiles, What are you doing all alone?” Smiles asked the little boy. “I don't have any friends.” He said sadly. “I can be your friend.” Smiles said to Jack. Smiles and Jack hung out any chance that he had to get out of the house. One day Smiles decided to carve the initials into the tree they meet by. Jack agreed. So they carved a smiley face on the tree and put J and S on it. He went to the tree the next day but Smiles wasn't there. Jack came out of his memory and looked at the tree one more time then he saw something glowing behind the tree. He walked towards the mysterious floating object that is illuminating a light blue color. Jack was intrigued by the hypnotizing orb that he started to walk towards it. He was just about to touch it when it vanished and reappeared farther away from him. Jack kept chasing after the glowing orb and each time it vanished it would come back a different color. He found himself far away from the tree and instead he was standing in a large opening with a large tree that looked like it came straight out of a fairytale. He walked towards the tree as he looked it over. The leaves were pink and they had strange string like tendrils with glowing white dots hanging and entwining together. The glowing dots looked like stars and the pink leaves looked like a sky forever stuck in a sunset. He saw a bunch of smaller glowing dots similar to the ones he followed. He walked towards them and they all started to close in on him. He got confused and scared, he saw what the glowing orbs were. A bunch of fairies flew towards him. He got scared because of the tails he read with flesh eating fairies. They started to touch him and then he fell down in laughter, the fairies were tickling him.  He had fun and played with them for hours. He realized that it was getting late and said goodbye to the fairies. He made his way through the woods and when he got to his tree he looked at the carving again but it had something carved under it. Jack read, “I will return”. He was confused but he left the tree to get home before his mom did. Jack reached his home but something was off; He couldn't pinpoint it though so he just went inside. He was in the kitchen so he glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 10 pm. He was confused because his mom would be home by now. He went up to his room hoping that his mom just got a later shift. He went into his room and was about to change into pjs when he saw a light coming from his closet. Jack went to the closet confused knowing there was no light in there. He opened the closet and instead of seeing his clothes he saw an entrance to a tunnel. He went to his desk and grabbed his flashlight and entered the tunnel. At first the walls were made of rock and it was dripping water. He heard nothing but the “Drip Drop” from the water and the light crunch coming from his footsteps. He walked for a few minutes when he came up to a larger tunnel with large crystals coming out of the walls and ceiling. They illuminated the tunnel as Jack kept walking farther into the earth. He made it to the end of the tunnel not long after. He entered a large cavern with a giant Big-Top. Jack was once again confused at the sight of a circus tent underground. He went closer and saw a sign that said, “Smiles the clown’s Big-Top”. He couldn't believe that his best friend could be here and he would get to see him again. Jack ran to the entrance of the tent in hopes of getting inside when he was stopped. “Hey kid you can't go in there without a ticket !” a person with deathly pale skin and black hair said. He looked over at the man and looked down sadly. “I don't have a ticket, I guess I won't be seeing my best friend anymore.” Jack said sadly as he began to walk away from the tent. “Hey Kid!” an overly cheerful voice called to the boy. Jack looked back to the familiar voice and saw his best friend Smiles the clown. “Smiles!” He said happily as he ran towards the large clown and almost tackled him in a hug. Smiles hugged him and then set him down. “Follow me old friend.” Smiles said to Jack. He followed Smiles into the tent and looked around. Jack saw lots of people and they had similar pale skin to the ticket man. The tent was large in size. It's a mystery how it managed to be squeezed down the small tunnels he used to get here. The tent had red and yellow stripes and they looked slightly faded from age. Jack got a good look at smiles as they walked through the tent. Smiles was about 6’3” tall and he had dandelion white skin. He wore a red jumpsuit with yellow dots and stripes. His outfit was also faded but it looked just like it did when Jack first met Smiles. Jack was so lost in thought that he bumped into Smiles back. “Sorry” He said as he looked up at Smiles. Smiles looked at Jack and smiled a wide grin that would scare any child if they haven't seen it before. He got a little scared at the smile that he saw due to not seeing it in a while. “It's ok Jack, we are here.” Smiles said as Jack looked around. He saw that he was at the center of the Big-Top. The seats were all filled with excited children. What they were excited about was a mystery for him. “Ok kids, this is Jack and he is going to be joining us soon.” Smiles said as his already wide grin grew even wider. Jack grew scared because he noticed the grin Smiles gave the audience that held absolute hunger in it. He also noticed that the kids all around him weren't scared and they were too pale to be human. Jack Looked back to Smiles and saw him staring back at him. He watched as the clown's long forked tongue came out of the corner of his mouth and licked it's lips. Drool was almost pouring out of his mouth like a broken faucet. Jack stepped back in fear as Smiles inched closer to Him. Smiles lunged at The boy and he dogged. Jack ran back the way he came out of the tent. He was grabbed by a cold pale hand. He saw the ticket man holding tightly to his wrist. Jack got even more scared when he could see Smiles skipping towards him and all he heard was the laughter of pure insanity coming from Smiles. He grabbed the flashlight he had out of his hoodie pocket. He turned it on and pointed it at the ticket man's eyes. The man released him and covered his eyes. Jack began to run again and he made it to the pretty tunnel with the big crystals. He saw the crystals and instead of the pretty blue and purple hues that they glowed before they were a dark crimson red. Jack ignored the crystals and just kept running. He made it to the first tunnel and instead of water dripping from the walls there was blood. He felt a drop on his shoulder and shuddered knowing what was on him. He ran out of the tunnel and into his room and saw that the walls were turning into ash and vanishing. Jack heard insane laughter behind him and ran. He ran through his house to the back door. He made it outside and to the edge of the woods. He saw the light blue orbs and began to follow them. The orbs led him through the woods all the way to the tree where all of this started. There were three fairies floating around the tree. He ran up to the tree and there was another note carved into the tree. Jack read the note, “ Wipe that frown off your face.” He was confused and then he heard Smiles behind him. He started to panic. The smile looked like a frown and Jack knew what he had to do. He reached into a knot on the tree and pulled out a pocket knife. He opened the slightly rusted knife and brought the blade to the carving. He heard running and he saw Smiles coming at him and he started to quickly carve at the  tree and he heard Smiles yelp in pain. Smiles quickened his pace and so did Jack. Smiles was about to pounce on the poor innocent boy when Smiles froze where he was. Jack sighed in relief. He carved the smile up enough to hardly be recognized and he looked at Smiles. Smiles was turning into ash and he watched as Smiles vanished. Jack blacked out. He woke up in a hospital bed. He was confused. The next thing he knew was that he was being hugged by a crying figure that he soon recognized as his mom. “M-om w-what Hap-pend?” He asked in a scratchy voice like he had not used it in a while. “Oh sweetie i'm so sorry, You were in a house fire.” Jack's mom said as she cried into her son's shoulder. He was even more confused. Everything was fine when he went home after he got the book. His mom continued, “Jack, the house caught ablaze and you were in the house. Due to lack of oxygen you passed out and fell into a coma.” Jack was shocked but he had to know. “H-ow lo-ng w-as I ou-t?” He asked his mother as she went silent for a second, “You were out for an entire year and the doctors were just about to give up on you.” Jack was lost but he decided that as long as he was alive and in his mother's arms than everything was fine.