Pan's Realm Read Free Page B

Adam heard Sally say. “You guys are invisible.”
    â€œI think we’re all invisible,” Cindy said.
    â€œThat’s it,” Adam said. “She must have used magic on us. Let’s go stand together on the first step of the doorway. At least we’ll be able to touch.”
    But Adam was wrong. Even though they stood rightnext to one another on the same step, they couldn’t touch. Adam began to worry that they might be ­invisible for the rest of their lives.
    â€œMaybe if we leave this fairy palace we’ll be all right,” Sally suggested. “Maybe the magic only works in here.”
    They tried that, and the situation actually got worse. Because as soon as they stepped outside the place, they began to have trouble hearing. Watch insisted they return inside.
    â€œBecause if we can’t even talk to each other,” he said, “then we’re bound to get lost.”
    They hurried back inside.
    â€œDid she turn us into fairies?” Cindy asked. “Is that the problem?”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Adam said. “She seemed to think fairies were much better than humans, and I doubt that she would do us a favor by making us into her own kind.”
    â€œI agree,” Watch said. “This is some kind of spell.”
    â€œSo what have you read about fairy spells?” Sally asked.
    â€œThat they’re a pain in the butt,” Watch said.
    â€œThat’s helpful,” Cindy muttered.
    â€œThere must be some way to counteract the spell,” Adam said. “I mean, fairies aren’t supposed to be all that powerful.”
    Watch agreed. “There is usually a trick to breaking any spell. It’s often something simple, like walking backward or holding your breath or spinning in circles.”
    â€œWhy don’t we try all those things?” Cindy asked.
    So they did, but they only ended up feeling dizzy and out of breath. They still couldn’t see or touch one another. Yet without warning, Adam caught sight of somebody’s skin. The vision lasted only a second.
    â€œWho was that?” he called.
    â€œWho was what?” Sally asked.
    â€œI saw a piece of somebody,” Adam said.
    â€œWho was it?” Cindy asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” Adam said. “It was just a couple of inches of somebody’s face.”
    â€œYou should be able to tell my face from the others,” Sally said.
    â€œMaybe the things we just tried are working,” Cindy said. “Maybe they just take time.”
    They waited for a few minutes to see if that was the case. But Adam saw no more slices of flesh pop out of the air.
    â€œMaybe we should spin some more,” Cindy said finally.
    â€œI don’t think that’s it,” Adam said. “Let’s examine what each of us was doing at the instant I saw that piece of someone’s face.”
    â€œI was scratching my face,” Cindy said.
    â€œYou were probably picking your nose,” Sally muttered.
    â€œThat’s not true!” Cindy snapped. “I never do that in public.”
    â€œNow you can,” Sally said.
    â€œStop arguing,” Adam interrupted. “This is serious. What were you doing, Sally?”
    â€œJust standing here.”
    â€œYou must have been doing something besides that,” Adam said.
    â€œI was breathing,” Sally said. “And picking my nose. What were you doing?”
    Adam paused. “Nothing. I was just standing too. What were you doing, Watch?”
    â€œWiping my glasses,” he said.
    Adam jumped. “That’s it! The glass in the glasses must be the key. I actually saw two small pieces of skin, each as large as your lenses. Watch, give me your glasses.”
    â€œWhere are you?”
    â€œI’m over here,” Adam said. “No, wait, that won’t work. We can’t touch. But let’s think about this. What if when light passes through glass it shows our