The Enchanted Painting

By Doretta Stone

What would happen if three siblings secretly climbed the stairs to the sealed and forbidden attic of their grandparents' home?
This is how an agonizing adventure full of twists and turns, witches and wizards begins for Victor, Marina and Mike. An adventure which holds a hidden meaning. It all begins when they dare to uncover the hidden Enchanted Painting in the darkness of the attic and instantly become trapped in a mythical but dangerous world! The battle begins, not just to save their own lives, but to save each other. Will they manage to open the gateway and return to the real world?
Along the way, the siblings discover the power of brotherly love and the true meaning of family that may hold the key to their safe return.
Suitable for 9-12 years old.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doretta Stone
• Release date: Apr 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463123232

Doretta Stone

Doretta Stone was born in Athens in 1987. She studied business but always had a passion for writing. Her pen nameis inspired by her grandma’s family name as a tribute to her writing. Recognising the critical roles childhood and adolescence play in the development of adult personality, she aims to support the younger generation through her storytelling and is inspired by her travels and experiences around the world. Among the importantmessages she conveys to readers through the adventures of her heroes are bravery, the value of love between families andsiblings, self-esteem and self-awareness. She currently lives and works in Scotland.

Book preview

THE ENCHANTED PAINTING

By Doretta Stone

Copyright © Doretta Stone 2019

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © Doretta Stone 2019

The right of Doretta Stone to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of Doretta Stone, except in cases of brief quotations embodied in reviews or articles. It may not be edited, amended, lent, resold, hired out, distributed, or otherwise circulated without the author’s written permission.

All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Published by Doretta Stone at Smashwords,

Cover Illustration by Anelia Savova

www.annrsdesign.com

Edited by Maria Gousiou

www.writing-online.gr

Translation by Anne Beavan

Tiger illustration by Evgo1977/AdobeStock_239939016

Illustration: Doretta Stone

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Contents

About the Author

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Acknowledgements

Connect with Doretta Stone

About the Author

Doretta Stone was born in Athens in 1987. She studied business but always had a passion for writing. Her pen name is inspired by her grandma’s family name as a tribute to her writing. Recognising the critical roles childhood and adolescence play in the development of adult personality, she aims to support the younger generation through her storytelling and is inspired by her travels and experiences around the world. Among the important messages she conveys to readers through the adventures of her heroes are bravery, the value of love between families and siblings, self-esteem and self-awareness. She currently lives and works in Scotland.

Dedication

To K.K., who read the story first and encouraged me to publish this book. Thank you for everything!

INTRODUCTION

In the heart of the forest there is an old stone house with a red-tiled roof and a long chimney. It has stood alone for a hundred years.

Every year, when the August moon is full, a beam of green light shines out of the attic window and into the forest.

No one knows what goes on in the mysterious house or its attic. People kept well away. It was a lonely life for those who lived there.

A FOR SALE sign stood in the garden, as well-worn as forgotten hope.

One thing was certain, however. Someone or something determined the house should not be sold…

Some said the house was haunted and had taken its occupants captive. The green light was its soul, according to others. I don’t know if what they say is true, but I know someone who does, and his name is Victor. Victor knows because he was there.

CHAPTER 1

All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe. There were bubbles of air everywhere and my eyes were itching crazily. Why was I under water? I had no idea, but that was the least of my worries. Was that salt on my lips? Was it seawater? The sea’s a long way from home.

Bubbles of air escaped through my nose and mouth and rose to the surface. My lungs were fighting for air and I was fighting for survival. But the surface was a long way up and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. I swam as fast as I could, but I couldn’t get to the top. I was running out of breath. I wasn’t going to make it…

Suddenly, I shot upright.

I was standing next to my bed, and my big brother Mike was standing next to me in fits of laughter.

‘Hey, Squirt! I thought you’d never wake up’.

‘You idiot! You almost killed me!’ My face red with anger. ‘When are you going to stop doing that?’

‘Nev…’ He was laughing so much he could hardly breathe. ‘Never! Pinching your nose is hilarious! Next time, I’ll record it on my phone’. He laughed so hard he fell over.

That was enough of that! Fuming with rage, I grabbed my pillow and started beating him. Might as well make the most of it while he was on the floor. He was easily two feet taller than me, after all.

It was a day like any other. Soon, however, everything would change for my siblings and me. Before long, we’d be fighting for our lives and the world we knew would cease to exist.

‘That’s enough! Now come and get your breakfast. Victor, will you ever stop fighting with your older brother? You’re not a baby any more. You’re eleven years old!’

Uh-oh! When did Mum come into the room? That soon put an end to the laughter. Doesn’t look like Mum’s in a very good mood today.

‘He started it, Mum!’ I replied, but she turned and left without a word. We followed in silence, thumping each other as we went along, trying not to make a noise.

Marina, my twin sister, was sitting at the kitchen table. Mum served our orange juice in silence.

‘Where’s Dad?’ I asked, pouring cereal into my bowl. We always eat breakfast together on a Sunday.

‘He’s loading suitcases into the car’, she answered dryly. That was a bit of a shock.

She could see we were confused.

‘As soon as you’ve finished your breakfast, go and get your things ready. We’re going to Grandma and Grandpa’s. Grandpa is out of hospital and Grandma can’t manage on her own. We have to go and help’.

Her eyes filled with tears.

‘Is Grandpa getting worse?’ I asked anxiously, not sure if I wanted an answer.

‘Grandpa is getting better every day, but he mustn’t overdo it. He’s still very weak and Grandma can’t cope alone. Since you won’t be going back to school just yet, we’ll go and give them a hand. Besides, we owe it to them. Every time you…’

Now she’s going to tell the story about when Grandma used to come and look after us when we were little and got ill, while she was at work.

‘… were ill and there was no one to look after you, Grandma would always come and help’.

Bingo! How come I know exactly what Mum’s going to say and I’m only eleven years old? Easy! Every time she wants to persuade us to go to Grandma’s, she tells the same story.

‘Why do we all have to come? What’s dad going to do about work?’ Mike was annoyed.

‘Dad will drive us there and