Chapter 4-The return

Ignoring the constant voice that rang in her ears, Maddie stopped where the door used to be. There was nothing there but there was a small muddy lake that had been hiding behind the bushes. It was vogy water with mud at the bottom slowly floating to the top. Seaweed floating on the lake like it was half eaten. Looking into the lake, she could just about see a white door at the bottom.

Deep down in the muddy water was a white door at the bottom. Her heart beated as fast as a cheater could run. She needed to breathe but she kept going and went down faster. Holding the door handle, she pulled it. With a strong whiff of air, the lake was slowly emptying itself. She quickly got through the door into the corridor. She layed on her back with her arms and legs spread out, panting like she just did 1000 miles of running. The door was closed. The corridor was dry. The weird thing was that her clothes were magically dry. She was back in the emporium and had no idea what had just happened.

Quietly, she tiptoed back, sneaked through the curtains and stepped into the main area of the shop. Mr Bronze watched her “Did you find what you wanted? He asked. Maddie just shook her head. She was still a bit shocked by what had just happened.

Mr Bronze explained,  “ You can visit lots and lots of wonders but you can never undo the past. So whatever you expected to be in there, would not have been what you expected.” He put down the wind chimes that he had been cleaning on the desk and gave a little smile.”Come back again another day,” he said, while standing in front of the door.

Maddie walked out into the road but still wanted to know lots more about the emporium, so she turned around. But the emporium and everything in it had disappeared. It just disappeared like a puff of smoke in an instant. She felt something weird but just shook it off. Maybe another day she thought.

What she did not know was that she was being followed by the same puppy that showed her the door. It hid behind a bush as she opened her door and watched. The puppy just sat down and sighed. It had all the time in the whole world. 

Through the door….. 

It was a beautiful, wooden cottage with emerald green ivy climbing up the walls and red roses growing around the perimeter of the cottage. The door was open and without thinking, she walked inside. The cottage had everything you might need: a cosy living room with a convertible sofa with candles burning dimly; a little kitchen with a cooker cooking some food; a table with a light blue tablecloth with some white dots on it with clean plates set out on it; and a coffee maker pouring out some hot coffee. 

“Hello,” shouted Maddie, while wondering if she would get a reply. But there was nothing but silence. She made her way up the crooked stairs to a black landing. There was no one in any bedroom, the beds were made with light yellow and blue quilts and rock hard pillows. For a moment, she wondered if she was in the three bears. 

She had drawn her wish but it didn’t seem that it would come true. There were no signs that a lady lived there. In her life she had never seen her mum or not that she could remember but she certainly knew that she was not there. That was when she heard it.

Something downstairs, something that was using loud footsteps. It was making a loud tapping accompanied by a deep growl. She looked down the stairs, and started to walk down them quietly. She stopped and poked her head round the wall into the living room. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck. Nothing moved. No sound except from the coffee maker finishing up. 

A moment later, she heard the noise again. Turning round, she opened the kitchen door carefully. It was then that she saw it: a big dark shadow walked towards her; ruby red eyes staring at her; and razor sharp claws scratching the ground. Maddie opened the cottage door and ran as fast as her legs could. She ran along the path to where the door was. 

But there was nothing there. Nothing but more snowy forest, going on endlessly. And the sun slowly melting the cold snow. “Come back,” growled a voice behind her.

Chapter 1-setting

Maddie had always been adventurous and her parents always told her that it would lead her into danger. One evening, Maddie was running down Stormy road but she noticed something strange about The Emporium of wonders. Normally, the doors were open but today they were closed, while the shop was open. She stepped inside.

Everywhere she looked, her eyes were filled with amazement. She saw silver wind chimes clashing together making a beautiful sound. A warm, melted chocolate fondue fountain that was ever lasting. Brown, leather books flipping from page to page. There were light blue donuts getting baked quickly in a crystal oven. Some soft fluffy marshmallows getting roasted on a blue fire. Fluffy puppies chasing after a green book flying around. Diamonds hanging from the ceiling like icicles. Five robins flying around the ceiling making the reflection look like there were ten. White lilies instantly growing into its beautiful form. Cotton candy disappearing into water making it sweet. Then she turned to her right and found a book lying there. 

A creepy voice whispered, “ I see you have found my book of wonders.” Maddie jumped, slowly  highering her head to find the owner standing there looking down. He was an old man who had bright blue eyes glistening like the ocean.

Chapter 2 : A warning disobeyed 

“ My name is Mr Bronze,” he said, while Maddie was twiddling her fingers nervously. “ This is my shop. Do you like it? “ Maddie nervously replied, “ yes it is very nice,” while looking around. “ This is my book of wonders but I see you have already found it. Anyway you are free to look around but do not touch the book! “ Maddie wondered why she could not touch the book but she didn’t ask about it.

A little while later, Mr Bronze had disappeared making the curtain behind the register swing left to right. Maddie was alone. She was meant to keep on looking around but there was just something about the book that made her want to open it. She walked to the curtains and peeked around them only to find a white corridor filled with hundreds of black doors. She thought, what could be in all those doors?

Turning around, she decided to open the book. On each page included a different idea for a marvellous world of some sort. There were sketchings and notes about towns ,forests, oceans, deserts, mountains and lots more. In each place there were marvels beyond imagination.

The next thing Maddie remembered was her holding a pen in her hand and she was sketching a snowy forest and inside the forest was a cabin and through the window was something that she wanted all her life.

Then a puppy told her, “ This way.” Maddie jumped up and replied “ You can talk!” . “ Of course I can, now follow me,” said the puppy. The puppy jogged down the corridor and stopped at a grey door with white paint at the bottom. The puppy started to try and reach the handle but he was too small but Maddie knew what to do and opened the door. Then she entered.

She stepped into a snowy forest. Darkness filled the forest. She stopped and listened. It was silent; you couldn’t even hear birds singing or flapping their wings. A rocky path with no snow led to the exact cabin she sketched. The thing was, everything she drew in the book was the exact same, even every single detail. Without hesitation she started to walk to the cabin.