Never Really Lost (Late Fanfiction)

The Land of Stories: Alex and Conner as twelve year olds, after discovering the fairytale world. They're at a small cottage in the real world.

Chapter 1

    The whole world was covered in a forcefield of snow. Tree, cottage, or human, you could never get rid of the thick white snow. "Mom, come on, we can't wait forever!" Alex and Conner Bailey called, each of them on a sled waiting to move. Their mom passed through the door running to the other side of the cottage, looking for something. "Wait, let me get my gloves!" called their rushing mother. Their mom went out of the house putting on the gloves in each of her fingers, and getting ready to ride the sled. "Ready?" asked Conner.  Mom and Alex give a nod as Conner counted. 1 . . . 2 . . . 3! Each of them slid down together having the best time of their lives. "FREEDOM!!!" shouted Conner standing up and raising his arms. "I feel like I'm in Narniaaaaaa!!!" shouted Alex with all her energy. As for their mom, she looked a bit green, but still couldn't miss an adventure. The hill going down had nothing but trees, all wrapped in thick blankets of snow. The cliff going down was coming to an end, and the force of their sleds wasn't so good. Their mom started holding their arms tightly, as the sleds continued sliding off the earth. "Kids, kids, be - AHHHHH!!!!!" The three sleds disappeared into different directions, but each had a lucky fall, thanks to their dear friends, the deep snow piles surrounding every corner of the globe.

 

     Alex felt the cool snow tickling her face. She looked up from the pile and started to go back to reality. "Mom?" she called out, but the icy wind is the only one who appears to be there. Alex looked around her, on her right the cliff they'd just fallen from sat peacefully still. On her left a crew of trees danced along with the weather. If front of her lay non other than a snow path. So far not a shadow nor a voice of Conner nor mom was to be heard and seen. With an it's-no-use look on her face, she bitterly stoo up and cleared off the tiny bits of snow from her outfit. She began walking and finding her family, when a forceful grip captures her foot on her first step. A hand. The hand was brisk, but she could feel a slipping feeling because of the hand's gloves. She turns around to see a tired guy lying down tiredly on the ground, as if he was running for ages . . . her dad?!

     Alex bursts into tears and falls to the ground, slowly hugging him. Her dad was alive. He was right in front of her. Alex forgot everything that surrounded her, only feeling the warmth of her dad. She looks at him again, but wait, why does he look a bit smaller than before? "Huh?" murmurs Alex in disbelief. "Good to see you too, Alex." says her dad. And then she realizes it isn't him. It's her brother Conner. He looked so much like dad. How his hair flew just like his, how his eyes looked at her, how he talked. "Conner! Oh my gosh!" she leans in and hugs him again. I thought you were dad." said Alex shyly. "Are you ok?" she asked. "Well, except from all the running I did and the tree and leaf obstacles, I should say that I am alive and fine." he said, gasping for air. Alex nodded, and replied. "Come on then, we have to find mom." she turns around and heads for the path ahead of them. "Where do you think she is Conner? I do hope she's alright,"she looks back to see if he's following him. But he isn't. So she knits her eyebrows in confusion. "Yeah, er, Alex, you might want to see this." said Conner. "What?" asked Alex. She comes closer to him, and he reveals a hand mirror. "And?" Alex looks at him because it's just  a regular mirror, reflecting the faces of her and her twin. It was a bit blurry, and it's metal handle was a bit rusted, but other than that, Alex didn't see anything unusual. "Conner, you know what we talked about with mom, right? No fairytale stuff till after Christmas." But Conner ignored her, and tapped the mirror twice, to reveal . . . a . . . a . . . face Alex was one hundred percent sure about.

Chapter 2

     "Conner, where did you get that?" asked Alex, now hugging the mirror closely next to her. "I don't know. I landed in the snow and my hand touched something. So I got it, and found that." said Conner. "But . . . but that's impossible. How could that be lying in the snow, not even disguised as something normal, here in the real world?" asked Alex dumbfounded. 

     "Alex, I don't know," said Conner. "but I think we should ask Grandma." 

"Okay, okay. But of course we've got to search for mom first." Alex said, quickly turning and calling for their mom eagerly, still hugging the mirror in her delicate arms, and looking at the happy face inside it. So calm, still. With a smile so warm like hot chocolate on Christmas day, and eyes so missed.

     As Conner followed his sister quickly, he started calling out for their mom too. Alex and Conner checked every tree, pile of snow, and area they found. Yet not a living soul but theirs was to be seen. After hours of going through endless snow, and being lost a thousand times in the woods, Alex and Conner decided to rest in a cave they found by a lake. The twins sat in the very corner, shivering hopelessly as the trees danced along with the icy wind of the drab night.

    

     Conner woke up with a start, because of something coming from somwhere in his back. He stood up and looked at where he was sitting, but there wasn't anything else but Alex sleeping peacefully. Seeing that it was still dark outside, Conner carefully sat next to Alex and shut down in a second. And just as Conner began to dream in his sleep, he woke up once again because of a prod from his back. "Alex, Alex, wake up." Conner shaked his sister as calmly as he could. "Conner!" Alex awoken with a start. "It's still dark outside, what's up?" she asked in a sleepy, complaining, yawning voice

Conner knelt and took a look at the icy ground where he and his sister slept so peacefully. "Didn't you feel anything near your back?" asked Conner. 

"Well, don't get surprised, but  I do have to admit that I slouch once in a while and it's kind of nasty." said Alex admiting the truth. "Why?" she asks sleepily, closing her eyes.

"I was just sleeping, and then I felt - AWWW!" Conner yelled. He opened his coat and took out the mirror, revealing no other than their dad. But their dad, it wasn't just a photo of him anymore . . . he was moving. And now he was was speaking. And the mirror, just above the earth, in front of Alex and Conner's eyes. . . It was floating.

"Alex." the voice said. "Conner.", it said this time, with tears falling through his cheeks.

Chapter 3

     Alex gripped the mirror in her hands, knowing that this gentle happy voice could be no one else but one person's. She remembered her childhood, the days where she and her family would listen to fairytales. And she replied. "Dad." she said gently. Conner looked inside the mirror, obviously trying not to cry. "Dad, is that really you?" asked Alex. "Yes. I am very much alive, Alex" the dad said with a toothy and teary grin. Making sure it was all real, Alex pinched herself, and knew that this wasn't a dream at all. "Dad, you're alive!" Conner said happily, touching the mirror to see if it was a portal of some sort. "Don't tell me a witch put you in there." Then the dad looked around him, checking if anyone else was there, when he was standing in the middle of nowhere. "Kids, I know you have lots of questions, but come closer. Hide in any place far from anyone else. Don't let anyone see you, not even your mom. I've already brought great danger, just when you saw me." The twins knew that their dad keeping secrets, especially from their mom, was sternly unusual. And that meant that this was a BIG problem. "It's ok dad, this place is human free, except for me and Alex." said Conner assuringly. "And dad." said Alex, looking at Conner in a were-you-born-yesterday?! way. "Okay then, I'm runnng out of time, so you've got to listen to me carefully." their dad said, as Alex and Conner nodded, understanding that their life was never normal. Especially when you were a bridge to two worlds. Their dad began. "First of all, a witch named Lopia trapped me in here years ago, when you two were babies. You're mom may have not told you so, but we used to go to this cottage in the past. We were having a stroll around the woods back then. And you're mom found a butterfly, which landed on my shoulder. Your mom squeaked in delight at the insect's beauty, and then BOOM! The butterfly turned into an old witch, Lopia, complete with warts and a black cloak. I got trapped inside this mirror, and was buried in the snow, steps away from your mom. Charlotte couldn't hear me, so she went all around the woods searching for me, not knowing that the mirror she'd stepped on was the answer to her problem. And for some reason," they're dad said, licking his lips. "I heard Mother Goose, not a few days ago, here in the woods. She was with Lester, saying that Lopia is in the real world, and will kill everyone she's cast a spell on, animal, human, princess, or fairy, real world or not, to regain her power." he continued. "And as Mother Goose said, when she kills everyone and recovers her strength, she will be immortal and take over the other world." The twins gasped, finding out that their place of fun, enjoyment, adventures, memories, and home was going to die. "But . . . we can stop her. Conner and I can do that." Alex said with all the tiny courage that was left. "Alex, Conner, I don't want you getting stressed out. . ." their dad began. "But Lopia has already killed all of the other innocent creatures she's cast a spell on. Mother Goose was here the other day to find me, because your grandma and she knows what happened. You finding me is very good, but also very bad, as Lopia will be looking for me." their dad said bluely. "Dad, now that we know you're only trapped in a mirror and your alive, we can't let anyone kill you." said Conner. "Yes, but you'll have to be sure about that. Because now, Lopia can also. . .take over the real world." Alex fell to the ground, as Conner hugged her so tight, both of them trying to be brave, knowing the fact that two twelve year olds can't save the whole world. Now, it was all over. Lopia will be stronger than ever, if she's killed everyone. 

Chapter 4

     And then a cold ruthless, yet powerful voice behind them filled their ears, making the sobbing stop. The twins turned around, only to face, no other than a witch, which could only mean one thing. Lopia was here.

     Lopia had a black gown, and had long fingernails with flaming red nail polish. Her eyelashes were perfect, and her eyes shined green with rage. "Conner, get dad and go away." Alex whispered. Conner put the mirror in his coat, but he didn't go away. Instead, he grabbed Alex's arm tightly, knowing that she wouldn't let him take her with them, and then he dragged her, forcing theirselves to run for their lives. But halfway through,  by the trees and the cliffs, where Alex fell. . . Lopia teleported in front of their very eyes. It was stupid to think they'd out run a powerful witch. "Leaving so soon, kiddos? The mirror for your freedom." Lopia's voice was beautifully unexplainable, like when you read the best book in history, but you could hear almost everything all sticked to its beauty. Hatred, sorrow, grief, misery, power, love, and mystery. But kindness, no, it wasn't one of them. "You'll have to go through us first," said Conner bravely, not caring if he died just by opening his mouth. "All right then, if that's what you people want. I am very easy to talk to." Then out of her finger, tiny sparkles of red light greeted Conner. . . but before that, Alex shielded her brother and closed her eyes, as an invisible forcefield shared its safety with them. "Beat that, Lopia!" laughed Conner while patting his sister confidently on the back. "You are no match for me, pathetic little child!" Lopia yelled powerfully. And then from two of her pointer fingers, gigantic beams of red light hit Alex and Conner. But before that, Alex knew it was coming. She knew that she wasn't the oldest, or wisest, of fairies. She knew that this witch had more power inside of her than she expected. But Alex knew that she could defeat her. It was either Lopia was going to die, or she would die, including the rest of the world. She knew that good was always better than evil. She trusted herself. She could do this, for crying out loud! She was the granddaughter of the fairy godmother!

     Alex concentrated real hard, knowing that nothing is ever impossible. And then a giant blue beam erupted from nowhere, striking Lopia straight into her heart. She fell to the ground, and stayed there like a statue for eternity. And Alex collapsed, as darkness bid her good night.

Chapter 5

     The next thing Alex felt was her body, lying down in a very soft bed. She tried opening her eyes, but all she saw were blurry images. She winced, and saw was Conner, her mom, her grandma, and the mirror right next to her. "I am so proud of you!" her grandma announced, with tears as she planted a kiss on her forehead. "Alex, I was worried sick, and I can't believe what just happened." her mom said as she squeezed her arm. It was good to feel her mom's love again, because other than her dad, she was the next person she knew loved her very much, and Alex knew that this, was very much powerful. "Alex! You just saved the world!" said Conner brightly. "Conner, if you didn't find the mirror, it could've been the end of the world." Alex said, returning the smile. She sat straight and got the mirror. She tapped it twice, and saw her dad, smiling with proudness. She looked at her grandma. "How do we get him out?" Alex asked. Her grandma smiled mysteriously, as she grabbed Charlotte's arm and went out the door. "That is for you to find out." Alex and Conner were left alone in the room, with a mirror. "So dad, how do we get you out? Christmas is just around the corner!" exclaimed Conner. "Dad, I just know in my heart that this Christmas will be the best with you." said Alex.

     Their dad looked at them, with the best smile. "Alex, Conner. I am very very proud of the both of you. But I'm locked in here forever." their dad said. "Oh, come on dad, no jokes this time." Conner said, though his face was worried. "Dad, that can't be true. Nothing's impossible." said Alex, as their dad sighed. "We just defeated a powerful witch, freeing our dad out shouldn't be that hard." she said. "If Lopia were alive, and she wouldn't have the plan to kill me, I could've been set free." their dad replied. Alex and Conner wore pale, expressionless looks on their faces. The end of the world was better than not being with their dad. "But you'll have this mirror. And you know, I'm never really lost. Wether I get into jail, die, or if a witch casts a spell on me, I will always be with you. Remember that. Because I love you, and I am never really lost. You will have the best Christmas ever, I guarantee you."

     And with that, Alex and Conner knew that this was far more better than not even getting to talk to him. As long as there is love, nothing is ever really lost.

      

*Late Fan fiction. These are the five chapters for five weeks.

     

    

Smiling With God

     Death. Death is one thing that brings never ending grieving. Everyone dies, we all have our time. When someone in your family dies, especially if he/she is close to you, you can't help but sob and curl into one tiny ball. Yes, we can move on. Yes, we still love them. But once in a while, even if you're a fully grown adult, after twenty years, you won't have the power to stop the pain stirring inside of yourself when you see your backyard where you and your father used to play catch. 

     Four years ago, this day was one of my bluest. The plain grim look on my family members' faces when I walked into that waiting room at St. Luke's is crystal clear. And then on the 24th of December 2011, a few minutes till midnight, I felt a new kind of pain, the unexplainable one that rarely hits you, but when it does, it's more than strong. Because I lost someone I love. My grandpa.

     I cannot forget the little moments I had with him. How he bought me an inflatable penguin when we were about to go to his house. How we played pretend school with my cousin. How I used to scratch his back. How I called him on our old landline just so he could go to our house to watch my shows. How he went to my graduation day in preschool and bought be a bearista from Starbucks. How I said I love you one last time at the hospital.

     But I know that this isn't the end. Despite how we all feel, despite the tears, pain, and grieving, I know it isn't. It's unbearable to face the fact that we can't see or talk to my grandpa anymore, but I hold onto the fact that he is just watching us, that there is no end. That he is still there for us, smiling with God.

     I love you Dada. We miss you.

Pool Party to the Mall

     Today was our Christmas Party at school, and I cannot believe how the sudden change of events happened. My happiness and shock are beyond words. I just wanted to grab a lightsaber and joyously hit everything I saw when something like "yes" came out of my mom's mouth. Me and my friends were supposed to be swimming at my house, but it was postponed due to their parents's decisions. 

     I wore my blue checkered dress and grabbed my pink and gray hairband. I gripped the handle of my blue and and gold bag and turned for the stairs going down. I combed my hair, wore my sneakers, and waited for the bus to arrive. The next thing I knew was that I was staring into the window of an empty classroom waiting for a party to be threw. I opened the door and sat in the very corner in front next to the teacher's table. To pass some time, I got my i pad and started reading some soft copies of books. Some of my boy classmates started arriving, like my gay classmate, Fred, who started catwalking with my cute little sling bag and taking photos with me. I laughed crazily as he modeled along the room.

  

     After some minutes, the usual routine of the paging system and Christian Living Department followed. And then my friends came!!! After the routine, I remembered that yesterday Ms. Bay said that we had the freedom to sit anywhere we wanted. So Dina saved me a seat as I rushed to get my stuff. Later on, our other friends arrived. From left to right, this was our seating arrangement sequence; Fay, Ally, Pepper, Dina, Me, Chezka, Satira, and Holly. I and my friends started taking infinite selfies, then we visited the other classrooms to give away our gifts. As usual, I went to Candy's, Anna's, and Violet's classrooms. I gave my friends some notebooks, and makeup for Ms. Bay. 

     When we came back to the classroom, the party games started, which was honestly the most borng part ever. Ms. Bay requested each group of the class to come up with their own games. And why is that boring? Because my classmates cannot be trusted!!! Okay, I'm being too harsh. But it would've been better if Ms. Bay came up with the games. The first game was my group's game, which was ATM, short for "Ang tenga mo". It was just imitated from "ATM with the Baes" in Eat Bulaga. The first player will read a question, and if he/she doesn't know the answer, the player can just whisper the question to the next person. But if he/she knows the answer, the player can whisper the answer to the next person. Once the answer/question reaches the last player, the last player will have to shout out the answer. If the last player doesn't, everyone looses. The game was also boring since for some reason, THERE WASN'T ANY MUSIC!!! Dead air, people!

     The next games were chubby bunny, trip to jerusalem, flour game, paper dance, sack race, and bring me. (BTW, my partner was Dina in the paper dance.) 

     We ate food next!!! Yum! KFC was the school's sponsor, and we had Zesto as drinks. And after eating (WITH NO MUSIC!), the most awaited gift giving finally began. We sat on the floor and formed a circle in the middle of the room, and I had an ultimately hard time because I was wearing a dress! We described the person we picked, and when i was my classmate Rey's turn, he described someone as creative. I had a feeling he picked me, because he asked me if I really wanted cash for the christmas party. And then he gave the big square wrapped present to me. (In my wishlist, I asked for a book, art supplies, or cash.) Then I stood up and described the person I picked as "good in math". And who else would that be? My annoying, Top 2-of-the-class, former seat mate, Vinn. I gave him a 349 peso red cap from Bench. 

     Once everyone was finished opening their presents (I didn't open mine since I wanted to wait until Christmas!), it was still 10:10, and our dismissal was still at 11:30, so I, Dina, Holly, and Chezka went to sit with Pepper and Emma at the school's open area. I was taliking to Satira when I told her that I was going to Ayalala, the mall, with my mom. She told me that she was going to ride a jeep to get to Ayalala where she was going to meet her dad. Since I was going too, she asked if she could take a ride with me and my mom. I said yes, but I told her that I wasn't sure, so me and Dina went around the school to call my mom and ask her if Satira could come with us. But sadly, the school's phone wasn't working. The variety store's sellers didn't say yes. Or the security guard's phone. And me and Dina were too shy to ask the other workers at school. When we came back to the open area, Pepper and Emma went home, and Scarlette, Fred, and Jacky were there. And they wanted to go to Ayalala with me and Chezka too! Me and Dina tried the school's phone again, and when we returned to the open area, the crowd grew larger with Danica adding the party. The others including Chezka were now going to commute with Holly's nannny. After everything was settled, the final word was that we were all going to Ayalala and we were all going to meet at National Bookstore.

    I went with Dina to the waiting area, and was shocked to see my mom! I couldn't believe my happiness when she said yes. Yes that I was allowed to go to Ayalala with my friends! But before that, we went home first to get my phone and power bank. Then we sped off to the mall. We parked at the third level and did nothing but go straight to National Bookstore. I saw the corner of the store, and Holly's nanny! They were here already! I saw five girls near the escalator searching for something. Or someone! I kissed my mom goodbye and headed for Danica and the others. They all questioned me why I took so long, and I'm just like "Can't you even say hi first?". And the adventure started as we were lowered by the escalator's steps.

     Our first stop was the arcade aka Timezone. Holly tried to play the crane and win an R2D2 plush, but it just wasn't her lucky day. I tried the candy crane, and how annoyed I was when the hand gripped nothing! Holly also tried the basketball game thingy. 

     After the arcade, we saw a collection of electric comfy chairs displayed in the middle of the mall aka massaging chairs. There weren't much people, so we paid ten pesos and sat on the chairs. THEY WERE JUST RELAXING! At first, it tickled your feet, but once you get the hang of it, it'll just be relaxing. I felt my slightly slouched back straighten, and my stiff neck relax. Typing this makes me feel old...

     We went to Toys R Us next, and I felt so great to look at toys and lightsabers! Sometimes, I just feel embarrassed to walk in the toy store because of my age. But since I was with my friends, you should've seen how childish we were! Danica even wanted to buy some walkie talkies to play with school, and me and Holly addicted over the Star Wars stuff, which I am definitely adding to my Christmas wish list! Sarita bought a 99 peso ball that looked like glass, but when you touch it, it's as bouncy as a basketball! 

     And the adventure didn't stop there yet, as we went to Starbucks, because Danica had to go to the mall next door to get cash from her mom. And so we waited. And waited. And waited. And we didn't even order some food. And Holly kept on begging us to watch Star Wars Episode VII (BUT I ALREADY WATCHED IT YESTERDAY!) 

     And now for the yummy part! Our next stop was McDonald's, where Holly, Chezka and I ran from Jacky, Danica, and Scarlette, but later on saw each other at the restaurant. I ate the usual Chicken fillet meal with extra gravy - and I had to admit that I wanted to order some more since I was freakin' hungry! I was suddenly alarmed when I got a call from my mom's phone. And to make matters worse, it wasn't my mom. Nor a contact. It was just a number! I answered it. "Hello?" it asked. "Hello?" I replied. Just then, Danica grabbed the phone and answered. "Hello?" she said. "Athena Cat daw!" she told me. I was curious since that wasn't my phone, it was my mom's. How could someone be looking for me? Danica looked at me again and said "Ay hindi, Cindy Cat daw!" (In english, that means "Oops, he/she said Cindy Cat!") Danica talked to the phone once more. "Ay sorry hindi po. Phone na po ito ni Athena Cat, anak po ni Cindy Cat. Dati po kasi ito sa nanay nya. Sigi po bye po." (In english, that means "Oh sorry, no. This is now the phone of Athena Cat, daughter of Cindy Cat. It's just that this used to belong to her mother. Okay, bye.") I was so thankful that Danica did that. I would've been dead if she didn't talk to the phone.

     Now for my favorite part of the day! Me and my classmates are getting older and older each day, and to cherish our childhood, I always make sure that I don't act as old as my age. And now, I've involved my friends! Can anyone guess what we did? Okay, here's a clue; there's a ball pool, slides, and lots of bridges. Yep, it's the playground! The place was crawling with toddlers, and after hundreds of years, I finally stayed in a playground for thirty minutes again! This rarely happens, ya know. The slides were driving me mad, and there was like this bowl chair, where you can sit, as a friend turns you around, and it's like you've rode a roller coaster! There were these ball things that you can sit on, and they take you round and round! I got quite embarrassed though, when one of the staff told us that we should be careful of our skirts, since we weren't that young. He was gesturing to Holly and me, since we were wearing dresses. We played and played, and I knew that I would never ever forget this day. It wasn't like any other.

     The day ended with worries, actually. Me and Holly were looking at a small store called Iconic Socks, since I was wondering if I should buy the Star Wars socks, costing 300 pesos. So I called my mom, while Holly waited for me. But when I looked around me, Holly was the only one there. Jacky, Danica, Scarlette, and Chezka were gone. Me and Holly immediately rode the escalator and searched for the others. Once we got down, I saw Satira's XOXO Jansport bag right ahead of us. Me and Holly chased after them, through Toys R Us, People are People, and Red Ribbon. But it was too late. Once we were near Roy & Biv, I didn't see Satira's XOXO Jansport again. Me and Holly talked, wondering where to find them. We were about to go to Blue Magic when a scary gruff voice shocked the both of us. "Iha," it said. We turned around and saw an old man about 60 or 70. He had white hair, a blue jacket, pale brown pants, a red cap, and had a long umbrella along with a plastic bag. But his eyes. For some reason, I couldn't remember them. Was he wearing glasses? Shades? "Iha, limang piso ba ito?" In english, he meant "Miss, is this five pesos?" Holly was dumbfounded. She stayed quiet, and didn't know what to say. The old man repeated his questions again and again, and showed us the coin as if we were blind and deaf. This was unusual. He's an old man, yes. He may have poor eyesight and be quite deaf. But why would he ask young girls? There were hundreds of people around the mall. And why would he shock us? If he was going to buy something with that coin, why wouldn't he ask the workers in the store he was going to? I replied "Opo, limang piso po yan" loud and clear. I used a low voice and called Holly and we went to Blue Magic to find the others. I told her that I thought it was unusual of him to ask us. After no sign of the others, we quickly walked towards the escalator, seeing tje old man by Chowking. He didn't buy anything, and he wasn't doing anything but watch all the busy people roaming around. 

     Me and Holly went to Starbucks to tell her nanny that we'll have to find the others first, she had to go home since it was almost 4 o' clock.  We searched the mall as much as possible, but I went to my mom at Cafe Mary Grace with Holly, no sign of the others. Holly immediately went back to her nanny, maybe too shy to say hi to my mom. I know that the others are safe, and they'll all go home happy, like me. This day was a supposed pool party who transformed into an unforgettable wonderful mall party. I won't ever forget this day.

PS. At school, me and my friends were thinking of a plan to get rid of Danica, since she can be annoying. But as the day grew older, she was quite fun and wasn't that bad. :)

Grace and her Grandmas

     Once Upon a time, in a teeny tiny deserted cottage in the forest, lived Grace Bree, a beautiful fifteen year old chid. She wore dresses her grandmas sewed for her out of curtains, and had curly brown hair which complemented her warm blue eyes. She lived with her three grandmothers, named Dray, Dillan, and Dally Bree. Whenever Grace would ask who were parents were, the three old grandmas just shrugged and said she appeared out of nowhere. It just so happened that grandma Dally, the youngest of the three sisters, heard someone crying, and saw a beautiful baby wrapped in blankets next to a tree. Since no one but them lived in the forest, it's a wonder why a baby would suddenly appear in this place. And so, they adopted the girl and named her Grace. Ever since then, Grace was known as "the daughter of nature itself", and she and her grandmas had the best of their lives living in the forest, gardening, exploring, and singing with the cutest of woodland creatures.

     In a palace far far away, where music was a distraction, and money meant everything, lived Queen Romaine JoBeth Blackwood. Rumors were that Queen Romaine herself killed her husband in a fight, while the Queen announced to the public that her husband King Andro Ilbert Blackwood II died due to fatigue, insomnia, and pneumonia, but not a soul believed her, because no one, not even the palace guards, saw the king's dead body.

     "Come on dear, go blow your birthday candles! It's not everyday you turn sixteen!" 

"Oh please Dillan, the girl hasn't even made a wish!" 

"Time to eat the cake! Wait, why are there sill unblown candles?" 

Giggling, Grace squeezed her eyes shut and let her heart's deepest desire do the talking. Just like on every birthday, she wished for the same thing again. Despite how many birthdays passed and the fact that it still hasn't come true, she never lost hope. I WISH, she told herself. I WISH . . . TO KNOW ABOUT MY PAST. Grace opened her eyes then blew her candles. 

"HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTH - " The three grandmas were about to sing, when a loud knock interrupted. 

"Who could that be?" whispered Grace silently. After the grandmas and Grace exchanged looks with one another, Grandma Dally approached the door and opened it. A beautiful tall figure with black hair put into complicated braids, icy black eyes, and a green dress with yellow high heels appeared in front of the doorstep. She bent a bit to level Grandma Dally. "Good Morning, Mrs. Bree!" said the woman, as a chill went tingling through Grandma Dally's spine. "May I come in?" After a few seconds, Grandma Dally managed to utter some words and said "Yes. Yes, yes of course." As if coming back to reality, Grandma Dally opened the door wider to let the woman come in and fixed up the house quickly and let the scary woman take a seat. 

      Grace, not being able to see any other one of her kind except for herself and her grandparents, ran inside the room with Grandma Dray and Dillan chasing after her. "Honey, come out and say hello" said Grandma Dray. 

"There's a human inside our house! A human! A new one!" said Grace. "Of course there are! We aren't as isolated as it seems you know, Grace" said Grandma Dillan.  Grace sat quietly on her bed, letting five dead minutes pass by. "C'mon now dear, can't stay here forever." Grandma Dillan took her hand and assisted her to the door, only to be surprised by a weeping Grandma Dally in front of them. Grandma Dally took Grace's hand quickly and let her sit on the table, facing the woman. Grace looked curiously at the woman and immediately felt insecure. Her smile reached up until her eyes, as if she was forcing to show all the teeth she had. Her eyes were beautiful, but were filled with makeup and showed no tear or kindness. 

"Ah, there she is! Princess Christen Chasity Blackwood !" Queen Romaine stood up and shook hands with Grace. Her hands were icy cool and super bony.

"Er, who are you, miss?" asked Grace with a tingling sensation in her voice, like this was the first thing she'd said in all her life. 

"Haven't you're ugly grandmas told you about me?" She asked as she took a quick glance at the weeping whispering grandmas in the corner.

"I, am Queen Romaine JoBeth Blackwood of Ehuba! And I am here to claim you, my daughter." 

Grace gasped and focused on her. Daughter. Daughter she said. She had a mother. She had a real family. She wasn't a nobody. She had a mother. It was all just in front of her. Her wish had come true. THIS was her past. THIS was her ONE long life wish. She opened her arms and let them find their way around her mother.

"Mother! I love you!" she said. Grace didn't care if she had lots of questions. That could wait. She didn't care if she was to die today. She didn't care about anything, except for her mother. Queen Romaine's brows and nose knitted.

"Yes, yes, me too. Now off we shall go! We've only got a month before the big day." Queen Romaine seized Grace's hands quickly and dragged her outside, not letting her see her grandmas again. But Grace was okay with that, because now she had her mother. And that was all that mattered.

     Outside, a carriage and millions of guards waited, who bowed at each step Grace and Queen Romaine made. Queen Romaine rode in the large golden carriage, and let Grace ride in a tiny wheelbarrow waiting behind. "Wait, I want to ride with you." pleaded Grace. But her mother shut the door behind her and guards put her in the barrow. After hours of seeing nothing but trees and creatures, darkness had sunk in, and Grace was inside a palace. Her mother was a queen! She was a princess! She had the world with her. 

     

     During dinner time, Grace was dressed in a puffy pink dress and her hair tied into a bun with braids, and had a humongous tiara. Her feet were aching and she's slipped again and again because of the heels. A servant grabbed her by the shoulders and let her sit on the chair. The table was as long as a snake and the food never ran out! A servant would put another dish after another by the second! But before eating, Grace noticed that no one but she and her mom were eating. And her mom was a hundred chairs away!  After a few servants went in to fix some stuff, Grace ran to the chair next to her mom's and took a seat. "Mom, I have lots of questions!" said Grace excitedly.

"Where's my dad?" was Grace's first question.

"Died because of Insomia, Pnemounia, and Fatigue" said Queen Romaine smiling. Grace didn't feel too sad though. She had a mom, and that meant the world to her.

"Am I really your daughter?"

"Yes." 

"Do I have any siblings?"

"No." 

"When is my birthday?" 

"Sometime in fall, I think." 

"How did you know that I was your daughter?"

"Because I know, silly!" 

"You mean, you knew that your daughter lived in a cottage?"

"Yes, of course! I put you there."

Grace thought that this was coming out bad, but she knew her mother wouldn't leave her alone throughout the years without a good reason.

"Why?"

"Well, why wouldn't I? Daughters can be a pain in the neck, especially if they've got no use. And because I still had mercy, I put you in that forest, since I knew those old monkeys were so blind that they would do anything just to be kind and help others." She said this in a disgusted and What's-wrong-with-that? tone.

"You mean that you knew Grandma, Dray, Dillan, and Dally needed me, so you let them take me in?" 

"If you put it that way." 

"But you just did that to help them, didn't you? You did love me, and you knew that I'd have a better life with them, right? You love me, don't you?"

"Well, because you're asking me, I know that no one would have a good life with those old hags. They live in an isolated forest for heaven's sake! But a queen knows all of her subjects, far or near. And for the love thing, I don't know what that means."

"Then if you knew I wouldn't have a good life with them, why did you let them take me?"

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO USE AND ARE A PAIN IN THE NECK!" shouted Queen Romaine. She'd had enough. But Grace had to know. She needed to know more. With weeping eyes, she dared to ask another question.

"I know you don't love me." she started. "I know I'm a pain in the neck, and I have no use to you. But why take me now?"

Sighing, Queen Romaine replied.

"There's going to be a contest next week, which will be featuring Royal Princesses. All the princesses along with the kings and queens from different kingdoms will be arriving, and Ehuba will not loose. I've even got to find a new husband. We needed royalty, I remembered you, and got you from the old monkey hags. If anyone in this kingdom ever speaks that I just got you today, I will kill them one by one with no mercy. I'll be returning you to the cottage after the contest. Good Night." Queen Romaine got up and started walking up the stairs to her room.

Grace realized something. This was not a mother. A mother was someone who you could tell everything to. Someone who loved you for you, despite your flaws and differences.

"You aren't my mother" said Grace.

"Excuse Me?" 

"I am not a princess. My name is Grace Bree. A mother loves her child. She will do anything to protect her. She accepts her for who her child is. I'm going back to my grandmas right now wether you like it or not. Because no amount of flesh and blood will ever level how much my grandmas love me, if you're treating me as nothing until now. I don't care if you're guards kill me. I don't care if you say no. I don't care if I might die in the darknees outside. My grandmas are my real family. And I love them."

The Ultimate Me Bucket List!

     Here is a bucket list containing 80+ stuff/people I love. This isn't even half of everything I just adore, if I put it in all one post it would take forever to read it! This is the ultimate Me Bucket list...

A

Abbey Sy

Air conditioner

Animals (especially dogs!)

Aldub

Art

Ashlynn Ella

B

Baby Blue (color)

Bookstores

Books

C

Calligraphy

Candys and Chocolates (NO NUTS!)

Chess

Chicken Fillet from McDonald's

Christmas!

Corduroy (The bear in green overalls😊)

D

Disney

Disney Princesses

Disneyland

E

Eat Bulaga

Ever After High

F

Facebook

Family

Friends

Fully Booked 

G

Gardens

Gel Pens

Gold (color)

Gravy...

H

Harry Potter!!!!

Hello Kitty

Hermione

High Grades

Holidays

How to Train Your Dragon

I

I carly

Ice Cream

Inside Out (movie)

J

Jansport

Jesus

J.K Rowling

K

Kate Spade

Keds

L

Lettering

Light Pink (color)

Lizzie McGuire

Long Holidays

Loom Bands

M

Music

N

Nature

Nerf Rebelle

Neverland (Peter Pan)

New York

Notebooks (Even if I have nothing to write in them)

O

Old Navy

P

Paris

Pegasi

Percy Jackson

Peter Pan

Pizza

Purple (color)

Q

R

Rainbows

Rain (cuz' classes r suspended!)

Rebels (EAH, I still love em'!)

Reading

Red (color)

Roald Dahl

Royals (EAH)

S

Sharpies

Slambooks

Snow (Not the guy in Hunger Games...)

Sneakers

Star Wars

Summer

T

Taylor Swift

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Hunger Games

The Land of Stories

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Parent Trap 

Tommorrowland (Disney Movie)

Toothless

Total Girl

Typography

U

Unicorns

UniQlo

V

W

Wi-fi

Wonderings of a Writer

Wonderland

Writing

X

Y

Z

*Monday Schedule changed to GeekGal or Me stuff

The Boy Who Knew Everything

     There is a prophecy. It speaks of a girl who can fly and a boy who knows everything. The prophecy says that they have the power to bring about great change. . .

     The boy's name is Conrad Harrington IIIl. He has a best friend, also known as the girl who can fly, Piper McCloud. 

     For a seventh birthday party, Conrad stayed inside a room, being asked senseless questions by a ninny. "You build a house with four square walls each with only southern exposure. A bear shows up. What color is the bear?" the ninny, Dr. Hilda Hammish asked. "White" answered Conrad. And so, more and more questions followed with the correct answers coming out of Conrad's mouth. Until Conrad's dad came in. Senator Harrington. In the end, his dad carelessly let him go with Dr. Hammish.

     And for the following four years, after being away from his dad and escaping everyone from the control of Dr. Letitia Hellion (Another mad doctor) , Piper stepped in and saved the day by offering Conrad her home and family. The McClouds, consisting of Piper McCloud, Betty McCloud (Piper's mom), and Joe McCloud (Piper's dad) lived on a humble farm in remote lowland country and, like Piper, they were honest and good-hearted country folk. 

     Piper and Conrad collected all of their old friends like Kimber, Smitty, Jasper, and Violet, whom they saved from Dr. Hellion. Just like them, they also had powers. And they established a team, to save the world from harm and destruction. 

     But everything changes when Conrad and the McClouds hear word that Senator Harrington becomes president, and claims that his son, Conrad is dead. And then a helicopter lands in front of the McCloud farm. With the first lady inside. Who is Conrad's mom. She came there to tell him something. Conrad was their only hope. They desperately needed him. He was smart, and he might just do it. Because Conrad's baby sister, Aletha, was lost. 

     And because of this, Piper and Conrad go to the white house and start searching for Aletha. But matters become worse when they find her in a room inside a room above the fireplace. They save her, but that's when President Harrington enters Aletha's room, followed by a dark figure who shot the president with a gun. 

     J., a friend of Piper and Conrad, suddenly appears in the white house and bring them to a place his sister, Dr. Hellion told him was paradise for their kind. J. was older than Piper and Conrad, but he was also like them. He had the ability to turn invisible. He took Piper and the conscious Conrad to that "Paradise", only to be sent out once again by a girl named AnnA. With Aletha in the hands of the McClouds, J. goes back to the kids for help to get into this Paradise. 

     And if you didn't know, Paradise was amazing. There were different flowers of which Conrad didn't know of, with beautiful mountains and valleys all around. The people were called Xanthians, and all had abilities just like Conrad and Piper. This place was called as Xanthia. It was purely breathtaking. But it was as dangerous as much as it was beautiful.

     With an evil Xanthian lurking around the corner, secrets are slowly revealed, and it's up to the girl who could fly and the boy who knew everything to save the day.

     The boy who knew Everything is a companion to the New York Times bestseller, The Girl Who Could Fly. I do have to say that this story surprised me at every moment, but I should also say that the surprises could have been revealed better. There was one part where Piper and Conrad discover Starr, who was Conrad's grandma. Starr said that she had a son named Peter, which was the name of his dad. But she said that in the middle of the story, which didn't surprise me that much, and I figured it all out easily. Perhaps Forester could have revealed that at the end of the chapter. Something like "My son's name is Peter" as the end of a chapter, since I know there would be a bigger surprise feeling. I should also say that there were some holes in the story, like what happened to Dr. Hellion in the end (I should tell you that J. let her out and she was all mad). The story is also entitled "The Boy Who Knew Everything", but I'd better say that there are times where Conrad doesn't know something. So he's just extremely smart, he doesn't know Everything. But still, the story and choices of words are very outstanding! The details were perfect and vivid. Some of the greatest books should make you say something like "Started from there, and now we're here", which means you've got into something so far from where you were then. And The Boy who knew Everything was very much like that.

The Boy Who Knew Everything by Victoria Forester
Cover Illustration ©2015 by Iacopo Bruno
Cover Design by Rich Deas and Anna Booth
Photo from Google images

Rating: O  O  O  O  O

Suggested Age of Readers: 9+

Genre/s: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Fiction

*Book Review

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About the Author 

     

Victoria Forester

     Victoria grew up on a remote farm in Ontario, Canada. After graduating from the University of Toronto, her passion for storytelling led her to write and direct a short film for the CBC. When her next film was completed (The Pony’s Tale which aired on Global Television) she eagerly, and perhaps rashly, set off to Los Angeles.

     The famous independent film producer, Roger Corman, mentored Victoria and gave her the opportunity to write and direct her first feature film, Circuit Breaker for Showtime starring Richard Grieco and Corben Bernsen. 

     This was soon followed by Macon County Jail with David Carradine and Ally Sheedy, and Cry of the White Wolf for the Disney Channel. Next Victoria directed Teen Scorcery, a fun story about mischievous teenage witches that was shot in Romania

     The Girl Who Could Fly began as a screenplay that was optioned by Paramount Pictures. Victoria loved the story so much she decided to write it as a book as well. It is her very first book but she looks forward to the opportunity of writing many, many more.

     She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, newborn daughter and ridiculously orange cat, Rufus.

Victoria Forester
Photo from Google Images 

Description of Author text Credits: www.goodreads.com

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

      Have you ever felt like everybody's already as large as skyscrapers while you're as tiny as a bug? Well, you aren't alone! Everyone goes through it, but be careful what you wish for.

Bernardo

     Bernardo was a normal kid, living in the Philippines, in a small Barrio called San Andres with his Aunt and Uncle. His mom and stepsister live in London, but his father. . . well, he was out of the picture. He loved basketball more than anything else. He had a best friend named Jabby. But his one wish, was to stay with his family. Nothing more.

     All his life, Bernardo has been the smallest guy at Sacred Heart Academy. He'd been thought of as a little kid, when in reality he's already in High School. He always wanted to be tall. But suddenly, a girl named Gabriela gave him a Wishing Stone. She said that you could wish for anything, anything at all. And then Bernardo wished. 

     But that wasn't the only time Bernardo had an encounter with the wishing stone. He saw it once more, tied to Gabriella's neck. And then Bernardo wished.

Amandolina 

     Andi was the average teenager. She lived with his mum and dad in London. She had short hair, and you'd mistake her as a boy. She was small. But she LOVED basketball. 

     Andi and Bernardo have two different lives. They were far from each other, they weren't a block away. But they were siblings. They were extremely different. But all that changes when Bernardo gets his wish. He gets to go to London, and he grows taller. Oops, correction! He became a giant! An eight foot tall teenager! 

Rating: O  O  O  O  O

Suggested Age of Readers: 9+

Genre: Fiction

*Book Review

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About the Author

Candy Gourlay

Candy Gourlay
Photo from Google images

      Candy Gourlay was a journalist writing about dictators in the Third World before she took up a full time position battling dictators of the nappy-clad variety. She inadvertently became a web designer while avoiding doing the dishes. She takes procrastination to new levels by blogging, drawing and making YouTube videos for fun. Her debut novel TALL STORY has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for 13 awards. It won the 2012 National Children's Book Award in the Philippines as well as the 2011 Crystal Kite Prize for Europe.

Description of Author text Credits: www.goodreads.com

Ever After High: Ashlynn's Diary

March 13, 2015

      My heart is breaking into fragments. I can't take it anymore. How could I not miss these guys? 

      Today is one of the last few weeks of this school year at Ever After High. I know one thing is for sure. I know I'm not wrong. This was the best school year ever, and nothing in the world will ever have the capability to explain the joy of exploring the campus, having wicked awesome teachers, trying out new things, and being with my best friends. I love you Ever After High. Forever.

     Because of this, me and my friends will be having a pool party at my place on our last day! Our teachers have done nothing but make us watch movies because the last day's just around the corner, and we've got nothing else to do. So me and my friends had loads of time to goof off and do anything we wanted. We're actually in the middle of writing letters to each other (even if we're a centimeter away) and watching Night at the Museum 3 and Toy Story 3. 

      So far, Raven, Holly, Maddie, Apple, and Cedar were the only ones allowed to come. (But Apple had to have her aunt go with her) Right now, my true heart's desire is to make this pool party successful. It's the last day of me and these guys being together, since lots of them will be traveling abroad and transferring to new schools. All I want is to remember this day, where we were all together even if it was the last.

March 18, 2015

     This is it. This is it. A sad and happy day combined into one.

      Sad news!!! Holly won't be able to come! That leaves me, Cedar, Raven, and Apple. DING!!!!! The bell's rang! Oh my fairy godmother! Me and my friends came bursting out of the classroom. I still had to contact my dad, he still forgets that I can't be late for anything! And there he is!!! The carriage is right outside! I called my friends, and squeezed our way out. And then the security guard blocked us. How polite! 

      After ten minutes of arguing with the useless security guard, he finally allowed us to go out. And the rarest thing happened. My friends were going to my palace. They were going to my house. We actually did it! 

      The next thing I knew was that we were crowded in the carriage. Once we got home, we all ate really quick, but Raven was really full since she ate hundreds of chocolates at EAH's last day feast. And then we started swimming! I was swimming! With my friends! This was all too much happiness! After that, we went to my bedroom and played some video games. (Specifically, we addicted over Just Dance, and grooved to the songs of Applause, Starships, Just Dance, Kiss you, and Gentleman.)

And then they took a quiz (which I made!) about everything that's happened this year, with Jar of Hearts on repeat.

     And then the next thing I knew was that we were all in that carriage again. Dropping off Raven and saying Goodbye. Tears dropping out of my eyes.

Underneath the Bed

     Long long ago, when phones didn't exist, and music was out of taste, was a little girl named Daisy Light. She had brown hair which she always tied into pigtails, and beautiful majestic blue eyes. She loved lots of things! Books, Stories, Toys, and Games! One thing she loved most was her family. But despite the pain, despite the weeping, and despite how she truly felt, Daisy could hide anything with a single smile. Because behind this cheerful innocent sweet girl, is a frightened and misunderstood six year old. 

     Mr. or Mrs. Bright always went to read Daisy a bedtime story and sing lullabies. And then one of them would tuck little Daisy under the warm soft blanket and kiss her goodnight with a matching "I love you". But little did these parents know, that once they'd turn their backs, Daisy's eyes would grow to the size of an owl's, and her heart would skip a beat. Then she'd turn on the lights, and keep an eye of that horrible world underneath her bed. 

     One night, as Daisy was filled with love and kisses to have a good night's sleep, her mom came back after an hour or so because she'd forgotten to get her bag. And she found a bright room and Daisy, wide awake, doing nothing but stare under het her bed as the time aged more and more. 

"Sweetheart, why haven't you gone to bed? It's half past nine." 

"M-Mum, they're under my bed." 

"Who are sweetie?"

Daisy stayed silent, tears falling under her eyes as her mom peeked underneath, seeing nothing but cobwebs and old toys.

"Honey dear, there's no one in there."

Daisy pretended to hear nothing. Mrs. Bright scooped her little princess and cradled her in her hands, even though she was getting bigger, like a baby. 

"Daisy, look at me," After a few more repetitions, Daisy looked into her mother's eyes.

"Please answer me. I won't be able to help if you don't." Daisy nodded.

"Since when has this started?" asked Mrs. Light gently.

"When I was four." 

"Why haven't you told me and daddy?" 

"I was afraid, because the m-m-mon. . . monsters might hunt me." 

"And where did you hear about those monsters?" 

"Blu"

"Blu? What did your brother have to do with this?" 

"He told me that monsters lived under my bed and they hated children and killed them with no such mercy and he said they had the b-body of a f-f. . . fish and the head of a-a lion." Daisy gulped, then continued. "And if I-I told anyone about this they'd come and get me and kill me!" 

     Daisy started creating an ocean of tears. Mrs. Bright looked at her little princess, with concern and kindness.

"Blu!" growled Mrs. Bright quietly so Daisy wouldn't hear. After a minute of full crying, Mrs. Bright knew the best thing to say.

"Baby, look at me."

"Mum, I don't want to die!" 

Mrs. Light sighed.

"First of all, if those monsters did exist, then they'd be attacking you right now because you told me." Daisy took a look around to see if anyone was hiding.

"Monsters aren't real. I guess your annoying big brother made that up to scare you." continued Mrs. Bright.

"But mum, what if they ARE real?"

Mrs. Light looked at her daughter, as if she was communicating with her silently. Withe her eyes locked with Daisy's, Mrs. bright knew what to say.

"If you're afraid, Daisy, just think of the monsters as Dory and Aslan. If they're underneath your bed, they're the monsters to the enemies. Because they want to protect you. I know you love them as much as I do, so what's there to be afraid of?" 

Daisy considered this, until her face turned into an unexplaineable grin.