Chapter 1

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the way...." 

Christmas was right around the corner and the city was filled with snow, decorated by lights and Christmas carol masked the street noise. 

On her way home, Arielle spotted a small shop at the end of the alley, "hmm was this shop always here?" She stared at the shop for a moment. She always walked through the street, it was her way home which she knew by heart but it was strange that she didn't notice the shop here before, she thought.

She opened the door to the shop, and the bell on the door tinkled as she entered, "Welcome." A lady greeted her with a smile. She was probably around the late 50s, her smile had its own charm, graceful and wise, "How can I help you, child?" She asked.

"Just looking around." Arielle smiled back.

The shop was wide and spacious inside, completely different from how it looked from outside, numbers of decorated Christmas trees at every corner of the place, the shop was glittering with pretty lights, decorative materials, plush toys, music section with the music player and albums and many more, the shop had almost everything. The place was huge, but there wasn't even a single salesgirl or someone to help the older woman? How odd! She thought. 

She strolled around and spotted few scented candles which had a unique and sweet smell, she took one for her best friend-Tasha, a Christmas present, she made her way to the counter. On the way she spotted a booklet which picked her interest, it's paper were of unique quality, she was fascinated by them she wanted to buy them immediately but decided against it, she already had numerous booklets back home which she had bought but never used. With a heavy heart, she left the booklet at its place and went to pay the bill. "I'll take this." She handed the candle. 

"Gift?" 

"Yes, a Christmas present." She answered.

"And yours?" The lady asked. 

She shrugged.

"Any plans for Christmas?"

"Yes, me and my blanket, snuggling on my bed," she whispered and laughed. "Too cold outside." 

After buying the gift she was checking out of the shop when the owner gave her the booklet, the same one she wanted to buy, " A gift for your next novel. May you have a miraculous Christmas!" She winked.

After walking a few blocks away she halted, "Wait, how did she know I write?" She was a popular mystery/thriller web novel writer, soon she was going to have her book published on paperback but no one knew her identity except for her best friend. She went back but found the shop closed. 'Strange!'

****

"Wake up sleepy head!"  She heard someone shout into her ear. "it's a big day for you! wake up already!"

Arielle slowly opened her eyes to find her best friend trying to pull her up. "Come on wake up already!"

"Are you all set?" She asked with a wide smile on her face.

"yes! Finally, the day has come! To be signed by the Capriana publication!" She hugged her best friend and cried with joy. Capriana publication was one of the top publications of the world. It was unique too, they only signed with mystery/thriller/horror genre and every book they published was a bestseller.   

"Keep that manuscript and the contract ready, I'll freshen up." She instructed her best friend and rushed to the bathroom. 

"What's this?" Tasha found something on her desk. she picked up the booklet and turned the pages, "A new novel?" she exclaimed.

"Wait!" Arielle shouted from the bathroom, she had the habit to write it down instead of typing her stories, she used her gift to write 2-3 chapters of her new novel last night before going to bed. She rushed out with the toothbrush still on her hand. "Give that to me."

"Nope. You're writing a new novel? A romance novel at that?" Tasha ran around the room reading the notes. 

"Just give it back." She finally managed to catch up and snatched it.

"So? when are you going to upload that?" Her best friend asked.

"Upload what? I'm not uploading it anywhere."

"But why?"

"Cause I'm very comfortable with my genre."

"Why? What's bad with romance genre?"

"I'm not good at it."

"But I liked it." 

"Whatever! Let's forget about this one and focus on my current book, please? We're getting late." 

"Fine, but promise me that I'll get to read that when you complete it."

"Complete it? I just scribbled a few scenarios I don't think I'll ever complete this. Now don't argue, we're getting late!"

****

The next day she searched for the booklet everywhere but couldn't find it.

"Where did it go?" She had searched the entire house.

"Did you take my booklet?" She called her best friend to inquire. 

"Which booklet?" 

"The same booklet you were after yesterday."

"Why? Didn't you say you're not completing it?"

"So you did take it?"

"No, I haven't touched it after you snatched it from me."

"But I can't find it anywhere!"

"where will it go? Why would anyone steal your booklet? Search for it properly, it must be somewhere inside the house."

"Okay, but are you sure you didn't take it?"

"Of course not."

"Alright. Bye, Talk to you later."

She again searched for it but couldn't find it anywhere.

***

The next day she visited the same shop to buy another booklet of the same kind but to her surprise, the shop was entirely different from when she last visited. It was narrower and dull, the beautiful lady with a kind smile was nowhere and when asked about the booklet, she only found the ordinary ones, disappointed she left the shop with a sad face. 

******

On the day of the Christmas eve, on her way back home she slipped on a banana peel on the road and fell, "What the hell?" She shouted. Glaring at the peel she shouted, "who in the world throws that thing on the road? you have a bin for that!" She picked up the banana peel and threw it on the bin by the side of the road. There she found something unexpected, her booklet was thrown inside the bin, "How did you end up here?" she picked it up and cleaned it with her kerchief.

After reaching home, she placed her booklet on the table, and after writing a few more chapter she dozed off.

At the stroke of 12, the booklet began to glow and wrapped the entire room with a bright warm glow.  

When Arielle opened her eyes, she was standing in front of a book shop.

"Where the hell am I? How did I reach here?"