The Book Travelers (version 2)

          This is the second version. Please rate it, read the first version and tell me which one i should go with. :) Thanks much.       





                          The Book Travelers

         The clock struck four in the morning as Sarah lay, lightly breathing, asleep in her bed, her best friend Bethany asleep on the chair. They’d crashed while Sarah had been reading out loud of her favorite book, Stekaria. Bethany had a Nintendo DS in her hand. She’d been playing it while she laughed at her best friend trying to imitate the characters. Now they both were silent and the room was dark.
A slight jingle sounded around the room as a lone figure appeared wearing a gypsy skirt with bells jingling at the bottom. The lone woman, with pale ivory skin and long curly black hair lightly jingled across the room. Arriving by Sarah’s bed she softly nudged the sleeping teenager.
         After a minute Sarah rolled over and, a little irritated, looked up to see who’d wakened her. When she saw the strange woman Sarah was so shocked that she pushed herself back and hit her head on the baseboard.
“Ouch.” She yelped rubbing the back of her head.
         The woman rolled her eyes, “Sarah…I need you to listen to me.” She said in a voice that shimmered, “Stekaria is in grave danger. You are the only one who can save our kingdom from the evil wizard who threatens to destroy it.”
         Staring wide eyed Sarah asked, “Who are you?! What did you say?! Leave me alone or I’ll scream!” She blurted out.
         “Listen to me and don’t scream you’ll wake the others. You are the only one who can help us. You are the book traveler, you believe in all things unbelievable. You are the only one who can help.” The lady spoke urgently. Sarah was about to point out that the reason for screaming was to wake everyone up but the woman put a hand over her mouth before she could.
         “You know who I am and most importantly you believe in Stekaria. I know you do…and I know all.”
         Suddenly it clicked in her mind. Sarah knew who this woman was; she flicked on the light by her bed and gasped. It was the Seer of Stekaria.
         The woman smiled, “Remember to call the door. Standeta is the key.”
         “What? Wait!” The next thing she knew the Seer was gone and she was left there with her mouth hanging open.
         Eventually Sarah recovered and jumped out of her bed almost falling to the floor as the blankets caught on her foot and inevitably she landed on Bethany. Her friend spazzed out and pushed her on the floor as she looked around startled.
         “Good Lord Sarah what the heck is wrong with you?” She complained. Looking at the clock her agitation grew even more.
         “Okay, I know you’re tired but something amazing just happened!” Sarah said.
         Bethany looked at her, “Like what?”
         Sarah explained as she still sat on the floor, “The Seer from my book just popped out of no where! She told me we had to go save the world, er, her world! And that we’d travel by me calling a magical door!”
         Bethany blinked tiredly. They had only just gone to sleep two hours earlier. She looked on Sarah’s bed and saw the book still open and she rolled her eyes at her friend.
         “You dreamt it dummy. You’ve been reading that book to much. Now go back to sleep.”  She then proceeded to wrap back up in her blanket and close her eyes.
         “I didn’t make it up. Tomorrow I’ll prove it too you.” Sarah mumbled. Getting off the floor she turned off the light and stared at the ceiling in complete wonder.
         
         Looking in the mirror the next morning she saw the usual sight. Her red, curly hair was a mess and across her freckled face was a print, a print of something. Little bumps were scattered across her cheek in a line. She leaned in toward the mirror to investigate, almost lifting herself onto the counter and her stomach.
         “Okay….what did I sleep on?” She asked herself.
         Shrugging when she no longer cared what it was Sarah began getting dressed. She reached down for her clothes and that’s when she noticed what she had slept on.
         “Oh…oh my.” On her wrist was a bracelet made out of blue topaz.
         Running out of her bathroom, remembering everything, she fell onto her bed and grabbed her favorite book; flipping through the pages she confirmed her suspicions. On her wrist was the Seer’s bracelet of luck.
         Sarah gulped, “Bethany!”
         “What?” Her friend popped her head out of the bathroom door, a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.
         “Let’s get the guys over here. We’ve got an adventure to go on.” Sarah said.
         Bethany shrugged, returning to the bathroom, and Sarah sat there biting her lip in excitement.

         “So wait….you’re telling me that we’ve gotta save some made up place all because you had a whack dream about a corny Seer?” Brian asked.
         “It wasn’t a whack dream!”
              “It so was!” He retorted.
              Bethany sighed and rolled her blues eyes. Pushing up her glasses she kicked her boyfriend, Brian, lightly in the shin. Then she went to sit back down on the bed.
              “Down boy….no need for her to try and shove your foot in your mouth…again.”
            “That was you Beth.” Gary said sitting on Sarah’s desk.
              Standing up completely irritated Sarah said, “Look, Brain deads’, if I can prove to you this is real will you come with me?”
            Brian scoffed, “No.”
          Gary got up and kicked him. Standing to his feet Brian punched him in the arm. The two began to smack each other and really get into it.
            “You wanna go?!” Gary challenged.
            “Maybe!” Brian said.
              They threw themselves at each other with teenage battle cries and fell to the ground. Did I mention they’re brothers?
          “Guys!!!” Sarah screamed pulling her guy, Gary, off Brian.
          “Sorry Sarah….I’ll go with you though.”
            “Great, Klutzo Gary will help.” Brian said. Bethany giggled.
          “Shut up Brian.” Sarah said, “Now all of you watch and be quiet so I can open the door.”
            Bethany laughed, “You need to concentrate to—”
            “Shut it Beth!” Sarah Interrupted.
              Concentrating on what she was doing, and ignoring her best friends glares, Sarah closed her eyes and faced the door.
              “Standeta!” She said.
              Opening her eyes Sarah turned around and faced her unbeliever friends.
              “On the other side of this door is the world of my imagination, the world I’ve always wanted to see. Guys do you believe?!”
            Bethany and Brian raised their eyebrows, simultaneously shaking their heads.  Gary was the only one nodding. Sarah loved her enthusiastic, nerdy boyfriend.
            “Whatever…you’ll see. You’ll all see!”
          “Just stop being bonkers and open the freaking door Sarah.” Bethany said, “And next time don’t wake me up at four in the morning at a sleepover and then wake me up again at nine!”
            “Beth…Shut up!” Sarah said.
            Bethany stood up, “you wanna go?!”
            “Yo, Gary! We’re gonna see a cat fight! Again!” Brian said sudden glee all over his face; His brown eyes alight with excitement. This look was overturned with dread as both girls, true besties, turned on him.
            “Why does your boyfriend have to be such a dork…and pig?” Sarah asked.
            “I…I don’t know. I mean Brian, really? A cat fight against besties?” Bethany said disapprovingly.
          “Really Brian, How could you?” Gary threw in.
        “Shut up Gary!” They all said.
          “Now open the door already. We’re such a sidetracked group. I’m getting nervous. I want to know if you’re crazy or not.” Bethany said tightening her waist length blonde hair into its holder. She was obviously finally awake.
          “Okay.”
            Reaching for the knob Sarah’s heart quickened, she truly believed that on the other side of that door was her adventure. She grabbed the knob, turned it open and with a deep breath slowly opened the door. On the other side of it was a lush green forest with noises all over that in a burst filled her room. Light cascaded through the trees and to her floor.
In complete awe Sarah put her hand on the doorway and went to take a slow step out. Stekaria was real.