Chapters

Lesson 1- Always take a friend, the buddy system is key.

Lesson 2- Crying is allowed, but shouting for no reason is not.

Lesson 3- Always say "please" and "thank you"—your cuteness can only get you so far.

Lesson 4- Say sorry when you've hurt someone—it helps to make things right.

Lesson 5- Respect other people's property and space.

Lesson 6- Be kind to others, especially those who might be different from you.

Lesson 7- Ask for help when you need it—no one knows everything.

Lesson 8- Keep your hands to yourself, unless you're giving someone a high-five.

Lesson 9- If you make a mess you have to clean it up.

Lesson 10- Nap time is non-negotiable; everyone needs their beauty rest.

Lesson 11- Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to drinks or cookies.

Lesson 12- Wash your hands after using the toilet—germs aren't your friends.

Lesson 13- Always look both ways before crossing the street.

Lesson 14- Take care of your stuff- broken toys are no fun!

Lesson 15- Clothes are for wearing, not decorating the floor.

Lesson 16- Don't hit or hurt others, use your words to express yourself instead.

Lesson 17- Sometimes, the answer will be no, and that’s okay. It’s important to accept it without getting upset.

Lesson 18- Be curious and ask questions. Exploring and learning about the world is fun and important.

Lesson 19- Don’t judge others, treat them the way you want to be treated.

Lesson 20- Don't play with your food, but making faces is allowed.

Lesson 21- Use your inside voice or you’ll be sent to time out.

Lesson 22- Get enough sleep, bedtime is important for growing up strong.

Lesson 23- If you borrow something, don’t complain when it’s time to give it back. Sharing is caring.

Lesson 24- When someone is doing their job, be a good helper by not getting in their way.

Lesson 25- Don't interrupt when the adults are talking.

Lesson 26- Always wash your hands after using the bathroom to get rid of yucky germs.

Lesson 27- Don't put things in your mouth unless it's food or you've asked first.

Lesson 28- Don't play with the pet's food, it belongs to them, not you.

Lesson 29- Don't touch things that aren't yours, even if they're shiny.

Lesson 30- Ask before borrowing someone's toys, sharing is a two-way street.

Lesson 31- Only colour on paper, not on yourself or the furniture.

Lesson 32- Don't talk to strangers, but it's okay to smile.

Lesson 33- Feet go on the floor, not on the furniture.

Lesson 34- If you want pocket money you need to do your chores.

Lesson 35- No sneaking treats without permission.

Lesson 36- Put your things away, or the Toy Goblin might steal them!

Lesson 37- Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking, wait your turn.

Lesson 38- Use your inside voice indoors, outside voices are for the playground.

Lesson 39- Always tell the truth. Lies are like wobbly blocks, they fall down.

Lesson 40- Say sorry right away when you hurt someone. It’s like cleaning up a spill, do it fast, it’s much easier to fix!

Lesson 41- Use the magic words: "please" and "thank you." They open doors (and cookie jars)

Lesson 42- Sometimes making friends is easy, just smile and say hi! It's like opening a door to fun and new adventures.

Lesson 43- If you can't reach it, you probably shouldn't be playing with it.

Lesson 44- Don’t take things that aren’t yours. It’s not nice.

Lesson 45- Sometimes when you fix a broken toy it isn’t exactly the same as it was, but that doesn’t mean it’s no good!

Lesson 46- Good communication is talking and listening. It’s like playing catch, everyone gets a turn.

Lesson 47- When you wake up, smile and get up. There’s a new day of fun waiting for you!

Lesson 48- Enjoy your cake, but don’t eat too much at once!

Lesson 49- Save some of your money instead of spending it all. It’s like storing up treasures, you’ll have something special for later!

Lesson 50- Always play fair and take turns.

Lesson 51- Don’t take candy from strangers.

Lesson 52- When someone says "no," listen and accept it.

Lesson 53- Running is for the playground, not the living room.

Lesson 54- Always be polite and knock.

Lesson 55- If you’re stuck inside, use your imagination. It’s like turning your home into a playground!

Lesson 56- Smiling makes you and others happy… Most of the time.

Lesson 57- It’s wrong to steal.

Lesson 58- Just because you CAN do something, that doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

Lesson 59- Always be respectful of someone else’s home.

Lesson 60- It’s important to wear clean socks and underwear.

Lesson 61- It’s not nice to talk about someone behind their back.

Lesson 62- It’s okay to be scared sometimes.

Lesson 63- No throwing toys, you break it you bought it.

Lesson 64- Be a good friend and listen.

Lesson 65- Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree.

Lesson 66- Always be on time.

Lesson 67- When someone is sick, be kind and helpful

Lesson 68- Remember, not everything people say online is true.

Lesson 69- If you see someone being left out, invite them to join in.

Lesson 70- Freedom means you get to make choices, but it also means dealing with the consequences.

Lesson 71- Remember to always ask first before taking someone else’s toys.

Lesson 72- You should think carefully when you make decisions.

Lesson 73- Always take good care of your pens.

Lesson 74- Everything is better with good teamwork.

Lesson 75- Always chew your food properly.

Lesson 76- Always wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Lesson 77- Just because your day is bad it does not give you an excuse to ruin someone else’s.

Lesson 78- Knowing who to call for help is just as good as knowing how to fix something yourself.

Lesson 79- If someone knocks on the door, don’t open it by yourself, always get a grown-up first.

Lesson 80- Always double check your work.

Lesson 81- Respect people’s bubble of personal space.

Lesson 82- There is nothing wrong with being in a bad mood, as long as you don’t take it out on someone else.

Lesson 83- Pets love to play, but remember to be gentle! They’re not toys!

Lesson 84- Every house has different rules, follow them just like your own.

Lesson 85- Medicine may taste sweet, but it's not candy!

Lesson 86- If you find a cute animal, always ask a grown-up before bringing it home.

Lesson 87- It’s okay if you fall as long as you get back up and try again.

Lesson 88- Always clean up after your pets!

Lesson 89- It’s not nice to leave people out when you do something fun.

Lesson 90- Just because someone is different that doesn’t make them bad.

Lesson 91- It’s not nice to make people worry.

Lesson 92- Sometimes people don’t want to play, and that’s okay too.

Lesson 93- Always ask a grown-up before using a phone.

Lesson 94- It’s important to always ask nicely before taking something.

Lesson 95- If someone else is telling a story, it’s polite to listen.

Lesson 96- Sleepovers might be fun, but everyone needs to sleep sometime.

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Lesson 4- Say sorry when you've hurt someone—it helps to make things right.

I stare in disbelief.

“What? You can’t just keep me here. What if that monster comes back again? I won’t be able to run away!” I point out. There are about a million other reasons why I don’t want to be magically trapped in a single building, but I figure I should start with the life threatening ones.

I could argue that I have a job I need to go to, I need to earn money and all. But even I can see the arguments against that one. I work with kids, if that monster IS going to come back, I can’t put them at risk. But still, it’s not like I can stay here forever.

“You will be safe here.” Torin answers simply. And I believe him, dammit.

“But… You can’t keep me here forever. That’s not fair. I didn’t do anything to you.” I insist. Laura elbows me. Apparently arguing with the boss isn’t advised, although he doesn’t seem all that bothered by my complaining.

“It’s not fair for us all to be put at risk because Torin saved your life either. You seem nice, really. But please understand, we can’t just… Trust you.” She pleads.

I can tell she isn’t keen on doing this binding spell thing either. She seems uncomfortable with the idea of trapping me here. I’m pretty sure Laura is a legitimately nice person. Being ordered to trap someone against their will is probably really difficult for her. I think it through. If the problem is that they can’t trust me, that doesn’t mean I’ll be stuck here forever, right?

It just means I’ll be here until they trust me. I’m a trustworthy person. They all seem a little paranoid, but I can’t blame them for that. If I need their trust to be free then I had better start earning it. I turn back to Torin who is still watching me closely. I feel like maybe he’s waiting for me to freak out or try to escape.

“You promise I’ll be safe here?” I demand. He gives a slow nod.

“This spell you want her to cast, can it be removed eventually?” I ask. He blinks again. I think I’ve confused him.

“Yes. But if you think you’ll be able to break it and run away you’ll be disappointed. The only person who can break the spell is the one who casts it. Laura will never break that spell against her will. You aren’t powerful enough to force her.” His tone is a warning. But I actually appreciate it. He’s protective of his people, that’s sweet.

“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to force her to do anything. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t permanent. Alright, you can go ahead and cast the spell. Do you need me to do anything?” I ask Laura. She looks at me like I’m crazy.

“You… You’re just going to… To let me cast it?” She asks, confused and I nod.

“Yep.” I agree easily.

“But… Aren’t you scared or angry? Don’t you want to escape? We’re essentially trapping you when you haven’t done anything wrong!” She reminds me. She seems more disturbed by the idea than I am. I smile at her, trying to reassure her.

“I’m not angry. Maybe a little scared but who wouldn’t be? I understand that you all have to protect yourselves. You’re only in this situation because you helped me. Trapped is better than being dead, and if the spell isn’t permanent then I figure all I have to do is teach you all to trust me and you’ll remove it all on your own. I’m a trustworthy person you know. I’ve decided the first step to earning everyone’s trust is to do what makes you all comfortable. If that means staying here then so be it.” I explain.

All three of them stare at me. Even Torin’s poker face seems to have slipped just the tiniest bit. He looks… Confused. Like he’s looking at something implausible, like a duck on roller skates. It’s kind of adorable how baffled he is. He quickly returns to his stoic expression and I have to fight the urge to giggle. I might be a little hysterical at this point. I don’t know.

“Laura, cast the binding spell on Miss Akari.” he orders for the second time.

“Yes sir. Right away.” She agrees. This time, Laura doesn’t seem nearly as reluctant. I can still see that she feels bad about it, but apparently my compliance has removed the underlying guilt that was eating at her. I’m glad. I don’t want her to feel bad about keeping her friends safe. She sighs.

“Carina, give me your hand please.” Laura requests. I hold it out compliantly. I give her my left hand since my right wrist is all scratched and bandaged up. This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. They’re right, I probably should be trying to run away, to escape them. But I’d have no chance on my own.

Besides, apparently there’s a whole lot of things I didn’t know about. Monsters and magic for starters. I want to know more if only because it gives me a better chance at surviving. I have no idea why that monster was after me, but if Torin was capable of chasing him away then I’m inclined to stick close to him. Laura turns my hand over so the inside of my wrist is facing up, then grips my wrist tightly.

“Sorry about this.” She apologises before she closes her eyes and starts mouthing something. Like she’s trying to remember something and is going over it in her head. My wrist starts to feel warm. Is that because of her grip or because something is happening? I might have agreed to this, but that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous about it. My wrist isn’t just warm now, it’s hot. I sort of want to tug it away. Okay, now it’s burning. I instinctively go to pull back but Torin darts forward and grabs my arm, holding it in place.

“Not yet. A little longer.” He insists. My eyes are watering and I’m biting my lip but I nod. He doesn’t let go of my arm. What feels like an hour later but was probably only a few seconds, Laura opens her eyes and lets go of my wrist.

“It’s done.” She makes eye contact with me.

“You’re limited to the building. If you cross so much as a finger out the door you’ll regret it.” She warns. It should be threatening, but I don’t think she means it that way, I think she really is warning me.

“What happens if I do? I’m not going to. I just want to know.” I ask.

“The burning pain you felt in your wrist just now? That’s what you’ll feel when you leave this place.” She explains. A thought occurs to me. I really should have asked more questions before agreeing to this.

“What if someone else were to take me out of the place? Is it my leaving that triggers it or my choosing to leave?” I continue. Laura frowns.

“I suggest you don’t let anyone take you out of here. The pain would be… Well, it could kill you.” She admits and I shudder. Magic is scary as hell.

I want to check my wrist, I’m pretty sure I’ll have a burn mark or something. Except I can’t actually look at it because Torin is still holding my arm. I clear my throat as I tug on it a little. He quickly releases me and takes three whole steps back. Okay, that was kind of excessive. Still, at least I can check my wrist now. I am surprised to see that it isn’t red or irritated at all. However there is a mark. It doesn’t look like an injury though, more like a scar, or one of those white tattoos. It looks sort of like a bunch of interlocking triangles that are forming a diamond shape. It’s kind of pretty although I wasn’t expecting the new body art. All of a sudden Laura sways in place. I automatically step forward and steady her.

“Woah, are you alright?” I ask, concerned. She gives me a weak smile.

“I’m alright. Just really tired. That was a big spell.” She assures me. In that moment her knees buckle and she collapses forward onto me. I catch her as best I can, but she’s bigger than me and I’m struggling.

“Uh… guys? A little help here?”

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