I’ve been going to the same old book store for over 5 years. The store is owned by a sweet old couple who has always been like the grandparents I never had. I’ve always loved Mr. and Mrs. Creliss. They ran the bookstore with love rather than greed. They would never overcharge for books, they give lot’s of discounts, especially to little kids and their families, probably to encourage reading.

Today I went in a little earlier than usual and something felt different, Mr. and Mrs. Creliss were nowhere to be seen. They’re normally behind the front counter, inviting smiles plastered on their faces from years of greeting customers, but today the shop was silent. As soon as I stepped closer to the front counter, I felt something strange, something I’d only ever felt while reading the books that are sold here. It was a odd yet soothing feeling, like a gentle tingling in your brain. Curious I decided to look around.

As I was looking I heard a page rustle, like someone was flipping the page of a book. I went towards where the sound came from, but didn’t see anything. No one was in the store. Strange, I swear I heard a page being turned, a familiar sound to me as I’ve been in this book store every day for 5 years. I decided to try to find Mr. and Mrs. Crelis. I walked towards the front of the store amd went behind the counter.

Behind the counter I saw multiple piles of books, some boxes, and Taffy, the Crelis’ black cat curled on the floor. Taffy looked up at me, her piercing gold eyes staring at me intently, as if trying to tell me something. I reached down and pet her then stood to keep searching. I turned towards the back wall and was turning to go back to the main store when I saw a door hidden in the shadows. I looked closer at the door and saw that it was intricately carved, probably handmade. When I reached for the golden handle, I felt a surge of that weird tingling feeling. I shook it off and turned the handle, opening the door and swinging it inward. When the door was fully open, I looked inside and saw the most beautiful, magical world anyone could ever imagine. Sitting under a fluffy purple tree, was Mr. and Mrs. Creliss.

(Sorry for the cliffhanger and the long story! I wanted to add more detail than they just walked into the store and it felt weird. 😅)