The Weird Book

“JENNIFER! If you don't get that homework done, you aren't going with us to the movies tomorrow.” 

Jen hurried to hide what she had just brought into her room from her adventure in the woods. It was some book, very big, leathery and it looked, well, ancient. Her mother rushed up the stairs to go check on her. Jen brought out her homework and pretended to be working on it, just in time before her mother walked in to see she was in fact working on the homework, 8th grade English to be exact. Jen didn't actually need to study for English or for anything, it was just a cover up so that her mother would leave her alone while she went on her adventures through the woods with Ally. 

Ally and Jen were besties, after school they told their parents they were studying at the library, shocker they weren't, they were going on their daily adventures in the woods. Jen always looked towards this part of the day. She loved chatting with Ally but on this special Tuesday, they discovered a book. The title was in some foreign language of some sort, Ally opened it, and light came from the center, Jen slammed it shut and followed with “Were going to be late!” 

Jen and Ally agreed Jen would leave it at her house and they rushed home so their parents would suspect nothing. Jen brought out her homework and pretended to be working on it, just in time before her mother walked in to see she was in fact working on the homework, 8th grade English to be exact. She got her homework “done” and smiled at her mother, “All done” Jen claimed.

Jen's mother sighed, “Now get ready! We're leaving at 5!”

Jen threw on her shoes and grabbed her bag and snuck some candy from under her bed. Right before closing her door, she smiled at the book with the light, then she heard whispers from the book. She looked at it big eyed but then slammed her door and went to the movies with her family. 

The next day she brought her book to school, when leaving to go on her walk with Ally she explained the whispers, Ally then wanted Jen to bring out the book, so she did while in the middle of the woods. Slowly opening the book, the whispers began again, and the light creeped through the middle of the book. Ally and Jen attempted to read the book however, the book was very damaged and hard to read clearly. That's when Jen pointed at the words Read this book and it will grant you your wishes. Ally laughed, “This is a spell book, wishes don't come from spells! It's all hocus pocus, someone is messing with us.”

Jen left mad and she knew the book couldn't be fake, so she stormed home. She was curious so she reread it at home, the words shifted around on the page as she attempted to read it. It was as if it was tailored to her, it read, “JEN READ ME! READ ME PLEASE! READ ME!” 

Jen began to now read aloud her wishes as they were now all on the page. “I wish I had a dog! I wish I had a …” 

Jen heard a bark and froze and out of nowhere a dog appeared, not any dog, the one she has always wanted, an Afghan Hound, it waged its tail back and forth and its luxurious brown fur shined in the light coming in from her window. This was crazy, Jen's dream dog, standing in front of her. The dog barked again, and Jen shushed the dog and started petting her. That's when she heard the footsteps of her brother Anthony coming towards her room, she slammed the book closed, the dog disappeared, and she hid it in her closet. Anthony knocked on the door and Jen shouted out “Come in!” 

Anthony opened the door and looked around in shock. “I swear I just heard a...” Anthony said.

Jen attempted to finish his sentence “Dog bark?”

“Yes,” Anthony continued. “Are you hiding a dog here?” 

“No,” Jen answered.

“Jen, I know you're lying, you always have your eyebrows raised when you lie.”

“Ok, no there's not a real dog, well I don't know what to call it.” Jen explained, confused. 

“Show me,” Anthony insisted.

“Ok but you can't tell mother.” Jen exclaimed.

“I won't but just show me.” Anthony replied.

“Ok but seriously, promise?” Jen asked.

“My lips are sealed” Anthony replied with the action of pretending to seal his lips.

Jen explained to Anthony from the beginning, starting with the lying and the walks she and Ally went on, she explained the book, the fight and then what had just happened with the dog. Anthony then wanted to see the book out of curiosity, so Jen opened her closet and brought out the book. Slowly opening it on her table a dog appeared, the same dog from earlier Jen wondered what her name was so she shouted the only name she would name a brown Afghan hound. “Chocolate!” she shouted. 

Chocolate ran to her and sat in front of her wagging her tail. Anthony looked just as shocked as Jen if not more. Jen told her to lay down and roll over and the dog did both of those too, what a perfectly obedient dog, this was Jen's wish coming true. 

Anthony flipped the page and the words shifted and then it had his wishes, he read aloud his first one. “I wish I had a fish!” 

He checked his room and looked to see a fish tank with a blue betta in it swimming around, this was the fish of his dreams. 

They heard a car door slam and slammed the book shut, ran to their rooms and acted busy. 

Neither of them mentioned the book to their parents, Anthony kept true to his promise, in hopes to use this mysterious book again.