It was dinner time and Mr Williams was not home yet. Everyone except for Mr Williams was sitting around the table, looking from one person to the other.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtc2aRbfqEL
“Can we eat now?” Zachary asked, his elbow on the table, supporting his drooping head.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfUcexRJnW
“Yes, I suppose so,” Mrs Williams said as she looked through the window opposite to them. “I wonder where your father is, he doesn’t usually come home late…”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNq2gnL3dwS
The boys dug into their food with their mother.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamspye4kfz
“Mom, do you happen to know any stories about pirates that visited here once?” Daniel asked, mouth full of chicken, looking at James, then to Zach and then to Mrs Williams.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VZvlYFsFG
“What’s the sudden interest?” Mom asked brightly, putting down her fork, a lightbulb clicking in her mind, “Ooh, I do know one story.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIivSJ9gbP
The brothers leaned forward in interest.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3SwkLMoas
“I’ve heard rumors, remember, RUMORS, of pirates that once used to hide in this town. They would park their ship near the waterfall next to the Lewis’ house and come into town to sell or buy goods and take shelter in houses. Some people said that someone, out of curiosity, went inside their ship…He came out saying that he saw magical things beyond humans’ imaginations, the pirates called him to the ship for a ‘cup of tea’ but he never came back…so did the pirates after a very violent storm. Sorry if I scared you boys…it IS a rumor.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgibKcPhuV
“That.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7g1gQrDa5R
“Was.”
“Awesome.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYdFIlpEL0
After dinner, Mr Williams finally came home. His clothes, skin and hair wet from the rain.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tUD6lokaa
“Hello boys, dear, sorry, I had to take a sudden long shift, some teenagers decided it be funny to lead a kid into the park and leave him there, teenagers these days…bunch of careless-” Mr Williams began to say128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTis0eUZUg
“Jim!”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4G37VOmGGu
Mr Williams cleared his throat, “Right, uh- sorry dear, but I must say, they annoyed the hell out of me.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aFjXtK3zq
Mr Williams sat down at the table as Mrs Williams told the children to go and sleep, she stayed with Mr Williams at the table. They boys brushed their teeth, fighting for space in front of the sink because of their incapability of taking turns and walked towards their bedroom. James opened the door to reveal a very, very messy room that looks like 3 different rooms which held 3 different children with 3 different hobbies smashed together. James climbed the ladder to his bed, Daniel closed the lights and walked towards his own, which was under James’ bed and Zachary walked towards his hammock (Mr and Mrs Williams had tried to convince him to let them buy him a bed but he insisted on sleeping on a hammock).
“Today was amazing,” Zachary said, looking up to the dark ceiling.
“Yeah, that cave is one hell of a place,” a voice that sounds like James said.
“Which is absolutely awesome, who knows what else we will find in the other caves…” Daniel said.
“Other caves?” James and Zachary repeated.
“Yeah, don’t you realize that this town is full of them? The waterfall probably has some weird stuff, too. It’s weird how the government hasn’t investigated them yet.”
“Probably because they don’t value this town.”
“Which is OUTRAGEOUS! This is the best town I’ve ever seen.”
James and Zachary went on about how underrated this town is and how much it deserved to be the capital of the country. But again, Daniel had his mind on other things, as he stared into the ceiling, he thought of the book again, which he had placed on his desk. It was very exciting, his plan, well, exciting for a person like him of course. He would wait for his brothers to fall asleep and then take the book, go find a quiet and private place and open the book, yep, that was the definition of exciting to him.
“…so yeah, I really think those guys in suits should come visit us sometime, right Daniel?”
“Daniel?”
“What? Oh yeah, agreed.”
“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting weird lately.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcpXFMzowk
“He’s probably going through puberty, he’s getting nervous and stuff,” Zachary laughed.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdr37Zq28e
“Ha-ha-ha, very funny, I’m going off to sleep, might want to wake up early tomorrow,” Daniel said, tucking himself in his blankets.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtg0XKje12
“To go and buy face cream to get rid of your pimples?” Zachary choked.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAqMzt9EVl
128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXp2erG7TsY
It was exactly 12 AM sharp and there were no signs of talking, mocking nor laughter from his brothers. Daniel took a peek and he saw James, eyes closed and heard him muttering words like “No, no pirates don’t take me!” and “I thought it was just a cup of tea!” and heard Zachary snoring. He slowly got up and tiptoed to his desk. With silent fingers he took the book and slowly and quietly walked towards the door, opened it slowly to decrease the chance of it creaking and went outside. He breathed a sigh of relief and started towards the attic hatch. He lowered down the ladder, climbed it and entered the attic.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfJkEyHYin
The attic smelled like old boxes, dust and a bit of chocolate for some reason. It was a wooden attic, with one single window opposite to Daniel. He walked towards the window, passing a bunch of boxes containing clothes, carnival stuff and even puppets. He had to push a giant television to his left to pass and when he got to the window he opened it. The night breeze brushed against his white face and he wiggled his body through the window.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJAmrZ8yWu
It was a beautiful, full-moon night. There were no clouds visible and there was a light breeze that made the night a very cold one. Daniel climbed up to the roof and found a spot for him to sit at. He pulled out a little torch and shone it towards the blue, gold-decorated book.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04x1Eou70q
“What do we have here…” Daniel said to himself.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPuRnRmsla
He opened the book to a page that read, Captain’s Journal.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykzyQsN77k
“Whoa, it’s the captain’s journal…am I invading privacy?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmQ1ydijIZ
He turned to the next page to see a page with Jour 1 on the top right corner of the page. He turned all of the pages swiftly, holding the book with one hand, and holding out his finger to let the pages turn. But it turned out to be just a normal journal, with his French-speaking knowledge, he read things like “We finally saw land” and “We’re running out of food, we might need to make a quick stop to replenish our ration supply”. Daniel knew what to do, he knew this book was hiding something, from his past experience which was just this morning, he witnessed James dragging his finger across a what seemed to be a normal piece of parchment and it showed its hidden contents.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRvc3OmRLb
So Daniel, being the intelligent boy he is, decided to do the same, hoping he would find something interesting. He closed the book and dragged his finger from the right side to the left side of the book and then from the top to the bottom. The golden patterns on the book shone, making Daniel close his eyes. Once the golden patterns stopped shining, Daniel rubbed his eyes and stared at the cover, it was still the same. But just as he was about to open the book-128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ckKYZRfXr
“Daniel?” came a voice behind him.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIRL0fEW7j
He turned around, dreading his fate, it was James, accompanied by a sleepy Zachary.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuaoJm4ovZ
“Hey guys…”
“Don’t ‘Hey guys’ us, what is that? Are you hiding something from us?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUnsmNY4gb
“No lis-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpkjzHjdYn
“Is that why you’ve been acting weird?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1a54z8I3w
“James, let me ex-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqHWQNYVCL
“No no no no, there is no explanation needed. You’ve found some magical, or whatever the word to explain this is, book that might be very important and you didn’t want to share it with us. Daniel, Zachary shared a treasure map with you!”
"Huh?" Zachary said sleepily, his eyes partially closed. "But I'm- I'm too tired, you're going to have to fight the ogre king without me!"
“Look, I’m sorry OK, but, I really wanted to tell you, but I for some reason couldn’t. Does that sound weird?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVfvnXg3D9
James looked at him in disgust.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGiwwZVwhx
“Alright, I’m sorry, let me make it up to you 2, at least 1 one of you that’s awake (Zachary was like a horse, standing up yet sleeping). Come,” Daniel said, trying to regain his brother’s trust.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4GzWgHFID
James walked towards Daniel and sat down next to him, Zachary following him, just, in a sleepier way. Daniel looked at them for a second, hoping for reassuring faces, but got mad ones. He quickly turned back to the book and opened it, “Guide to the Unknown”.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUtH9E7IRw
“What?” Daniel said in shock. “Last time it read ‘Captain’s Journal’”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpCDLOHWPV
“Huh, I wonder why,” James mumbled sarcastically under his breath.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpgjEZRXXN
Daniel looked as if he was holding himself from rolling his eyes. He opened the next page only to find-128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNID5jDd2Cn
BOOM128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqy20Wbn1W7
The boys jumped, even Zachary awoke.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLhgz9QI9K
“What in the bloody hell was that?” Zachary exclaimed, suddenly laughing, he felt British.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJytdkaZkqO
The book dropped in front of Daniel’s feet and started writhing out of control.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkXowtDBbt
“It’s possessed,” James commented, staring at the thrashing book.
“No kidding…”
The book continued for another 5 seconds and then-
Silence.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkyGN02jhu
Dead silence had dropped and the brothers were more than confused (“How did I even get up here?” Zach said, rubbing his eyes.). Then, just as James opened his mouth to speak, a light flashed out of the book and what seemed to be a little fairy burst out of the book, giggling. The fairy was cyan in colour and had a leaf dress on. She had emerald green eyes and a little leaf hat on her head. Zach had slapped himself, thinking that this was a dream, only to find himself holding his hand upon his cheek in pain.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tueH8bs5C
“Hello fellow travellers,” the fairy giggled, “you’ve found my book!”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTC8hz2Ydp
“Uh-yes,” Daniel said.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGwl1HQVsp
“Well very good, in that case I must carry on with my job,” the fairy said, tapping what seemed to be a wand in the air and conjured a desk for her to sit at. Her leaf dress suddenly turned into a suit and she was now wearing glasses.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x7CPNRRK7
“Welcome strangers! To the Royal Guide: The 2 Worlds. Here, you will be learning about Inter-World Travel, a little map of the magical world and a brief recap of the portals that allows you to travel into the wonderful world of enchantment.”
The boys exchanged confused glances and turned back to the fairy.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjfKUjcB3s
“Now, let’s begin shall we?” the fairy asked rhetorically as she got up from her desk, flying around them. “So, this world is divided into two parts, The Normal Earth and the Magical Earth. Now we fairies come from the magical Earth, but since my job is to give information to lost trolls, wizards, ogres or even werewolves that need help getting back into our world, I live here, in the cozy shelter of that book.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfItUtDbYvx
“We magical humans and creatures alike have been in constant struggle with normal humans since the dawn of man. So, our faithful leaders at that time decided it was best to hide us all in another world, safe from the humans. Now, since you are royal blood, you deserve to know about the access points scattered around the world!”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxFAt0mM90
“But we’re not-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwOFD7u2br
James and Zachary clamped their hands together to cover James’ mouths.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzbk5FzR8s
“We want to hear what she will say, if she knows we’re not royal, let alone magical, she’ll stop,” James said.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqCvhjZNCM
“So, the gateways to this magical world are scattered around the planet, whether it be in libraries, doors, closets or even toilets! But among them, are more powerful gateways, gateways that brings you to the landmarks of the Normal Earth and that can allow passage to big amounts of people or objects. Of course, these powerful gateways were built for a reason, our ancestors used these very portals to migrate to the magical world! Among these are Stonehenge, Borobudur, Sphinx and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Porte Library.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQH2iL4FWnu
“How about the Lighthouse of Alexandria?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGbJCEu1vD
“Yes, that too.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1KOApwzyY
James and Daniel put in mind that all the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World probably served as these so-called gateways.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2FAWpAYV2
“What’s the Porte Library?” Zachary asked.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oVrRul9Hr
“Pardon? You do not know of the Porte Library?” the fairy asked, offended. “The Porte Library is another important gateway. It’s an underground library that constantly moves itself within the borders of Liberia. Luckily, it’s right in this town at the moment, if ever you need to go there, it’s on top of that hill.” the fairy pointed at a hill behind the town.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCxbWv7gIf
“To use that one, you need to, yes it might be weird, you need to drag your fingers in a circular motion on the trap door to open it and once you get inside, drag your finger across a green book on a desk and see what happens.”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAhKCrHHAP
“Last but not least, the map!”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7NxA4l3Hj
She turned to the book but seemed confused.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk2zR2RT0Q
“Where is that map?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFnXuQPPsL
Zachary turned red and said innocently, “You mean this map?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrghr5QAes
He pulled his piece of the map out and the fairy gasped.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07XUREnY5u
“YOU RIPPED IT APART?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRi9MlZhJO
“We thought it was some kind of treasu-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQISrikHPK
“WHAT THAT MAP CONTAINS MORE THAN TREASURE!” she roared, then calmed herself down. “Pardon me for my disorderly behaviour, your majesties. May I please have the remaining pieces?”
Zachary scurried off to the window, tripping on one of the tiles of the roof, and came back minutes later, with the other pieces, panting. The fairy took the pieces roughly and turned her head around in anger and started to assemble the map according to their positions and muttered out “Convenio” and the map joined together. The fairy puffed her cheeks and turned to the boys.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohpYkhtRaD
“Do not do that again, please,” she said in a silent, deadly anger.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT4SLb9gbp
And what was once a devilish creature, turned back into a sweet little fairy.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgKbZSUY6m
“So…you see, this map isn’t only a treasure map, if you drag your finger the other way…”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqhBRFm3sF
The ink once again dissolved and reassembled into a picture of this ginormous planet that looked like Earth. It had some pinpoints, each of which had a label on it. Some read "Trolls", some others read "Pixies". She zoomed into their country of Liberia and saw trolls sneaking into what seemed to be a chocolate factory.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuz9CB3suL
“Those nasty trolls,” the fairy said.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhIY2siJJ3
“Anyways, here you go, this will come in use if you ever get lost again, I hope all of you understood these instructions, your majesties. It's an honour to have been of help and service."128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcYh90LOs4
By the end of this sentence, the flash of light came again and the fairy gave a last giggle and disappeared.
"She must've been in there for a long time. She didn't even know we weren't royal, nor magic."
“SORRY? DO YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU JUST SAW? WE'RE NOT GOING INSANE RIGHT? LIKE WHAT THE F-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Rvp4yOenQ
“ZACHARY!” Daniel shouted, covering his mouth with his hand.
Zachary finished the curse under his breath when Daniel wasn't paying attention.
“Do you know what this means?” Daniel asked them, forgetting Zachary had said that. “There is a whole new world out there!”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8kvnaNQFP
“And if we hadn’t showed up, you would be the only one who knew,” James said.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekYTYkQCFx
“I said i was sorr-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Wnq0taru4
“I’m joking, we all do that sometimes. Like did you know I was the one who ate all the cookies mom made-”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwUdnG5cVw
“WHAT?”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi58U57prl
“YOU SAID THE CAT ATE THEM!”128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63twIZGGpC
“I thought we were being honest with each other, we’re in a place of peace, right?” James asked nervously.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cbOJi6fkm
“THE ONLY PLACE YOU”RE GOING-” Zach exclaimed, pointing his finger at James.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yiJ1dedLQ
“IS THE GRAVEYARD!” Daniel continued.128Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOUYxRkDaa
James raced to the window, two angry beasts following him, as the moon covered itself with its blankets of clouds. The muffled sounds of laughter and screams soon faded into the starry night.
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