Chapter 1: Four Gifts

Chapter 1

I gently open the door to the Trinkets and Tools shop in the back entrance fifteen minutes after seven, the shop's closing time.  The slightest tinkleing bell sounds as I enter.  The room is dark, pitch black infact.  But a blonde boy's face appears in front of me suddenly, and it causes me to jump back, startled.

                "Sorry," Colby whispers.  He motions me inside with his fingers.  I follow and he locks the door.  I grasp his hand as he leads me down the hall, guided by his knoledge of the shop.  Colby knows it by heart.

                At last, we meet the small room where Colby lights a small candle with a lighter he picked up somewhat a week ago at a fast market.  The candle provides limited light, but enough to guide Colby to a small drawer which he opens carefully, then pulls up the scissors in a divided section.  He stands back as the drawer suddenly closes, and the wall with the door rotates around slowly, revealing a large room: Colby's labratory.  A frightened girl about my age is huddled against a wall, shivering.  Colby guides me into the room, then presses his foot against where the wall would normally be.  I fall to the ground from the impact of the rapid rotating.  It's been while since I've dared to come over here.

                When the rotating has stopped, Colby makes his way over to where the girl is huddled against a corner.  She takes his hand and stands up.  Her black hair goes halfway to her waste, and her plain brown eyes shine in the darkness.  She releases Colby's hand and the boy walks over to a side of the room and flicks a switch.  The room immidiantly lights up, revealing three mysterious objects covered in sheets.  With the light on in the labratory, oly the three of us can see.  It is completely invisible from the shop or the outside world.  The girl is wearing blue jean shorts and a red shirt with green and gold vines lining the short sleves and the sides of her shirt.  Her shoes are white, and her black hair flows free.  I recognise the girl as my best friend, Awesome.                     

                "Emedee, happy birthday!" Colby shouts.  Awesome breaks into some of her akaward dancing, and reveals three pink baloons from behind her back.  I can't help but laugh.

                "Thanks guys.  It means a lot," I reply.  Still dancing, Awesome pops a baloon and a small wrapped red box pops out into Awesome's hand.  She tosses it over to me, and I catch it.

                "For you, Emedee.  From me, Awesome," Awesome says.  I smile.  I carefully remove the top, and a small necklace is inside.

                "Oh Awesome, it's beautiful," I say.  On the silver chain is a little mountain, tall with a smooth base on top, a purple surface peeking out from the top and part of one side.  The mountain must be the wall to Rainbow Valley.

                "I made it myself.  You can wear it for luck on your journey.  You know, a reminder of me," Awesome says with a shrug.  She's stopped dancing.  I carefully put the necklace on, rotating it as I secure one end with the other.   I rotate it back around and place it against my neck.  I release it and look up with a smile at Awesome.

                "You're a great friend." I walk up to Awesome and hug her.  She hugs me back.

                "Now go see what lame junk Colby made for you," Awesome says.  Colby rolls his eyes.

                "My gift, or should I say gifts, are much better than some lame Rainbow Valley necklace," Colby says.  I roll my eyes back at him.

                "Prove it," Awesome glares at him.

                "Alright," Colby replies.  He walks over to one of the objects covered in a sheet.  "First," Colby carefully removes the sheet, revealing a rolled up piece of paper.  Awesome raises her eyebrow.  "A map of all of the Sanctuary!"

                "Oh?" Awesome says.  She shakes her head, saying, "Tisk, tisk, tisk."

                "Ah, but not just any map.  This map includes the Rainbow Valley and Crystal Clouds outline, but since not even I know what's inside those lands, it's just the outline.  I filled Rainbow Valley with purple clouds and rainbows, Crystal Clouds with just white clouds.  This also includes your favorite place, Emedee, the Coastline.  The whole border of the Sanctuary."  Awesome yawns.

                "But the best part... the best part is that you can add onto it with the settings feature in the corner.  You can draw your added features on with the touchscreen feature and- well you'll figure it out.  Also, a purple arrow points to where you are.  It moves as you move.  A compass is in the corner as well, so you can tell what direction you're going.  Plus, I added on a gray arrow that points to the location of the Queen, and smaller ones that point to her army."  I swear my jaw is dropping.  I look over at Awesome's.  It's pretty low.

                "Wow."  I say.  "Just wow."  Colby smiles.

                "That's not the best present.  There are three, and they get better," Colby says.  He walks over to the section object and removes the sheet.  There are two small bracelets.

                "These bracelets allow two people to teleport to each other when wearing them.  And also, only you, Emedee, can control who, or what, wears them.  One is for you, and you can program in who gets the second when you decide who you want to recieve it.  But remember, once you program in the ricipiant you can’t change it.  Understood?”

                “Understood,” I reply.

                “Alright,” Colby says.  “Last, but certainly not least…”  Colby pulls off the last sheet, revealing four… pogo sticks?

                “Um…” Awesome begins. 

                “Just what I need for this trip: pogos,” I say akwardly. 

                “They’re not just any pogo sticks,” Colby explains.  “They’re my best invention yet!”  Awesome stares at him blankly.  “These pogo sticks can jump two times higher than any animal on our planet.  Also, in case someone becomes suspicious, there is simply one button that transforms it into a regular pogo stick.  But the feature is really fast so no one can see it.   And I mean no one.  Oh, by the way, once you want to hide a present for safe keeping, you can transform them into charms for your charm bracelet.  Also a new invention of mine.” 

I look next to me and see Awesome looking… impressed.  That’s new.

“And I made one pogo for each of us.  Black for Awesome, Brown for me, White for Emedee, since you’re going to Crystal Clouds, and the tan one is an extra for you to carry.”  Awesome smiles.

                “Emedee, if I get presents on your birthday, we should celebrate it more often,” Awesome says.  I laugh. 

                “Thanks, Colby.  But where’s the charm bracelet?” I ask.  Colby reaches into his pocket and fishes out a small silver bracelet with five rings on it.  I extend my hand and he uses the clasp to secure it on.

                “You do understand you can never take this off, right?” Colby asks.  I nod.

                “I understand,” I reply. 

                “Alright, then.”  Colby reaches for the map and whispers something to transform it into a letter M.  He makes the two bracelets a T, and the white pogo a P.  The tan pogo he makes a E.

                “Why E?” Awesome asks.

                “For extra.  Duh,” Colby replies.

                “Thank you guys, so much,” I say.  I feel tears coming into my eyes.

                “Aww, don’t cry, Emedee!” Awesome says.  She walks over and hugs me.  Colby joins in.

                “I better go,” I say.  “Five o’clock tomorrow?” I ask.  Colby nods.

                “Meet me in the parking lot in the back.  I’ll let you in and explain where you’re going.  Bring all your stuff, everything you’ll need.  Just remember: pack light.  Nothing you can do without.”  I nod and Colby presses his foot back on the crack where the wall would be.  This time, Awesome and I grab onto each other’s shoulders before we can fall to regain our balance, and we survive the rotating.  Colby leads me out the back door, and I wave goodbye.  Without looking back, I scurry back to my house.  I can’t be caught outside at this time of night.