Within the Pages

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

I wake up to a small dog licking my face for the second time since I landed in Oz. As soon as my eyes open, Todo jumps away and runs out of the room. This is why I should have a proper door instead of that red curtain.

A couple seconds later, the heavy aroma of food hits my nose. I smell bacon, pancakes, beans, toast, eggs, sausage, a whole big breakfast. Getting up, I run quickly out of my room, down the stairs to the main floor, through a long hallway, and into a room with a solid blue curtain to see a few meters long table with all of the food I smelled laid out. When I entered, everyone that was walking around the table putting food on their plates, jumped.

"Woah what?" I ask, thinking there is something to worry about. My head jerks around looking for anything out of place.

"My dad speaks up. "Charlie. Did you go super speed down here?"

"I don't think so? Why?"

"Look at your feet."

I hesitantly look down at my feet and see that they are on fire. "Holy crap!" I yell out and conjure some water that drops on my feet, extinguishing the fire.

"Rule number one about super speed Charlie." My dad says. "Make sure to always wear flame resistant shoes. You move so fast, the friction causes your feet to set on fire. Your magic make it so that it doesn't harm you but everyone else can be harmed by it."

"Oh. Okay that makes sense. I didn't even realize I was moving at super speed."I reply looking a bit embarrassed.

"And rule number two, learn to realize when you are using your powers. Uncontrolled powers can be dangerous."

"Ok dad." I look over at the table. "Now can I eat? I'm famished."

"Of course."

Everyone continues to pile up their plate then move through another curtain, this time a bright green one. I grab a plate and fill it up before seeing that I don't have enough room to put everything on. Oh well. There's always seconds. When I move through the green curtain, I am greeted by a grand table twice the size of the one in the kitchen. I don't see why we would need that much space when we are barely using up half of it. I spot an extra seat right next to Dorothy and move to go sit down next to her. After I sit down, I notice a look from Goldilocks. She almost looks upset. She also has a seat right next to her that is empty that I didn't notice.

"So how did you sleep Charlie?" Dorothy asks me, pulling me from looking at Goldilocks.

"I slept well. I had the most amazing dream." I reply trying to be subtle as I don't really know how she feels and I don't want anybody else to know that I like her.

"Well that's good." She replies nonchalantly.

My face turns down a bit.

"Charlie. Could I talk to you for a moment." Lancelot asks from across the table.

What could he want? "Sure Lancelot."

We both get up from the table. I look at my dad to see if he knows what's going on but he just shrugs. We walk out past the green curtain and I stop but Lancelot keeps walking. "Not here."

We continue walking, past the blue curtain for the kitchen and down the hall to the entrance to the log mansion, before Lancelot turns to me. "There are many battles that I have faced, and none has come close to the battle of the heart. Be careful."

"What do you mean?" I question him quickly. Could he know that I like Dorothy. Does he think she doesn't like me?

"You like Dorothy. Dorothy likes you. That isn't a problem Charlie. The problem, is the Goldilocks likes you as well."