Read Online The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Colfer
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louder and brighter!
I’ve lost so much sleep trying to figure out how and why it does it! It breaks all the laws of science!”
“Ah…” Conner said with raised eyebrows. “Alex, I think we should go see the nurse—”
“You must think I’m insane!” Alex told him. “Anyone would come to that conclusion unless they saw it themselves. But I promise I’m telling the truth!”
“I don’t think you’re insane,” Conner lied, starting to think his sister was
definitely
going insane.
“It happens once or twice a day,” Alex said. “I was afraid Mom would find it, so I brought it to school; the last thing she needs to worry about is a possessed book lying around her house.”
Conner didn’t know what to say. He briefly imagined the future trips he and his mother would take to see his sister in the local asylum and the wisecracks he would make about the
cool white jacket
she got to wear.
Clearly, his sister had lost her mind, but after all they’d been through, he couldn’t blame her. He kept thinking about how his dad would have handled this situation. What story would he have used to comfort Alex?
“Alex,” Conner said with understanding eyes. “We’ve been through a lot in the last year. It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and—”
The humming started again. They looked back at
The Land of Stories
on the sink; to Alex’s relief and Conner’s horror, it was glowing.
Conner jumped back against the wall as if he were in the presence of an explosive.
“The
Land of Stories
book!”
Conner yelled.
“It glows! It hums!”
“I told you!” Alex said.
Conner’s mouth was opened so wide, it was almost touching his chest. “Is it radioactive?” he asked.
“I doubt it,” Alex told him. She reached for the book.
“Don’t touch it, Alex!” Conner shouted.
“Relax, Conner,” Alex reassured him. “I’ve been dealing with it all week.”
Using one finger, she flicked the book open, and the entire restroom was illuminated. All the illustrations and writing had disappeared, and the pages seemed to be made out of pure light.
Alex leaned closer to the book.
“Listen. Do you hear that?” she asked. “I can hear birds and leaves. I’ve never heard sounds come out of it before!”
Conner edged away from the wall and leaned down with his sister. The sound of birds chirping and trees blowing in the wind echoed off the tile and porcelain in the bathroom.
“How is this possible?” Conner asked. “Are you sure it doesn’t have batteries or something?”
“My most educated analysis, with all means of science and technology in mind, is that it’s magic,” Alex said. “There’s no other possible explanation!”
“Do you think Grandma knows about this?” Conner asked. “She had the book for years before she gave it to us. Do you think this has happened before?”
“I don’t think Grandma would have given it to us if she knew what it was capable of,” Alex said.
“You’re right,” Conner said. “She still cuts up my meat when she comes for dinner, because doesn’t trust me with knives.”
“There’s more,” Alex said. She reached into her school bag and pulled out a pencil. Carefully, she placed the pencil on the open book. It quickly sank into the glowing page and disappeared.
“W-w-where did it go?” Conner sputtered in utter astonishment.
“I don’t know!” Alex said. “I’ve been dropping things into it all week! Pencils, books, dirty socks, and anything else I could find that I knew I wouldn’t miss. I think it may be some kind of portal.”
“A portal to
what
?” Conner asked.
Alex didn’t have an answer. Of course, there was one location that she had hoped it might lead to.
The twins leaned down even closer to the book, theirnoses almost touching it. They had to squint because it was so bright.
Suddenly, a bright red bird flew out of the book. The twins screamed and ran around the room in panic. They bumped into each other, into the walls,
I’ve lost so much sleep trying to figure out how and why it does it! It breaks all the laws of science!”
“Ah…” Conner said with raised eyebrows. “Alex, I think we should go see the nurse—”
“You must think I’m insane!” Alex told him. “Anyone would come to that conclusion unless they saw it themselves. But I promise I’m telling the truth!”
“I don’t think you’re insane,” Conner lied, starting to think his sister was
definitely
going insane.
“It happens once or twice a day,” Alex said. “I was afraid Mom would find it, so I brought it to school; the last thing she needs to worry about is a possessed book lying around her house.”
Conner didn’t know what to say. He briefly imagined the future trips he and his mother would take to see his sister in the local asylum and the wisecracks he would make about the
cool white jacket
she got to wear.
Clearly, his sister had lost her mind, but after all they’d been through, he couldn’t blame her. He kept thinking about how his dad would have handled this situation. What story would he have used to comfort Alex?
“Alex,” Conner said with understanding eyes. “We’ve been through a lot in the last year. It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and—”
The humming started again. They looked back at
The Land of Stories
on the sink; to Alex’s relief and Conner’s horror, it was glowing.
Conner jumped back against the wall as if he were in the presence of an explosive.
“The
Land of Stories
book!”
Conner yelled.
“It glows! It hums!”
“I told you!” Alex said.
Conner’s mouth was opened so wide, it was almost touching his chest. “Is it radioactive?” he asked.
“I doubt it,” Alex told him. She reached for the book.
“Don’t touch it, Alex!” Conner shouted.
“Relax, Conner,” Alex reassured him. “I’ve been dealing with it all week.”
Using one finger, she flicked the book open, and the entire restroom was illuminated. All the illustrations and writing had disappeared, and the pages seemed to be made out of pure light.
Alex leaned closer to the book.
“Listen. Do you hear that?” she asked. “I can hear birds and leaves. I’ve never heard sounds come out of it before!”
Conner edged away from the wall and leaned down with his sister. The sound of birds chirping and trees blowing in the wind echoed off the tile and porcelain in the bathroom.
“How is this possible?” Conner asked. “Are you sure it doesn’t have batteries or something?”
“My most educated analysis, with all means of science and technology in mind, is that it’s magic,” Alex said. “There’s no other possible explanation!”
“Do you think Grandma knows about this?” Conner asked. “She had the book for years before she gave it to us. Do you think this has happened before?”
“I don’t think Grandma would have given it to us if she knew what it was capable of,” Alex said.
“You’re right,” Conner said. “She still cuts up my meat when she comes for dinner, because doesn’t trust me with knives.”
“There’s more,” Alex said. She reached into her school bag and pulled out a pencil. Carefully, she placed the pencil on the open book. It quickly sank into the glowing page and disappeared.
“W-w-where did it go?” Conner sputtered in utter astonishment.
“I don’t know!” Alex said. “I’ve been dropping things into it all week! Pencils, books, dirty socks, and anything else I could find that I knew I wouldn’t miss. I think it may be some kind of portal.”
“A portal to
what
?” Conner asked.
Alex didn’t have an answer. Of course, there was one location that she had hoped it might lead to.
The twins leaned down even closer to the book, theirnoses almost touching it. They had to squint because it was so bright.
Suddenly, a bright red bird flew out of the book. The twins screamed and ran around the room in panic. They bumped into each other, into the walls,
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