Here's the second draft! I changed a few of the objects, but I loved your idea that the objects were magic. Let me know what you think and if you have any constructive criticism go right ahead!

 Leo frowned at the box in his hands. The stuff inside it was interesting, but the box was so heavy he didn’t really care. He preferred the stuff on the shelves to the stuff in the boxes. He had been working at the Blue Moon Antique shop for a week, and it still confused him. The stuff inside it didn’t. It was just plain old stuff. But the shop itself, and Gloria, the owner of the shop, were anything but plain. Gloria was always talking about impossible things, things that sounded like they had come out of a fairy tale. Leo had figured she was just old, but Amy, who also worked at the shop and was only 14, completely agreed with her. He couldn’t help but wonder what in the world they were talking about. 

 Leo sighed and started putting things on shelves. The things in the shop were probably Leo’s favorite thing about working there. They were filled with such interesting things, like little pieces of history. He walked into his favorite aisle. There was a skylight put a perfect angle so that the sunlight coming from it would hit a mirror, illuminating the entire aisle. The things in the aisle didn’t seem quite real... It puzzled Leo. 

  On the shelves there was a key, a strange looking instrument that seemed to be a mix between a flute and a wind chime, a bracelet made of wood, a deep red scarf, an inkwell shaped like a teardrop, a single golden leaf earring, a clay sculpture that looked something like a twisted up woodwind instrument, two little jugs, a ribbon with a gem on it, an old ring in a little basket, a broken pot, what appeared to be some sort of hat rack, some kind of animal tooth, and a strange piece of wood that looked something like a wand. 

  Of all the things in this strange, even magical aisle, two things caught his eye, one of which was a person. Amy. She was staring at an emerald and... Talking to it? Amy was weird, but not that weird. Her back was turned to Leo, so she couldn’t see him. He spoke up to make himself noticed.

  “What are you doing?”

  Amy jumped, turned around, and smiled at Leo.

  “I’m talking to the girl in this necklace,” she said sweetly. 

  “Fine, don’t tell me what you’re doing,” said Leo, frustrated. He started putting things on the shelf across from Amy.

  “Well, excuse you!” Exclaimed the distant, annoyed voice of a girl.

  It was Leo’s turn to jump. 

  “Who... Who said that?” 

  Amy smiled again. “Emerald!” She moved out of the way so Leo could see a girl inside the necklace. She was looking indignantly out at Leo and Amy. 

 “I did!” She said angrily. “I’m Emerald.”

  “What?” 

  Amy laughed. “Leo, meet Emerald. The princess with a bit of a temper.”

 “I am not a princess!” Emerald said in a voice that told Leo she had had to remind Amy about this multiple times.

 “Right, sorry,” said Amy. Then, after a long, awkward pause, she said, “Um, what are you again?”

  Emerald frowned. “I’m a Fairy Tale.”

 “A what?” Asked Leo. 

 “A Fairy Tale,” said Emerald, as if this was very obvious. “My story was never finished. I was just locked away in this necklace, completely forgotten. A Forgotten Fairy Tale. Wow.”

  Leo frowned and tilted his head. “Am I going crazy?”

  Emerald crossed her arms. “No,” she said. “You already are.” She stuck her tongue out.

  Since Emerald was not being much of a help, Leo turned to Amy and pointed meekly at the necklace. Amy nodded.

  “Yup,” she said. “I mean, no. You’re not going crazy. See, this shop, well, really only this aisle, has a connection to pretty much any storybook you ever read. Ever heard of Cinderella? Well, that-“ Amy pointed to the ring in the basket- “Was her wedding ring.” 

  Leo shook his head. “Huh?”

  Amy laughed again. “You’ll get used to it. Maybe.”

 “Anyway,” said Emerald, clearly trying to bring the conversation in some kind of direction, “I have to find my way out of here. And Amy, despite being a born Believer, doesn’t have the magic. Sorry, Amy,” she said, her voice softer.

 Amy suddenly perked up. “Maybe Leo has it!”

  Leo put his hands up and backed out of the aisle. He didn’t know what “the magic” was, but he didn’t want any part of it. “I severely doubt that.”

 “C’mon, Leo,” said Amy. She stuck out her lower lip and did puppy dog eyes.

 “Not going to work.” Leo looked away.

 “Leo, if you don’t at least try to get me out of this necklace, then I will-“

 “Yes ma’am!” Leo stood up straight and put his arms at his sides, not even letting Emerald finish the threat. He didn’t want to admit it, but even trapped in that necklace, Emerald was kind of scary.

  “Great!” Amy clapped her hands. She pushed Leo towards the necklace. “So Emerald, is he magic material?”

  Emerald looked irritated as she examined Leo, but slowly, her eyes  started to widen. “Woah.” Her voice dropped into a whisper as she said, “He is.”

  Amy smiled slightly, then walked to the piece of wood. It really did look like wand as she held it dramatically, then gave it to Leo, who held it nervously. The wood was smooth in his hands. 

 “So... What do I do now?” Leo asked tentatively.

 “Amy?” Said Emerald. “The spell.”

 Amy pulled an old, folded up piece of parchment paper from her pocket. “Recite these words,” she said, holding the paper out in front of Leo.

 “M-magic is in the strangest of places...”

 Amy nodded encouragingly, and Leo felt a warmth in his fingers.

“But not all magic was left in the pages,” Leo said, more confident now. 

“If tomorrow doesn’t come, let it see the light of day, if even for a moment, just before it runs astray.”

 Emerald looked excited. “Yes, yes! Again!”

 “Magic is in the strangest places,

  But not all magic was left in the pages.

  If tomorrow doesn’t come, let it see the light of day,

  Even for a moment, before it runs astray.”

 The emerald necklace started glowing, until it was so blinding Leo had to look away. When he looked back, Emerald was standing there. She had pale skin, bare feet, a dark green dress, green eyes, and long, wavy hair. She still looked annoyed, but much less so.

 “Thank you, both of you. I never liked fairy tales anyway. I’m excited to explore this new world,” she said. 

 “I’m not sure a name like Emerald will cut it,” said Leo, scratching the back of his neck.

 “Maybe... Emma? Em, for short?”

 For the first time, Emerald smiled. “Yes,” she said. “I like that.” Then she walked out of the shop and was gone.

 Leo shook his head. “This shop really is very weird.” But he smiled as he held the wand in his hand, feeling the magic flowing through him. What was so wrong with weird?

im so sorry, i have the worst writers block and i'm struggling with school and ive got a lot of stressful things going on- i might have to drop out *sob* i really wanted to do this but fate hates me right now. maybe i'll join back later?

Hi, Leo! Just wondering how it's going on your end.

Hi! Here's my first draft! Don't be afraid to critique it, as I'd love some feedback! It's 1492 words right now, which is a bit much, so hopefully I'll be able to reduce the word count a bit! Also, sorry I took so long to post this. I've been swamped in schoolwork lately, so it has been hard to find time to write. :)

Aggie blew a stray strand of hair out of her grey-green eyes and frowned. The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon, disappearing in a bright swirl of colors that brought some life to the pale grey sky. The light was fading quickly, and Aggie's family had yet to settle down for the night. A mosquito whined in Aggie's ear, and she attempted to swat it away but hit only air. She growled at it, knowing that it’d soon visit again. Her arms and legs were already covered in itchy bumps from those pests.

On the back of the covered wagon, Aggie's little sister Charlotte hummed quietly to herself as she swung her legs back and forth, content as ever. Somehow, Charlotte stayed optimistic and cheerful no matter what came their way. Aggie admired her for that quality. Sighing, Aggie turned her attention to the scenery that surrounded her. For miles and miles, there was nothing but grassy plains filled with prairie dogs. Whenever the wind blew, you could hear the sounds of thousands of stalks of grass rustling in the breeze.

“Ma?” Aggie asked, biting her lip.

“Yes, Agatha?” her mother replied from the front of the wagon.

“It’s Aggie, not Agatha, and will we settle down soon? It seems to be getting rather late.”

“Patience, my dear. It shouldn’t be too long now.” Aggie sighed. Pa was very careful in finding the perfect spot to camp for the night, and Aggie knew he had his reasons for this, but she couldn’t help getting restless.

“Isn’t the sunset pretty, Lottie?” Aggie asked her sister in a half-hearted attempt to pass the time.

“Yes, Aggie! I liked the sunsets at home better, though,” Charlotte replied, clutching her rag doll tight to her chest. Aggie sighed softly. Charlotte seemed to bring up home in each conversation they had. Charlotte may be hopelessly optimistic, but that didn’t mean she was going to stop fixating on the cozy log house they had left in the dust. In truth, Aggie wasn’t ready to forget about their old home either, but at least she was resigned to the fact that they weren’t going to see it ever again. Her heart ached for the miles of trees that surrounded it, and the little attic she’d grown up spending every rainy day in. She missed the soft green grass that poked out of the ground each spring, and the nights she spent snuggled up next to Etta in their warm bed. Etta. It was the hardest leaving Etta behind, though.

Aggie shook her head, whisking the thoughts of Etta away. She twisted the worn fabric of her skirt between her callused fingers, staring anxiously at the stars beginning to form in the dark sky. She flopped onto her back and covered her eyes with her hands. Why hadn’t her Pa stopped the wagon yet? Lottie resumed her cheerful humming, as if there was not a worry to be hard. Etta would have been able to talk some sense into Pa, but Aggie knew that if she tried to attempt that, the result would be disastrous, no question. She fought the urge to dramatically sigh again, and sat back up. Lottie’s doll danced in her lap, her limp body held up by Lottie’s dirty fingers.

“Lottie, make sure to rinse your hands when we stop, alright?” Aggie told her. Charlotte frowned.

“Why?”

“‘Cause they’re all dirty!”

“What’s wrong with that?” Charlotte asked, her eyes wide. Aggie rolled her eyes.

“Just wash them off at some point, okay?”

“Fine.” Lottie glared at Aggie. Aggie bit her lip. She felt like her family was tumbling apart with Etta. Aggie knew she wasn’t fit to be the oldest sister. Why did Etta have to marry away? Aggie had seen how happy Etta was with Charles, her husband, but a part of her still wished that Charles had run off with another girl. Stop that, Aggie! You’re just jealous, her conscience scolded her. Aggie pinched the bridge of her nose, wishing her anxious thoughts would just disappear like the sun had.

Suddenly, the cart thudded to a stop. The wooden wheels creaked as they slowed, a sound that always excited Aggie. Finally, her Pa had found a good place to camp for the night. Aggie and Charlotte hopped off the cart, their worn boots landing with a thump and raced around the cart, stretching out their cramped legs.

“Need help, Pa?” Aggie asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, thank you, Agatha. Could you get a fire started?”

“‘Course! And, it’s Aggie.” It seems everyone but her parents called her Aggie. It had been Etta who started calling her Aggie, short of Agatha, since it was easier from little Charlotte to say and it had stuck.

Aggie crouched in the tall grass, clearing away a spot for the fire. She was quite relieved that her family had stopped. Once the fire was burning away, Aggie flopped onto her back and stared at the starry sky. The sun had slipped away a while ago, and the moon had taken its place. Etta could be looking at this same moon right now, Aggie thought, feeling a pang in her heart.

Aggie’s pa had stopped beside a scattered field of flowers, and their dark blue and purple petals were the only splash of color in these beige plains that stretched as far as the eye could see. Aggie took a deep breath, letting her lungs fill with the cool air. Etta had always spoken of wanting to travel and get away from their tiny log house, yet Etta was still stuck in the same forest they’d always been in, while Aggie was miles and miles away. Seemed like cruel irony to Aggie.

“Aggie! Could you help with this?” her Ma said, waving in the general direction of the wagon. Aggie pushed herself up and headed over to the covered wagon. For the next half an hour, Aggie was kept busy with a variety of tasks. It was a welcome distraction to her. As she was settling down after a quick meal, Aggie rummaged through her pack, looking for the small pouch near the bottom where she kept her favorite tangible memories. Her fingers dug down deeper through all the items she had stuffed in her pack, until they brushed against… paper? Aggie froze, a frown spreading across her face. She didn’t remember putting any paper in her pack, much less the stack of it that she was feeling. Aggie grabbed the papers, not caring when nearly all the contents of her pack spilled onto the dusty ground. A storm of befuddled thoughts flew through her mind. Aggie held the stack of papers close to her face, drinking in the sight of them. It was a neat stack tied tightly with a thin pink hair ribbon. A thin pink hair ribbon. Etta's favorite hair ribbon was thin and pink. Etta hadn’t been wearing it when she had seen her family off.

Aggie yanked the ribbon off, her heart pounding. The papers were covered with Etta’s cheery script. The papers were covered with Etta’s cheery script. A small piece of paper tumbled out onto Aggie’s lap, and she snatched it up.

Dearest Aggie, It will probably have been quite a while since you have seen me at this point, and just thinking about that makes me miss you already. I know you probably dislike me for staying behind, but, in truth, the family doesn’t need me anymore. You are ready to be the oldest sister now. I expect that you might not believe me when I say this, but it’s true. I promise. I figure that you might still be angry at me, so that’s what this stack of paper is for. I’ve written all these letters for you to read whenever you miss me. I know it isn’t the same, but you better not be picky, Aggie, because this is all you get! I would tell you to savor my letters and only read one a day, but I know that you have a very small amount of patience and you would completely ignore my advice. In all seriousness, though, I will really, really miss you, Agatha, but you are more capable than you think, and you will do perfectly fine as the oldest sister.

Sending bunches of love,

Etta

Tears streamed down Aggie’s face, but she barely noticed. She gave a half-laugh half-sob, her heart somehow full and empty simultaneously. She couldn’t imagine how lucky she was to have such an amazing sister. She gently wiped the tears off her face. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, lost in the moment. Aggie pushed herself off the ground, her fingers curling around the sweet smelling grass. Her long skirts blew in the gentle breeze, and Aggie took a deep breath. Charlotte raced around the prairie, a grin on her face. Aggie blew a stray strand of hair out of her grey-green eyes and smiled. 

(@admins, sorry this is so much to read!!)  

So sorry I haven't written anything yet, I'm such a procrastinator, but I'll work on it and post soon!  I have lots of ideas.

Ah, sorry it took me so long to reply! I've been kind of busy with school and haven't gotten much done. I might do a different idea but I'm not sure so I'll definitely let you know if the story changes drastically. I'll try to work on it more this weekend and I'm positive I'll be able to get it in before the deadline. 

peppermint and Tealeaf, thanks for bringing my forgetfulness to my attention. I definitely didn't mean to forget you! I don't have much time right now, but I can judge you quickly.

pepper- 8/10! I love your story, it's so heartwarming!

Tealeaf- 7/10! Your picture looks aboslutely beautiful.

Sorry I can't comment less generically.