Jackson Jones, Book 1_ The Tale of a Boy, an Elf, and a Very Stinky Fish - Jenn L. Kelly [22]
“No, no, no, no. We’re in your aunt’s hair, right?”
“Right…”
“But we’re not.”
“What?”
“Try to see it this way,” Meeka began as she pulled an orange feather from her hair. “We aren’t in Great-Aunt Harriett’s hair anymore. We are…we’re on the Author’s Tour.”
“Yes, you’ve told me that. But which author? C.S. Lewis? He was a great writer.”
“No, no, no, no. Not that kind of author.” Meeka reached up and pulled a white feather out of her hair.
“I don’t understand any of this. What are you talking about?” Jackson reached up and pulled a violet feather out of her hair.
“What don’t you understand? It’s the Author.”
Jackson sighed. He reached up and pulled a red feather out of his hair. (That seemed to be the last of the feathers.) He tried a different approach. “So, does everyone go on the Author’s Tour?”
“Only if they want to,” Meeka said, and they climbed the steps to the back door of the house. Because they had walked, all the way back, to the back door of the house.
“But I never knew about it until I fell in!” Jackson protested. He really didn’t understand. And he reached up, again, and pulled a black feather out of Meeka’s hair. (Apparently that hadn’t been the last of the feathers.) Meeka smiled mischievously. “Weren’t you lured by the idea of an adventure? Didn’t you think you’d have the chance to be a hero?”
Jackson stopped in his tracks and turned red. “Wait, how did you…”
“We’re here!” she chirped happily.
Chapter 30
In Which We Need a Key. Do You Happen to Have One We Could Borrow?
It was a lovely door. Such a door is a door that everyone should have on their house; unless, of course, you never want visitors. Which is how I feel sometimes, but we won’t get into that right now.
Meeka lifted up the mat to get the key.
Oh dear…no key.
“Oh dear! No key!” exclaimed Meeka.
Jackson felt his pockets. “I didn’t take it.”
Meeka sighed heavily, her brows furrowing in concentration and worry. “Well, I’m not going to bother Rayaa.”
Meeka’s little hand reached up and grabbed the handle of the huge brass knocker, lifting it. Jackson saw her hand tremble.
Meeka swallowed loudly.
The knocker dropped.
BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!
“Gaaargh!” Jackson clapped his hands over his ears.
“That’ll get her attention!”
“WHAT?” He could only hear the ringing in his ears. Meeka pulled his ear to her mouth.
“THAT’LL GET HER ATTENTION!” she yelled.
“Whose attention?” he asked, rubbing his ears.
“Eleissa’s!”
The big, red, welcoming door opened.
Chapter 31
In Which We Meet a Scowl
A little scowling face with bright blue eyes stared at them.
“There is a key, you know,” the little scowling face with bright blue eyes said.
“Eleissa, this is Jackson. I’m taking him on the Tour,” Meeka announced.
Eleissa looked Jackson up and down. She covered her face with a large book. “I’m busy. Doing my job.” Her piercing blue eyes stole a peak over the top of the book.
Meeka giggled uncomfortably. “Eleissa, I’m giving him the Tour. You know. The Author’s Tour?” She waggled her eyebrows at her.
Eleissa looked up briefly and scowled again. “You’re interrupting my reading,” she said. And with that, she spun around and walked into the house, leaving the door wide open.
Jackson heard her mumbling as she stomped down the hall, “NOT supposed to make the HOUSE part of the TOUR! Mumble, mumble…AGREEMENT.”
Meeka slipped inside and motioned for Jackson to follow her.
Chapter 32
A Chapter That Has Many Portraits
The inside of the hallway was lovely. But what would you expect with such a welcoming door? If the hallway was dark, dirty, and dank, wouldn’t you be oh-so disappointed?
The walls were painted bright ultramarine blue with red trim. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting little rainbows about as the sunshine tickled the crystals.
Meeka knocked her dirty boots on the welcoming welcome mat and walked ahead. Jackson knocked his dirty shoes and noticed that his pajamas were dusty. He brushed his legs as best as he could. He took his dusty glasses off and large tufts of his great-aunt