UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 1)

“You have to be. I have to break the curse. I have to finish the tales!”

“Why? What’s in it for you? What have they promised you that would make you so determined to risk your life?”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t been promised anything! I’m trying to protect my brother, Charlie. He’s too young. I won’t let him be the next victim.” Mina gritted it out, her fingers digging into the ground in anger.

It was one of the first times in her life that Mina had ever felt this angry. She was usually the passive-aggressive student, who avoided confrontation, but it was as if something in had been broken, and would never be the same. “I will survive, I will be the Grimm to finish the tales and live. I will beat the Story.” Mina stood and looked heatedly in his eyes. “With or without your help.” With strength that Mina didn’t know she had, she pushed the boy in the chest so hard he stumbled backward but did not fall.

The boy stepped away from Mina, giving her room to pass. He cocked his head to the side and answered, “Well, maybe there is a chance for you after all.”

“Leave me alone!” Mina yelled, and turned angrily to face him, but the boy had disappeared.

Mina ran the rest of the way home and burst through the door to find Nan sitting on her couch, eyes red from crying. Nan flew to Mina and grabbed her around the neck.

“You’re alive. I’m so sorry; I should never have left your side. I went outside to look for a number and as soon as I turned around the door, window, everything was gone. It was a brick wall.” Nan stepped back away from Mina and her hands went into overdrive as she explained what happened. “I went into the pottery store and asked them about the building and they gave me a blank stare. Apparently there has never been a shop there. Same with Rosie’s Flowers. Mina, they thought I was crazy, but I knew better. I knew that the building was there and it had eaten you!” She hiccupped with anxiety.

“Nan, I’m fine,” Mina consoled her best friend, getting her to sit on the couch once again.

“I waited. I waited on the sidewalk for hours but you never appeared. I searched the whole block and alley for you and I couldn’t find you.” Nan began to cry. “I didn’t know what else to do but to come back and wait for you. I’m just glad your mom and brother weren’t here. I wouldn’t want to explain to them how you were eaten by a building.” Nan’s hands flew through the air with her growing anxiety. . When she had a moment to settle down, she pinned Mina with a wary glance. “What did happen to you?”

“I found the Grimoire,” Mina smiled widely and pulled out the red spiral notebook to show Nan.

Nan frowned at the notebook. “That sure doesn’t look like a Grimoire. But then again, how should I know?”

“It was in that building, I had to solve a few puzzles to find it, deep underground. But it was like it wanted me to find it. You wouldn’t believe it.”

“May I?” Nan asked pointing to the cover. When Mina nodded Nan gently opened the cover and began flipping through the pages. “Okay. There’s only one story inside.”

“What! That wasn't there a minute ago,” Mina pointed to the pages. “There were pictures and stories but then it erased itself when I took hold of it. And now this. What do you think it means?”

“That it's obviously not complete? That the Grimm brothers never made it through all of the stories? But I guess they finished this bull story.”

“Give me that!” Mina snatched the book from Nan. “Nan, this is the room I was describing. It’s all here, everything. Even me running from the room!”

“Way cool. Am I in there?”

“Nan, you know what this means?” Mina said, ignoring her. “I solved one of the tales. It’s officially begun.”

“Great! Now how many more until you’re done?”

“Um, I don’t actually know.”

“Mina?” Nan asked. “What if there is no end?”

Chapter 12

The next day Mina went through the motions of paying attention in class, but her mind was a million miles elsewhere, Nan’s words still ringing in her head. “What if there is no end?” She kept checking the Grimoire to make sure the story was still there. It wasn’t until advanced art that Mina felt another trickle of dread. Something was wrong. People were whispering and pointing.

Looking up Mina was surprised to see a set of familiar grey eyes staring at her from across the room. It was the same boy who saved her in the alley, here in their classroom and addressing their art teacher. Mr. Ames gestured for the boy to take up an empty seat.

“Class this is Jared, he’s one of our newest students. Please make him feel at home.”

Mina saw the girls and boys in her class whispering among themselves. It so happened that one of the only empty seats was next to her desk, so she tried to compose herself as Jared sat down, knowing all eyes were pointed their way.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed when no was looking.

“Free country. Isn’t it?” Jared said.