Thirty minutes, 20 scratches, 5 bruises and one bleeding lip later, Sonia emerged from the forest and stepped into a clearing.

'Oh my...' breathed Sonia. The sight in front of her was breathtakingly beautiful.

Eric's home was a treehouse. But not an ordinary treehouse. From a distance, it looked as though several ancient trees had been oddly planted on top of one another but up close it was another story. Tree trunks intertwined and closely knotted at the base, only to then grow out and up to form walls and floors. Branches over time had weaved their way through nature to form doors, windows, a cute balcony and even a chimney. Moss covered the roof whilst an ivy plant with white flowers completely smothered the walls. Situated in a clearing approximately a twenty minute walk from Lake Clair, the house looked like it belonged to a fairytale story, which Sonie supposed, was what she was in.

Hundreds of butterflies danced joyfully through the air, soaking in the sun that shined down through the clearing. A small pond sat to the left, which several lilies stood on top of. The glittering goldfish in the pond darted this way and that. To the right stood a stone well, covered with moss and more ivy with white flowers. A wooden battered but still usable bucket laid on its side on the ground.

Sonia looked up at Eric and went to tell him he had a beautiful home but stopped herself.

'Something's wrong,' said Eric with panic. He ran forward and shouted, 'Geoffrey!'

Sonia watched Eric disappear into the house and that was when she realised something was wrong too.

The windowpanes were smashed. The front door had a massive jagged hole where the handle was supposed to be.

Sonia ran forward and stepped inside the treehouse with Eric. Everything inside had been tipped upside down. Cupboards were empty and plates and bowls were on the floor smashed to pieces. The dining table was upside down and missing a leg. Hundreds of books were scattered across the floor with pages torn and shredded to pieces. Two large tall bookcases leaning against the living room wall were standing empty and sad looking.

'Geoffrey!' called out Eric again.

'Boy! Is that you?' called out an old man's voice from upstairs. Eric took off and ran up the stairs.

'What happened?' cried Eric. Sonia stayed downstairs and looked over the big room once again. Her heart went out to Eric.

'It was those damn vultures!' cursed the old man. His voice echoed downstairs. 'How they entered our part of the world is a mystery to me. Someone must have made a deal. Betrayed us for those bastards.'

'Why would they do that?'

'You know why. For decades Master has thought we've always had the book. Like hell we do. No matter how many times I tell him he does not listen.'

Sonia looked down at her diary in her hands.  She couldn't believe she had it with her.  She should have left it behind.  She crouched down and lifted up one of the books from the ground. Properties and beneficial uses of mushrooms. The book didn't look badly damaged so she gently placed it back on the bookcase. She looked around for another book she could tidy away for Eric and the old man.

'Are we safe here? Do we need to move?'

'Nope. I caught one of those buggers and made it very clear what would happen to him and his friends if they dared to return.'

'Don't tell me you tortured him.'

'Nope, worse. Where have you been anyway?'

'Oh, well, umm...'

'I told you to stop reading yourself into anymore books boy! Master will catch you and skin you alive one day!'

'Well...'

Sonia now had placed a good decent number of books back on the first bookshelf. She was quite proud of herself when all of a sudden the shelf groaned and the nail gave way. All the books tumbled to the ground. Sonia winced.

'What was that?' demanded the old man. Heavy footsteps made their way across the ceiling and Geoffrey ran down the stairs brandishing a thick wooden stick.  He stared at Sonia and froze.  He wore dungarees and had a scar across his cheek.  He looked around 70 and had survived a few world wars.

'Who are you?' demanded Geoffrey. Sonia held her hands up and terrifyingly looked up at Eric who had followed Geoffrey at his heels.

'Geoff, please don't get mad but-'

'You took a girl a home?' shouted Geoffrey. Eric winced and Sonia's ears grew hot and red. This was not looking good.

'Not exactly. She saved me Geoff! The monsters nearly had me but she saved me!'

'What have I told you a million times? Do not read yourself into books!'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know!'

'Take her back home right now!'

'Oi! Max isn't from this world but you let him stay here!'

'Max is a dog, that is girl!'

'Fine, her book is around here anyway. Once I find it I'll be able to read her home.'

And quickly, hoped Sonia. Geoffrey was mean.

Together, the three of them started tidying and making the treehouse decent again. Sonia made sure to stay as far away from Geoffrey as possible despite Eric's reassurances that Geoffrey was actually a friendly guy most of the time. Within no time all the books were back in their respectful places, the not broken plates and cups were stacked neatly away and all things damaged and unrepairable had been chucked into the trashcan. Geoffrey repaired the front door and Sonia swept the house whilst Eric searched high to low for Sonia's book.

'I can't find it,' admitted Eric a few hours later. Geoffrey grunted.

'Under your bed?' he suggested.

'Nope.'

'On your desk?'

'Nope.'

'On your bookcase?'

'Nope.'

'In your laundry basket?'

'Nope ... wait, why would it be in my laundry basket?' Geoffrey shrugged and sighed. He plopped himself down on an armchair in the lounge room and rubbed his chin. He looked up at Sonia standing petrified in the corner of the room.

'What's your name, girl?'

'Sonia.'

'Full name.'

'Sonia Georgina Jane Green.'  Geoffrey paused for a moment and continued to stare at Sonia.  He seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

'Her book is probably back at the Library,' he told Eric, now ignoring Sonia altogether.

'Oh man!' cried Eric. 'How?'

'Sometimes books do that. The second they feel not needed they return home.'

'A library?' asked Sonia amazed.

'Not a library, The Library!' snapped Geoffrey. Sonia once again raised her hands in the air and took a step backwards.

'Geoff! Stop it! You are being rude,' shouted Eric. Geoffrey grunted. 'Come on,' said Eric to Sonia, 'lets talk outside.' Together they made their way outside and sat on the front porch step. It was dark outside now and moths instead danced in the sky, their wings alight and glowing in the darkness.  

'Why does he hate me so much?' whispered Sonia, scared Geoffrey would overhear.

'It's not you, he hates everyone,' answered Eric.

'But not you?'

'That's cause I live with him,' laughed Eric.

'Who is he? Is he a relative?'

'Sort of. A long distance one.'

'Ah.' Sonia and Eric fell silent for a while. They both stared out into the dark woods and watched the butterflies play.

'I guess I'm going to have to show you the Library,' said Eric.

'How far away is it?'

'About a three day hike,' winced Eric.

'What?'

'I'm afraid so.'

'But dad! He will be worried. He doesn't know where I've gone!'

'Don't worry about him. I can read you straight back to the part which you left your world.'

'Really?'

'Really.'

Sonia looked away and nervously bit down on her lip.  She was thousands of miles away from home.  Worlds away from home really.  She had never gone a holiday without her father before.

'It's okay,' whispered Eric.  'I'll take care of you.'  Sonia softly smiled and looked at Eric.  The moonlight made his blonde hair look almost white.  She wondered how old how he was.  He looked slightly older, maybe by just a few months or a year.  'Do you like the outdoors?' asked Eric.

'I love the outdoors,' responded Sonia.  It was the truth.  She had lost count how many camping trips she had gone on with her parents when she was young.  She hadn't gone on one for a long time.

'Good, cause I'm going to make sure these next three days will be the best days of your life,' stated Eric. Sonia laughed and rolled her eyes.  So cheesy.  

'What's that?' asked Eric, he motioned towards the diary held in Sonia's hands.  Sonia blushed a little.  She flipped the book round in her hands.

'I can't believe I brought this with me.  It's a journal.  I write in it occasionally.'

'What do you write?' he asked.  Sonia blushed a little more and remembered what she wrote whilst in bed just before Eric turned up.  Just as she went to open her mouth Geoffrey appeared from the doorway.

'Kids!' shouted Geoffrey. 'What are you cooking me for dinner? I'm hungry!'

'Oh come on!' shouted Eric in response. 'I cooked dinner last night!'

'You call that burnt piece of garbage dinner?' shouted Geoffrey back.

'Pfft!' Eric turned to Sonia and immediately his eyes lit up. 'Sonia said she'll cook!'

'I did not!'

'Deal! There's meat in the fridge and vegetables in the pantry,' responded Geoffrey.

Sonia whacked Eric's arm just as he collapsed to the ground in a fit of giggles. 

'What?' he laughed.  'You didn't think I would show you around this world and take care of you for free did you?'