“My name is Marne McScott,” he said glaring at Ruby until she backed off uncomfortably. “How do you rate my shop?” Poppy gulped and just looked around for an exit just in case she wanted to escape. “You like my book of interests. You can look absolutely anywhere in this shop but DO NOT look in the book of interests.”

A second later, Mr Marne McScott disappeared so fast that his hat nearly fell off. Ruby was alone and staring into nowhere. Then she realised she could move again. She really wanted to look around the shop but the book interested her more. Without a moment to think, she was walking along the floor to the book. Suddenly she decided to look if Marne Mcscott was coming back but it was just an open corridor. She wondered where the corridor lead to! Shall she go down?

Ruby decided to look inside. She opened the book of interests and there were wonderful pictures. There were, forests, parks, beaches and even Disneyland. It was like you couldn’t even imagine them they were so good.

Without a second to think, she grabbed the pen and started to draw. She drew a Savannah with a half ruined house and something which she thought would never come true. Ruby’s heart thumped in her chest.

“Follow me,” squawked the eagle. Ruby carefully closed the book and followed the eagle. She crept through the corridor thinking she might get in trouble. She saw a door made of smooth wood. She asked,
“Is this my door?”
The eagle just nodded and landed on the door handle and flew back off. Ruby opened the door and entered excitedly.

Ruby didn’t step in a room which she was expecting. She stepped into a REAL savannah! She jumped excitedly then stood still as she looked at the half ruined house. There were dry trees with lions sleeping by them. The only thing she could hear was the eagle talking to other eagles and lions snoring. She wondered if the thing what she dreamed for was there. She looked.

The Mythical Emporium Prologue

There are some places where people can’t just take one step in. The Mythical Emporium was like that.

Even though books were stacked on top of each other. Even though it seemed like wind-up toys came alive and danced in the window. Even though on Christmas Eve you could smell delicious roast dinner and well baked cookies. Even though fairy lights shone bright like stars during celebrations. Even though there were piles of sweets, treasure scattered everywhere and cute teddies sitting cutely like they were begging you in.

But no one ever wanted to step in. The doorway was as dark as a black cat’s fur. It was like it was begging you in. Even though you would walk past it and see and smell everything, no one would step in an inch. No one until Ruby.

Chapter 1 – Somebody’s in

Ruby has always wondered what was inside the Emporium, but her mother said it could be dangerous. One miserable winter’s morning, Ruby was taking a stroll when suddenly rain poured down. She ran into a shop not realising it’s the Emporium. She was inside.

Ruby looked around. She gasped. She was in the Emporium!  There were stuffed, cute teddies sitting on the floor. She saw valuable jewellery behind a polished glass wall. Fluffy kittens playing with each other happily on a carpet. Beautiful flowers swaying in the wind on the fresh, green grass. A colourful rainbow which lead into the sky tempting you to climb on and slide back down. Ancient writing, a rusty sword and a old map made by the greeks. But the thing which interested Ruby the most, was a dusty, large book. She flicked it open and then she was in a new world. The words were dancing everywhere.  The pictures were moving. It was amazing. As started to read. 

“I see you have found the book of interests. The best book in the Emporium,” said a man. A man with a white and grey parrot on his shoulder came in. Ruby gasped and closed the book loudly. The parrot on his shoulder was deadly still for a moment and then said, “This is horribly bad.”

I would take the sound of,

Crackling fireworks at Astley Park in the evening,

Bees buzzing from a well made beehive at sunrise,

The waves crashing on the side of Blackpool Beach at sunset.

I would take the taste of,

Candy floss at a busy amusement park with people riding fun rides,

Well made crisps in an enormous, plastic bag with a salty smell,

Warm home made hot chocolate on a snowy night.

I would take the smell of,

Sweet smelling flowers picked from a carpeted field,

Well cooked burgers on the barbecue at sunset,

The busy swimming pool with people playing with friends and family.

I would take the touch of,

Smooth mane from a royal horse which pulls the Queen’s carriage,

A fluffy small bunny which hops up and down all day 

My soft bed with fluffy teddies scattered everywhere.

In the room of paint,

whatever I touched turned into my favourite colour.

In the room of clouds,

I relaxed in the fluffiness and fell asleep.

In the room of candy,

I felt sick and I had a sugar rush.

In the room of nature,

I could grow anything I liked.

In the room of wind,

it blew me over.

In the attic of fire,

everything was burnt and I didn’t dare to step in.

In the room of brightness and darkness,

the angels and devils fought.