PAPER WORLD. When Pamela Wood started taking interest in books at the age of three, nobody knew or realised that the need for her would carry on throughout most of her life When she started reading, she amazed her parents by picking up the words very easily. They knew that in their hands lay a very intelligent child, who would need a great deal of encouragement. She received most of it from school, while her busy parents nurtured & caressed instead their careers. By the time she was thirteen, not only was she very fluent in nine different languages, but she could write them as well. Pamela went onto greater & better things, through her school days right up to college, and finally all the exams. Pamela came away from there With enough qualifications to sink a battleship, yet her one true one-time passion in life was books. It was a book carcer that her heart truly wanted, but it took several career moves before it finally happened. What made her life turn & go roaring off at top speed, then turn topsy- at the end of it, was three things: First the unexpected shock of losing her great grandfather at the age of 102. Pamela always admired & respected him, & listened most lonely wintry evenings to his life stories. Many of which were written down but never put into print. So it came as a great shock to her, when he died, for she had obtained a photographic blue print of his life, which was kept within her heart, and now he wasn’t there any more to reminiscence with, and share it together, The second shock came, that unknown to Pamela she had become a very rich & powerful young woman. Men never seemed to bother her, even though she gained many male admirers, now she had become plagued with them. In order to rid herself of the men disease, she retreated back into her own safe world, away from harm. Back into her private world of books. And that’s where she received the third shock. A book discovery: a very old book that has within its paper folds a world unseen and unheard of till now. Pamela noticed the vast array of second hand books in prime print condition, plus the major fact that the book store and all its property was all up for sale. Five weeks later, not only was Pamela the new owner of the store, but it also has a new name over its door: ‘Pam’ s books" ‘Yet the one book that held her in a trance was that first old book she found in an old tea chest in the back of the store.2 ‘The stirrings of life had shaken life out of its deep sleep, when she touched & held that old book. And now sounds and movements deep within its pages became smal! rumbling sounds at first, yet loud enough for her to hear them then investigate. At first she thinks it’s a trick, while holding the book, listening to the rumbling jungle soundS, then suddenly from within the book. a massive paper hand thrusts out at her, grabs her coat, but cant get a grip, which loosens, finally leaving her to shut the book fast, trapping one of the paper fingers. Curses & shouts can be heard, until she touches the paper finger & pushes it gently back inside the book. If Pamela knew then, what she knew later, she wouldn’t have touched that finger, which retreated back inside too easily. Leaving Pamela holding the book tightly, even though the finger did attempt to escape twice more. but could n° t succeed. She thought at first that she was going mad, yet pinched her skin to make sure that it wasn’t a dream. Sounds could be heard, so thinking that it originated from the book, she hit its outer cover twice, which made the sounds stop. Suddenly the outside cover picture of a star surrounded by strands of colour, changed into a Wooden book with a weird round shape, surrounded by other weird shapes, all made of very dark old wood. The book of its own accord started to open by it-self. Pamela tried hard as Possible to keep it shut; never less all her physical strength was being withdrawn out of her. Suddenly the book burst open, emitting bright coloured lights, Pamela was very tempted to touch it until a powerful force pulled her into the light. No one could hear screams of protest, as she was sucked into the void. Then the light diminished leaving just an old worn book on the dusty floor of the bookshop. Nobody noticed the disappearance ot the coloured lights, for it was nighttime, and the shop was closed. On top of a great big pile of scrap shredded paper, lay a woman by the name of Pamela. She woke up to find herself surrounded by things of everyday life made strictly of paper & cardboard, from cars & houses to massive tower blocks, even a aeroplane made of paper with no sound, Pamela was just trying to work out if she was dreaming, when she suddenly felt movement under her bottom, and something pinch her. ‘Is it a dream’ said the voice. Then the paper started to move in parts then individually. *Get off me’ repeated the same voice. Pamela moved more by being inquisitive rather than a given instruction,sh “That's better’ replied the voice, which arose, wobbling all over the place trying to co-ordinate itself, but the tattered paper man wasn’t making any progress until Pamela helped it. “Thankyou' came the reply from the paper man, “I am truly in your debt for helping me’. Pamela interrupted him for a full explanation as to her whereabouts, but was gave very vague answers, but did say one significant thing, and that was, that Pamela had to see the ‘paper queen’, in order to get the answers she wanted Pamela introduced herself, & he did the same. Patrick kept thanking her for her help, but suddenty went quiet, looked up above, nothing could be seen, grabbed hold of Pamela with such urgency, then used his powerful voice. “Come quick miss, we must get inside fast, before the observers come’ Pamela tried again to get some explanations, but realised that he was being serious, She then followed him inside a house made of cardboard, yet when inside, she found it not made of any paper substance but of ordinary things from Pamela’ s world: [cookers, fridge’ s, washing machines ete.] He looked at her then explained. "I entered your world, and captured these items, and brought them here for my use. In this world things like this are strictly illegal contraband goods. For we are not allowed things from the human world, for it would eventually destroy the paper world. I myself had just entered & returned from your world, when I got trapped in the gateway but you pulled me through’ Then he started to thank her again, then stopped when he realised that she wasn’t a paper creature but a human one. “How did you get through into this world, Pamela? * “I don’t know at first | thought that this was just a dream, but now I realise that it’s nothing but a nightmare. Will you help me to get back, if you do, I will help you to get more things from my world. Is it a deal? * "Yes" came the reply. Together they shook hands. Pamela felt the paper hand, slightly damp, but ‘good quality paper all the same. He felt that her hand was not only strange to hhim, but was extremely cold. Pamela was hopeful of a warm fire, but he didn’t want it, for he feared the warm flame, for it could not only destroy hhim, but also the paper world in seconds Pamela then noticed real cans of food in the face-less cupboards. She walked over & started to help her, even without his permission, yet he secretly didn’t mind. For he had other reasons why he was being so over co- operative towards her.