Author's Note: This concept was inspired by imagination and many, many dorky TV shows that I've seen. It's a collection of short stories revolving around a young girl named Ava, and her friend, the Wordsmith, a magical being who can alter the stories in books. Hope you enjoy it!
Ava was feeling very frumpy.
Her first day of school was not going as she had planned. On the bus ride, some snot-nosed 3rd grader spilled his apple juice all over the new dress her mom bought her. Thankfully, the school office had some left over clothes from the year before, and now she was dressed in an old, three-sizes-too-big, pea green sweater. Her troubles didn't end there.
To make things worse, at lunch, the lunch lady slopped the extra sloppy sloppy joes all over her new shoes. Now she was wearing one pink snow boot and one orange tennis shoe. In gym, her curly hair got curled around the jump rope, and now, instead of two perfect pigtails, she had one perfect pig tail and a wad of tangled hair.
Frustrated, she decided to hide after recess. It was a new school, and since no one really knew her, she doubt she'd be missed much. The playground next to the school had quite a few inviting shade trees, and so she hid behind one as the whistle blew to go back to class. She sat down against the tree, and pulled open her book bag. She reached deep down inside, and grabbed what she knew would make her day better, her favorite book.
Ever since she was little, Ava loved books. Her father and mother took turns every night reading to her, and every year for her birthday, they'd take her to the local used bookstore, and she was allowed to "adopt" as many used books as she could carry. She was good at carrying now, and last year she carried 28 books out of the store. They all had their own spot on the shelves of her bedroom.
But this book was extra special. It's cover was very worn, the corners peeling back the many layers of paper, and the pages yellow because the book was so old. It was the first book she was ever given, a book that had belonged to her father when he was a boy. Fred Finch and the Flobberty Flagman. Grand adventure on the railroad, where Fred Finch has to contend with a mystery on board a runaway train.
She had read it so many times that she knew every word, on every page. She opened it, sat it between her knees, and began reading. The next hour seemed to just fly by, and before she knew it, she was completely absorbed in the book.
Ava blinked. Something wasn't right. She had just been reading about Fred having dinner in the dining car, the part of the book just before the train started speeding up. She looked around, and found herself actually in the dining car! The sounds of the train car filled her ears. The "chug-chug-chug" of the engine, the clanking of Fred's silverware on his plate, the sound of other people talking and laughing around her. She even noticed that Fred chewed loud enough to be heard over the train.
"Oh my!" Ava was surprised to find herself in the train car. "I must be going insane!"
"Oh not at all my dear, welcome to the story! Would you like some tea?" The man's voice was older, and sounded funny, like he was British. Ava turned around and saw him sitting in a chair at a table, smiling at her.
"Wait a minute, I know this part of the story. There's no British man sitting at one of the tables. There's only the couple leaning in close together, the three old ladies playing cards, and the waiter taking his break. Where'd you come from?"
"You are quite clever my dear, I am not part of this story, not yet, anyways. I am the Wordsmith. Now, I will ask you again, would you like some tea?"
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