Another Dimension - Journey Into the Unknown/ Friend or Foe

By Kathleen Bell

Katy discovers a strange object whilst digging in the garden, which allows her to travel through portals, to other worlds and dimensions, and even though time.

On her travels, she meets a boy called Lee, who quickly gains her trust, (and her heart,) and helps her out of some sticky situations.

However, keeping their secret from friends and family, and the most popular girl in school, Judy, (whose sole ambition seems to be making Katy's life miserable, might not be so easy.

Lee also has some other gadgets, which come in very useful, when the device falls into the wrong hands and friends and family start disappearing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9780244360931

Book preview

Another Dimension - Journey Into the Unknown/ Friend or Foe

Another Dimension

Journey into the Unknown/Friend or Foe

by

Kathleen Bell

ISBN 978-0-244-36093-1

Copyright© 2018 Kathleen Bell

Published by Kathleen Bell

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work, in whole or in part, in any form is forbidden without written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

www.kathleenbellauthor.com

Cover art by Kathleen Bell

Acknowledgements

Thank you to God for making this possible. A very big thank you to everyone who purchased and read this book, it means so much to me and I really hope you enjoyed reading it.

Dedication

For my wonderful husband Kevin and my two beautiful daughters, Tiffany and Katy. Also for Clair Smith and her boys, Ben, Cameron and Lucas.

Another Dimension (Book 1)

Journey into the Unknown

Chapter One

Katy ran through the woods as fast as her legs would carry her. The enormous predator had almost caught up with her and she struggled to catch her breath as she ran along the narrow footpath, the creature gaining on her with every step she took. She needed to outrun this hungry looking animal, but it wasn't looking good.

Less than half an hour ago, she had been safe and sound in her bedroom and now here she was running for her life.

It had all started just a couple of hours earlier …

* * *

Katy Bennett sat on her bed, flicking through her new diary, she couldn't help wishing she had a more interesting life to write about. She thought if she kept a diary she would look back through it one day and realise that her life wasn't as boring as she thought it was. So far, she hadn't had much to write about that was interesting.

A lock of chestnut brown hair fell across her face and she brushed it behind her ear with her hand. She had long straight hair down to her waist and was a pretty girl with emerald green eyes, the spitting image of her mother, only her mother's hair was shoulder length.

She looked round at her room and winced at the dirty pile of clothes lying on the floor, she really must pick those up soon. She also thought that maybe she should add some new posters to the walls, the old ones were looking a little tatty. She placed her diary on the bedside table to her right, then got off the bed to her left and walked over to turn on her TV which was on top of her chest of drawers beside her stereo, perhaps she would be inspired to try something new and exciting, that wasn't too dangerous of course, but before she had a chance to turn the TV on, she heard her mum shouting her.

Katy!

Yes? she shouted back.

Can you give me a hand to plant some Begonias in the garden? I want to get them out of the way before dinner's ready.

I'll be right there. Katy sighed and pulled a face. I hate gardening, all those creepy crawlies and you always seem to get so dirty.

Outside, Katy knelt down on the ground near her mum and proceeded to plant the begonia tubers in the flower bed. Begonias were her mothers favourite flowers.

It was a cool crisp day and a gentle breeze blew through the air causing Katy to shiver. The weather was typical for England at this time of year.

The house phone rang. You carry on while I answer the phone. her mum said and walked into the house.

Katy sighed and carried on digging holes in the dirt with her trowel, planting tubers as she went. A robin flew down and landed on the fence nearby, then glided down onto the mud just a short distance away to peck at a worm that had been unearthed by the digging. Katy smiled, she liked birds. She stabbed the trowel back into the ground, but this time it hit something hard. What the …?

She dug a little more and pulled out a small metal box. She brushed off the dirt, opened it and found a strange looking object inside. As she held it in her hand she couldn't help wondering what it was. She heard the back door opening, her mum was coming back. Hurriedly, she put the object back in the box and shoved the box into her pocket. She decided to have a proper look at the object later when she was alone. She looked up at her mum and smiled, then continued digging and planting.

A little later, when the gardening was finished, Katy went up to her room and sat on her bed, crossing her legs. She pulled out the metal box she had found in the garden earlier and opened it up to have a proper look at the object inside.

The object was rectangular in shape, made of a gold coloured metal and had faded black writing. At the top were the words Planet and Dimension. Underneath each word were four numbered dials. Similar to the ones you would find on a briefcase. In the middle was the word Co-ordinates and underneath were eight more numbered dials, just like the other ones. Across the bottom were four buttons. Each button was labelled as follows:-Travel, Return, Home and Cancel. It was a little hard to read some of the writing because it had faded so much, but Katy was able to make out all the words.

She stared at the strange object not sure what to make of it. It had to be really old. She'd never seen anything like it before in her life. I should take a photograph for my new diary. It's the first time I've had anything interesting to write about for ages.

She grabbed her digital camera from her bag, took a picture of the object and then printed it out on her printer. She picked up her new diary from her bedside table and stuck the picture in it with a glue stick. She liked a diary to have pictures as well as writing, she thought it made for a better memory book.

Katy, dinner's ready! her mum shouted.

Okay.

Hurriedly Katy put the object back in its box, then put the box and diary in her bag and ran downstairs for dinner. She could smell garlic bread and the home-made lasagne her mum had prepared, wafting from the kitchen. She put her hand to her stomach as it rumbled, she was hungrier than she had realised.

In the dining room, everyone was just finishing their dinner. Katy's dad looked across at her mum as he put down his knife and fork. That was delicious, thank you.

You're welcome. she replied. Katy's dad was quite handsome for his age and had short blonde hair, cut slightly longer on the top.

Katy faked a yawn. I'm really tired, she lied, stretching out her arms. I think I'll get an early night tonight.

Night night, Katy. said her younger sister Sarah. Who was only five, adorably cute and had shoulder length blonde hair and a cute button nose.

Good-night, everyone. said Katy getting up from the table, kissing her little sister and her parents on the cheek.

Good-night. replied her mum and dad.

As Katy left the room she walked swiftly down the hall and up the stairs to her room. It was already dark outside and the moon shone in the sky. She heard an owl hoot in the distance as she pulled her curtains shut.

She sat down on her bed and pulled the little metal box from her bag. She took out the object once again and began to fiddle with it, turning the dials and pressing the buttons.

Without warning, a beautiful shimmering, rippling opening appeared in her room. She looked up in wonder, raising her eyebrows as her mouth dropped open. What on earth ...?

A wall of sparkling water just stood there in front of her, she could see her bedroom wall through it, but because of the rippling, it was blurred. She wasn't really sure what to make of it, she just knew it wasn't normal.

She got up from her bed and pulled a ruler from her bag. Slowly she reached out with it to touch the rippling wall. The ruler seemed to disappear. She pulled it back quickly. It's like some kind of portal or something. I wonder what's on the other side.

Katy quickly put her camera and the strange object in her bag, then slung the bag over her head and across her body. She bit her lip as she stepped towards the portal. Hesitantly, she tapped it with her finger, and when it didn't hurt, she touched it with her hand, then pulled it back quickly. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, she really wasn't sure she was ready for this kind of excitement, but she desperately wanted to know what this thing was and what was on the other side. If she didn't like what she saw, she would just come straight back through she decided.

She knew there was only one way to find out. I really hope I don't regret this. She swallowed hard, licking her lips which had suddenly become dry, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, then Katy walked through the portal and disappeared.

Chapter Two

When Katy came through the other side of the portal, she found herself outside in a beautiful meadow on the edge of some woodland. Beyond the forest, great snowcapped mountains reached for the sky. Her jaw almost hit the ground, a breathtaking view met her eyes and she was completely speechless. This obviously wasn't going to be as bad as she had thought.

She gazed around, there were lots of wild flowers dotted among the long grass in the meadow and she found the scent of the grass and flowers heavenly. She could hear the distant bubbling of a stream on the breeze and lots of birdsong. The sound of insects buzzed all around her, though it seemed louder than she was used to. It was just like a warm spring day.

A gentle breeze blew through her hair, which now had a red streak through it and she watched for a moment as the long grass of the meadow swayed in the wind. So pretty. She sighed.

She looked down and noticed that her jeans and jumper had transformed. She was now wearing a red front-laced dress, a red hooded cape which billowed in the wind, and a white short-sleeved blouse. She found herself carrying a basket, covered with a cloth. Oh, how cute! she cried when she saw her outfit. I must get a picture of myself.

It wasn't that she was vain, she just loved photographs and hoped to be a professional photographer one day. Of course anything unusual or beautiful was definitely going to make her want to snap a picture.

She set her camera to timer and placed it on a large rock, then posed for a picture of herself. Then she picked up the camera and looked at her new surroundings. Where am I? What is this place? And how is it daylight all of a sudden?

Katy glanced at her watch. How could it possibly be three o'clock. She tapped her watch as though it wasn't working. I guess coming through that portal has affected it somehow.

Katy took a picture of the scenery, then turned around, suddenly realising that the portal had disappeared. The smile fell from her face. Oh no! Where'd the portal go? How am I gonna get back? And why didn't I leave a note? Mum and Dad'll be worried sick when they realise I'm gone.

A sinking feeling hit her stomach as she turned around slowly on the spot. She searched everywhere hoping the portal had just moved, but there was no sign of it anywhere. Then she spotted a signpost that pointed to Tiradonia. Perhaps she could find someone there to help her.

She tried her best to calm down, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Well, I'm here now. I guess I could have a look around. I'll figure out how to get home later, - I hope.

She entered the forest, following the footpath that the signpost had shown her. Bluebells and toadstools dotted around brightened the edge of the footpath up a little, and the scent of pine needles was pleasant enough. The trees grew close together, only letting small pockets of sunlight shine through gaps in their branches. The deeper she went, the more the darkness seemed to close in around her.

She ambled along the narrow, dusty footpath which was covered in pine needles, and twigs that cracked underfoot making her jump.

It wasn't long before Katy got the distinct feeling that she was being followed. Is someone there? she called out, stopping for a moment and glancing around. No sign of anyone and no reply. She shivered. As she continued walking, her eyes darted around, desperately searching the shadows for whoever or whatever was following her.

She kept checking over her shoulder as she walked, but didn't see the set of eyes that watched her from the shadows. Her heart began to pound as she went deeper into the forest. It seemed like the trees would never end and she would never see daylight again. She started to regret ever finding the strange object and chastised herself for being stupid enough to go through the portal when she clearly didn't have a clue what she was doing. I don't like this. she mumbled to herself.

Suddenly, the terrifying screech of an animal sounded through the trees, Katy stopped suddenly and gasped, checking all around her, her left hand steadying herself with a tree as her right hand clutched her chest. Her breathing quickened and her whole body trembled, she could stand it no more. Katy began to run, small branches whipped her face and brambles caught her clothes, as she hurried along the path. Then an extremely large wolf darted out from the trees and bounded effortlessly after her.

As Katy checked over her shoulder, she caught sight of the enormous wolf, her face paled and her eyes almost popped out of her head. Her shrill scream echoed through the woods. She had to run faster than she had ever run before in her life, if she was to have any hope of surviving.

Unbeknownst to Katy, there was a woodcutter nearby chopping wood. As soon as he heard her screams, he quickly began to push his way through the trees and shrubs to try to rescue her.

Katy was running out of steam fast and she wondered if this might be the last few moments of her life. The wolf was almost upon her, when suddenly as if from nowhere, the woodcutter stepped out in front of Katy wielding an axe in his hand. She stopped in her tracks, her head jerking back, and gasped, dropping her basket. Her body stiffened with fear, she didn't know what to do.

Get down! he shouted, raising his axe ready to swing.

Katy wasn't about to argue with a man holding an axe, so she dropped to the floor and crouched down hiding her head under her arms and squeezing her eyes shut. The woodcutter swung his axe and killed the wolf with a single blow, just as it jumped up to attack him. Its enormous body dropped to the ground and lay there motionless, right beside Katy.

Katy raised her head slightly and glanced around, wincing at the dead wolf bleeding on the ground, then slowly she looked up at the woodcutter. He was in his late twenties, wore a red checked shirt with black trousers and had a lot of stubble on his face. He held out his hand to her, she took it in hers and he helped her up from the ground. Are you all right?

Yes. Thank you, you saved my life! She picked her basket back up.

I'd have done it for anyone Miss. Hey, is that a picnic basket? He nodded towards the basket she had just picked up.

Uh. She looked down at the basket she was holding. Her bag had transformed into a covered basket when she came through, Katy had no idea if it was full of food or not.

You should know better than to bring food into the forest, it's bound to attract wolves.

Sorry. she replied sheepishly.

You should get to the village, you'll be safe there. You shouldn't be wandering alone in the forest, especially with food, there's a lot of wolves around here. Be sure to hurry now.

I will, thank you again.

Katy had no intention of hanging around. She quickly walked through the remaining trees and soon arrived on the outskirts of the village.

She found herself in a clearing and there in the middle of it was the most beautiful woman Katy had ever seen, lying on a slab of rock. She wore a long royal blue, old-fashioned dress, medieval style she thought and had jet black hair that looked a little straggly from being left out in all weathers. Her blue silk shoes were beautifully embroidered with white flowers.

There was a sign nearby which Katy read out loud. "'This girl is under a spell and only true love's kiss can wake her.' - How awful, she could be waiting forever!"

Not being able to resist a good photo opportunity, Katy took a photograph of the woman. She was just about to continue on into the village when she heard someone coming. Unsure about whether the person would be friendly or not, she quickly hid behind a tree to avoid being seen. She couldn't help cautiously peeking out to see who was there. Her heart started pounding and she hoped no-one could hear it. Her stomach tensed and she tried to calm her breathing, so as not to be discovered.

An extremely handsome young man stared longingly at the woman lying there. He wore a red tunic over a white shirt, with tight brown trousers underneath. He had a belt around his waist and his trousers were tucked into his black leather knee-high boots. His hair was dark and his eyes were a deep brown. Oh, how beautiful you are! I do so wish that I could be your true love and wake you from this spell. she heard him say. Katy wished he could too, she desperately wanted to be there to see the woman wake up.

Just then, another man turned up behind the handsome man. He was a dwarf, that had three large warts on the end of his bulbous nose, making him rather unattractive. He was also a lot older than the first man, his once brown hair was now mostly grey, and his beard was down to his knees. He wore a green shirt with a brown hand-stitched leather waistcoat and brown trousers with brown leather ankle-high boots. Katy snapped another picture quickly, being careful not to be seen.

The handsome young man leaned forward and kissed the beautiful girl. Katy watched hopefully, willing the girl to wake up, but she didn't. He let out a long, low sigh.

My turn, my turn! said the older man impatiently, and pushed him aside.

Hey! The young man objected, before rubbing the back of his neck and turning away. He hung his head and closed his eyes momentarily, before he began to walk slowly away. He had been so sure that he was the one that would wake her.

The dwarf quickly blew into his hand and smelled it to check his breath, wrinkling his nose as he did so, he leaned in and was just about to kiss the woman, when all of a sudden she began to stir. He pulled back a little, his eyebrows raised as she stretched out her arms, sat up slightly and opened her eyes. She jerked her head backwards when she saw the little man standing over her, and couldn't help, but give him an incredulous stare.

Are you the one who woke me with your kiss? she asked, a sudden heaviness in her stomach.

The man glanced around to see if anyone had seen what had happened and when he could see no-one, except the handsome man walking away, he replied, Uh, why yes. Then he smiled an awkward smile.

The woman let out a dejected sigh and her shoulders slumped. Oh. Then you must be my true love. she said quietly, her heart sinking and her eyes drawn to the ground.

Yes, I must. Let's get married right away! The little old man could hardly believe his luck. He rubbed his hands together in glee, then helped the beautiful woman get down from the stone bed she had been lying on.

The handsome man heard all the chit-chat and glanced round to see what was going on. He did a double take, he could hardly believe his eyes. Quickly he walked back over to the woman. Eyes wide and staring, his mouth open, "I don't believe it! He's your true love?" He motioned with his hand towards the dwarf, before running it through his hair.

Indignantly the dwarf replied, Beauty's only skin deep you know!

Sadly the woman replied, Yes, I'm afraid so. She clearly wished it had been him instead. They stared into each others eyes longingly. The woman glanced down at the ground, then back at his eyes.

The handsome man knew there was nothing he could do. After all how can you argue with the facts. His own kiss had not awoken her. Then I wish you every happiness with your true love. he said graciously.

He was just about to walk away again, when Katy who had seen the whole thing and could stand it no longer, stepped out from the tree she had been hiding behind. Stop, he's lying! she shouted. I saw the whole thing.

What! growled the old dwarf, looking to see who was about to expose him as a fraud.

Katy walked over to them and looked the handsome man in the eyes. "She woke up after you kissed her. Before he even had the chance to try." she told them as she pointed at the older man.

The woman looked at Katy and motioned to the handsome man with her hand. "So he's my true love?"

Yes. replied Katy.

Oh, thank goodness! she said, and a huge smile of relief spread across her face.

The beautiful woman ran over to the handsome man and threw her arms around him. They hugged and kissed and Katy smiled happily. Then the beautiful woman turned to face the