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Every muscle in her body screamed for her to inhale. Her chest hurt, and fire filled her lungs. She gave one hard kick, breaking the surface as she choked and gasped for air.
She wiped water from her face and spun in search of the bank. A smile spread across her face as she spotted a little teal body lying in the grass. Paige swam the short distance to the shore and climbed from the water, racing toward Dewey.
“Paige!” he panted as he pulled himself up to sit.
“Dewey,” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.
“Thank you,” Dewey breathed. “I thought I’d be spending a hundred years in prison.”
“No way,” Paige said, pulling back from him. “I wasn’t leaving you.”
“Thanks, friend.”
“You’re welcome, friend,” Paige said with a broader smile. She glanced around. “Now, we should get another vial of that water and get the heck out of here.”
“Yeah,” Dewey agreed, “get it and let’s get out of here. I don’t even care if we have to go past the murderous murder of crows.”
Paige climbed to her feet and brushed herself off before she patted her shoulder. “Jump up, little buddy. Because once I grab this water, I am running away from that pond and never looking back. And I’m not stopping until we reach Acadia Palace.”
Dewey flapped his wings and landed on Paige’s shoulder. He handed Paige the vial.
She popped open the top and glanced at her partner. “Hang on.”
He dug his claws into her shoulder as she sprinted forward. She skidded to a stop and dunked the vial into the water. Droplets dripped into the pond as she pulled it out and secured the stopper.
“On to Acadia Palace!” she said as she stuffed the vial into her kangaroo pocket.
As she turned away from the lake, the world in front of her blurred. Paige swallowed hard as the world around her faded away.
“Dewey? What’s happening?” She reached for the dragon.
He wrapped a scaly paw around her hand. “I’m not sure.”
The world faded to black, and they floated in nothingness for a few moments before a light blinded them.
“Ah, what the heck?” Paige asked, flinging an arm up to shield her eyes.
“Whoa!” Dewey murmured.
“What?” Paige asked, lowering her arm though still squinting.
“I think we’re… I think we’re at Acadia Palace.”
Paige blinked her eyes a few times, allowing them to adjust. Gleaming in the sunlight, a large emerald palace sparkled.
“What? How did we get here?” Paige glanced behind her, staring at the path leading to the spot they stood in and leading to the palace.
Dewey’s eyebrows squashed together, and he wrinkled his nose. “Because we’re in a book.”
“Huh?”
“We’re in a book. When have you ever read the return journey in a book?”
Paige’s eyes widened as she considered it. “Yes, most of the book is the journey. Then after they retrieve the thing they’re after–“
“We just get the payoff.”
“The triumphant moment. The hero’s welcome.” Paige glanced at the palace with a nod. “Well, that certainly made things easier.”
