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By Sofia Van Dyke
The moment my fingers collide with your leather skin, my worries and anxieties are washed away. My heart stops pounding, and my even breaths return; you’re my safe place. Somehow, you always have a way of finding me when I need you most. When I hold you in my hands and look at you, I smile knowing that underneath your cover a new world lingers, waiting for me to explore, as well as new adventures to embark on. When I open your cover and flip through your pages that crinkle with my every touch, the room around me disappears, and I become a part of your story.
I am Prince Charming, betrothed to one, but in love with another. I am a Lost Boy refusing to grow up. I am a mermaid living my best life under the sea and yet wondering what it would be like to live on land. I am the Beast transformed by the magic of true love. I am a fairy, leaving a trail of golden dust behind me as I fly through a forest maze. I am an elf, hearing the twang of the bowstring as I release my arrow into the swarming battlefield. I am a knight in shining armor riding out to save a damsel in distress.
The words on your pages leap out at me, luring me into their inky depths. They transform from black letters to images before my eyes. The mechanism implanted in my brain turns on and scoops up the words one by one, creating a roll of film with images that only I can see.
I dine with kings, ride dragons, live with dwarves, and talk to mice. I make grand entrances at royal balls. I gallop with centaurs, fly with pixies, and compete in tournaments. I speak elvish and open doors into new realms. I brew potions, ride magic carpets, and captain ships. I put on a mask and slip into the crowd with a new identity.
I’m no longer just a girl sitting on her favorite chair reading; instead, I have become a character living within the pages of a book. I know not where I have come from or where I am going, but I do know that I’m on the brink of a new adventure. I follow the yellow brick road through its ups and downs and bumps and bends and make friends along the way. I laugh at their every joke and cry when one of them meets a sad end. I cheer when he’s victorious over the enemy and I smile when her dream comes true. I yell in frustration when they get on my nerves and gasp at a sudden twist in the tale. I chuckle at his boyish innocence and fumbling words, and I swoon when she gets her happily-ever-after in the arms of her true love.
Magic seeps out of the pages and trickles down my arms. I can feel its warm embrace as it flows through my body. It swirls in the air around me and lifts me off my feet sweeping me away to a place called Neverland.
As I flip the last page and reach the end of the path, I feel as if I am losing a friend. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting all the memories and emotions from this awfully great adventure flood my mind. My eyes flicker open, and two big black letters stare back at me: The End. But I smile because I know a secret: that this isn’t the end, this is just the beginning. As I flip the book shut—taking the magic with it— the room slowly comes back to focus, and a thought flickers in my head: I wonder what adventure I’m going to embark on next?