Two Worlds (Written by a 10-year-old author, 62,000 words, 72 chapters)

Chapter 57: Sophie's headquarters

Stacy, who had been looking at the floor, stared at her in shock. Lily did the same, looking up so fast she almost got whiplash. "Who are you and where did you come from?" she demanded. Emily smiled. "I used to be a human back then. I knew Sophie. We were best friends when we were young. Days before the war started, Sophie asked me for help, and I accepted. I fought well. It was me who alerted Sophie that Theresa was taking over. When the war ended, Sophie left almost immediately. But at the last minute, she pulled me aside. She thanked me for keeping my loyalty. She passed on some magic to me, just enough to stay young for a much, much longer time. But now the power has worn off, as you can see." Emily stared sadly at her aged hands. "We're here."

The car pulled up to the curb. A walkway led up to a mansion. Mist curled around its walls. "You must go," the old woman said. "Thank you," Lily replied. She and her friends exited the car. As Lily walked away, she heard the driver's door open and Emily's hand grabbed her wrist hard.

Lily whipped around. "Please," Emily said. "I can't let you go there. It's too dangerous." She sounded like Theresa. "I have to," Lily answered. "Then let me give you a few pieces of advice. Don't challenge Sophie to a duel. Don't speak her name, as it would alert her to your presence. And don't ever, ever get captured," the old woman said in a hoarse whisper. Lily watched as Emily closed the door and revved the car engine. She rolled down the window. "Good luck, sugar." She smiled and drove away, leaving Lily and her friends to walk away to their fate.

Lily took a deep breath. "Everyone ready?" she asked. Her friends gripped their luggage and nodded. "Then let's do this." They went down the walkway.

The first casualty: the door was locked. Fortunately, Theresa had sent tiny bags in their pockets that grew to full size as they took them out. Lily pulled an extra-strong laser cutter out of her bag and busted the lock. After that, she and the others took the stuff they needed, stashed their bags behind a shrub and entered Sophie's headquarters.

After walking around for thirty seconds, Lily decided that either Sophie was really rich, or she had good magic. Huge glass and diamond chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting soft light off the gold walls. The floor was polished to the point of perfection. Giant red curtains were draped over the large windows. In other words, Lily considered the place extremely dangerous. But first things first, cut the lights.

Lily whispered, "Stick the dimmers on the walls." She had learned from Stacy that dimmers sent an electrical charge throughout the building - harmless to human beings, but the lights would fizz out like a bug zapper. They brandished their dimmer grenades and set to work as silently as possible, attaching them to every wall they could find in the room, activating the five-minute timer on every single one of them. When they were done, they crouched behind a velvet couch and waited.

BZZZZZT! Lily winced as the electrical charge raced through the mansion and cut the lights. After a few moments in darkness, Stacy whispered, "Let's go." Luckily, Lily had explained their plan to the elves before they packed. She and the others got out their flashlights and got out from behind the couch.

The search dragged on. Occasionally Lily would hear a noise like someone was slipping between the marble columns that lined the walls. But when she shined her flashlight at the spot, there was nothing in sight, which just added to her growing fears. Soon the noises started happening more frequently. Lily realized that the sounds were heading towards the far wall, as though there was something important. Suddenly she knew that whoever was hiding in the dark couldn't reach that wall.

As fast as she could, Lily whipped out a net bomb, switched the net size to maximum, and chucked it at the wall. BOOM! She could hear the net lashing itself to the far wall and the sounds of the footsteps retreating. Next to her, Stacy whispered, "Where's Sophie?"

Big mistake. Instantly, the footsteps came in their direction. Stacy yelped and vanished, her flashlight falling to the ground. Lily heard Tara's and Jake's lights also hitting the floor. She was alone.

Lily backed up into the nearest wall, taking deep breaths so she wouldn't panic. She realized just how much she hated being in the dark. As she calmed down, a voice said, "Hello, Lily."

Lily was instantly alert. The lights flickered on, and the soft light seemed almost blinding. Sophie stood in front of her, and she couldn't help noticing how much the sorceress looked like the stone statue in the fountain. Behind her sat three screens. The leftmost one showed Tara, her back against the wall, a look of pure terror on her face as a dark shadow loomed over her. The middle screen revealed Jake dangling from the ceiling over a pit of black scorpions. The screen didn't have audio, but Lily could tell he was screaming. The last screen had Stacy on the floor, staring at the mechanical monsters slowly approaching her.

Sophie smiled. "Decide which two of your friends will be saved." Lily swallowed. Sophie was asking her a trick question. Her best friends, who had helped her through their numerous adventures ... and yet only two Sophie would let go. She recalled what Emily had said: And don't ever, ever, let Sophie capture you. Is this what she meant? The things that would happen to the one person that she didn't choose ...

Lily's mind came up blank as she tried to think of a plan. "I-I can't," she murmured. The sorceress shrugged. "Choose the two that I will let escape." Suddenly Lily had a crazy idea ... but only if the person in mind was listening. "Release Tara and Stacy," she whispered. "Hmm?" "Release Tara and Stacy!" Lily yelled. "Very well," Sophie said. Tara and Stacy disappeared from their screens.

Lily desperately thought, Theresa, please, help. She stared at Jake's screen. If her plan didn't work, he would be abandoned to Sophie with no chance of mercy. Sophie smiled and Jake started to fall.

It wasn't until Jake was halfway down to the scorpions that he realized what was going on. As he tried to stop his fall a jet of gray mist smashed into him, and he vanished. Sophie, whose back was to the screen, grinned triumphantly. Lily had to play up the act, or she would get suspicious.

"No!" Lily lunged at Sophie,but the sorceress blocked her attack easily. "How can you be so cruel?" she shouted. Since she wasalready terrified, it didn't take much to look horrified. Sophie smiled smugly... and then a look of surprise, then horror, came across her face. "Dang it!"she whirled around as a torrent of gray mist slammed into her, and shedisappeared. Theresa appeared in front of her. "Hold on!" she yelled, andLily's vision turned dark.