by Lee Bacon
“This.” She points at the date. “It’s two days before he went missing.”
Her finger slides to the next line of handwriting, where her father scribbled a single word:
Beneath that is another line of handwriting:
The booklet shakes in Kara’s hands. “My dad—he went to Legendtopia two days before he disappeared.”
“It cannot be a coincidence.” I stare at the work order, my thoughts spinning. “He visited Legendtopia to inspect the broken walk-in refrigerator. And while there—that’s when he discovered the doorway—”
“He must’ve known he’d stumbled onto something incredible,” Kara says. “Another world. And I’m guessing he wanted to go back. To see it again. He’s an adventurous guy. He’d already moved to another continent. Started a whole new life. Why not explore another world?”
Kara’s eyes widen. She pulls the owl necklace from her pocket.
“Dad couldn’t tell me the truth. I would’ve never believed him. So he gave me this.” She holds up the silver necklace. “His way of saying goodbye. In case he never came back.”
“So your father went through the doorway the first time,” I say, stitching together the time line. “Then he came home. He packed his bag. Which means he must’ve been planning a longer trip the next time. And he never came back because…”
My eyes fall back onto the parchment. A chilled silence blankets the room as I read the final four lines again.
“Because he’s still in Heldstone,” I say. “He’s being held captive.”
“Captive?” Kara’s voice comes out as a hoarse croak. “How? Who did this?”
“The Royal Tutor says that the message was being passed among the Thurphenwald tribe. A nomadic civilization. Known for their traveling carnival shows and poor grooming habits.”
“So you’re saying this Thurphen-whatever tribe—they captured my dad?”
I nod. “And it appears as if they’ve been using him as one of their traveling attractions.”
For years, Kara assumed her father abandoned her. But this is even worse.
He’s a prisoner in another world.
I wake up the next morning to a disturbing sight: a grubby, smelly, screaming nine-year-old boy with hair poking up in all directions.
“Rise and shine, roomie!” Kneel’s voice rattles my brain. “Wake up! Wake up!”
The circumstances of my new life gradually come back to me. It’s my first morning in this new world. Urth. And I just woke up in the bedchamber of Kara’s younger brother.
“Will you please stop yelling?” I groan.
“But it’s time to get up! You’re late for your first day of school!”
I pull on the borrowed pair of green sweatpantaloons and the tea-shirt. In the dining room, I find Kara alone at the table next to a silver device. It takes me a moment to remember its name. A laptop.
Kara points at the apparatus. “Check this out.”
Hunching over the laptop, I begin to read.
FIRE AT “LEGENDARY” RESTAURANT
The crowd at the fantasy-theme restaurant Legendtopia was served a dish of terrifying with a side of freaky on Tuesday afternoon when a fire forced the building to be evacuated.
Witnesses claim that the culprits are two middle-school children who escaped from their field trip and caused mayhem—sneaking into the kitchen, interrupting the usual lunchtime performance, and hijacking a dragon puppet. When the puppet’s built-in flame dispenser went out of control, a fire quickly spread, sending patrons rushing for the exits.
“Those kids were reckless!” said Lydia Gelding, whose business lunch was interrupted by chaos. “One of them tackled a witch. The other was wielding that puppet like a flamethrower. It’s a miracle nobody got hurt.”
Legendtopia will be closed until further notice. Due to health risks, other stores in the shopping center announced that they would be closing as well.
“This laptop is full of lies!” I slam my fist on the table. “That dragon was real!”
“Keep your voice down!” Kara glances over her shoulder to make sure we’re alone. “It says they’re closing other stores in the shopping center. Do you think the Sorceress is behind it?”
I nod. “I’m certain of it. I saw the way she enchanted the firesoldiers—”
“Firefighters.”
“Whatever! The Sorceress influences people. She makes them do her bidding. She probably enchanted the other merchants as well.”
“She’s already taken over Legendtopia. Now it’s the entire shopping center.”
“And with the army she’s building?” I say slowly. “This is only the beginning.”
Before leaving for school, there’s one more thing I have to do.
“I’ll meet you outside in a sec,” I say to Fred. “I need to say goodbye.”
Once the door closes behind Fred, I turn to my mom. Light from the window swims in her eyes. A minute earlier, my mission had seemed so clear. Return to Heldstone. Find Dad. Bring him back.
Now I’m not so sure. What if I don’t return? What if I never see Mom or Neal again? And the worst part is, I can’t even tell them the truth. They’d never believe me. Or worse—Mom wouldn’t let me leave.
I have to keep it to myself. A secret. That’s the only way.
I force myself not to cry as I give Mom an extra-big hug. She lets out a confused chuckle.
“What’s that for?” she asks.
“Just because,” I say.
I find Neal in the hallway. His hair is still sticking up from sleep.
He grins at me. “Hey, booger brains.”
I give him a jumbo-sized hug. “See ya later, slug face.”
For a few strained heartbeats, I remember the shock waves that rattled our family after Dad’s disappearance.
Mom did her best to hide her pain. To remain strong, cheerful, extra-organized. To act as if everything was okay. But sometimes I would catch a glimpse of her when she thought nobody was watching. And I would see the way her face crumbled with grief. The tears streaming down her cheeks. The thunderstorm of sadness. Then she would wipe away her tears, put on a big smile, and go back to being our upbeat, exceptional mom.
And Neal. He was only six when Dad left. In the weeks and months that followed, he asked so many questions. His young mind trying to understand something that couldn’t be understood. Where did Papa go? Did we do something to make him leave? Do you think he’ll bring us presents when he comes back?
I don’t know what was harder: trying to find answers to his questions, or the day he stopped asking them.
I’m not just doing this for me. Or for Dad. I’m also doing it for them.
For Mom and Neal.
On my way out the door, I cast one last look at them, wondering if we’ll ever see each other again.
Fred’s waiting for me at the front curb in his unicorn backpack. “I still don’t understand why you insist on going to school,” he says. “Why not go directly to Legendtopia?”
“I wish I could. But if I don’t show up at school, they’ll call my mom. And then she might go looking for me. It’s better to wait till after school. Then we just need to find a way to sneak past the Sorceress so we can go back to your world and start looking for my dad.”
Fred clears his throat. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you about that. I understand your desire to find your father. But I really must insist that you leave this task to someone more capable.”
I stop walking. “Like who?”
“Like, well…” Fred straightens a bit. “Me.”
“Thanks for the offer, but this is my dad we’re talking about. I’m not gonna just step back and let someone else go looking for him.”
“I don’t think you understand. This journey could be dangerous. Full of mystery and peril. And you’re just a—”
I narrow my eyes. “Just a what?”
“Well…a girl.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“Please don’t be i
nsulted. Girls are good at a great number of things. Dancing and sewing and arranging dinner parties—”
I let out a noise that’s somewhere between a snort and a laugh. Let’s call it a snaff. “You can’t be serious!”
“But when it comes to epic quests and perilous rescue missions, you need a real man.” Fred places one foot on the curb and puffs out his chest like he’s posing for a royal portrait.
“Real heroic.” I roll my eyes. “Did you forget you’re still wearing a sparkly unicorn backpack?”
“What’s wrong with unicorns? They remind me of home.”
“I’m just saying, I’m gonna find my dad whether you approve or not. So you can either help me or you can—”
My voice falters. I’ve just caught sight of something in the distance. Something that makes our conversation seem suddenly pointless.
The sky is blue and cloudless as far as I can see. Except for one spot. A swirl of dark clouds that stands out against the clear sky like a bruise. The clouds hover high above, churning.
After a confused moment, Fred turns and follows my gaze. His mouth drops open. He speaks in a slow, bewildered voice, as if every word is a question of its own.
“What? Is? That?”
I shake my head. The strange weather pattern looks sort of like a slow-motion tornado. One thing’s for sure—this definitely isn’t your regular, run-of-the-mill cloud. No way. There’s something spooky—something sinister—about the slowly swirling funnel of dark clouds in the blue September sky.
“Perhaps it’s smoke,” Fred whispers. “From the fire yesterday.”
He could be right. The gray splotch is hovering right around where Legendtopia is located.
But the fire happened yesterday. Shouldn’t the smoke have cleared out by now?
“Let’s just go,” I say finally. “Don’t wanna be late.”
When we arrive at school, Fred and I are celebrities. And not in a good way. Everyone knows what happened at Legendtopia. I can feel their eyes following us. A couple of kids even pull out their phones and snap pictures. Walking through the front doors and down the hallway, we’re trailed by a hundred different comments—
“They’re the ones who started the fire!”
“And hijacked the field trip!”
“Hey, Kara—who’s your boyfriend?”
“Is the new kid wearing a girl’s backpack?”
I guess Prince Fred’s used to attention, because he strolls down the hall like he’s in the middle of a royal parade. Any second now, I’m sure he’ll start waving to the crowd. I don’t feel nearly as comfortable. But I keep plodding forward, trying not to trip over my own feet.
I flinch when a hand shoots out of the crowd and grabs me by the sleeve.
“Kara!”
I whirl sideways and see Marcy grinning back at me.
“There you are!” she says. “I’ve been trying to talk to you for, like, ever. Why didn’t you answer my texts?”
“Sorry. It’s just—things got a little…” My eyes dart in Fred’s direction. “Unusual.”
Marcy follows my look. When she notices Fred, her grin widens. Her braces gleam in the light.
“Hi, I’m Marcy.”
She extends her arm for a handshake. Prince Fred sweeps forward and kisses her hand.
“Oh!” Marcy’s face turns the color of a ripe tomato. “Uh…okay.”
“Greetings, Marcy!” Fred declares in his most princely voice. “Enchanted to meet you. My name is Fred.”
Marcy giggles. “You’re not from around here, are you, Fred?”
“You are absolutely correct. I come from a faraway kingdom—”
I shoot Prince Fred a shut-up-and-let-me-do-the-talking look.
“Uh…what he means is—he’s an exchange student,” I say. “From England.”
“Cool,” says Marcy.
“Yes,” Fred replies. “I suppose it does get cold there—”
“No, not cool like cold. I mean cool like, that’s awesome.”
“I see.” Prince Fred leans forward to get a closer look at Marcy’s braces. “Pardon me, but might I inquire about your metal teeth?”
Marcy’s hand pops up to her mouth. “My what?”
“He’s kidding.” I grab Prince Fred by the elbow. “Actually, we’re running super late. We really need to get going.”
Marcy stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “At least tell me what really happened yesterday.”
“I will. I promise. But I can’t right now.”
As I drag the prince backward, he waves at Marcy.
“I shall look forward to seeing you again,” he calls. “Goodbye, Marcy! Farewell!”
I yank the prince sideways and pull him into the empty band hall.
“What was that all about?” I snap.
The prince blinks back at me innocently. “I was merely being courteous. In my world, when a young gentleman meets a young lady, he treats her with polite affection. Even if that lady has teeth made of metal.”
I shake my head. A conversation with Prince Fred is like running an obstacle course. “I’m just saying—the whole point is to blend in. Do you think you can do that?”
But Fred doesn’t answer. Because right then, our conversation is interrupted by a noise somewhere outside.
THWUMP!
Fred’s jaw drops and his eyes flicker over my shoulder. I spin, following his gaze to the row of windows. A shadow ripples at the edge of one window. A gargantuan gray shape.
Then it’s gone.
“Did you see that?”
Kara’s attention is trained on the window. And so is mine. Whatever’s out there has vanished from view. But I can still see it in my mind. A massive gray shape lurking outside.
I flinch at the sound of Kara’s voice. “What was it?”
“Hopefully nothing.”
“Yeah.” Kara shivers. “Hopefully.”
We watch the window for a moment longer, but everything looks normal. Perhaps it really was nothing.
By the time we step back into the hallway, nearly everyone is gone. A few late students race to their classrooms. But Kara doesn’t act rushed. Her focus is elsewhere. She casts her gaze in one direction, then the other.
“Do you see anything out of the ordinary?” she asks.
I check my surroundings. The stone walls are lined with locked compartments. A banner hangs from the ceiling: LET’S GO, PANTHERS!
“Everything is out of the ordinary,” I whisper back.
Kara sighs. “You know what I’m talking about.”
“I don’t see any enormous gray monsters, if that’s what you mean. Not at the moment, anyway.”
“That’s comforting.”
Our footsteps tap quietly against the floor. I tug nervously at the sparkling strap of my purple knapsack.
“Are you quite certain we should go to class?” I ask.
“At least there we won’t be alone,” Kara says. “And the teacher will be there, just in case….”
Kara lets the thought fade into silence. But I can fill in where she left off. Just in case something terrible happens. Just in case several hundred children face whatever peril lurks outside. Just in case the Sorceress’s minions decide to enroll at Shady Pines Middle School.
“Almost there.” Kara points a finger straight down the broad, vacant hallway. “Class is that way.”
We’re approaching the room when I hear a rumbling.
BOOM!
BANG!
THWACK!
With every impact, the floor shakes. Kara and I stagger to a halt. I have no idea what’s making all that noise, but one thing I am sure of: it’s getting closer.
The thunderous crashing is joined by an entirely new sound. A woman’s voice, which reverberates throughout the hall.
“WE ARE EXPERIENCING MINOR TREMORS. ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF SHOULD REMAIN INSIDE YOUR ROOMS.”
I glance around wildly. Is this the Sorceress’s spell? Is she projecting her voice across space? It doesn�
��t sound like the Sorceress, but perhaps that’s part of the trick.
Kara brings a hand down on my arm. “Relax. It’s just the intercom.”
“Inter-com? What in the seven moons is that?”
“It’s a way for one person to talk to everyone in school. Through speakers. Happens all the time here. That was the principal. She must’ve heard the same sounds. And felt them, too.”
The intercom blasts through the hallway again:
“TEACHERS, PLEASE CARRY OUT THE URTH-QUAKE GUIDELINES. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT: THIS—IS—NOT—A—DRILL. IF YOU AREN’T IN YOUR CLASS ALREADY, PLEASE REPORT THERE IMMEDIATELY.”
The rumbling continues, growing louder with each moment. And it sounds quite a lot like…
Footsteps.
Extremely massive footsteps from extremely massive feet.
“Come on.” Kara sets out running. “We should get to class. Now.”
I race to catch up. The hallway blurs around me. My unicorn backpack bounces against my shoulders.
My first day of school has not even begun, and already it’s a disaster. The crashing sounds thud in my ears. The entire school shakes and rattles.
All of a sudden, Kara skids to a halt. She points straight ahead. At the end of the hallway, a pair of shadows takes shape against the wall. They look vaguely human—arms, legs, stomachs—but the proportions are all off. The shoulders are too broad. The hands are too thick.
Besides, no human is that big.
The enormous shadows edge forward against the wall. Any second now, they’re going to turn the corner.
“Quick! In here!”
Kara yanks me into the nearest door. The boys’ bathroom. We huddle against the wall, listening to the massive footsteps getting louder and louder. Closer and closer.
When it sounds like the monsters are just on the other side of the door, they come to a stop. I hold my breath. A frightened voice inside my head chants: Please don’t come in. Please don’t come in. Please don’t come in.
They don’t come in. Instead, the monsters strike up a conversation. I can hear them through the door speaking in voices that sound like boulders being ground together.