Prologue

"Mama, read me a bed time story please," little Vera, asks eagerly.

"Okay sweetie, go choose one from your book shelf."

The little girl runs over to the books resting on a shelf by her bed. She looks through them till she finds the one with a boy riding a broomstick on the front. Excited Vera runs the book to her mom.

"Oh Harry Potter, I remember reading this when I was little. It's such a classic. Good choice." she lifts the 5 year-old onto her lap. Vera holds onto her mother's shoulders as her sweet voice is heard reading from the old book.

Soon Vera drifts off to dream of wands and spell books. Her mom, Melody, lays her on the bed and covers her up, kissing her forehead.

"Good night my sweetie," she whispers.

Melody gently gets up from her daughter's bed and turns on her light blue dragon night-light. Leaving the room she takes a look back at Vera who is in a deep sleep, softly snoring. She closes the door leaving a crack in it so that light can pass through.

Walking down the dimly lit hallway, Melody pauses by the white door at the end, placing her hand on it.

"I miss you, my love," she whispers.

Chapter 1 The First Disk (11 years later)

"Happy Birthday, Vera!" someone exclaims waking me up. My eyes shoot open, looking around the room. I see a tall figure with curly blond hair and blue eyes walking towards me in a nightgown. My mom is standing over me holding a navy blue envelope in her hand. I sit up from the mass of stuffed animals I use as my blanket. "Thanks mom," I say, my voice heavy with sleep. She motions the envelope towards me and I take it from her hand.

The envelope is a blue is a deeper blue than I've ever seen, a winged dragon is embedded into the paper and the only writing on it is a small one circled in the rope left corner. When I open the envelope I find a quickly written letter in my dad's handwriting. I don't know my father because he vanished the night I was born. Mom has given me some of his old books to read which are filled with notes and markings. The paper seems to be really old because it's began to yellow around the edges.

"Your father sent this to me to give to you the night he disappeared. It actually came by owl, if you can believe that. In a little side note that came with it, he said to give it to you when you turned 16." I looked at my mom whose eyes were filled with a mix of happiness and sadness. I pulled her into a hug as she sits on the side of my bed.

After a while I turn my attention back to the letter. It reads:

My dear Vera,

I'm sorry to say that if you're reading this I've been lost in a digital world for 16 years. It is your job to find me and get me out.

Your mom has the key to the Simulator room, which you are now allowed to enter. She also has all the disks you need to find each clue to finding me.

The clues are located within 10 books, TV shows, and movies from your childhood. Simply insert the disks into the reader and the room will become that world. You will be able to interact with all the characters but the storyline can be changed by adding in a new character which of course is you. As you grow in experience you will be able to take characters and bring them into the next world.

Look for the dragon symbol in every world and that will lead you to the clues. Good luck and I hope to see you soon. I love you and give my love to your mom.

Love,

Dad

I hand the note to mom who tears up as she reads it. She wipes her tears away and hands back the note. She stands up and bids me to follow her to the locked room.

I've never been allowed in here, so I only assume it's the simulator room. Mom takes off her necklace with a small turquoise blue crystal hanging from it.

She inserts it into the small hole I always thought was where a doorknob was suppose to go. The crystal glows a bright blue against the neon white of the door. A brilliant light bursts from the keyhole and the door swings back.

I'm blinded by the starch white color of the room. The only bit of color comes from the black screen of the console in the middle of the room.

"Sweetie, welcome to the Simulator Room. No one's allowed to be in here before they turn 16. The night your father died he went into this room for a special baby present for you but he went in and never came back."

I stand in place unable to move at the sight of this room. It's not really that big even, maybe the size of a classroom. It's the impact of what it can do that holds me down.

"The consol automatically changes your clothes to that of the people in the world and also gives you the equivalent of whatever $100 might be," mom explains to me.

"Now do you wish to start your mission right now or would you like to pack a small bag with you?"

"I'll pack a bag really quick," I just needed a little time to take everything in. Especially after just waking up.

I go to my room and lay on my bed for a few minutes reading my dads letter, then standing up abruptly, I swear to find my dad no matter what. Since I'm home schooled no one but my mom will really be wondering about my whereabouts, so I don't have to explain to anyone where I'm going.

I was about to change into regular clothes from the PJ's I was wearing but then remember that the room changes your clothes. Although mom said nothing about it changing hair so I trudge on over to the bathroom and begin to viciously brush my thick brown hair.

I grab an army satchel from the side of my bed and begin packing. I take all my essentials, which include a compass, binoculars, a journal, drawing supplies, an extra set of clothes in case of emergencies, and a water bottle.

Now that I've packed everything I rush over to the Simulator not wanting to keep my mom waiting any longer.

"Have you got everything you need?" Mom asks slowly. I nod in reply. She holds up a small, round disk with a hole in it and hands it to me. "That disk holds your first world. It's my favorite and I know your going to love it. It may jot be completely true to the book but that only with part of the setting.

" Be safe, don't forget to eat, and don't get hurt. If you die you come back here but you can still feel pain. You must go through the story till you find the clues. You also have the choice of bringing two characters with you through every world. Time passes faster in there so you have till the end of the movie, book, or Episode. Every so often the computer will ask you if you want to leave or not, it's your choice but if you come out then go back you have to start over from the very beginning. I love you and good luck." She kisses my forehead and gives me a long hug then walks off shutting the door behind her.

Left alone in the empty room, I look down at the shining disk in my hand. The key to new worlds, friends, adventures, and dangers rest with me and I can't wait to dive in.

I walk towards the console and insert the disk into the small mouth of the reader. I hear the disk spinning around then suddenly the room isn't white anymore. Colors begin to appear, mixing around to make scenery of stores and cobble stone streets.