Clockwork

I stepped out onto the rocky sidewalk of my little town. The cool fall breeze was stinging my face. I needed a gift for my grandmother. She loved antiques. I was planning to get her an amazing gift for her birthday.

Hurrying off, I found a nice little antique shop. When I opened the wooden door, the sound of the store bell rang in my ears. I looked around me. They had everything from old bed frames to antique cups. I saw something glint in the corner of my eye.  When I turned around I saw cases upon cases of jewelry. Picking up one particular silver piece, I saw that it had a light pink heart in it. It was the perfect pin for my grandmother. The pin was cold in my hand as I brought it to the cash register. Before I checked it out, i heard a voice.

“Are you sure you don’t want this instead?” I spun around.  A sigh escaped me as I realized it was just the store clerk. In his hands was a beautiful clock. It had vines carved into it in such an intricate design that it almost looked mythical. By the looks of it, it was one minute until seven o'clock. I took the clock from him and studied it for a while. Just as I was about to give it back to him, the clock struck seven and made a wonderfully strange noise.

The room started spinning for what felt like forever. When it finally stopped I found myself on the ground and dizzier than I had ever been in my life. I tried to pull myself together. Once I got my vision back, I looked around me. This was definitely not the antique shop.  There was a thick forest of trees on one side and a city on my other side. The strange thing about that is that the city was on its side. The people were also sideways. It looked as if someone had painted a picture and hung it upside down. As I walked forward, I realized that the creatures in the city looked like some type of tall gnomes.

I stepped into the city and felt like I was being compressed into a very tight space. The feeling lasted for about five seconds and was gone. I now found myself inside the city and sideways! I just wanted to get home, and I wanted to do it fast. I tried to get someone to help me but all I got was weird looks. These “gnomes” probably don’t get many visitors. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get back. Finally, and older creature came up to me.

“Excuse me, but are you lost?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I’m not from here."

“I see”, she said looking at me. “Well, come with me.”

I followed her into a small house. She explained that her kind was called Ferizon. I told her how I had gotten here. I also asked her if she knew how I could get back.

“I do know,” she replied, deep in thought. She took a book off her bookshelf and opened it to a page. She studied the page intently then ripped it out of the book. She told me all I needed to know

“You are going into the forest of Tanzia and eat a herb called reverse potonly. It will take you home.” She also informed me that it might be dangerous, but I said that I would do whatever it takes to get home. She looked at me with a mixture of sadness and anxiety, but I couldn’t stay. I said goodbye and left. I stepped out onto the unfamiliar ferizon pavement and I promised myself that I would get home. I stepped through the barrier and felt like I was being compressed into a tight space again, but I was okay.

I took a deep breath and walked into the forest. I braced myself for the worst… nothing came. I sighed, maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad. Then it came. Something big blew past me. I looked behind me, but nothing was there. As I turned back around, I saw it. There was a tiger, teeth bared, tail whipping around, ready to pounce. The peculiar thing about this tiger is that it had midnight blue stripes instead of black stripes. I did the only thing I could think of. I ran and climbed up a tree as fast as my legs could go. The tiger clawed at me and cut my leg. I started leaping from tree to tree. I was astounded that I could do it. The tiger just kept growling and chasing me. I finally growled back. The tiger stopped and tilted its head. After a while

I jumped down from the tree I was in. I pet the strange tiger’s soft fur. The tiger sat there looking very happy. Apparently this tiger had a soft spot. I named him Stripe because of his unusual blue stripes.

I set out on Stripe’s back, determined to get home. I suddenly felt a stab of sharp pain sear through my leg. I grabbed a long leaf and tied it around my leg, it stopped a bit of the bleeding. I rode on Stripe’s back for a while until I remembered the paper that the ferizon lady gave me. I pulled it out of my pocket and studied it. It said that in the heart of the forest you will find a meadow.  In the center of that meadow, you will find the reverse potonly herb. The herb is beautiful. It is a teal and green herb that has very precise detail. I was starting to feel confident about finding the herb. That feeling was soon over. I heard a loud crash. Stripe stopped. In front of me was the most bizzare creature I had ever seen. Behind it was the herb.

Stripe started advancing on the creature. I jumped off him. I knew that I had to do whatever it takes to get to that herb and get myself home. Stripe tried to pounce but the creature just pushed him aside with his giant paw. I went to go and help Stripe, but the creature swiped at me. I couldn’t help him. I rolled under the creature’s legs and grabbed the herb. I ran to Stripe and hugged him. I took a bite of the herb and the world started spinning again.

I landed hard on the floor of the antique shop. When I regained my focus, I saw that in my hands was a ginger kitten with blue stripes. I smiled and stroked Stripe as all the events of the day ran through my head. I turned to the store clerk.

“What just happened?” I asked him.

“I am not sure. I don’t think anything happened.” He said.

Although I saw him smile as he turned around and checked out my grandmother’s pin. He pretended to not know the answers to any of my questions. I finally gave up. I suddenly realized that all of my wounds are gone and I didn’t have the herb anymore. I guessed that maybe I couldn’t take everything I found, just Stripe. I was okay with that.  I picked up Stripe and my grandma’s pin. I walked out of the store and just as I did, the clock struck eight.