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• Laura Klausen-davis, Grade 10
• Poetry
• 2013

I walk towards my favourite bookstore, the one on the corner just up the road from where mum likes to go shopping. I am so excited, I had been this way for weeks since my favourite author, P.J Aldison, announced the release date of his new book. I have read every single one of his other books atleast 3 times each. My favourite was his 3rd. He wrote about a little girl who had been seperated from her mother after a flood that ripped through the entire centre of Canada, but she never gave up until they were re-united.
I walk towards the bookstore and am surprised to see that there is no line, usually when a new book comes out, there is a long line
that goes all the way out the door and around the corner. My town is really huge on reading and books which is probably the reason it seems so peaceful all the time. I walk into the shop to where the new release books are stacked and grab a copy, the book is called "Missed Signs" because before the main character is kidnapped there is plenty of signs that something bad is about to happen but she is so into getting this book that she remains oblivious the evident signs.
I approach the counter to buy the book and am greeted by the usually friendly face
of Dylan, he’s the cute by who works at the shop for his mums friend, he’s into the same books and his favourite author is P.J Aldison like me. Usually when mum is doing the shopping I sneak away and come to the book shop just to talk to him (even though i say I am just getting a quick read in as an excuse). But he doesn’t seem as friendly and chatty as usual and he seems edgy and nervous. As I go to hand him the book and money to buy it with a man in all black and holding a big handgun jumps out from behind Dylan and shoots him in the head then 2 guys jump out from the counter and one drags Alana, who owns the shop, out from the backroom and holds a knife to her neck and demands she empties the till into his duffel bag.
That’s when I realised what was going on. I was the subject of P.J Aldisons fictional nightmare. I missed the signs and now I will pay
the price. They begin dragging me towards their getaway car and I can hear one whispering to the other “Mr. Aldison did warn them!” One said and the other replies with “Stupid nerds, it’s the downfall of having no life, you can’t tell the difference between reality and their own fantasies. This will teach them all though. Mr. Aldison is a smart man and knows what he’s doing, we just have to do the dirty work.” Suddenly, I am thrown into the boot of a car and knocked unconscious.