~ Masterpieces ~
Emma Tolly was a bit of an artist, even though she was only twelve years old. She drew mainly birds because of the talent she had of becoming one. Emma was a little girl, with sky blue eyes that always seemed dazed. Her blonde hair constantly fell into her small face.
Asa Pike loved her artwork; it was pure beauty and talent. No one knew that he snuck down into the art room late at night to look at it. If anyone knew, he could not show his face to Manfred. When Asa snuck down to the art room, he was surprised to see her working hard on a dove, which she was sketching on canvas.
Emma's sky blue eyes traveled over the canvas, the dove had her full concentration. When she gently laid her hand on the silky white creature, it flew out of the canvas and fluttered out a nearby window.
She knocked a pencil/paint brush can over when she jumped back with shock. She hurriedly picked them up. Asa came out of his hiding place and began to help her. At first, Emma was in complete shock. Asa placed the can back on the shelf.
"How long were you watching me?" Emma demanded.
"Long enough, but it'll be our little secret." Asa placed a finger to his thin lips. Emma held back a smile.
"I didn't know I could do anything like that….I can't believe it."
"You've got more in you than I thought Tolly."
Emma sat on the counter and laughed. It was a real laugh. Asa smirked and sat down next to her. "Asa, what is going through your head?" Emma whispered.
"I was just thinking that I know more than Manfred. I know even more than you think I know. I've know about Olivia Vertigo's endowment for some time now, actually."
Emma opened her eyes wide. "Why don't you say anything?"
Asa shrugged and looked around the room. Suddenly the lights burnt out and left the duo in complete darkness. Emma felt that she was being heaved into a vortex. She closed her eyes and wished that it would all be over shortly. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
She could see Asa, but they were no longer in the art room. They were standing in the center of a fractured street with malformed creatures dragging, crawling, flying, leaping, running, and frolicking around them.
When Emma looked up, she saw misshapen hearts and stars fluttering through the air. There were names and other things flying around. She heard a gasp come from Asa and a bizarre gurgling noise. At first, Emma thought the noise came from Asa, but instead, it came form a repulsive misshapen tadpole-like thing with yellow spots.
Its goggling eyes looked up at her with slight interest. Emma had seen the creature before, just a few weeks before. It was in a fiery kiln, becoming a new masterpiece of Tancred Torsson. Emma looked at Asa, who was busy looking at the little creature in front of them.
"Doodle Land says Welcome!" The thing said. Emma frowned. "Bob must know names of doodle and creator!"
"Uh, Asa Pike and Emma Tolly. We aren't "Doodles" and we certainly weren't created on a piece of paper." Asa answered for the flabbergasted Emma.
"Humans?" Bob gasped. "FEMALE HUMAN FORM LOCATED!"
"Female?" Emma looked down. Why only the female?
"SACRED GREEN CAPER!"
"Green caper?" Emma gazed down at the green cape wrapped around her. Suddenly, soldiers of many varieties came out from the trees. They began to charge towards Emma. Asa was frozen to the spot. His yellow eyes glanced at Emma as if to say, "Run, moron! There isn't anything I can do for you!"
Emma darted down a convenient alleyway and hid in a large box. When she felt the coast was clear, she became a bird and flew high into the air, looking down at all of the people who were after her for no reason at all. She did not even know what the complete sacred green cape thing meant to the population of doodle land.
She landed down on a large badly colored tree and watched as the army suddenly slowed down and looked up at the bird. Someone pulled out a bow and arrow. The little starling she had become did not stand a chance.
Asa watched in horror as he saw a familiar starling plummet from the tree with a great arrow in its petite body. Asa closed his eyes and slumped against the tree. He did not watch, as the starling was drug into a small cage, and then hauled off into a castle.
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