Once upon a time is something that we all know and love. Our childhoods have been surrounded with fairytales and these words. They have a uniquely magical quality to them and allow for so many different stories and worlds to be inhabited. Growing up I always loved reading fairytales, but as I have gotten older and experienced life, that magic has faded. The world truly showed me what is real and what is not, but little did I know that was all about to change.

I was in the process of moving because I had gotten a new job and instead of spending more on gas, I just chose to move. But moving requires packing and going through things that time has forgotten about. I was almost done packing up the last box when I heard a small thud come from behind the bookshelf. It was the old copy of Grimms' Fairy Tales and Hans Christian Andersen stories, I still don't know how my grandma was able to find both of these story collections together, but she did travel a lot. I brushed the dust off of the cover as I ran my hands over the book. This book brought back so many wonderful memories, but also so much disappointment when reality hit.

I flipped through the old worn pages and flashbacks of reading through it exploded into my mind. Even now, no matter how I felt, these pages were able to entrance me as I flipped from page to page and story to story. There was an electricity that started to flow between my fingers as the pages continued to turn faster and faster. The world started to close in and all I could see was the stories racing past my eyes. Next thing I knew there was a big flash and everything was quiet, the book was no longer in my hands and it was brighter than it had been in my apartment.

Once my eyes had adjusted, I realized.... this was NOT my apartment. I had ended up on this grassy hill in the middle of nowhere. I looked around to try and find anything that could help me distinguish where I was, but there wasn't much until I walked a little way and just around a tree I finally saw it. There across the way was an enormous white castle poking out from among the trees.

This castle was so familiar yet so foreign and I could not place where I knew it from. I continued to walk around to try and find anybody who could tell me where I was, but to no avail, there was no one around. It looked like my best bet was going to be going over to that castle. It was probably going to take me a little while, so I started on my way keeping an eye out for any sign of life.

As I got closer and closer to the castle, it finally clicked as to where I knew this castle from. This is the castle that adorns the front of my storybook. And since I am now very close to being at this castle, that must mean that...

I'm in my storybook.