2:00

Can you say it one more time?"

2:02

Alice finally asked. Alice

2:04

had been pacing back and forth nervously in

2:06

the Ever After warehouse for a while, only

2:09

stopping to occasionally look at Octavia the

2:11

Cat, open her mouth like she was

2:13

going to speak, and close it again.

2:16

Octavia sat still and patiently on the

2:19

arm of a threadbare chair, her eyes

2:21

moving back and forth as she tracked

2:23

Alice's movements. The

2:25

Cat replied, I'll tell you again,

2:28

but the information will be the same as it

2:30

was the last three times. Alice

2:32

glanced over her shoulder at the Cat briefly,

2:35

a plea in her eyes. You've

2:37

been selected for tail, Octavia

2:40

started. Training for

2:42

advancement in leadership and excellence.

2:45

Or, to put it more simply, it's

2:47

the Spellbinder leadership training program. Alice

2:51

paused her pacing to think about the first

2:53

time she rode her bike past the Ever

2:55

After warehouse. At the time,

2:57

she thought it was just a normal house, but

3:00

it is a magical headquarters where

3:02

the Spellbinders keep their collection of

3:04

very powerful objects. Their

3:06

job, she discovered, is to go out

3:09

on adventures and ensure the magic items

3:11

of fairy tales are retrieved and

3:13

protected. She learned this

3:15

from a talking cat named Octavia, and

3:17

coincidentally learned that there was such a

3:19

thing in her world as a talking

3:21

cat. Could she ever have imagined

3:23

that a year later she would be

3:26

a real Spellbinder and the talking cat

3:28

would be her partner? Absolutely

3:30

not. Could she have

3:33

foreseen that she would have spoken with

3:35

talking lawn gnomes, hunted down fairy tale

3:37

objects like a poison apple, and net

3:39

giants in the sky? No, she

3:41

was certain that that was the stuff of

3:44

dreams, and yet, it

3:46

had been her life for over a

3:48

year. Now they wanted

3:50

to put her through a very important training

3:52

opportunity that she wasn't sure she was ready

3:54

to complete. Octavia

3:56

interrupted her thoughts. meant

4:00

for spellbinders who have exceeded

4:02

expectations. Spellbinders who have

4:04

a heart for magic and seeing it

4:06

in everyday things. It means

4:08

that you will be even more linked to

4:11

the Ever After warehouse. It's

4:13

the final step to being

4:15

a certified lifetime spellbinder. Yes,

4:19

Alice started slowly. That's

4:21

the bit that's overwhelming,

4:23

the cast applied. Terrifying.

4:28

Alice dropped down into the threadbare chair in

4:30

defeat. I understand,

4:33

Octavia hopped into Alice's lap. I

4:35

was nervous too when I went through the training, but it's

4:38

simply a way of more fully embracing

4:41

the magic of stories in the world

4:43

and your role in protecting it. Plus,

4:46

you'll get to go into the fairy circle.

4:49

I have always wanted to see the inside of that

4:52

room. Alice nodded, absentmindedly

4:54

petting Octavia's head. The

4:57

fairy circle is a vault where some of

4:59

the most active storybook items go. The

5:02

vault has wards that make it impossible for

5:04

the objects to make too much mischief. Long

5:07

standing spellbinders can go in there

5:09

and do further magic and literary

5:11

research and exploration. It

5:13

sounded wonderful, but Alice wasn't

5:15

sure she really belonged there. Am

5:18

I really that great of a spellbinder,

5:20

Octavia? I don't know. She

5:23

looked out the nearby window where the sun was

5:25

just starting to set outside. She

5:28

felt she hadn't made enough progress toward

5:30

becoming an expert spellbinder. Hadn't

5:32

learned enough or gathered enough escaped items to

5:34

be worthy of the program. I'll

5:37

have you know that I never would

5:39

have selected a partner that I thought

5:41

couldn't complete the tale training program. Octavia

5:45

turned her head to glare at Alice. I

5:48

also happen to believe that you're one of

5:50

the best and brightest that's come through these

5:52

doors. You will be fine,

5:54

Alice. Even during

5:56

the test? Alice glared back at

5:58

the cat. To truly qualify

6:00

for the program, Alice would have to

6:02

go through one last test. Only

6:05

the individuals who could finish the test would be

6:07

let into tail. Those who couldn't

6:09

would just continue their work and get nominated to

6:12

apply when they were more prepared. Alice

6:15

didn't feel prepared at all, and somehow

6:17

she was still on the list to

6:19

take the test in one day at

6:21

sundown. Octavia

6:23

stood on Alice's lap and stretched, readying

6:25

herself to hop up on the nearby

6:28

window sill. Any

6:30

other questions? She asked Alice. Yeah,

6:33

any advice for the final qualifying

6:35

test? Alice looked hopefully

6:38

into Octavia's eyes. Pass

6:40

it! Octavia let out a little laugh.

6:44

Octavia! Just

6:46

take a deep breath, slow down,

6:48

and consider each obstacle. Don't

6:50

force yourself to remember everything you've learned

6:52

over the last year. It's

6:55

all in that silly and brilliant brain of

6:57

yours. You can trust your gut. Octavia

7:00

made her leap to the sill as Alice

7:02

chuckled. Then the cat repeated,

7:05

deep breath, slow down, you

7:08

will be wonderful. With

7:10

that, Octavia settled herself on her favorite

7:12

perch to watch the rest of the

7:14

sunset. The

7:16

next day flew by and before she

7:18

knew it, Alice found herself back at

7:21

the Spellbinder warehouse after school. This

7:23

time she wasn't sitting in a comfortable

7:25

armchair with her cat, but standing alongside

7:28

three other Spellbinders who were also hoping

7:30

to gain access to the special leadership

7:32

training program. Octavia

7:35

found her way to Alice's side. She

7:38

whispered, how are we feeling? Breathing?

7:41

Doesn't feel like it. Are you sure

7:43

you can't come with me? Alice begged

7:45

the cat. I've already taken

7:47

the test. I would help you too

7:49

much and you don't need my help. Octavia

7:52

rubbed her side against Alice's leg to comfort

7:54

her. Alice bent over

7:56

and scooped Octavia up, lifting her until they

7:58

were face to face. and Octavia's back

8:01

legs were dangling. "'I

8:03

can assure you I do need your

8:05

help,' Alice said. "'No,

8:07

you'll be fine,' Octavia replied.

8:11

She started batting playfully at the air with her

8:13

paws. Now unhand me." Alice

8:16

reluctantly put the cat on the ground. Octavia

8:19

offered one final purr of encouragement before heading

8:21

to stand with the other spellbinders who weren't

8:23

taking the test. At

8:26

the same moment, one of the lead spellbinders maneuvered

8:28

to stand at the front of the room and

8:30

cleared their throat to speak. Leo

8:33

Henley had been working in the warehouse for

8:35

many years now. They were a

8:37

bit older than Alice's mom, with short

8:39

dark hair graying at the temples. They

8:42

wore perfectly round glasses and a brown

8:44

jacket that had been well worn and

8:46

patched up many times over. They

8:48

stood opening their arms to welcome the gathered

8:51

group, a slight hunch to their shoulders, and

8:53

a warm smile on their face. "'Good

8:56

afternoon, everyone,' Leo began.

8:59

Today we have four candidates who

9:01

will be taking the qualifying test

9:03

for TAIL, our training for advancement

9:05

in leadership excellence. It

9:08

sounds fancy and maybe

9:10

intimidating.' "'That's an understatement,' Alice

9:12

said quietly to herself. But

9:15

all of these spellbinders here before

9:17

us have shown their incredible ingenuity,

9:20

skill, humor, passion, and their love

9:22

of all things story. Each

9:25

of you will be sent through an obstacle course

9:27

to collect this.' As

9:29

Leo spoke, they held up a shining gold medal

9:31

at the end of a bright blue ribbon. Alice

9:34

couldn't see what was etched into it at this distance,

9:37

but she could feel the hum of magic coming

9:39

from the object. "'This,'

9:42

Leo continued, "'is a medal

9:44

born from the story of the tortoise

9:46

and the hare, who, if you remember,

9:48

competed in a race. You

9:50

may not be competing against one another like

9:52

the tortoise and the hare, more like competing

9:55

with yourself to make it through the course.

9:57

So we felt this would be the perfect item to

9:59

hold.' hunt down. Octavia, if you

10:02

could set this at the finish line. Leo

10:05

handed the medal to Octavia who took it

10:07

in her mouth and trotted away deeper into

10:09

the warehouse. Contestants

10:11

will finish the course one at a

10:13

time so everyone tuck in. First

10:16

up is... Leo consulted

10:18

a list that they fished out of their jacket

10:20

pocket. Alice. Alice

10:24

had been yelling, please not me, in

10:26

her brain so loudly that she almost

10:28

missed the declaration. She couldn't

10:31

avoid it any longer. It

10:33

was time to run through the

10:35

warehouse, face unknown challenges and hunt

10:38

for a small magical medal. With

10:41

one final look at her fellow spellbinders,

10:43

she followed Leo to the entrance of

10:45

a long, strange hallway. Over

10:48

the top was a sign that

10:50

read, Room of Realm-Jumping Artifacts and

10:52

Alternate Universe Studies. Leo

10:55

patted Alice on the back. You've

10:57

got this, Alice, they said, joy

10:59

barely contained in their voice. Ah,

11:03

yeah, I've got this, Alice

11:06

said, feeling far more uncertain.

11:09

Leo took out an ornate pocket watch. Alice

11:12

knew at once that it was the artifact of

11:14

some story. Leo opened it

11:16

and turned the hands of the watch three

11:18

times. It began ticking

11:21

wildly and both of the hands

11:23

spun out of control. Your

11:26

test begins now. Alice

11:29

stared frozen in shock and then

11:31

was jolted to life by a

11:33

series of strange popping noises that

11:36

reverberated throughout the hallway. She

11:38

looked towards the hallway and then back towards

11:40

Leo nervously, but Leo had

11:42

already disappeared. Alice was

11:45

alone and her test had

11:47

begun. Her heart

11:49

started beating wildly and her palms

11:51

immediately began sweating. She

11:54

stared down the long hallway where the popping

11:56

noises had come from, but there was still

11:58

nothing there. I

12:00

might as well start walking," Alice said

12:02

to herself. As soon

12:04

as she took her first step forward,

12:06

the hallways lit up with dozens of

12:08

portals to different worlds, blazing in all

12:10

the colors of the rainbow. Alice

12:14

stumbled backward at the sight, squinting her

12:16

eyes and wrinkling her nose at the

12:18

sudden wave of glimmering energy. She

12:20

watched as portals swirled to life. It

12:23

was a hallway filled with spiraling

12:26

mists, open books, and glowing doorways.

12:29

Just as soon as they came into existence,

12:31

they would pop loudly and vanish, and a

12:34

new one would manifest out of thin air.

12:37

They were all opening and closing at random

12:39

throughout the hall. When

12:41

a portal opened right in front of her,

12:43

Alice stuck her hand through quickly and saw

12:46

it come out the other side. She

12:48

could hear it and feel it trying to

12:51

shut as her hand was inside, becoming more

12:53

solid and impassable. She pulled

12:55

her hand out an instant before the portal

12:57

popped away. The only

12:59

way to get through the hallway is to run

13:01

through the open portals. Alice observed

13:03

aloud, pretending that Octavia was there like

13:05

always to help her sink things through.

13:09

When they shut, you can't get to the next

13:11

part of the hallway, and if they go poof

13:13

while you're inside... Alice

13:15

didn't want to finish that sentence. If

13:18

they poofed out of existence while she

13:20

was inside, the spellbinder would almost certainly

13:22

be trapped somewhere outside of the warehouse,

13:24

and she'd fail the test. She

13:27

had to time it perfectly. But

13:29

even though she watched each portal closely

13:32

and counted between appearance and disappearance, it

13:34

all seemed far too random. Think,

13:38

Alice, think! She pressed her hands

13:40

to the side of her head and squeezed tight.

13:43

She started pacing, trying to think of anything

13:45

she'd learned about portals in the last year.

13:48

She'd accidentally fallen through many of them for

13:50

sure, but how would her clumsiness help

13:52

her hear? Just

13:55

as she was starting to get anxious, she

13:57

remembered Octavia's advice. As

14:00

she breathed, she was able to breathe, slow down. Alice

14:03

stopped pacing and took a deep breath,

14:05

closing her eyes gently while she let

14:07

her mind slow down. She

14:10

listened as the portals popped into existence

14:12

and out, her heart almost beginning

14:14

to beat in rhythm. Rhythm!

14:18

A memory flashed across Alice's mind.

14:21

"'The work of a spellbinder,' Octavia

14:24

had said after one of their missions while

14:26

sitting in front of a recently collected enchanted

14:28

fiddle, requires all

14:30

of your senses. Sometimes

14:33

you can touch, taste, smell, and

14:35

hear magic long before you can

14:38

see it." Alice's

14:40

eyes flashed open. She

14:42

finally heard the pattern. She

14:45

laughed at how simple the rhythm of the

14:47

song was, hidden in the symphony of pops

14:49

from the appearing and disappearing doorways. But

14:52

once she heard the pattern, it was impossible

14:54

to mistake it for anything else. She

14:57

took one more breath and set off through

14:59

the hallway while singing aloud. Twinkle,

15:03

twinkle, little jump! Alice

15:06

flew through the first portal, which came to

15:08

life right in time with the song, glowing,

15:10

twilight pink. She felt

15:13

her stomach drop dramatically as she fell for

15:15

just one moment in the glittering light. She

15:18

kept singing. "'How I

15:20

wonder!' On that last

15:22

word, she was no longer falling but was

15:24

back in the hallway. "'Where

15:27

you jump!' Alice jumped

15:29

down into a portal that looked like a rabbit hole.

15:32

"'Up above the world so jump!

15:35

Like a diamond in the jump!' She

15:38

leaped through a portal that was green and felt

15:40

like swimming through jello, then through

15:43

one that looked like stepping through an opening in

15:45

a large oak tree. She

15:47

was close to the end of the hallway. Twinkle,

15:50

twinkle, little jump! How

15:53

I wonder what you jump!' The

15:56

last portal was made of dark fog.

15:59

It felt cold. as ice as she leaped.

16:02

She waited to reappear at the end

16:04

of the hall, but this time she

16:06

just kept falling and falling, little flakes

16:08

of snow forming on her skin. Alice's

16:11

thoughts raced again. Had she

16:13

gotten it wrong? Did she jump too

16:16

early? No, slow

16:18

down. You just need to slow

16:20

your thoughts down, Alice said

16:22

into the air. She took more

16:24

deep breaths and waited through the fall.

16:28

After what seemed like ages but was likely

16:30

only a few seconds, Alice

16:32

landed gracefully in a large room. If

16:35

she was still in the Ever After warehouse, it was

16:37

a part that she had never seen before. All

16:41

around her there were massive stone

16:43

towers, all from different stories.

16:46

Some were covered in lush vines, some

16:48

were twisted and gnarled and covered in

16:50

dark stone. They all

16:52

had their own weather surrounding them, one

16:55

with a small rain cloud, another sitting in a

16:57

pile of snow. A cold

16:59

mist floated ominously in between them.

17:02

It smells like what a wizard's tower

17:05

hidden in a deep dark wood would

17:07

smell like, Alice said aloud to

17:09

keep her nerves at bay. I guess

17:11

that's pretty much what this is. She

17:14

cautiously began moving around the room filled with

17:17

towers to try and find a clue. What

17:20

was she meant to do next? Was

17:22

there an exit to another room? Slow

17:25

down. She thought the

17:27

words again to keep herself from looking around

17:29

frantically or rushing. She

17:31

moved even slower so her footsteps wouldn't

17:33

echo, crunch on snow, or slip in

17:36

the rain. She heard

17:38

a sound first, a tiny voice in the

17:40

distance called out in her direction. Help!

17:43

Help! Oh, please, would you help?

17:47

The voice was so quiet that Alice

17:49

would have missed it entirely if she

17:51

hadn't heeded Octavia's advice. It

17:53

was coming from somewhere up above her. She

17:56

tiptoed around until she found herself at the

17:58

foot of the tallest tower. and heard

18:00

voices directly above her. She

18:03

looked up. Two mice were up

18:05

in the window, calling down for help.

18:08

Alice recognized them as two of the

18:10

mice from Cinderella's story. They

18:13

were imbued with the magic of Cinderella's

18:15

glass slipper, which could transform anything into

18:18

something else, like transforming mice

18:20

into horses. When the

18:22

slipper was retrieved, the mice were

18:24

invited to live in the warehouse. Now

18:27

they seem to be stuck in a tower, and

18:29

not just any tower. Alice

18:32

looked around, honing her spellbinder

18:34

clue-seeking prowess. Only

18:37

one single window and no other

18:39

entrance. The bottom half of the

18:41

tower is slick with no footholds. There

18:44

are pieces of stone covered with moss and

18:46

tiny pink flowers. She stopped

18:48

and considered, then asked, Hi

18:50

guys, are you stuck in Rapunzel's tower?

18:53

Are we supposed to answer that, Lindy?

18:56

One mouse asked the other. I don't

18:58

know, Marky. She figured it out so

19:00

fast. Um, let's just

19:02

keep saying help. Oh,

19:04

good plan. Help!

19:07

Save us! We are in

19:09

danger! Now

19:11

that Alice was closer, she could hear

19:13

the stilted performance. Saving them

19:15

was part of the test. Okay,

19:18

so if you're stuck in Rapunzel's

19:20

tower, do you have

19:22

Rapunzel's comb? Alice asked the mice.

19:25

She could have sworn she saw Lindy pull out

19:27

a tiny piece of parchment, almost as if she

19:29

was reading from a script. Thank

19:32

goodness you are here! We have been

19:34

stuck here for hours! If

19:36

the participant asks about the comb, explain

19:38

that the comb was lost. Lindy,

19:41

you're not supposed to say that part out loud. Oh,

19:44

uh, right. Um, we

19:47

had a comb in our possession, but

19:49

alas, it fell. And

19:52

now we are stuck in this dreaded

19:54

tower, Marky added. For

19:57

eternity! Lindy exclaimed,

19:59

really? leaning into her performance.

20:02

How is that, Marky? You think I sold it? I

20:05

am in awe. Alice

20:08

could hear the emotion in Marky's voice and

20:10

his little tiny claps. She started to giggle.

20:14

Okay, focus up, Alice, she said to herself

20:16

after a moment of levity. The

20:19

mist that covered the ground between

20:21

the towers made it impossible to

20:23

see any fallen object. She wasn't worried

20:25

about that, though. She was a

20:27

spellbinder, and spellbinders used all their

20:29

senses. She got down

20:32

on all fours, sniffing the air and feeling

20:34

around with her hands. It

20:36

couldn't have gotten far, because Rapunzel's comb is

20:38

not an artifact that can move on its

20:40

own or speak or do much of anything

20:43

unless it was held. She

20:45

tried to calculate the trajectory of the fall from

20:47

the top to hone in on where the comb

20:49

was lying beneath the mist. She

20:51

knew she was close the moment she got

20:53

a strong whiff of shampoo. I

20:56

got it. Alice jumped up

20:58

excitedly as her hand closed around the comb's

21:00

handle. Way to go,

21:03

Alice, Marky said. Marky,

21:05

same character, Lindy scolded

21:07

him. Alice shouted

21:09

up at the tower while holding out the comb. Rapunzel,

21:12

Rapunzel, let down your hair.

21:16

Annoyingly, she felt her hair growing a few

21:18

inches, and it didn't seem like it was

21:20

going to stop. She dropped

21:22

the comb abruptly and felt her hair. Without

21:25

the comb in her hand, it wasn't growing any

21:27

further, but she would be coming out of this

21:29

test with a new do. Okay,

21:32

so since I'm holding the comb, it's not going

21:34

to make your hair grow, and I need

21:37

a different plan. Marky

21:39

yelled back, that's good because I

21:41

would look silly with long hair. Lindy

21:44

laughed. Marky the long do. I

21:47

got it. Alice jumped up

21:49

excitedly as her hand closed around the comb's

21:52

handle. Way to go,

21:54

Alice, Marky said. Marky,

21:56

same character, Lindy scolded

21:58

him. Alice shouted up

22:00

at the tower while holding out the comb. Repunzel,

22:03

repunzel, let down your hair.

22:07

Annoyingly, she felt her hair growing a few

22:09

inches, and it didn't seem like it was

22:11

going to stop. She dropped

22:13

the comb abruptly and felt her hair. Without

22:16

the comb in her hand, it wasn't growing any

22:18

further, but she would be coming out of this

22:21

test with a new dew. OK,

22:23

so since I'm holding the comb, it's not

22:25

going to make your hair grow, and

22:28

I need a different plan. Markie

22:30

yelled back, that's good because

22:32

I would look silly with long hair. Lindy

22:35

laughed, Markie the long-haired mouse.

22:39

While they joked, Alice picked up the comb

22:41

and circled the tower. What

22:43

else here could she make grow? Because

22:45

she was going to have to go up the tower to

22:47

retrieve the mice. The

22:50

towers were already frighteningly tall.

22:52

The mice themselves weren't holding the comb, so

22:54

they couldn't grow, and neither would their hair.

22:57

There were no step stools or

22:59

staircases. Then

23:02

Alice's eyes landed on the tiny pink flowers

23:04

in the cracks of the tower's stone. She

23:07

stood at the base of the tower on her tippy

23:09

toes. She reached up with

23:11

the comb, and with it in her hand, she

23:13

was just tall enough to make contact with one

23:16

of the pink flowers. Pink

23:18

flowers, pink flowers, grow

23:21

out your vines, Alice said.

23:24

For a few moments, nothing happened.

23:29

Oh, no, Lindy said. I

23:31

thought that was going to work, Markie

23:33

added, disappointed. Me

23:35

too. I'm not sure what else to

23:38

Alice started, but before she could

23:40

finish her sentence, the whole tower

23:42

took on the smell of fresh

23:44

grass and flowers. The

23:46

pink flowers expanded to become the

23:48

size of Alice's palm, and vibrant

23:50

green vines crawled all across the

23:53

stone's surface, creating an abundance of

23:55

footholds, perfect for climbing. Do

23:58

you see that, Lindy? It

24:00

was, it was. Lindy celebrated.

24:03

I knew it would, Marky said

24:05

confidently. Alice climbed

24:07

the freshly grown vines to the top of the

24:09

tower. Endurance had to be part

24:12

of the test, she was sure, because the

24:14

climb took all of her strength. Eventually,

24:16

she tumbled through the window and fell onto

24:19

her back, knocking the rest of the wind

24:21

out of her lungs. The

24:23

mice ran up and onto Alice's chest,

24:25

cheering triumphantly as she caught her breath.

24:28

She let them crawl onto her hands so she could

24:30

speak to them as she stood up once again. You

24:34

did it, Alice, Lindy exclaimed. How

24:37

was our performance? Marky asked. Marky,

24:40

you can't ask that. We're supposed to

24:42

keep the stakes high, remember? This

24:45

is the climax of the story. Lindy

24:48

looked exasperated. Oh,

24:50

right, sorry, but seriously, did we

24:52

have you fooled? Alice

24:54

laughed, you both were wonderful.

24:58

Oh, shucks, Lindy almost seemed

25:00

to blush at Alice's compliment. Now,

25:03

do you see that strange door? Lindy

25:06

slipped back into character. Alice

25:08

looked up and saw that a door had

25:10

appeared across the tower, glowing at the seams.

25:14

No, it looks like trouble, Marky

25:16

joined in. I better go check

25:19

it out then, Alice smiled at the mice.

25:22

I think so, only a spell

25:24

binder can save us now, Lindy

25:26

said, putting her little mouse paw dramatically

25:29

on her forehead. Bye,

25:31

Alice, Marky waved. Marky,

25:33

please, the story. All

25:36

right, I mean, save us, Alice,

25:38

you're our only hope. Marky

25:41

looked at Lindy so he could copy her

25:43

gesture, putting his little paw on his forehead.

25:46

Alice nodded at the mice and strode through the door

25:48

on the other side of the tower. Frustratingly,

25:51

she found herself at a

25:53

crossroads. There were three hallways,

25:56

one that continued in front of her, one

25:58

to the left and one to the right. She

26:01

wasn't sure which way to turn. As

26:03

she stood there, she thought, how do

26:05

Octavia and I pick a direction when we're on

26:07

a mission? We

26:10

rarely ever have maps or easy to

26:12

follow instructions. They

26:14

found themselves at crossroads fairly often, unsure

26:16

which way to turn, but they

26:18

still always seem to find their way.

26:22

The metal is also an artifact from a story.

26:25

I know I can't see it, but maybe I

26:27

can feel it? Octavia

26:29

turned to face each of the hallways,

26:31

observing any shift in the atmosphere. Anything

26:34

that might make the hairs on her arms stand up

26:36

straight. As she concentrated,

26:38

she heard muffled sounds in the distance, coming

26:41

from the left and right of her, but

26:43

she didn't get a sense of that magic aura

26:45

down either path. When

26:48

she faced straight ahead, however, every

26:50

hair on her arms, the back of her neck,

26:52

and her head stood up. A

26:55

tingle went down her spine. It

26:57

was like she was close to a

26:59

powerful, magical artifact. It

27:02

must be straight ahead, Alice cried happily,

27:04

setting off down the corridor. The

27:06

muffled sounds were growing increasingly louder until

27:09

Alice couldn't help but turn in fear.

27:12

Her eyes went wide as she saw

27:14

an avalanche of pumpkins tumbling in her direction.

27:17

Cinderella's glass slipper! Alice

27:20

remembered that pumpkins were created by the slipper,

27:22

so its magic must be going haywire. The

27:25

spellbinders must have amplified the effect

27:27

somehow, as green pumpkins, orange pumpkins,

27:29

and white pumpkins, in every size

27:31

and shape, made a sharp turn

27:33

out of the left hallway and

27:35

rolled after her. There

27:38

were enough of them to completely bury her in a

27:40

sea of pumpkins if she let them catch her. She

27:43

started backing up and getting ready

27:45

to bolt, but was momentarily transfixed.

27:48

The source of sound from the

27:50

right hallway revealed itself and barreled

27:52

directly toward Alice, squashing pumpkins under

27:54

its feet. A

27:56

bridge troll! Alice yelled in

27:58

fear. She didn't even know one

28:00

of those lived in the warehouse. Octavia

28:03

told her stories of spellbinders trying to

28:06

cross into different realms, encountering bridge trolls

28:08

with their riddles three. They're

28:11

a tricky bunch, trolls, Octavia

28:13

had mused. You have to

28:15

get really creative if you can't answer their riddles.

28:18

Or... Or... Alice

28:21

had asked, or you run. Alice

28:24

felt she only had one choice, to

28:27

panic and run as fast as she

28:29

possibly could. She sped through

28:31

the hallway and saw the gleaming metal appear at

28:33

the end. She was almost there,

28:36

but the hallway continued to stretch

28:38

before her. As hard

28:40

as she tried, she couldn't get to the

28:42

finish line. The thunder of

28:45

the pumpkins grew louder. She was

28:47

huffing and puffing, but the massive footfalls of

28:49

the troll behind her were closing in. She

28:53

couldn't understand why she wasn't getting any closer

28:55

to finishing this test. The

28:57

stinking breath of the troll was hot on her

28:59

neck. She was running out of time.

29:03

That is precisely when two things popped

29:05

into her mind. The

29:08

first was Octavia's words from the day before.

29:11

Slow down. She

29:14

realized she was chasing after the metal from

29:16

the famous race between the tortoise and the

29:18

hare. In the story, the

29:20

hare had bragged about how he was so much

29:22

quicker than the tortoise and would easily win a

29:24

race between the two. So

29:26

the hare slept, knowing he could outpace the

29:29

tortoise even after a nap. However,

29:32

the tortoise persevered, continuing

29:34

forward slowly but persistently,

29:36

and eventually surpassed the

29:38

arrogant hare. Warehouse

29:41

artifacts are there because they take on the magic

29:43

from the story they escaped from. This

29:46

metal would be no different. The

29:49

second thing that passed through Alice's mind was a

29:51

moment at the end of a difficult mission. Alice

29:54

had been unable to run fast enough to catch

29:56

up with a retreating pixie on

29:58

the lamb with a stolen magic wand. Alice

30:01

felt defeated, like she wasn't a

30:03

good enough spellbinder and might never be, like she

30:06

was fresh out of hope. Things

30:09

aren't always as they seem, Alice,

30:12

Octavia had said to the girl, especially

30:14

when you're working as a spellbinder. Sometimes

30:18

the cat can talk or the duckling is a

30:20

swan, sometimes what seems evil

30:22

and no good is just misunderstood.

30:26

Sometimes the endings of missions are tied

30:28

up in a neat bow and sometimes

30:30

they are left unfinished. And

30:33

many times what we think are our limits

30:35

aren't our limits at all. No?

30:39

Alice looked at the cat surprised. What

30:41

are they? Many things, their

30:44

lessons to learn, the beginnings of new

30:46

stories where we know how to make

30:48

different choices. Maybe

30:50

there are instincts protecting us, maybe

30:53

even strengths we've yet to discover. How

30:56

am I supposed to tell all of those things apart,

30:58

Octavia? Alice had asked,

31:00

overwhelmed by the prospect. I

31:03

don't know, Alice, you might just feel it. Maybe

31:06

it will take a good friend to remind you. At

31:08

that the cat wiggled her head under Alice's

31:11

hand. Other times you

31:13

simply need to slow down, breathe,

31:16

and then take a leap of faith. As

31:20

the memory burst through her mind and faded,

31:22

Alice knew exactly what she had to do.

31:25

Even with the large clawed fingers of the

31:27

troll grasping for the color of her shirt.

31:31

Even with the avalanche of pumpkins from

31:33

Cinderella's slipper tumbling in her direction. Even

31:36

though she was afraid she might be wrong,

31:38

she might not be smart enough, fast enough,

31:40

or strong enough. She

31:43

had to slow down. And

31:46

she had to believe she was enough, just

31:48

as she was in that very moment, to

31:51

solve this puzzle and make it to the

31:53

metal. A leap of

31:55

faith in herself. Alice

31:58

willed herself to stop running. She

32:00

skidded to a halt at the very moment

32:02

the troll got their hands on Alice's shirt

32:04

collar and started to pull her back to

32:07

the room with the towers. She

32:09

closed her eyes again, waiting to be dragged,

32:11

waiting for the tidal wave of pumpkins to

32:14

bury her, but nothing happened. The

32:17

hollows went cold. She

32:19

couldn't feel the hand or hear the

32:21

thundering sounds. It was

32:23

just her, breathing heavily and heart

32:26

beating almost as loud as the

32:28

trolls clomping steps. She

32:30

turned around and found the hallway empty, like

32:33

the whole thing hadn't been what it seemed. All

32:36

she had to do was listen to her gut

32:38

and use her knowledge of stories and she would

32:41

reach the end of the hallway, which

32:43

is exactly what she did. She

32:46

walked the final few feet towards the metal. The

32:48

hallways did not stretch or expand. She

32:51

made it to the end in no time, reaching

32:54

forward and wrapping her hand around

32:56

the golden token. She

32:58

could feel its power shoot through her body as

33:00

she held it. Alice beamed

33:03

with pride and smiled down at

33:05

the object, finally close enough to

33:07

read its inscription. Slow

33:10

and steady wins the race. She

33:12

read aloud. Then she laughed. The

33:15

Spellbinder sure do love a nice metaphor, don't

33:17

they? She

33:19

shook her head, delighted. And

33:22

a clever ending to their stories, of course.

33:25

A familiar voice said from Alice's left. Look

33:28

what the cat dragged in, Alice

33:30

replied, her smile growing wider. See,

33:34

I told you you didn't need my

33:36

help. Alice looked over

33:38

to find Octavia sitting primly and waiting in

33:40

front of a large door which was also

33:42

glowing at the seams. Slow

33:45

down, hmm? Your little tip wasn't

33:47

so little, was it? Alice

33:49

smirked in Octavia's direction, holding out the

33:51

metal which glinted in the light. Ah,

33:54

so you do listen to me. That

33:57

was also part of the test. It

33:59

was? Alice exclaimed. Octavia's

34:02

eyes sparkled. Well,

34:05

my own little personal addition, I

34:07

suppose. Oh, I

34:09

see how it is, Alice laughed.

34:12

When I slowed down, I remembered a lot more

34:14

of your advice. So I did

34:16

need you, and you were with me after all.

34:20

Congratulations, friend. Octavia

34:22

walked up to Alice looking up, and

34:24

Alice scooped her into her arms. Now,

34:27

the real question is, are you ready for

34:29

everything that comes next? No,

34:33

Alice laughed again. But sometimes,

34:35

you just need to take a leap of

34:37

faith. Octavia purred as

34:39

Alice opened the door. It led

34:41

them back to the room in the warehouse where

34:43

the test began. As she

34:45

walked through, she was met with a

34:48

chorus of cheers, hoops and hollers of

34:50

congratulations, pats on the back, and questions

34:52

about what happened during her test. She

34:55

felt a hum of a different, more subtle

34:58

kind of magic than the kind given off

35:00

by the artifacts, the troll, the tower, and

35:02

the portals. The magic

35:04

of Alice's fellow spellbinders welcoming

35:06

her into the next chapter

35:08

of her story. The

35:12

End Today's

35:15

story, The Marathon Medal, a spellbinder

35:17

story, was written for you by

35:20

Molly Murphy. Molly Murphy

35:22

is a writer, producer, and composer

35:24

for Dork Tales Storytime. Dork Tales

35:26

is a family podcast by a

35:28

team of creators who believe stories

35:30

have the power to help kids

35:32

discover their creativity, curiosity, and what

35:34

makes them inherently remarkable. Join

35:37

hosts Jonathan and Mr. Reg as

35:39

they bring slightly wacky and very

35:41

geeky retellings of favorite fairy tales

35:43

and untold stories of the hidden

35:45

heroes of history to life. Go

35:48

to dorktalesstorytime.com for

35:50

more details. Today's

35:52

story was edited and produced for you by

35:54

Andrew Martin and performed for you by me,

35:56

Amanda Weldon. If you would like

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