by Nan Sweet
Ivy's evening was much better than Carrie's, at least at the beginning. Her parents were both in a good mood because her dad just got a promotion and her sister, while a giant pest, wasn't being too bothersome that night. As a matter of fact, nothing extraordinary or interesting happened at all, at least not until she went to bed.
She fell asleep easily. That was when Ivy's rough night started. She kept dreaming that Mrs. Huffity was poking her in the head saying, “Open your eyes. Open your eyes.” And then she dreamed that David was laughing and laughing. She followed him out to his locker. It was a dream, after all. She'd never do that in real life. He opened his locker and grabbed a binder pulling hard. A huge object fell crashing to his feet and broke.
In Ivy's dream, the little creature at David's feet was still alive, just a little, and crying piteously. And then Mrs. Huffity was suddenly standing there, and she was also crying in great huge gulping sobs. “You were supposed to watch her. You were supposed to care for her.”
Even though the egg was in David's locker, Ivy believed that Mrs. Huffity was talking to her.
“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” And she woke.
Ivy reached for her glasses and looked at the clock. Two in the morning. She rolled over, thinking about her dream and then fell asleep again.
The dream came back. She was standing at David's locker, but this time a shadowy figure, like an oily ghost was opening the locker. Again, an egg the size of Ivy's hand was in the top of the locker. When the ghost grabbed it, Ivy could see how pretty it was, with gold and green flecks that seemed to sparkle.
She called out to ask what the creature was doing, but her voice froze. It seemed that she couldn't move. Once again, David and Mrs. Huffity came and opened the locker. In this dream like the last, Mrs. Huffity cried because her baby was missing. “I told you not to let her out of your sight.”
Ivy felt guilty. But what could she do? She kept telling Mrs. Huffity about the shadow and how it froze her. Mrs. Huffity, wiping tears and sniffling, patted Ivy's shoulder. “I should have told you to think happy thoughts. It's the only way to unstick yourself when they come. But if you saw the shadow that took the dragon then we can get her back.”
Ivy woke again mumbling. “I don't like the shadow. It's cold. Too cold.”
And just then her mother poked her head in the door. “Ivy, it's time to get up.”
Groaning Ivy rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. “Just another minute, please, Mom?”
“Five minutes. That's it.”
Of course, five minutes was never enough time when a person really needed sleep. With the slow start, Ivy had to rush through breakfast and then she couldn't find her notebook, and her favorite shirt that she was planning to wear was still in the wash. She arrived at school in a horribly ruffled mood. And Carrie was absent.
