• The now yellowing pages of my book lay gently between my nimble fingers. With each flick of my wrist, another one of the brittle pages turned. As if screaming in protest, each page made a scratching noise when flipped. The more I read, the more I felt as if I was within these fragile pages. My breathe caught in my throat as the main character, Evander, wandered into a slumbering wyvern’s nest. My heart beat faster and faster as his swift footsteps brought him closer and closer to the sleeping beast. As Evander drew his sword from its place on his thigh, I could hear the sound of metal gliding against the icy blade of the Frost Prince, as if I was standing a mere foot away. Quicker and quicker my pulse raced as the creature let out a rumbling snore. The Prince’s sure steps brought him behind the head of the wyvern. With both hand clasped tightly around the hilt of his icy blade, he brought both his arms above his head. Just as Evander was about to end the life of the wyvern, my mother threw open my door.

    "Aisling, I thought I told you to go to bed two hours ago! Now this time I mean it young lady!”

    She slammed my door shut and furiously stomped down the hall and into her bedroom. I heard her door slam and I knew she was heading off to bed. I quickly reopened “Bittersweet” and told myself that, this time, I would close the book after finishing the chapter.

    As it was before, my heart pulsated with anticipation. As the prince brought down his sword upon the wyvern’s neck, I let out a squeal of excitement. I flipped the page, and to my annoyance I saw this chapter had drawn to a close.

    “One more chapter wouldn’t hurt right?”

    I looked towards my clock and my stomach gave a little flop. It was already midnight, and I had school tomorrow. But as I had convinced myself that I was going to finish the next chapter, there was no way I was sleeping now. However, the further I read, the more tired I got. Finally, my eyes drooped closed and my head dropped down onto the open pages of my book. Blackness slowly fogged up my mind, and my thoughts slowly drifted away. Eventually, I found myself falling into a peaceful sleep and entering a world that was my own.

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    The shining snow slowly melted beneath me, causing my black skinny jeans to become soaked. Sitting up, I realized I was surrounded by the desolate wastelands of the Winter Kingdom depicted in "Bittersweet". My breathe caught in my throat as I took in my surroundings. Withered trees had sharp, nearly transparent, icicles hanging from their barren branches. Snow of the purest white, lay shimmering upon the frozen ground. The skies were the color of the clearest azure, and the morning sun was beginning to rise in the west, as the evening sun was setting in the east, in the land also known as the Summer Kingdom. The wind cut like knives through the thin Blood on the Dancefloor T-shirt I was wearing. Goosebumps immediately arose on my exposed skin, and I rubbed my arms furiously to bring some warmth into my body. Behind me, the sound of crunching show grew closer. A dark shadow fell over me, causing my body temperature to drop even more. A cool hand was placed on my shoulder and I could feel a soft breath against the nape of my neck. I whipped around to see who the hand belonged. When I saw who was behind me I gasped. His hair darker than midnight itself, rested just above his eyes and ended neatly at the nape of his pale neck. His eyes, the color of sapphires, were sharp and full of intensity, and also shown with slight curiosity.

    "W-who are you?" My whispered words barely escaped my clenched teeth.

    "I am Evander, Prince of the Winter Kingdom. And who are you?"

    As soon as he said his name a wave of shock ripped through me. I was dreaming I was within the pages of "Bittersweet".

    " I-I'm Aisling. Nice to meet you." I did my best to smile but my chattering teeth prevented more than a smirk to appear on my lips.

    "You're cold?" He extended a pale hand in my direction, which I gladly took. He pulled up onto his horse.

    "Where are we going?"

    "Home."

    I wrapped my arms around his toned waist, and rested my head on his back. As horse began to move forward the smooth beats of its hooves lulled me into a dreamless sleep.

    "Aisling. A-Aisling wake up." I soft voice crept up to my ears as my eyes slowly fluttered open. I let out a sharp intake of breathe when I saw that his face as only a few inches away from mine. I lurched forward and our foreheads collided.

    "Oh-Oh God! I'm so sorry!" I sat up to see he had a hand placed over a now bruised part of his forehead.

    "Its fine. I'll heal soon enough. Anyway we're here."

    I looked up and my jaw dropped in awe. A castle, larger than life, stood behind ornate ice gates. The exterior was made entirely of ice that glowed with a blue iridescence. The front doors were made of wood that had the family crest engraved on each side. Evander slid off his horse and motioned for me to jump down. I looked at him warily before jumping down into his arms. He set me down onto the frozen ground and grabbed my hand. Evander pulled me towards the castle doors and knocked twice. Seconds later, one of the wooden doors swung open.

    Evander pulled me along corridors with elegant paintings and elaborate tapestries. The ground was covered in a thing layer of ice, as were the walls. Icicles hung from the railings of stairs and from the handles of doors. As we rounded another corridor a small child, with a furry tail and ears that matched her auburn colored hair, poked her head out from around a corner at the end of a hall.

    "The Prince has returned!" She squealed and ran back down the hall. Prince Evander let out a small chuckle and pushed open a ornate wooden door.

    "This is your room Miss Aisling. If you need anything let me, or one of the servants know." He gave me a warm smile before closing the door and walking away.

    I let out a deep breath and flopped down onto the luxurious bed. Closing my eyes, I could hear the sound of a fire crackling merrily in a fireplace across the room. My breathes came in a steady rhythm as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

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    A shrill beeping noise erupted from my bedside table. My alarm clock, signaling it was time to get up so I could get to school on time. Slamming my fist down I let out a groan. I really wish I didn’t have to get up. But hey, that’s just one of the perks of being in high school.