An Author's Odyssey by Chris Colfer & Brandon DORMAN

Author:Chris Colfer & Brandon DORMAN
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2016-07-12T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE APPLE MEETS THE TREE

Emmerich wasn’t getting much sleep. The witches at Dead Man’s Creek stayed up all night like nocturnal animals. They cackled and brewed foul-smelling potions until the sun came up and then rested during the day. Their loud snoring, growling, and mumbling was impossible for Emmerich to sleep through. Like a neglected pet, he wasn’t being fed much, either. So he became weaker the longer he stayed there as the witches’ prisoner.

He thought his exhaustion was starting to play tricks on his mind, because one day at sunrise, after all the witches went to bed, he saw a strange man tiptoeing through the camp toward him. He had pale blue eyes and several scratches along the side of his face. He walked with a limp and his left arm was in a sling.

Emmerich had never seen the man before and had no idea what he was doing there. He circled the tree Emmerich was restrained to and quietly untied the chains.

“Who are you?” Emmerich asked.

The man motioned for him to be silent. “I’m here to rescue you,” the man whispered.

Once he unwrapped the chains around Emmerich’s body, the man offered his good hand and helped the boy to his feet. It was difficult for both of them since the man was injured and Emmerich hadn’t been on his feet for a long time.

The man gestured for Emmerich to follow him, and they snuck into the forest, far away from Dead Man’s Creek.

“Are you hurt?” the man asked, and inspected the boy front to back.

“No,” Emmerich said. “Tired, hungry, and scared—but they didn’t harm me.”

The man reached into his sling and handed Emmerich an apple. The boy was so hungry, he forgot all politeness and immediately started eating it.

“Make sure you chew your food,” the man said with a smile. “Remember what happened to Snow White?”

The Masked Man played the part of a Good Samaritan very well. With just a few kind gestures, he had the little boy convinced he was a hero.

“Thank you for rescuing me,” Emmerich said. “Who are you?”

“You don’t know who I am?” the man asked.

Emmerich shook his head. The two had never been face-to-face before, but the Masked Man needed to be certain his reputation hadn’t found his son first.

“I’m from the Otherworld,” the Masked Man lied. “I’ve come to rescue you and take you back home.”

The little boy was so happy about the prospect of going home, tears came to his eyes and he gave the Masked Man a giant hug. It hurt his broken rib, and the Masked Man pushed Emmerich away.

“I’m sorry,” Emmerich said. “I’ve been away from home for a very long time. My mother must be worried sick about me!”

“Right…” the Masked Man said. “Your mother.”

He paused for a moment to observe his son. The resemblance he shared with Bo Peep was even more striking up close.

“How did you find me?” Emmerich asked.

“Oh,” the Masked Man said, thinking on his feet. “Your friends in the Otherworld sent me.

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