Quests Into Fantasy
Prologue
Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover (Or Where It Takes You!)
It was only about four in the afternoon, but it was getting really dark outside. Fifteen-year-old Gwen Johnson figured that, if she didn’t get home soon, her police commissioner dad would have the whole Arcane Beach, R.I. PD out looking for her. Yet, she still hadn’t found a book and she didn’t want this whole trip to be a waste of a Friday (even though it was anyway)
“Dumb extra credit book report,” She muttered sullenly as she scanned the shelves for something that looked interesting, “Had to take me away from band practice.” Gwen was the lead guitarist and singer for her friend’s band, Looking Through Windows. They had a couple good songs. Every other weekend or so, they would get calls about gigs at local clubs or parties. Despite this, they hadn’t broken out of the small town scene yet. One song in particular that was a big hit with their peers was called “Graduation Day.”
She was only at the library because she had to do some extra credit to bring up her grades. Since the band had started up over the summer, her 90s had turned to 70s. Her parents didn’t like that, especially since she’d be taking so many exams that year. So, it was either extra credit, or the band.
Finally finding a book that looked interesting (but not too terribly long, thank heaven), she opened the hardcover book to check it out.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed in front of her eyes and a sudden blast of wind pulled her long, wavy, chestnut hair out of its double ponytails.
She couldn’t see.
She definitely picked the wrong book.
Why was it so dark out this early? Jason Hartman, a fifteen-year-old freshman at Arcane Beach High, was sitting at a table in the 900’s. This report of his for social studies on ancient Egypt wasn’t going very well. He ran his fingers through his short, black hair in frustration.
He wasn’t normally considered that ‘smart one,’ but he did fairly well. He was Mr. Average. Average at school, in extra-curricular stuff, in sports, in social status. Basically, he was average at
life. Well, except for video games. He could get a new video game at eight in the morning. By noon, it would be done with.
Too bad he couldn’t get this report done like a video game. Then it would be done one-two-three. But he couldn’t, and he was really starting to get fed up with it and anything else pertaining to school.
That was when the flash and wind happened. The flash was so bright, he had to shut his chocolate-colored eyes. The wind was so strong, it blew his long-sleeved, unbuttoned, over-shirt right off.
What was happening?
He had absolutely no clue.
If this is what happened when you were at the library, he didn’t want to come back!
‘Perfect! It’s getting dark out. Must have decided to match my mood. Not good to be the only one feeling dark at rehearsal. People will start to ask questions. Now I can blame it on the weather.’
That’s what the sixteen-year-old sophomore thought as he looked out the window. Lance Peterson sat in the fiction lounge in the Arcane Beach Public Library, staring out the window.
‘At least they would’ve asked if they cared.’ Lance thought as he went over his last thought. He was just about to put on his C.D. player to listen to the Looking Through Windows C.D. his friend had gotten hold of. How he had, though, was beyond him. As far as he knew, they didn’t even have a recording contract. He really liked their music, especially ‘Flying Time.’
The thespian put down his C.D. player when he heard someone muttering from the nearest bookshelf. Being used to seeing without being seen, he tip-toed over to the bookshelf and peered through the stacks. Who did he see but the lead singer of Looking Through Windows! She was muttering to herself about some book report. Just before she reached the book he was hiding behind, she pulled out another one and opened it.
A flash and a wind blinded him and blew the book he was holding out of his hand.
What ever was going on, he didn’t like it It didn’t feel right to him.
Looks like he wasn’t going to rehearsal that night.
‘It’s getting way too dark out. We still need to walk home!’ That was all that passed through thirteen-year-old Wil Mason’s head as he looked away from his little sister, Natalie, to look out the window in the children’s section. He knew the little blonde would be alright, as she was only looking for a good chapter book. At age ten, she was very smart for her age.
Wil himself was more of the artistic type than the reader. He absolutely love the art classes he was taking both in and out of school. He had really wanted to go home to finish his painting, but he had promised Nat, as she was affectionately known, that he would take her to the library after school today.
If she didn’t find a book soon, they would have to leave without one. Wil just didn’t feel it would be safe to be walking home if it got much darker. He got up from his window perch and strode over to Nat, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled affectionately at her big brother.
But just as he was about to tell her that they really should be getting home, a strange, blinding light made the two of the close their blue and brown eyes (respectively) as a wind blew at them so hard that Wil bent over to hold onto Nat to keep her safe.
This wasn’t happening.
They were gonna go home, where he would finish off his painting and Nat would curl up with her book.
So long as Nat was safe.
Viki O’Riley absolutely
despised the SATs. Thanks to them, the sixteen-year-old junior had to miss out on a party and be here, in the boring old library. She flipped her auburn braid over her shoulder as she sighed in frustration.
She was never good at school, but kept her grades above passing. She only did that so she could stay on the basketball team. Actually, the party she was supposed to be at was a good luck party for tomorrow’s big game against Providence.
She looked around to distract herself. In doing so, she spotted another teenager in the room. He looked familiar. His raven head was bent over a book and paper. He seemed to be having trouble too. Viki smiled to herself. What was his name again? Something starting with a J. Jeff? John? James?
Just as she closed her SAT review book to go over to him, a bright light made her stumble and a high wind shoved her back into her chair.
This didn’t seem so good.
What was going on?
She really wished she was at that party.
In the young adult fiction section, a twelve-year-old redhead was sitting by the window with a copy of
Razzle in front of her. Penney Bensen, a seventh grader at the local middle school, was watching the rapidly darkening skies with interest. She’d already read this book, so she put it back.
She’d read most of the books in the YA section. The ones that interested her, at least. Being a known and admitted nerd, she had fun with it. Penney planned on riding home. It wasn’t that far, being just across the street, but she had to grab her helmet from the children’s section, where she left it.
Coming out of the stairwell and crossing over to the table where she left it, she saw two people who looked familiar. She just shrugged, brushing them off as frequent comers to ‘her’ library during the summer. She picked up her helmet and was about to cross to the sibling pair to tell them the library was closing in an hour, like it always did on Fridays.
That’s when the light and wind hit her, knocking away her helmet.
This was not normal.
It was scaring her.
Maybe she shouldn’t have come today.
None of the six of them knew what had happened, but all of them knew, when they opened their eyes, they weren’t where they should’ve been.
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