The Library

The bear with honey

The bear with honey

I signed myself out and stuck my card back in the draw. I was bending down to turn off the power when the charm slipped out from under my shirt and hit me on the nose. I stood up and leaned against the wall.

“You’ve got the power now: the locket, the message”

I rubbed my thumb over the charm and re read the engraved words.

“Each story, a portal to another world”

I looked around me, I was in the children’s book corner. I bent down and rummaged in one of the wooden boxes. Eventually I found what I was looking for “Winnie the pooh” I opened it up to the first page. I placed it down on the floor and crouched down beside it.

“A portal” I said out loud. I grabbed a dictionary and flicked to the letter P.

“A door, gate, or entrance, especially one of imposing appearance, as to a palace”

So basically a door. I stood up and shrugged my shoulders and stepped onto the book.

Nothing.

I stepped off and grabbed the charm.

“Each story, a portal to another world, I have the power” I whispered and stepped into the book. My feet disappeared into the words, I sunk into the pages. I screamed as my finger tips sunk past the spine.

I landed on my feet in a white box, it was silent and un-moving, suddenly a pen flew into the room and words were scribbled onto the walls. The story of pooh filled the walls and paint entwined to form trees, honey and rivers.

“Are you okay?” I spun around and saw scrawny boy wearing long blue shorts and yellow t-shirt. His brown hair scooped over one eye and he held a stick in his right hand.

“Um...yeah, I guess...and you are?”

“Christopher Robin” I took a step back and stared at him, my childhood flooding back to me.

“What’s yours?”

“Liz” he frowned at me. I frowned back.

“Elizabeth...” another frown.

“Elizabeth Cooper”

“Nice to meet you Elizabeth Cooper” I smiled, a little too wide of a smile and then stared around.

“A forest” I thought out loud.

“A wood” he corrected me.

“Hundred acre wood to be exact” I laughed and nodded whilst smirking.

“Come on then, I want to meet him!” I pulled Christopher by the arm through the trees.

“Meet you?” Christopher tugged back, I let go before my ankle got stuck in the grass.

“Pooh of course” and I wondered off on my own.

“How do you know about pooh?”I turned on my throbbing foot and stared at him.

“I know all” I said as I flicked my nose.

We came to a clearing, a glistening pot of honey connected to a yellow bear, his paws dripping with golden gloop yet his red t-shirt did not seem to stain. I giggled and glared at the sight before me. The bear looked up honey dripping from his mouth; a shiny yellow beard.

“O bother I seem to be covered in honey once again” I laughed at him and crouched down to his level.

“Think Think Think” my head cocked to one side, looking at this fascinating scene.

The bear lowered his paw and rubbed it into the grass. The honey slid off as did the honey mattered into the fur around his mouth.

“My name is Liz” I whispered holding out my hand, he simply stared at my outstretched hand, I bitted down on my lip and curled up my fingers,

I turned to Christopher Robin.

“I must be going” He said nothing I waved at pooh, he returned the favour complete with a look of confusion.

I left the bear and the boy and wandered up a hill near the owl’s tress. Off in the distance i saw a stripy tiger bouncing on his tale, a tiny pink pig tottering next to the yellow bear and a grey donkey complete with a pink bow around his tale.

I shut my eyes and saw the book, its map and the wood. The pages began to flutter and the book slammed shut. My feet where ripped out from under me and I was gust forwards into a fury of pens and papers. I landed in a heap on the floor right next to the now closed book. A huge sigh escaped from my lungs and I sat down on my heels.