p class="x_p1"span style="text-decoration: underline;"span class="x_s1"Prologue/span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"-/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1""Oh summer and spring./span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"Why so fleeting?/span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"Do you too miss the cold chill/span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"Of a winter's evening./span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"For I too long for these nights,/span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"As the darkness becomes brighter with the sooner arrival of moonlight."span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/em/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"-/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""After the Great War between night and day, our world and the great Abarat came together and peace ensured. Due to some "lost" humans aiding the Abarats struggle for peace, travel betw-"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""BETWEEN CHICKEN TOWN AND ABARAT WAS OPENED !"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"" Cassandra !?"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"The woman fixed the young girl with a mighty glare and she placed her knitting on her lap. The girl simply carried on smiling at the many possibilities ahead./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Haven't I told you it's not lady like to interrupt"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"The girl smiled and she bounced up and down from her spot in front of the class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""I know, I know! But I'm sooooooo exited! That's gonna be me one day momma"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"She clambered up from her spot and ran over to the window , looked out at the great ocean in the distance. Her feet were cold against the marble floor and she began to shiver but she carried on looking, imagining that she could pick out the islands of Abarat from her little house in chicken town. "Momma" tutted and carried on class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Yes. But when and only when your 18. Now, Do you want to catch a cold or come over here and let me finish my story? Hmmm?"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Laughter rang out as Cassie ran with boundless energy back to the fire place and sat down in front of it, anxiously looking at her mother. Their eyes locked for a moment and Anita savoured the glow in her daughters eyes. How nice it must feel to be young and not know the struggles class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Now..." She picked up her knitting and struggled to undo a knot in the never ending pile of class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Where was I?"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""THE TRAVELING PART!"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Cassie!..."/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Once again the glare was fixed on the child and a sorry was muttered. Cassie ducked her head and peered up at her mother. Inside she was pleading for the story to continue./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"" So... Travel between the hereafter and Abarat was decreed and anyone over the age span class="x_s2"on 18 May/span come and go as they please"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""But why momma"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Cassie moved towards her mothers armchair and Anita looked down at her child's confused face./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Why what dear?" She chuckled as she lifted Cassie onto her lap./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"The sudden changes in mood were what made Cassie known as the Terrible Tantrum at class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Why 18? When I so desperately want to go now"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Anita picked the solum child up and rested her chin on top of her class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Because there are people out there who believe we have no right even knowing Abarat exists"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"She grabbed Cassie's chin and desperately looked into her eyes./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"" But don't you DARE listen to them! Abarat is a part of your history, as well as mine and your heritage. And one day you will know just how much..."span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"-/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1""Oh summer and spring./span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"Why so fleeting?/span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"Do you too miss the cold chill/span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"Of a winter's evening./span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"For I too long for these nights,/span/em/p
p class="x_p1"emspan class="x_s1"As the darkness becomes brighter with the sooner arrival of moonlight."span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/em/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"-/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""After the Great War between night and day, our world and the great Abarat came together and peace ensured. Due to some "lost" humans aiding the Abarats struggle for peace, travel betw-"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""BETWEEN CHICKEN TOWN AND ABARAT WAS OPENED !"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"" Cassandra !?"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"The woman fixed the young girl with a mighty glare and she placed her knitting on her lap. The girl simply carried on smiling at the many possibilities ahead./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Haven't I told you it's not lady like to interrupt"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"The girl smiled and she bounced up and down from her spot in front of the class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""I know, I know! But I'm sooooooo exited! That's gonna be me one day momma"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"She clambered up from her spot and ran over to the window , looked out at the great ocean in the distance. Her feet were cold against the marble floor and she began to shiver but she carried on looking, imagining that she could pick out the islands of Abarat from her little house in chicken town. "Momma" tutted and carried on class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Yes. But when and only when your 18. Now, Do you want to catch a cold or come over here and let me finish my story? Hmmm?"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Laughter rang out as Cassie ran with boundless energy back to the fire place and sat down in front of it, anxiously looking at her mother. Their eyes locked for a moment and Anita savoured the glow in her daughters eyes. How nice it must feel to be young and not know the struggles class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Now..." She picked up her knitting and struggled to undo a knot in the never ending pile of class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Where was I?"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""THE TRAVELING PART!"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Cassie!..."/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Once again the glare was fixed on the child and a sorry was muttered. Cassie ducked her head and peered up at her mother. Inside she was pleading for the story to continue./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"" So... Travel between the hereafter and Abarat was decreed and anyone over the age span class="x_s2"on 18 May/span come and go as they please"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""But why momma"/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Cassie moved towards her mothers armchair and Anita looked down at her child's confused face./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Why what dear?" She chuckled as she lifted Cassie onto her lap./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"The sudden changes in mood were what made Cassie known as the Terrible Tantrum at class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Why 18? When I so desperately want to go now"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"Anita picked the solum child up and rested her chin on top of her class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1""Because there are people out there who believe we have no right even knowing Abarat exists"span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"She grabbed Cassie's chin and desperately looked into her eyes./span/p
p class="x_p2" /p
p class="x_p1"span class="x_s1"" But don't you DARE listen to them! Abarat is a part of your history, as well as mine and your heritage. And one day you will know just how much..."span class="x_Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="x_p2" /p