The Castle of Dreams

- 5 - Books, Books and More Books

Baylee woke up at a large table in the most magnificent place she had ever seen. Confused but amazed Baylee picked up a book on the floor by her feet. She had never read it before so she sat it on the table and walked over to a shelf and ran her hand along the many books. "Am I dreaming?" Baylee thought aloud looking around and seeing more books than she could ever read. Then with a start, Baylee realized she wasn't dreaming. She looked down at what she was wearing and gasped. A yellow off shoulder dress and yellow slippers. Her hair was half up half down with the half up in a beautiful twisted bun. She was also in a ginormous library, which could only mean one thing, somehow Baylee had become Belle. Why, Baylee had no clue, but she was going to find out. She turned to the books behind her and looked through the titles looking for anything that could possibly explain why she wasn't really herself. Baylee lost herself in the many books and barely even realized when the door opened. "Dinner time, Mademoiselle." Said a voice from the doorway. Baylee set a pile of books down on the table, slamming them down a bit harder than she meant and winced. "Oh oops." Baylee said. Baylee then looked over at the door and saw nothing but a cart with a teapot, a teacup and a plate of delicious looking food. "Uh..hello?" Baylee called. The cart rolled over to the table and Baylee stared at it confused until the Teapot started talking. "Are you hungry, my dear?" It said. Baylee nodded at a loss for words. "Uhhh...ahem. Yes, I am actually. Thank you." Baylee said suddenly remembering who the teapot was. Then the teacup began to talk too and Baylee laughed to herself. This was Mrs. Pots and Chip!! "What are you looking for in all those books?" Chip asked. Mrs. Pots shushed him, but Baylee didn't mind. "Well, Chip, can you keep a secret?" Baylee asked as the little teacup nodded vigorously. Baylee laughed to herself again and began to explain. "Okay well, my name is Baylee and I don't how or why I'm Princess Belle but I am, that's what I'm trying to figure out. I thought maybe I could find something in these books to help me find a way to put things back to normal." Baylee said. Chip hopped off of the cart onto the table and looked up at pile of books Baylee had set down. "Wow, that sure is a lot of reading, Miz Baylee." Chip said. Baylee looked at the stack of books and sat down in the chair. "It sure is. But I think I'll manage." She said. Chip nodded encouragingly and hopped back on the cart. "Well, we will let you get back to your books, good luck, Mademoiselle Baylee." Mrs. Pots said as Baylee grabbed the tray of food from the cart. "Thank you so much." Baylee said as the cart rolled away in the hallway. Baylee quickly turned back to the books, she had to find something that could help her. She had found a pen and paper in case she found anything but so far no luck. Taking a deep breath, Baylee picked up the next book in her stack and opened it to the first page. What she saw blew her away. On the first page was a picture of Casey, standing in front of a mirror fixing her hair. Baylee quickly flipped the page and saw Casey talking to the grand duke and then running down stairs away from the prince. The next couple pages showed Casey explaining everything to the prince, and the prince helping her find who she was looking for. However, the book ended abruptly with Casey standing in front of a castle door about to knock. Baylee quickly scanned the whole thing again. She even closed the book and reopened it but nothing else appeared. The book was titled, Cinderella. But how did that make sense? The book had nothing about stepsisters or the prince looking for the beautiful maiden who fit the glass slipper. Instead it had pictures of Baylee's best friend that seemed to be Cinderella just like Baylee herself seemed to have become Belle. Baylee quickly scanned the room for where the other stories would be. She rushed over to the B section and found the book she was looking for. Titled, Beauty and the Beast, Baylee opened the storybook and gasped at what she saw. A picture of herself asleep on the table was on the page. The next page had Baylee looking at her dress. Baylee was amazed yet terrified. She was about to rush back to the table when she made a split second decision and grabbed the Boy Who Cried Wolf story off the B shelf and continued on across the shelves until she had found Peter Pan and Little Red Riding Hood as well. Baylee then rushed back to the table and set the books down. Pushing her original stack out of the way Baylee layed the five storybooks in a row across the table. Just as she had opened Peter Pan and saw Peyton fast asleep on a sandy beach, a deep voice appeared from the door. "Ahem, Mademoiselle, you have a visitor" it said. Baylee looked up for a moment. "Tell whoever it is to please come back later, I'm very busy right no-" Baylee cut herself off when she saw a new picture appear in the Cinderella book. "Baylee?" Casey called. Baylee looked up again and this time saw Casey standing in the doorway, in the same blue dress she was wearing in the book looking right at Baylee relieved. "Casey?!" Baylee set down the Peter Pan book and ran over to Casey. The two girls hugged like the hadn't seen each other in years. "I'm so glad I found you! I was terrified I'd never find you or the others." Casey said when they finally stopped hugging. Baylee was still blown away from her discovery but she knew she had to tell Casey. "Casey? This is going to sound ridiculous but where did you wake up this morning?" She asked her friend. Casey looked confused but explained what had happened to her earlier the morning, the scary thing was it matched the book almost word for word. "Baylee? A-are you alright?" Casey asked grabbing Baylee's arm. Baylee nodded and turned to the candlestick and clock servants standing in the doorway. "Thank you I can take it from here." She said politely. As soon as the two of them left and the door swung shut Baylee grabbed Casey and pulled her over to the table. She picked up the Cinderella book and handed it to Casey. "Okay, now explain why this fairytale has nothing its supposed to have but everything you just told me happened to you." Baylee said. Casey flipped through the book. "H-how is this possible??" Casey asked flipping through the book and landing on the last page, which now had a picture of the two of them standing there over the books. Baylee shook her head and showed Casey the Beauty and the Beast story. "I don't know. But it's not good, Casey, I mean look at these books! There's almost nothing from the original fairytales. That means we changed the stories!!" Baylee exclaimed. Casey set the Cinderella book down and picked up the Boy who cried wolf. Inside it showed Beckett with a bunch of sheep and then a young girl talking to him. "I wonder if this is what happened to Beckett this morning." Casey asked. Baylee shook her head and touched the picture of Peyton on the beach in the Peter Pan book. "It makes sense that it probably is, but why are in these books? Why are we not at home in Rebecca's bedroom like we should be? It just doesn't make any sense to me." Baylee said. Casey shook her head and layed the book down on the table next to 'Cinderella.' Then Casey picked up the Little Red Riding Hood story and opened it to the first page. Casey and Baylee both leaned close to the book to see the pictures. At first they only saw Wiley, well a half Wiley half Wolf, looking around the woods until he found Rebecca, at first Rebecca was terrified of him but then she realized it was Wiley and the two of them set off in search of the others, then Peyton showed up well more like he fell from the sky. Then the three of them began they're journey for the others. "This is so weird. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever." Casey said laying this book down next to the others. Baylee sat down in one of the chairs around the table and put her head in her hands. "We have to find the others, wether we change the stories or not. maybe we have to find each other for the stories and us to go back to normal." Casey said. Baylee looked up from her hands. "CASEY!! Thats a great idea! We have to find the others and see what happens when we're all together!" Baylee said standing up. Casey looked away from the books and up at her friend. "Should we take the books with us?" Casey asked. Baylee nodded and grabbed a backpack that was leaning against the wall. Baylee dumped the contents of the backpack on the table and handed it to Casey who stuffed the five storybooks inside. Among the few things that werein the pack the girls decided to keep a flashlight, a small pocketknife for both of them and they also wrapped up Baylee's dinner that she hadn't ate, and put that all in the backpack as well. Baylee grabbed the backpack and threw it on her shoulders and looked over at Casey. "Ready?" She asked. Casey nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." Casey said and the two girls walked out of the library. However, as soon as they left the library they froze. Neither girl knew their way around this castle. "Which way do we go?" Baylee asked Casey. Casey mumbled to herself and turned to face the library door, then she held out her arms to the side. "That way." Casey said turning around again and pointed to the right. The girls walked that way until they got to the doors, and just when Baylee was about to push it open someone stopped them.

"Mademoiselles!! Where are you going? Ezpecially at this hour!" Cogsworth the clock asked rusing over to Baylee and Casey, wih Lumiere, the candlebra, and Mrs. Pots behind him. "We...uh..we.." Casey studdered looking over at Baylee for help. Baylee jumped to the rescue. "We were just going to take a midnight stroll in the garden." She said swiftly. The appliances did not look convinced. "With a backpack?" Lumiere asked. Baylee looked at the ground, she had no answer, no one takes a midnight stroll with a backpack. "Please, come back inside and enjoy the books and tea." Mrs. Pots said. Baylee nodded. "Okay, come on Casey." Baylee said as she led Casey back to the library while Mrs. Pots went to make more tea for them. As soon as the girls were back in the library alone Casey had to ask. "What are you doing? We have to be outside!!" She exclaimed. Baylee totally ignored her and ran over to the window. Thankfully the ground was only a few feet below. "Casey, come on quick!" Baylee said pulling open the window and jumping through. When she landed on the ground Baylee realized the fall was further than she had originally thought ut she stood up nevertheless, wincing at a small pain in her ankle. "Baylee?!?! Are you alright?" Casey called down from the window.

"Yeah, I'm fine!!" Baylee lied, "You have to jump! Just don't try to land on your feet!!" Baylee could hear Casey stand in the window and jump out. In less then a few seconds Casey had rolled to a stop and stood up and dusted off her skirt. "That was absolutely crazy" She said walking over to Baylee. Baylee laughed. "Hey, it worked didn't it?" Baylee said leading Casey away from the castle limping slightly. Casey caught up to her. "Hey. Are you alright?" Casey asked. Baylee nodded. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine I promise but which way is it to the woods?!" Baylee asked. Casey looked around in the dark. "Uh, I'm not sure. This way maybe?" Casey walking a few feet in front of Baylee and a little to the right. A split second to late Baylee hard the rock fall. "CASEY, STOP!!!" She yelled right as Casey slipped and fell over the side of the cliff that had appeared out of nowhere. Baylee ran over as fast as she could and sighed with relief that Casey was right there hanging on for dear life. "Quick, grab my hand!!" She yelled. Casey reached up and grabbed her hand and then quickly her other hand. Baylee began pulling with all of her stength but the rock under her began to crack. "BAYLEE! You have to let me go!!" Casey yelled. Baylee shook her head tears brimming her eyes. "NO! I can't do that. If you fall, I fall!" Baylee called down to her friend still trying to pull her up, the ground cracking more under her everytime she moved. The ball gown didn't help either. "Baylee, please!! Please please please!!" Casey pleaded tears in her eyes as well. "I can't do it, Casey. I can't pull you up but I won't let you go, I swear it!" Baylee cried gripping Casey's hands as tightly as she could. The ground cracked and crumbled throwing Baylee off of the cliff as well, and together the two girls fell to the bottom screaming for their lives.