A Short Trip to Realm of the Lost

What happens when you die before your time?

The Realm of the Lost is a middle grade novella that tells the story of thirteen-year-old Kathleen "Kat" Gallagher. After a tragic accident, Kat finds herself stuck in the place where people go when they have died before their time. Upon her arrival, Kat meets two of the young inhabitants of The Realm of the Lost. Will she learn to embrace her new surroundings? Little does Kat know, the relationships she builds in death will teach her to appreciate the ones she had in life. 

Excerpt: 

It was warm when I came to, and I felt no pain. Standing with ease, I bent over and inspected my pant-legs, searching for some remnant of dirt or ice. Nothing. Could this be a dream? 

Then I noticed a bright orange ray reflecting off my necklace. The glare almost blinded me. I surveyed my surroundings.

Positioned atop solid dirt ground, I gasped in awe. Pine trees stood skyscraper high, haloed by dusty golden light. The sound of chirping birds echoed all around, and I spotted, to my left, what looked like a duck, but with a sharper and more pronounced beak. Bending down to inspect the creature as it waddled past, I heard a small voice from behind me.

"If you're a poacher, you belong in the under realm."

"What?" I asked, turning to face a boy who couldn't be more than eight. He wore navy blue shorts that folded at the tips of his scrawny knees. His white-collared shirt, grey vest and checkered cap reminded me of something out of an old movie. I couldn't help smiling as he stood, arms crossed, with an air of authority.

"If you're a poacher, you are in the wrong realm," the boy said.

"I'm not a poacher. I've been in an accident and—wrong realm?"

The boy sighed, twiddling his thumbs in a way that made me think of my brother. 

"Okay," he continued, after an awkward pause. "Well, first, do you know where you are?"

"Like I said, I was in an accident. I guess I passed out. I don't—I'm not sure if my mother knows—"

"Oh. No. She wouldn't know a thing like this."

"A thing like what?" I demanded, stomping my foot.

"That you've come to the Realm of the Lost."

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About the author: 

 Emma Eden Ramos is a writer and student from New York City. Her middle grade novella, The Realm of the Lost, was recently published by MuseItUp Publishing. Her short stories have appeared in Stories for Children Magazine, The Storyteller Tymes,BlazeVOX Journal, and other journals. Ramos' novelette, Where the Children Play, is included in Resilience: Stories, Poems, Essays, Words for LGBT Teens, edited by Eric Nguyen. Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems (Heavy Hands Ink, 2011), Ramos’ first poetry chapbook, was shortlisted for the 2011 Independent Literary Award in Poetry. Emma studies psychology at Marymount Manhattan College. She can be found at her website.