“The girl in the photo on her wall blinked!” Chloe gasped as she stared at the photograph.

She had agreed to meet her friend at her house on the edge of the woods; Luna had asked her there to tell her some exciting news. Tamara had agreed to drive Chloe there but wanted to stay outside as Luna gave her the creeps. Luna on the other hand had been insistent that both girls joined her so Tamara had no choice.

   “Come in I have a secret to share with you” Luna said with a huge smile on her face.

The girls followed her into the dining room wondering what she was going to say.

   “Do you believe in magic?” Luna asked them.

Chloe gave her friend a surreptitious grin wondering what kind of a question was that?

   “Yes I suppose you could say that we do” Tamara said with a laugh.

     “Do you believe in magical worlds which have portals leading into them?” Luna asked watching her friend’s reaction.

Chloe let out a nervous laugh trying to work out if they were being teased.

    “Okay you have got our attention so why have you really asked us to come here?” Tamara asked.

Luna let out a strange cackle which sounded like a witch and put the girl’s nerves on edge.

   “I have travelled into a magical world through that photograph on the wall” she confessed.

Her friends laughed thinking that it was some kind of a joke. “Are you suggesting that photograph is a portal into another world?” Chloe asked.

   “Not only am I saying that but I’m going to prove it to you now watch closely!”

There was a blinding flash of light in the room which caused the girls to cover their eyes and when they opened them again Luna had vanished.

   “I wonder where she disappeared too.” Tamara gasped.

   “Look at the photograph!” Chloe shrieked.

Luna was now standing next to the girl who had blinked in the photograph and she was waving at them.

  “This can’t be happening!” Tamara gasped.

As they stared at the photograph they could see that even the weather had changed from before and Luna seemed to waving her arms towards them.

    “She wants us to follow her!” Chloe cried out.

Tamara gave her a scolding look. “It’s impossible as it has to be some sort of a trick!”

Deciding to humour their friend both girls agreed to try and follow.

  “She is pointing towards something” Tamara said.

As they turned around they could see a letter on the table with the words “Open me” on the front, Tamara being the braver one followed the instructions.

Luna had told them to enter the magical world by chanting “I do believe in magic” four times but to sound like they meant it.

Although not entirely convinced the girls obeyed the instructions chanting the correct words, another flash of light caused them to close their eyes and when they opened them again they could hardly believe what had just happened. Luna was standing next to them with the girl in the photograph. As they looked around it was obvious they were in a strange world and a castle ominously loomed on the skyline.

    “Where are we?” Chloe asked.

    “Try not to worry as you are in the land of Verdi” Luna claimed.

Tamara tried to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t some kind of weird dream. “So what do you want us to do in Verdi?” she asked.

    “Katrina here needs our help as her sister has been locked away in the castle and she wants us to try and help her escape” Luna explained like it was an everyday occurrence.

    “Without wishing to put a damper on things how are we going to do that?” Tamara asked.

Again Luna gave her a sickly smile. “We are going to have to wait for help”

Both Chloe and Tamara were starting to lose their patience as their friend was talking in riddles, who or what was going to know that they were even here?

    “Just have patience as it will be here soon” Katrina said with a grin.

   “Can you at least give us a clue as to what to expect?” Chloe asked.

    “If I told you then you wouldn’t believe me” Katrina replied.

     “Try us!” Tamara snapped.

      “Shearon is going to help us and he should be here soon”

 Tamara looked at Luna and asked “Who is Shearon?”

     “The dragon, he is the only one the goblins fear and he can fly us up to the tower where Katrina’s sister is being held captive”

Tamara burst into laughter “Of course it would have to be a dragon as like buses you wait for one and they all come along at once”

Her mocking tone instantly changed when a huge shadow flew over them causing the trees to sway with the beating of its wings. The dragon descended and landed next to Katrina who stroked its scaly body.

   “Meet Shearon” Luna said pointing towards the creature. “Now I suggest I go first with Katrina whilst you two wait here”

Neither girl could speak as they were in shock but simply nodded their heads.

   “Remember don’t move from this spot as it isn’t safe in the forest” Luna instructed.

   “We are more than happy to stay right here” Tamara pointed out.

   “Excellent now I will see you at the castle”

Both Luna and Katrina hopped on the dragons back and held on tight, it spread its massive wings and took off towards the castle.

    “Can you believe what’s happening here?” Chloe asked.

    “Sure we happen to be in the land of Verdi which we have just accessed through a photograph on the wall, oh yes and there happens to be goblins and a dragon. Just your everyday occurrence really” Tamara said sceptically.

Shearon soon returned and both girls climbed onto his back, the scales felt rough and rubbed against their legs but they clung on for all they were worth as the dragon took to the skies once more. It felt incredible to have the wind on their faces and a feeling of freedom which seemed to end all too soon once they had reached the tower. Luna and Katrina were both waiting for them as the dragon descended and allowed them to climb off.

   “Thank you Shearon now go and cause the diversion” Katrina instructed.

The dragon did as it was told breathing fire onto parts of the castle below them; cries could be heard breaking out as goblins ran to the battlements trying to put out the fire. The castle had descended into chaos and the guards watching over Katrina’s sister disappeared.

   “Now is our chance!” Luna said.

Katrina unwound a rope which she had been carrying and attached it to the bars, Shearon returned to the tower and gripped the rope in its teeth.

    “Pull!” Katrina shouted.

The dragon flapped its powerful wings and they heard a crunching sound as the metal bars broke free leaving a gaping hole in the tower.

   “Shearon come back” Katrina instructed.

The dragon instantly obeyed her command and landed balancing on the edge of the wall, Katrina unfastened the rope and watched the metal drop to the ground below.

     “Anna can you hear me down there?” she called down.

For a moment there was silence and then a frail voice replied “Yes I can”

Katrina had tears in her eyes “Stand back I’m going to lower this rope and once you can see it grab hold”

    “Okay I will” She replied.

The smoke was starting to drift towards them and the goblins now realised what was going on.

  “Head for the tower she is trying to escape!” A voice shouted.

Shearon took the rope in his mouth whilst Tamara and Chloe climbed back onto his back, they could feel the draught from the powerful beat of his wings as he left the castle. Spears flew through the air narrowly missing the dragon’s body but it never once lost its concentration. Reaching the precise position where it had picked the girls up it allowed them to climb down and Anna to release her grip before returning to the castle.

   “How can I ever thank you?” Anna asked.

   “We weren’t doing much today anyway” Tamara lied. “I just hope the others make it back safely!”

No sooner had she said this when an explosion came from the castle with a huge ball of fire, the smoke seemed to block out the vision for a moment before the dragon reappeared heading towards them. It took an anxious moment before they could see Luna and Katrina clinging to his back.

    “They have made it!” Tamara cried with jubilation.

Shearon allowed them to climb down greet each other with both sisters embracing one another.

   “We need to go” Luna said.

Katrina and Anna thanked the girls for their help and climbed aboard Shearon they waved as they took to the skies and flew over the forest.

   “It’s time we were getting out of here!” Luna shouted. “Remember what I said repeat the words ‘ I believe in magic’ four times and close your eyes.

They all recited these words and soon found themselves back in Luna’s dining room only this time when they looked at the photograph there was nothing but forest.

Luna lifted the photograph off the wall and threw it into the bin. “We don’t want to use that portal again!” She said.

    “Luna I’m sorry for doubting you” Tamara said feeling guilty.

    “Don’t worry about it at least I know who to ask for help next time” she grinned and gave them a wink.