Wonder Never (The Fairytale Diaries #2) Read Online Free
Author: Amanda Gatton
gnarled roots to catch up to Alice while remaining hidden from view.
***
They came upon a crossroads at a place which, from what Josh could see from his hiding spot, appeared to lead into village. It was comprised of small colorful buildings and cottages, connected by checkered foot paths, huge flowers, and situated at the bottom of a hill. The path and the forest wandered up the hill, and Josh couldn't make out much more.
Ansel and Alice exchanged words Josh couldn't hear and then parted ways. Ansel hurried away in one direction while Alice dejectedly took the opposite. Josh took inventory of the other people traveling the strange winding sidewalks. Everyone was oddly dressed in old fashioned garments that were far more colorful than anything he recalled from history books.
But then, he supposed this place wasn't anyplace that could be found in any books.
They also all wore strange wild hairdos, many of which were ghastly unnatural colors. Some seemed in a frantic rush but with no particular destination in mind. Others ambled slowly and seemed confused. None of them looked like anyone Josh couldn't handle. He decided he'd confront Alice on the foot path before he lost sight of her. He placed his foot outside the cover of the forest.
"You there!"
Josh nearly leapt out of his skin at the sound of a musical sounding male voice. He looked in the direction of the voice squinting into the darkness. He thought he could make out a figure deeper into the woods, but he wasn't certain. He shrugged and turned back to proceed onto the path.
"You!" the voice yelled again. "Yes, I'm talking to you in the blue jeans."
Josh groaned in frustration as he watched Alice walk further away. He glanced again into the woods but again ignored the voice and moved to step forward.
There came a laugh that sounded like eight notes moving up a clef. "I wouldn't. If I were you. If I were you, I wouldn't."
Josh turned and began stomping toward the voice, deeper into the forest, temporarily abandoning his plan to chase Alice. As he approached, he was annoyed to find a young man, sitting on top of a huge neon multi colored toad stool, and smoking. And it wasn't a cigarette either. In fact, it was a tube which fastened to a colorful glass pipe which contained bubbling water in the bottom. Fragrant smoke seeped out the top, where the guy had just had his lips.
Josh had seen a hookah before. The other carnival performers sometimes shared them and he'd even known people to use them in Faraway. But drugs didn't appeal to Josh in the slightest. And he certainly had no interest in chatting with some drugged out loser in the middle of the night in the strangest forest on Earth.
"Who. Are you?" said the boy. Speaking the word "who" sent a puff of smoke into Josh's face. He grimaced disgustedly.
"Who are you ?" Josh spat, mindful of his crummy attitude and not caring.
The boy narrowed his eyes. " YOU are not Emerson Heart. I am Emerson Heart."
Josh arched one eyebrow and glared at the boy. He gave an annoyed shake of the head. "Sooo, your name is Emerson Heart?"
"That's what I said isn't it?"
Josh groaned again and began to spin on his heel to walk away, but Emerson spoke again.
"What are you doing here?"
Josh paused and stared into Emerson's glassy darting eyes.
"I really have no idea," Josh said honestly. "I have no idea even where here is or how I got here. I followed my friend."
Emerson shook his head with a tsk tsk tsk. "Oh I can assure you, you have no friends here." He punctuated his last phrase with a childish giggle.
"Well, can you tell me where I am?" Josh asked nervously, this time checking his tone. Anxiety began to creep in again.
"I can tell you to keep your temper," Emerson explained as though it made perfect sense.
"Huh?"
"And of course, if you want to shrink and grown, just cast yourself in like a stone!"
"What are you TALKING about?" Josh demanded. That only provoked another titter from Emerson Heart. Josh waved him off and
***
They came upon a crossroads at a place which, from what Josh could see from his hiding spot, appeared to lead into village. It was comprised of small colorful buildings and cottages, connected by checkered foot paths, huge flowers, and situated at the bottom of a hill. The path and the forest wandered up the hill, and Josh couldn't make out much more.
Ansel and Alice exchanged words Josh couldn't hear and then parted ways. Ansel hurried away in one direction while Alice dejectedly took the opposite. Josh took inventory of the other people traveling the strange winding sidewalks. Everyone was oddly dressed in old fashioned garments that were far more colorful than anything he recalled from history books.
But then, he supposed this place wasn't anyplace that could be found in any books.
They also all wore strange wild hairdos, many of which were ghastly unnatural colors. Some seemed in a frantic rush but with no particular destination in mind. Others ambled slowly and seemed confused. None of them looked like anyone Josh couldn't handle. He decided he'd confront Alice on the foot path before he lost sight of her. He placed his foot outside the cover of the forest.
"You there!"
Josh nearly leapt out of his skin at the sound of a musical sounding male voice. He looked in the direction of the voice squinting into the darkness. He thought he could make out a figure deeper into the woods, but he wasn't certain. He shrugged and turned back to proceed onto the path.
"You!" the voice yelled again. "Yes, I'm talking to you in the blue jeans."
Josh groaned in frustration as he watched Alice walk further away. He glanced again into the woods but again ignored the voice and moved to step forward.
There came a laugh that sounded like eight notes moving up a clef. "I wouldn't. If I were you. If I were you, I wouldn't."
Josh turned and began stomping toward the voice, deeper into the forest, temporarily abandoning his plan to chase Alice. As he approached, he was annoyed to find a young man, sitting on top of a huge neon multi colored toad stool, and smoking. And it wasn't a cigarette either. In fact, it was a tube which fastened to a colorful glass pipe which contained bubbling water in the bottom. Fragrant smoke seeped out the top, where the guy had just had his lips.
Josh had seen a hookah before. The other carnival performers sometimes shared them and he'd even known people to use them in Faraway. But drugs didn't appeal to Josh in the slightest. And he certainly had no interest in chatting with some drugged out loser in the middle of the night in the strangest forest on Earth.
"Who. Are you?" said the boy. Speaking the word "who" sent a puff of smoke into Josh's face. He grimaced disgustedly.
"Who are you ?" Josh spat, mindful of his crummy attitude and not caring.
The boy narrowed his eyes. " YOU are not Emerson Heart. I am Emerson Heart."
Josh arched one eyebrow and glared at the boy. He gave an annoyed shake of the head. "Sooo, your name is Emerson Heart?"
"That's what I said isn't it?"
Josh groaned again and began to spin on his heel to walk away, but Emerson spoke again.
"What are you doing here?"
Josh paused and stared into Emerson's glassy darting eyes.
"I really have no idea," Josh said honestly. "I have no idea even where here is or how I got here. I followed my friend."
Emerson shook his head with a tsk tsk tsk. "Oh I can assure you, you have no friends here." He punctuated his last phrase with a childish giggle.
"Well, can you tell me where I am?" Josh asked nervously, this time checking his tone. Anxiety began to creep in again.
"I can tell you to keep your temper," Emerson explained as though it made perfect sense.
"Huh?"
"And of course, if you want to shrink and grown, just cast yourself in like a stone!"
"What are you TALKING about?" Josh demanded. That only provoked another titter from Emerson Heart. Josh waved him off and
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