Chapter 3 - The new world

The floorboards were dusty and cracked, there was a wood stove in one corner of the room next to a refrigerator in the center of the room was a table almost as dusty as the floor. Two sofas rested in another corner slouching like an old couple past their years. Only moth eaten and dirty. A window was there open. also dusty. shedding the only ray of light in the room. Dan pointed to the couches, three people were in the room. Dan pointed to the couches three people were sitting there. Waiting. Two girls. on was a girl my age about 14 or 15 she was leaning against the wall staring at the couch, with a very bored expression on her face.
The other girl, next to her looked to be no more then 11 she had dark black hair with pink highlights. she sat on the arm of the old couch as if waiting for something.
The third was a boy about 12 he had black hair and a serious face with twinkling green eyes.
“This is your art group” dan said
“this is Jake-” he pointed to the boy
“Shelby” he pointed to the older girl by the wall
“and Julia, you four have fun I’m gonna go do something better then play daddy day camp” and with that he waltzed out the door I heard the 
“click” of the lock as he shut it behind him. Silence followed. It stretched across the room like a thick fog. The floorboard creaked as I shuffled my feet. I was uncomfortable. they were probably weirded out. I stared at the floor concentrating on my blue slip-ons I had been wearing when I got... transported. The silence continued to build a fog leering at me.
“Your name..”
“huh?’ I looked up to find the speaker “You never told us what your name is.. what is your name?”
it was Shelby.
“Oh my name’s Anna.. you’re Shelby right?”
“yeah.” silence again
“so” I finally said “why.. I mean.. what are we doing here?:
“I don’t know really, Dan said something about a competition. You know weird?”
“what?”
“I’ve got this weird feeling like I know you.. like we’ve met before”
“yeah.. me too..”
“huh..”
suddenly something occurred to me. I looked up startled.
“I just realized... were locked in here aren’t we!?”

Shelby and Julia looked up a bit like sad puppies and nodded. I gulped.
“but...why? whats the point?”
Julia shrugged
“I guess they think we’ll run away.”
“how? what are we supposed to swim the beach?”
she smiled.
“either that or grow wings and fly away” she flapped her arms in flying motions
“Up up and away we go” I laughed, the laugh was contagious. Julia laughed. Shelby laughed. Jake belted out a guffaw like n elephant. we stopped laughing to stare at him. he coughed and went back to looking at the dusty floor. I now felt guilty for staring.
“So.. we’re stuck in here until that fat stubby bald dude in the top hat comes back?” I asked
“speak of the devil” Julia said
as the door opened and Theodore walked in, if you could call it that. considering the guy didn’t have any knees....”Ahem” he cleared his throat and re-arranged his tie.
“I am Mayor Theodore-”
“We know” Julia said “You told us that like five times”
Everyone coughed or hiccuped to hide snickers. at least they tried. I failed. sorry I just can hide anything but not laughs.
So everyone stared at me. “as I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted. I am going to tell your yet another thing I am sure you children don’t know. why you are here ahem-” he cleared his throat to begin, a bit like my dad does “ahem HEM!! Akhem! Akhem KHEM”
he sounds a bit like a sick dog actually...
anyhow back to the story
“finally” I said not bothering to hide the exasperation in my voice
“Stop interrupting me!” Theodore demanded -”As I was about to say, you’re here because of a competition”
everyone sat up.
“You see every year three small towns have a contest to see which place has the best of five skills. three people are picked who can preform these... skills the three people go against the others from the other village on a one on one contests, until there are only five people left from a town. each with a skill.”
“I still don’t get why-” I began
“don’t interrupt me!” he said frowning
“Sorry!”
“as I was saying this year the skills are riding, of course, farming, fishing, Badmitten-”
“Badmitten??” we looked at each other in confusion
“It just is!”
Theodore said, bringing our attention back to him
“Anyhow.”
“What’s the fourth?”
“let me talk!!” his pudgy cheeks were red his tiny fists clenched.
“aw he’s mad.” Shelby whispered to Julia smiling.
“I’m frustrated!” he contradicted “I’m trying to finish my story and you keep interrupting me like I’m talking about a baseball game and I actually WANT feedback!”
by now his entire face was a deep crimson and an angry vain throbbed on his forehead.
Nobody interrupted the small tornado.
“Ahem” he cleared his throat again and stood up straight to collect himself.
“now, if I may continue. The last skill is art-” he paused, his hands out in front of him as if waiting for a dramatic gasp, or squeal of joy. when none came he went on.
“you are my artists. thats why you’re here. I needed three people to participate in the competition, I didn’t have three people with any artistic ability, in fact, I tried to find some people. but the attempt was rather sad.. anyhow I brought you from your world into this one.” We all stared at him, awed ..
me? I was slightly confused amused, Happy and a bit scared all at once. First of all, why pick us out of all the people who could draw SO well? I mean the professionals? I voiced this.
“but why pick us?”
“Huh? oh yes well it was more or less of a random decision.”
“so we get to compete in this contest thing?” Julia asked
“Oh yes, I do hope you three have skill by the way..”
“Cool” she and Shelby smiled, I think Jake even smiled too, but something was still bothering me. as Theodore turned to leave, i stopped him
“Um.. Theodore wait.” I said
“You said you needed three people to compete there are four people here.”
“Oh” he stopped. The other’s smiles faded and they looked at Theodore
“Carl and Dan made a slight mistake. they took one more artist then they were supposed too... Anna you aren’t going to be competing in the contest..”
“thats not fair!” Shelby protested
“but she-” Julia began
“Its perfectly fair we only need three artists now I need you three to draw me a picture and give it to me tomorrow show me your artistic skill@ no if you'll excuse me its getting late,, the beds are upstairs good night.” and with that he walked outside and shut the door behind him. I watched him go wanting every second to yank that fat red nose. I plopped down exasperated “So he picked us randomly to help him in this competition thing” I said
“Against our will!” Shelby said
“true and then he expects us to do what he tells us to?”Julia agreed
“Then he ditches me!” I finished, Jake Stood up.
“I’m going to bed””
those were the first words we had heard him say the whole time. It was getting late, the once brilliant ray of sunshine that had shone through the only window was now a brilliant shade of orange, and growing darker, we followed jake up the creaky stairs in to a dusty room, with three beds and a mattress lit by a dingy lightbulb I walked in. leaving footprints in the dust. I looked at the beds , one pillow each with a rough purplish green blanket thrown over it. I almost collided with a dresser, in a dank corner of the room that I hadn’t noticed before. it was oak with five drawers, It was labeled
“Shelby”
I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside, I opened the top drawer, and found several pairs of old clothes. I opened the next one, that one had Pjs, the next one after that one contained old clothes too. four of the drawers had clothes and other essentials. Like toothbrushes... and hair brushes..
but the fifth drawer was locked.
Julia wandered over to see what I was looking at,
“hey Shell you’ve got stuff to wear”
she informed Shelby when she came over to see what was in the drawers. Jake pulled at the bottom drawer
“its locked” he said.
”yeah..” I murmured. Soon after,
everyone discovered they had drawers too. Julia found there was a bathroom, and to our relief Shelby discovered a window hidden by velvet curtains
“so..” I said “guys is this our..temporary home?”
“I guess so.”
Julia replied.

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