When Fantasy Becomes Reality:The cursed realm

The Book

    'It's all Charles' fault,' Tara thought to herself furiously. 'It's all 'cus of him we're going to be stuck in the house all alone till late night.'

The others walked gloomily into the bedroom but instead of following them in, Tara strode forward and climbed up the stairs to the second floor and didn't stop walking until she reached her grandfather's room and locked the door. 

The room was almost completely bare except for the springy bed, a small table, Grandpa's antique closet and a beaming portrait of him on the wall. It had been almost over three years since their Grandfather's death, yet Tara never lost a chance to come up to his room, lie down and recall all those memories before her Grandfather had been taken ill and been diagnosed with a germ in his leg. He had passed away months after that but still, the five children remembered all the different stories he had told them and joked about when they were little.

So Tara sat down with her back against the massive closet and buried her head in between her knees, listening to the raised voices coming from downstairs. The rain pattered against the window pane. She didn't know for how long she had been in there and neither did she care until there was a soft knock on the door and Trella's and Sophie's voices called through the keyhole.

'Tara, Mom and Dad have already left.'

'Please come and stay in the room with us.'

Tara blinked and looked up blearily, rubbing her eyes. 'Go away,' she muttered, squinting about in the dark of the room.

There was the sound of impatient rapping on the door again. 'Tara please. Let's all just watch a movie or something-.'

Tara groaned and let herself fall back onto the mattress. 'Ugh! I'll let only the two of you in but I'm warning you, you had better not disturb me.'

'Deal!'

'Just a minute,' she mumbled, getting to her feet. It was surprising to see how dark it had gotten. She probably must have dozed off. She got to her feet and looked around blindly, unable to make out anything. She groped about for the switch to turn on the light but tripped on the carpet and fell towards the closet, banging her head against it so violently, the cupboard swayed alarmingly and the door burst open.

Tara groaned and clutched her head, white spots dancing in front of her eyes and blurring her vision. She stumbled to her feet and banged a fist on the switch and immediately, a bright light lit up the room.

'Tara, are you okay?' Trella and Sophie called from outside the room, knocking on the door again.

'Yep,' Tara called back, 'Peachy.' She tried closing the cupboard door but instead, it kept opening again. Exasperated, Tara opened it wide to see what was blocking it and found a small wooden box. Pushing it back in carelessly, she closed the closet and unlocked the room door.

'What took so long?' Sophie demanded, pushing her way in and flinging herself down on the bed. From outside, Trella entered in along with Sam, and to Tara's disbelief, Charles.

'You tricksters,' she said, glaring at Sophie and Trella. 'If I'd known-.'

'You'd never have opened the door,' Charles said, earning a scowl from his sister. 'Should I award you for your stupidity?'

'Charles, I swear-.'

So?' he cut in indifferently. 'Any plans for an adventure filled day?'

'More like night,' Sophie pointed out, sitting up on bed and crossing her legs as she glanced out at the dark sky. The rain had ceased.

'We could try breaking into Mr. Next- door's house?' Sam suggested eagerly and even Charles' eyes lit up sinisterly at the idea.

'Jolly, that is an idea,' he sneered, rubbing his hands together. 'We can get him back for all the trouble he causes us.'

'Hey, hold on a minute,' Tara said loudly, cutting them off as they started making up wild and farfetched plans. 'You can't just come barging in here on my privacy and start making up stupid plans to do.'

'What else do you propose we do?' Charles asked skeptically. 'Read a book?'

'Oh, be quiet,' Sophie said fiercely as Tara opened her mouth to agree with Charles. 'All you two do is fight, fight, fight. For once just shut up and let's do something worthwhile.'

'Yeah,' Trella agreed, nodding her head in agreement. 'You two always spoil the fun.'

'I'm not the one starting arguments,' argued Charles, pursing his lips as he pushed back a lock of his hair. 'Plus Sam's suggestion was very harmless and argument free. Mr. Next- door has been asking for this for quite some time now.'

'We could toilet paper the house,' Sam suggested eagerly. 'Or put marbles across the driveway.'

'And risk getting scolded by dad?' Tara pointed out. 'As much as I admit that he's a downright jerk, we're just going to get ourselves into trouble.'

Although Charles looked about ready to voice that getting scolded was a reasonable price for causing havoc for Mr. Next- door, he dropped the idea and looked out of the window gloomily.

'Hey, what's this?'

Everyone turned towards the closet where Sam was kneeling down at the open door and pulling out the small, wooden box Tara had stuffed in. There was an elegant pattern carved into it and it was studded with gems in an odd pattern. It also seemed to be giving out a faint glow and the other four children, as though hypnotized, walked over curiously and knelt around it.

'What is it?' Sophie asked in a hushed voice, peering at the box as Sam blew away a layer of dust.

'It must have belonged to Grandpa,' Tara said quietly, running her fingers over the intricate carving and the carefully studded gems.

'It's locked,' Trella said in dismay, trying and failing to open the latch. She passed it to Charles who tried his best as well but was still unable to open it.

'Try this,' Sophie said, removing a pin from her neatly combed brown hair and handing it to Charles.

'Always prepared huh?' Tara smirked, knowing Sophie's crazed infatuation with adventures and mysteries.

'Who knows when and in what way an adventure's going to come to us?' Sophie pointed out brightly.

Charles was fiddling at the keyhole with the pin and with a sharp click, the lid flung open, barely avoiding his face. Five faces peered in eagerly but only one face brightened up at the sight of what was inside.

'A book!' Tara exclaimed in delight, pulling it out excitedly and dusting the cover on her sweater. It had the same elaborate design as the box and was studded with similar gems. It was just a little bigger than her palm. Right at the top, in words that were nearly faded was the title;

When Fantasy Becomes Reality