Within the Pages

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"YES!" I cry out, feeling overjoyed. I mean, sure, when we teleport out here I didn't land evenly and I fell over but I still managed to teleport us both.

I feel very tired right now though. So I don't stand up. I see the Tin Man walking away. "Hey where are you going?"

He turns back to look at me. "Wherever I want to go Charlie. I'm free now."

"But what about helping me find my parents? And I have so many questions about my magic that I need to ask." I can't lose the Tin Man now. After all I've done for him and the small answers he has given me.

"You'll have to find that out on your own then Charlie. Now I'm getting as far away from you as possible."

"You're a heartless piece of tin!" I yell at him as he turns around to go.

He keeps walking but tilts his head back to call out to me. "You're right Charlie. Now I'm going to go find out who took and I'm going to take it back"

I sit there stunned as he walks into a patch of trees and disappears from view. I had completely forgotten about the part of the story that said the Tin Man didn't have a heart.

I slowly get up off the ground, fighting back a wave of exhaustion.I have to find my dad and the others. Maybe then I can try to help the Tin Man get his heart back. I stop thinking about that and become very aware of my surroundings when I hear a branch snap behind me. I quickly bolt around and see a huge lion creeping up on me.

I jump back with a yelp and am surprised to see that the lion jumps back as well, emitting a small, really pathetic sounding, roar.

We then both stare at each other. My face filled with shock, it's face with a little bit of fear. That's when I remember the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz. "You are the cowardly lion aren't you?"

The look of fear on it's face turns to shock. It opens it's mouth and in the deepest sounding voice I have ever heard, speaks. "How do you know that?"

"It's uh. Long story. But now I need your help. It shouldn't be dangerous. I just need to find my dad and a few of my friends. Would you be able to help me with that?"

The lion's face now looks like he is thinking. "I guess I could help you do that."

"Oh thank you Mr.Lion. Maybe in return I could try to help you get your courage." I really hope my dad has that power. I really hope I have that power.

"You would do that for me? A stranger?"

"Well you would help me find my friends so yes. I would try to help you as well."

Now that we are out in the open, I feel the magic from the ground a lot easier. The power takes milliseconds to take from the ground. I imagine it going into the lion, finding his brain, disappearing into it and grabbing at his fear. I imagine it taking most of his fear out from his head and replacing the fear with bravery. I've never done anything like this but hopefully the magic can work for me like that.

I wait for a few seconds to see if anything has changed. The lion stares at me. "What? Do I have something on my mane?" He asks, swatting at his mane with his paws.

He swipes at it about four times before he stops suddenly, staring at his paw. "I used to be scared of this. I used to think I might accidentally stab myself with my claws. I don't think that anymore." He looks over at me. "Did you take away my fear?"

A smile fills my face. "I guess I did." Then I think of something. "Would you still help me?"

"For you boy, I would help you for as long as you want for doing this thing for me."

"Thank you Mr.Lion. Do you know where my family is?"

The lion takes a big sniff into the air. "I smell them." He sniffs more then takes a sudden step back. "You're friends are with the wicked witches."

"No." I can't lose them. "I need to get to them quickly. Which way are they?"

"Just get on me. I'll run you there. I'll be faster."

Even with the lion helping me, I'm still a little cautious to get on but I need to help my friends so I get on, putting my hands around his neck and we race off to try to save my friends.