Chapter 1
Thaliana's Wish
"I wish you would stop treating me like a child!" Thaliana Bartnek complained to her mother. It was her birthday and she had wanted to go to California to be with a friend that had recently moved away, but her parents had both claimed she was too young and that it was, "Out of the question." Her mother said. "What if you got hurt, we would worry." "Yeah, about the family reputation." Thaliana muttered as she ran to her room and locked the door behind her. She lay down on her bed and screamed into her pillow. Then she went over to a large tank, reached in, and took out a large ball python. It had been birthday gift from two years ago. "At least you care." She whispered to the snake whose name was Monty. Monty slithered up and into her sleeve. She pulled him out. "I'm not a tree!" Monty looked at her is if to say, "I don't care." and continued slithering around her arm. "It must be nice to know that you have family that cares." She sighed. "Not that I would know. My family only cares about their reputation because we're rich." Thaliana was rich. Her family owned just about everything in the town. She, put Monty away, and pulled out her favorite book, Outcast by Michelle Paver. She read a few chapters and then skipped to the end. She closed the book and said, "I wish I lived in the book Outcast." She turned off her light and shut her eyes knowing that her wish would never come true. It would, and sooner than she would think.