by Gibbs, S. R.
“April Anderson. I am placing you on team one,” Coach called out right before he located Angie and Ashley on team one as well.
While he continued to check names off of his list, the coach did not notice the sweat running down the side of my face.
Moving toward my team, my eyes met Angie’s, and instead of turning away she gave me a small smile. Her smile helped me feel a little bit better since I was afraid I wouldn’t have anyone on my side during the game.
Avoiding my direction, Ashley continued ignoring me, choosing to focus all of her attention on her boyfriend as if noticing my existence in school would put her popularity in danger.
I tried not to let Ashley bother me as much as the troubling grins and stares coming from Brandon and Miranda did. At the sound of Coach’s whistle, team one started the game.
The game was intense with the removal of two team members from each team within the first sixty seconds. We started out with 18 people. After five minutes, there were eight remaining, four of them belonging to team two. Unfortunately that also included Brandon. The remaining people on team one consisted of; Miranda, Angie, Ashley, and myself.
Everyone was beyond relieved when coach appeared, sounding his whistle for the remaining players to take a water break.
“Nice dodges out there,” Angie whispered as she walked up to me, offering me a towel and a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” I replied a little surprised that she would acknowledge me openly in school.
“What do you two think you are doing?” Ashley whispered, while pretending she was tying her shoes. “Are you trying to break our agreement?”
Even though I could barely see her face behind her thick curtain of hair, her tone told me all I needed to know.
“Sorry, Ash-”I began until Angie interrupted me.
“Do not apologize to her. I think we need to consider revising our deal,” Angie said while scowling down at Ashley with her hands on her hips.
This made Ashley drop her charade of tying her shoes as she challenged Angie’s glare.
“Hey! Watch out!” Brandon shouted, pulling our attention toward him.
There was hardly any time to react as I saw a big dodge ball heading straight toward me.
Angie and Ashley both reached out to me, but I knew their aid would be too late. With nowhere to go, I closed my eyes hoping the ball would pass me by.
Almost immediately after closing my eyes, I realized that I could no longer hear anything. Terrified of what I might find when I opened my eyes once again, I gradually pried them open only to come face-to-face with the dodge ball suspended in midair about an inch away from my nose.
Slowly backing away from the floating ball, I was trembling all over.
This cannot be happening.
The only ones unaffected were my sisters and I.
It is going to be hard to forget the motionless frightened faces of the coach and most of the students in the gym. The grins on Miranda’s and Brandon’s faces were the only things that seemed out of place as they watched the now unmoving levitating ball move toward me.
“What just happened?” Ashley asked in a trembling voice
Her words barely registered in my head, when I caught movement in my peripheral view. Turning around, I saw the ghost boy standing against the bleachers, and for the first time ever I saw him smile as his form became transparent and he disappeared.
That was the last thing I saw before my world went black.
The Teleportation
Location: School
◑ Angie ◐
“We need to talk,” was all I said, as I grabbed Ashley by the shoulders and steered her into the girl’s bathroom.
“What is your problem?” Ashley asked, as she pulled away from me, still in her last period uniform since we did not have time to change before taking April to the infirmary.
“That’s what I want to ask you. Our sister is now in the nurse’s office because your boyfriend is such a jerk.”
Ashley just shrugged her shoulders, peering inside the stalls to make sure no one was listening in on our conversation.
“How can you be so nonchalant about this?” I asked, trying not to let Ashley get to me.
Oddly enough, we shared the same zodiac sign, despite our different personalities, and that is because we also share the same birthday.
The Anderson’s brought us together as sisters after adopting us into their family when we were two.
“Fine, be that way. I did not drag you in here to fight,” I finally stated after a few minutes of silence. “We need to figure out what happened back there with the dodge ball.”
This comment made Ashley turn around with a puzzled expression on her face. “You saw that, too? I thought I was going crazy since it happened so fast.”
“Well, you are crazy, but unless your craziness it contagious. It really did happen.” I answered Ashley teasingly. “What I really want to know is how come no one remembers being frozen?”
“I don’t know. This is just too weird,” Ashley replied, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Our differences are why we thought the agreement would be easy to pull off; with my mocha dark complexion and brown eyes, Ashley’s platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, and April’s freckled face and dark red hair, no one would expect a thing.
We were right. I mean, three new kids transferring at the same time with the same last name, and not one person has figured out that we live in the same house.
Even though we have our differences, they have never stopped us from standing up for one another… until now.
“I believe we need to rethink our agreement,” I blurted out.
“Are you insane?” Ashley asked with a look of betrayal. “You know, I’m beginning to think you were the one who was hit with the ball.”
“Just listen, you don’t have to tell everyone if you don’t want to. It wouldn’t hurt if April and I were around each other more.”
“How long do you think it will take until someone figures it out?”
“You’re genius boyfriend hasn’t figured it out yet. I would give it at least, until his sophomore year in college until he does.”
“You know this is not all about Brandon. You have to remember the nasty comments the kids would say about us because we were adopted,” Ashley exclaimed as if that justified her choosing popularity over her sisters.
“Just to give you a heads up, I don’t care what you do. I am going to be there for April, no matter what. If Brandon finds out, who cares!” I yelled, feeling my anger rise. “This agreement was a terrible idea; the decision we made was supposed to make our lives better.”
“You wouldn’t feel that way if you were the one that became popular. I believe that you are just jealous, and are trying to ruin what I have,” Ashley accused smugly as if she had figured everything out.
“Jealous? Of what! I do not want your phony friends or corny boyfriend. I am content being who I am, without constant approval from others,” I shouted before leaving Ashley behind in the restroom. Soon after, I heard the bell ring, signaling the end of first period.
As I tried to lose Ashley in the crowd, I remembered that we also had second period together, but she would not dare talk to me if anyone else was around.
Rushing into my second period math class, I went straight to my seat in the back of the room where I found an out of breath Ashley waiting beside my desk. Her appearance would have been funny if I wasn’t so mad at her.
“You can’t just say what you want and then leave,” Ashley stated, trying to smooth her hair back into place.
“Well, I was done talking.”
“I wasn’t.” Ashley said right before Miranda sauntered into the room interrupting us.
“There you are Ashley. Brandon was searching all over for you.” Miranda's smile disappeared as soon as she saw me. “You weren’t just talking to her were you?”
“No, we were just having a lip moving contest,” I said sarcastically.
�
�I don’t have time for you today,” Miranda commented, looking me up and down, seemingly not satisfied with my appearance. “Eww. Why do you still have on that tacky gym uniform?”
“I didn’t have time to change back into my clothes,” Ashley responded quickly.
I was getting more and more upset as Ashley tried to explain herself to Miranda, as if she was her parole officer.
“What took you so long that you didn’t have time to change?”
“We were just discussing about what happened in gym after we took April to the nurse’s office,” Ashley said while avoiding my eyes, continuing her charade.
“So, why do you care?” Miranda questioned with a smirk on her face. “It serves that crazy girl right for not knowing her place.”
“What did you just say?” I asked, stepping toward Miranda, making her take a step back.
“Excuse me ladies, class is now in session.” Our math teacher, Mr. Stuart, announced “If you want to continue chatting, you can do it on your way to the principal’s office.
“You are so lucky. I am going to let this go…for now,” I muttered so low that only Ashley and Miranda could hear.
Classes seemed to take forever to end as I sat in my science class, watching the arms of the clock slowly tick. April and I both have this class scheduled as our last class of the day, but today April’s desk was empty, making me wonder if she was seriously injured.
When I went to visit her during lunch, after changing back into my regular clothes, the nurse, claiming that April needed to rest a little more, sent me away.
Immediately, following the bell I was already out the door heading toward the nurse’s office; almost crashing into the nurse as she was leaving her station.
“Is April Anderson still here?” I asked, while glancing behind her, only to find the office empty.
“Oh, I’m sorry she was released to go to her last period. She said she was feeling a lot better.”
“Thank you,” I replied, turning around before the nurse could say anything else.
Checking April’s favorite places to hide at school, I found out no one had seen her; it was as if she had vanished. I began to worry a little as I retraced my steps, which led me right into Ashley and Brandon. I pretended I did not see them as I walked by, determined to find April.
“Excuse Me?” Asked a tall, gangly girl with thick glasses and pigtails, I instantly recognized the chess club president from the flyers posted all around the school.
“I’m sorry; I can’t talk right now. Actually, I am trying to find April Anderson. Have you seen her by any chance?”
“Yes, I heard you were. I saw her heading towards the woods in the back of the school, about five minutes ago.”
“Thank you,” I replied already heading toward the exit down the hall. Before I could get to it, Ashley moved in front of the door blocking my way.
“Did you find April?” Ashley whispered with what sounded like concern in her voice.
“Why would you care about that dork?” Brandon asked as he walked toward us.
“I don’t have time for this,” I exclaimed as I looked directly at Ashley. “I am going to find my sister; if you want to join me, I will be in the back of the school by the woods.”
As I was leaving, I could hear Ashley trying to explain herself to her dumb boyfriend.
The winter air hit me hard as I opened the door leading to the back of the school grounds. April, you better have an awesome explanation for going out in this weather, I thought as I begin to pull my heavy coat out my book bag.
Pulling the hood up on my fur-lined winter coat, and tightening the straps on my backpack, I mentally prepared myself for the cold snow as I headed toward the trees.
“April! Where are you?” I screamed as the snowstorm appeared to have increased since I stepped into the woods.
The howling of the wind was all I heard in reply as I stood listening for anything that might sound like April.
In hearing something coming up behind me, I turned to find Ashley slowly trailing after me with her jacket zipped up so far, it looked impossible for her to see where she was going.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I went to help her as she stumbled through the snow.
“I am here to find our sister,” Ashley replied as she righted herself.
“Oh, so what happened with your boyfriend? Are you ready to tell everyone the truth?” I questioned her as she looked anywhere but at me.
“I thought we came out here to find April,” Ashley pointed out dodging my questions.
“You win this time, but after we find April, there will be a discussion.”
After walking in about two feet of snow for ten minutes, I was beginning to fear the worst, until I saw something twinkling off in the distance.
“Do you see that light up ahead?” I asked.
“Yes, April may be up there.”
We started running as fast as we could through the snow until I finally saw April standing in front of a tree.
“April!” We called out in unison once we became closer to where she was. She was standing silently still in one spot, focusing on something I could not see underneath a tree ahead of her.
Concentrating on the spot April was fixated with, my jaw dropped when I saw the most beautiful bird I had ever seen. It looked similar to a peacock, but it was gold and silver with outstretched wings like an eagle.
Out of nowhere, it began to squawk loudly as we got closer. It was so loud, I had to cover my ears as it flew off.
“It wants us to follow it,” April muttered as she ran in the direction of the bird.
“April, where are you going? We have to return to the school!” Ashley yelled after her, as we struggled to catch up to her.
“It's nice you want to be bird whisperer and all, but we need to go back! We have already gone too far!” I explained as we finally caught up to April, who was now gawking at something I do not think science could even explain.
Not that far off in the distance, there was a tall wall of swirling liquid casting off a silvery light upon the snowy scenery as if it was made of mercury.
“We need to go back now!” Ashley shouted snapping me out of my trance.
“Let’s get out of here before something bad happens!” I yelled to April as she kept walking closer to the strange moving wall.
Before we could turn around, the swirling liquid started to spin faster, transforming into a vacuum. The snow did not make it is easy for us to run, which no longer mattered, as the pull became stronger, dragging us all in.
The Confrontation
Location: Inner Kingdom
◑ Ashley ◐
I felt nothing but fear, as I passed through the liquid wall; it coursed through my entire body making me unable to scream.
I couldn’t open my eyes because of the force pressing down on my closed eyelids, due to the fact that I was moving at a very fast pace.
Just when I was beginning to go into a full blown anxiety attack, it suddenly ended as I hit something hard.
The rich smell of grass and dirt wafted up my nose as I laid face down while wondering if I was still alive.
Pushing up slowly off what felt like grass, I pried my eyes open. To my relief, I saw April and Angie struggling to get up not too far away from me.
Viewing my surroundings, I noticed that we were underneath a stunning giant weeping willow tree. The leaves of the tree filtered the light between small openings, creating beautiful patterns all around.
“Where are we?” Angie asked bringing to my attention there was no snow anywhere and it felt more like spring than winter.
“I’m not sure, but I know we are no longer in North Carolina,” I replied as I pulled back a few hanging leaves to see what was outside.
“I think it's safe to say that we are no longer on Earth either,” Angie said, pointing up at something in the sky.
Following Angie’s gaze, I was mesmerized by what I saw. There were two suns blazing in the sky abo
ve.
“This is impossible. This can’t be real,” I murmured shaking my head.
“I know, like something out of the twilight zone.”
“Ouch!” I yelled. “Why did you pinch me?”
“I had to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”
If I wasn’t so shocked by reality, I would have been upset, but my stinging arm from Angie’s pinch confirmed that this was all too real.
A little off in the distance, I noticed that behind us was a high wall made of stone, like the ones shown in history textbooks of Ancient Roman fortresses; it was so high that I had to squint to see the top. Following the wall's path with my eyes, I could not believe what I was seeing; not too far behind us was a castle.
Suspiciously, the gravel path at the foot of the tree appeared to lead straight to it; Angie pointed out, after walking around, not straying far from the tree.
I turned to look at Angie as she began to make frustrated noises at her cellphone as she tried to get a signal.
“I’m dreaming again,” A hysterical April said through laughing fits.
Angie and I just looked at each other at a loss for words as April continued.
“April, you are not dreaming,” I assured her going to where she was standing.
“Whatever is going on, at least you are not alone this time,” Angie said, grabbing April’s hand.
“So I am not dreaming? This is all, actually happening?” April asked, trying to regain her composure.
“Unfortunately, yes,” I replied. “We need to look and see if there is anyone here. If there is a castle, there is bound to be…”
“A benevolent, kind, and gracious king who will take us in and tell us how to get home,” Angie interrupted me sarcastically.
“Do you want us to just wait here for the vortex to suck us back in?” I retorted unable to think of anything else to do. “How long do you consider that is going to take? What are we supposed to survive on?”
“Ashley is right; maybe whoever lives there may help us,” April said with a hopeful expression on her face.
“Whatever. Have it your way,” Angie muttered after about a minute of silence. “Let’s hope that the person who lives in that castle is not a tyrannical dictator like Vlad the Impaler.”
