Andy thinks he's lost forever when his aunt's chimney transports him and his dog, Chip, into the magical world of Emerraine. To get home, he must save the Hearthstone Village with Elsie, a young witch, and her Familiar against a dark plot that has b...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THE MOMENT THE monster octopus disappeared under the water, the blurred outline of a large dog advanced towards him. Afraid of having his arms bitten off just like the octopus' tentacle, Andy used the plank as a swimming board and swam to safety towards the other end of the lake.
However, the huge dog reached to him first and carried him by the scruff of his neck. Andy's feet dangled and skimmed over the water. He grabbed hold of the dog's face and pulled its fur apart as he kicked and screamed to be released.
"Where are you taking me? Let go of me! Elsie, anyone, help!"
But the dog would neither budge nor flinch at the boy's weak struggle. The beast seemed to be walking on water as it crossed the lake towards the west in no time.
Andy landed painlessly on a soft bed of grass as the dog carefully released him, though it remained close to him if he attempted to escape. The boy could hear its heavy breathing behind him as hot air fanned the side of his face. As Andy roamed his eyes around, he could make out more of their semblance, large and intimidating, and they surrounded him like an invincible barricade.
Terrifying as they may, the group of not more than twelve large dogs kept still and didn't make any sign of ever hurting him. Even the cold wind caressed his skin as if telling him that everything would turn out fine and there was nothing to be afraid of.
There was a defined short crunch of the blades of grass behind him. The nervousness pressed in on him as he fought the urge to turn around. Then there came another crunch, this time lighter and slower as if the noisemaker was trying to be quieter, to sneak up on him perhaps. But as if having no more patience to be covert, that someone's feet slapped the grassy floor, sending her jetting past the looming figures that blurred in her speed. She leaped and threw herself on Andy, and they both fell on the slightly muddy ground. Andy coughed as he disentangled two arms squeezing his neck.
"L-Let go," he croaked, and thankfully, those arms loosened themselves, allowing him to breathe freely. "W-Who—"
Whatever he meant to say flew away with the wind as the sound of sniffs and hiccoughs made him pause. And as that person spoke, Andy realized she was no stranger to him.
"A-Andy, I'm so glad you're alright. I-I thought something bad happened to you and we would be too late to get to you. I'm so sorry."
Andy's ears flapped, and his heart leaped in joy from hearing Elsie's voice. They'd been apart for only hours, but it felt years since he last saw his friend.
Friend. Could they be considered friends now? Andy had only known Elsie for days, and they hadn't bonded that much like ordinary kids—play toys, ride on a bike, study together, and steal ice cream from the fridge and hide as they finished a whole tub of it in secret. For the first time, Andy was genuinely thrilled and ecstatic to finally have a real friend that was not one of his tools or inventions, who would care and worry for him like how Elsie showed it.
