Read a piece from the Book:
A special thanks to my little sisters for their ideas and eager anticipation of each new chapter as the book took form. Without their support I may never have finished it.
Contents
Eric
Bogwash
The Watchers
Molly
Magic
Lost
Portal Travel
The Urgak
Ywan
Bongo
Adalardo
Athol & Minna
The Urgak Knife
Parindra
The Jensine Tree
The Dark Wood
Deception
Jasminda
The Dragon’s Stomach
Swimming
Visions
Friends
The Rickety Old Bridge
Enchanted Weather
The Talking Spider
Lava
Flying
The Cosmos Council
Excerpt
………The whole bridge was shaking and as they walked further out it started to swing as well. There were two ropes running parallel to each other at about chest height along each side and Eric gripped them tightly as he walked.
Molly didn’t seem to be worried at all and she laughed when she looked over her shoulder and saw him looking down at the lava with a scared expression. She stopped when she was about half way and said, “Don’t worry Eric, it’s perfectly safe. Watch.” She started to shake one of the hand ropes and it spiralled in and out in waves all along the bridge.
“Stop it,” he yelled at her angrily as he started to get thrown about. Even Bongo growled at her.
She giggled and then let out a terrified screech as the rope snapped and she fell forward off the bridge.
“Molleee,” Eric shouted in horror.
He ignored the wildly shaking bridge and ran forward holding onto the right hand rope with both hands. When he got to the middle where the rope had snapped he saw that she was still holding onto it and was dangling just below the floor of the bridge.
“Hold on,” he said frantically. He looked around but there was nothing and nobody that could help. He thought about running the rest of the way to the cottage and getting her Auntie but he could see that she was already slipping.
“Eric,” she whispered between clenched teeth.
He broke through his indecisiveness and, wrapping one leg through the smaller ropes that were connected to the thick hand rope, he leaned out over the edge and grabbed her wrists.
“Ok, let go of the rope and grab my hands,” he shouted.
“I can’t,” she gasped.
“Don’t think about it, just do it,” he snapped.
She grasped his left hand quickly with her left hand and then let go of the rope and grabbed his right hand. Now she was swinging below the bridge holding onto his hands. He grunted as his arms stretched under the weight. It felt like they might pop out of his shoulder joints.
The bridge swung sideways at a crazy angle under their combined weight and all that stopped them from falling was his right leg wrapped around the little ropes that were connected to the opposite handrail.
Bongo stood out of the way watching the whole thing like a concerned mother. A chill went down his spine when he saw Eric struggle and twist, trying to pull Molly back up onto the bridge.
Eric closed his eyes and tried not to panic. He couldn’t pull her up without something to hold onto.
“Hold my right arm with both your hands,” he said.
Molly shook her head. She looked like she was going into shock.
“Don’t let me go,” she squealed.
“I won’t, I just need one hand to pull me backwards.” He looked into her eyes and saw the fear in them. “I promise I won’t drop you,” he said with a confidence he didn’t feel. “Now grab my right arm with both hands. Ok?”
She nodded, and then taking a deep breath grabbed his arm with both hands.
The heat of the volcano seemed to be increasing as if it knew that somebody was about to fall into it. Large jets of lava were shooting up into the air all over the place as it became excited.
Why does everything here have to be enchanted? Eric thought furiously. Salty sweat was dripping into his eyes and it was blinding him. He blinked and tried to ignore it as he reached back and gripped the floor of the bridge with his left hand. Slowly he tried to pull himself back and round so that he would have more leverage to lift Molly up with.
He was almost in a better position when he felt Molly’s hands slipping on his sweaty arm.
“Eric,” she screamed.
He threw himself back over the edge and clasped her arm with his left hand but it was no use. His arms were too slippery and he couldn’t hold her.
She squeezed her hands as tightly as she could. Eric winced as she dug her nails into his skin for extra friction, but it was hopeless. Molly felt herself sliding down his arm. Fear clouded her mind as she started to lose her grip. She couldn’t breath. She felt his wrist and then his fingers and then nothing.
Eric squeezed as hard as he could but he was exhausted from the last few days and his muscles were shaking from the effort. He started to cry as he felt himself losing her………………..
