The Lost Story

by Meg Shaffer

Because that’s how it worked. First you were missing. Then you were lost. Then you were forgotten.

A good story, yes, but not a fairy tale. They didn’t have fairy tales in West Virginia. They were lucky to have a Target.

“It’s called ‘searching behavior,’ ” he said. “People who lose someone will find themselves walking for miles or driving for hours…Lots of theories on why. I think it’s guilt. Misplaced usually. We think we should have been able to stop it, but we can’t. Even after they’re gone, your body keeps trying to do something to help even though you can’t.”

“Mom, I’m scared.” “I know, Emmielou. But scared is a feeling, not an excuse.”

Joy is quieter than people think it is. Especially the joy of getting back something you thought was lost forever.”

“I love this place,” Skya said. “This world is mine the way my heart is mine. It’s part of me, and I would defend it the way I would guard my own heart. If I don’t come back, I hope you will stay and rule and let this place into your heart.”

All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is.