False Impossibilities

So the general idea of science is that more is discovered every day. Things are interpreted differently, theories are disproven, ideas are connected... our understanding of the world of science is figuratively a growing, living being and always changing. But in reality, the facts are the facts wether they are understood correctly or not. Someone just has to get to that point.

In my dream, this basic idea was distorted. Basically everything worked the same as real life... except one man made a discovery that unveiled to him that reality was, in fact, not set in stone. The ideas that human being have and believe could exist are what has created reality as we know it. In our trying to find an answer, we create answers to find.

The puzzle of it all is that each idea has to either work with all previous ideas, or disprove one in order to take its place among all other ideas.

This brilliant man was able to deeply understand the findings in science and the relativity of how it all fits together. Mad with intelligence beyond everyone else, he started thinking of something that didn't exist and found out why it couldn't exist. Then he poured over the puzzle of it all for years to find all the weak links in the so called proven theories of past. The moment he finally thought of a way to disprove one of those weak links and replace it with his idea, his impossibility came to fruition.

And that proof was all he needed to realize that there could be an infinite possibility of alternate dimensions where different ideas had worked together to make entirely unique universes.

So he created them, one after another, like the god that he found himself to be. He used these dimensions as his laboratory, researching the effects certain ideas had on each other. And he slowly started changing our dimension to fit his needs. To make Earth become the world he wanted it to be, not what it was; the collaboration of all scientific minds forming into the greatest piece of art possible.

He changed the world without anyone being able to notice. And he coward in his secrets so that no one could stop him. He let the changes come to be and waited for others to discover them. He turned himself into a false god, always hungry for more power.

Echos of the Past

As so many science fiction stories start, a meteor falls to earth and it is discovered to hold elements completely foreign to this planet.

What ends up being amazing about this new substance is that, upon extensive study by the government, it is found that the meteorite allows you to see into the past. But being extremely radioactive, they must create a machine that would help utilize this ability, strengthen it into something more, and protect humans as much as possible from harm.

In the end, they created a fantastic machine that broadens this portal to allow actual travel back in time. The machine is hosted on a small, man made island, just far enough away from the coast of Florida and the inhabited islands nearby that they couldn't possibly endanger the public with potential leaks. With protective gear on, the scientists could generally stay within ten feet of the substance for a reasonable amount of time without adverse side effects. So the machine was created as a grand structure, triangular in shape to allow a portal between the substance in as few connectivity points as possible. The sections of rock lay in a casing at each point of the triangle and created a sort of magnetic-like connection to each other, bonding each piece as a unit. But the structure was parallel with the ground, and lifted up just enough for a human to stand comfortably underneath. They needed a place to land, after all.

The first test was a success, and while the device's creators felt accomplished and proud, they also were baffled and disappointed by what they discovered. When they crossed over the structure on the floor above and leapt into the void of uncertainty, they found themselves in a sort of movie of he past. An echo. Nothing they did could change anything that happened. No great issues of their time could be reversed by the dreams and fantasies they had compiled since the discovery of this mysterious rock. They were ghosts in the past, leaving no impressions, only watching the world go by just as it had long ago.

So it was that the use of the machine dialed down to a simple, but honorable use of understanding their past better. Historians became the transported, and the only things that were changing, were the details in our history books. Knowledge was growing in a different way. Questions of all sorts were being answered. And eventually, some of the issues of their time were better understood with more information from how those issues came to be.

But just as the world started seeing this contraption as an instrument that could help them save them selves, a great tragedy happened. Without warning, the device overloaded. Seemingly insignificant in it's effects on their laboratory, each rock broke in two and the pieces tore from their casings and hit each other. The process repeated itself over and over again until a ring of small stone, each touching another, lined the inside of the triangular structure.

Then they exploded... or dissolved, as it seemed. But in that moment, things started appearing. Miles away there was a ship in the ocean, worn down and beaten from the weather, though much older than it looked. And even further in another direction came a plane, in two halves. Minute by minute vehicles continued to appear, piling up or sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

It only took a short time to identify some of these new found items and discover their relation to each other. They had all disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle throughout history. The rocks had exploded, but the force went backward in time. And finally, the machine they created made an impact. It just wasn't the impact anyone had ever hoped for. They had created devastation throughout history, exactly as it had been recorded. And they had nothing left of the mysterious meteorite to work with.

So even with all the answers they found, and their discoveries of time, they were forced back to the questions that they started with, having no tools to prove an answer.

Time could not be changed and had not been changed: time had been fulfilled. But that begs the question... could they have made historical changes for the better if only they had used the rocks in a different way? Or would anything that had affected the past already been in the past?

Time, and it's potentials, were endless again.

Dreams of Better Days

They were pushing me out the door. My heart was pounding from nerves. They were trusting me with their memories. Each book, picture, note... the memories of a better life; a life we took for granted. And if that wasn't enough, I was taking the dogs with, too. We should have just not cared. We should have thrown it all away, said goodbye to the dogs, left our old life and our memories behind to search for a new life. But I had to try. I didn't want to let go of it all. The hardest times to get through were always that much easier when you had the comfort of memories that made you feel happy... back when you felt like you were in the right place in your life. But aside from the point that I was the one that had been training the dogs, they knew it would be the easiest for me because I was the smallest. I could hide in the most bizarre places. They knew I had the best chance of not being seen.

Even though they were leaving soon after I was... together... this was the way it had to be. I didn't want to leave them behind just to hope that one day I would see them again. Deep down, though, I knew I would be safer on my own anyway. No one said there was safety in numbers anymore. We couldn't stand up to them, just run and hide from them. It was amazing how fast everything changed. The terms of survival that we learned all our lives were only useful if we found a way to survive long enough to care. The only thing we could really be sure about was that we needed to spread out. The cities were like breeding grounds. At least in the country, you could try to control your environment. If anything made you stand out... noticeable... you were dead. But I was good at hiding. I could disappear. So I put on a brave face and stepped up to the challenge.

I forced one last smile, even though I knew they could see the sadness in my eyes. The door closed and I started down the street. We had already made it to the outskirts, but it was still too populated. The human race never really appreciated the size of their planet until just about a year ago. Everyone was so used to clumping together and thriving off of each other's talents and abilities. But it didn't take long for everyone to realize that wasn't realistic anymore. I had to admit that I missed the interaction; the balance of it all. I had always been good at being alone. I had no problem by myself. That isn't what scared me; it never had. I knew that part of my nature that wanted to be antisocial would keep me alive. And if I could keep up the intense training I had started giving my dogs when this all started, I knew that they would help keep me alive, too.

The nights had finally become warm enough to not jeopardize our search for seclusion. I was still thankful for my jacket, and even more so for the thought of a warm dog curling up to the nook of my body when I could finally lie down for rest. Night had become our days. I wouldn't lie down until after sunrise. But sleep was hard to keep even when you longed for it. One ear had to be open. Waiting... listening... hoping.

But the game while you were walking in the open was to continuously find places that could be used as cover. It was the one thing always in the back of your mind. It became second nature for the human race. I used to think of us as cowards. But when traditional courage started getting us killed, we found courage to be in simply not giving up. To not give up meant to never relax and always be on your guard. Anxiety had become the norm for me. I couldn't remember the last time I had really felt relaxed. I felt my blood pulse. It bore through me. I walked in time with my heart. Looking... always looking. A tight group of trees, a turned over car, a partially torn down house... finding whatever I could for cover, just in case.

As I watched the sky brightening, I searched for the best place to take shelter for the day. I needed something small and mostly enclosed. Places you wouldn't expect to find a human. They weren't looking for just anything that moved... they wanted to rid the world of intelligence. I looked down at my dogs, grateful, but wishing I were them. They would only be taken if they stood in the way of reaching me. And as I watched the dogs trot happily down the slope on the side of the road, I realized they were going toward a small pipe that led under the road. The brush was thick around it. I decided to use it as my camping ground. Not very comfortable, but it would protect me. I hadn't found food to hunt or collect through the night and so had already started delving into my supplies. We finished dinner just as the sun came over the trees. I stuffed some branches into one end of the pipe and had the dogs go in the other side. I climbed in backward with more branches to block us in.

It was tight. But the air came in nicely and the intensity of the sun wouldn't make us uncomfortable. I was tired, but used to the exercise. I relaxed, remembering a time when I would have fallen over from hours of walking. The heat from my dog's bodies draped over my legs soothed my muscles. I drifted, and I found myself in a half sleep. The sounds of the world were always creeping into my dreams. I never knew how much time was passing. I just waited for the sun to start setting. When the world becomes dark, I thought, I can continue. Again, I woke and drifted back to sleep. I heard the creek of a door... and again... no, was it a cry? An animal in pain... I was hunting... no, I was inside...

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes shot open. I laid my hand on one of my dogs, to comfort them and let them know I understood. Their whimpering stopped, but they stayed still, listening. I waited until I could hear it, too. The seconds lengthened as I strained my ears. The sun was at my feet now; the day coming to an end. I need to move soon, I thought. I couldn't stay in that tube forever. I hoped it wouldn't last. The thoughts tumbled from my mind as I heard a crash down the street.

The car, I thought... that was the car I passed at the side of the road. Are they searching it? No, they don't search like that. They're impatient. They follow movement. But why the broken window?

A scream. I could feel a tear roll down my cheek as I waited and listened. But I didn't hear pleading or crying. There was no yelling or fighting back. I saw the flash of a rabbit run past the opening. I took a deep breath. It was only a rabbit. They wont hurt an animal. It was just in the wrong place. I reassured myself in hopes that the alternative was not true. I would never become used to loss. It didn't matter if I had never met the person before. It left me feeling sick. Empathy was not a helpful trait anymore.

I could hear the foot steps; two of them at the very least. One with a machine. That explained the broken window. They weren't graceful, and using a full body machine to add strength didn't make their movements seem any easier. The chattered back and forth, walking closer. I may not have known anything about their language, but I had really started to understand their tone. And with how deep the noises were becoming, I braced waiting for the action to break out. Their sound and vocal range were much lower than ours. It meant I didn't have to worry about my dogs whimpering, but I also couldn't hear an intense fight. The voices silenced. I knew they must still be talking, but they were far out of the range I could hear them in.

The machine fell hard on the pavement, and almost immediately one of them was thrown off the side of the road. I could see all of it: the hard shine of it's body. It lifted itself back onto all fours and sulked toward the street. But it stopped, looking toward me. My heart stopped again. I couldn't breathe. It can't see you, I thought, the sun is in it's eyes. Don't see me, just keep walking... don't see me.. don't see me. I was chanting in my head, keeping my eyes closed tight as if my lack of vision would block theirs. I opened my eyes to the sudden noise. It wasn't what I was expecting. The rabbit ran away from the brush and into the field. All eyes were back on the road, ready to continue their journey. I didn't know I could possibly love a rabbit so much.

I listened as the noises drifted away. My heart slowed as the sun set. I continued my journey, hoping and praying that they were moving faster than I was. That wasn't something I wanted to run into again.

The night pressed on and I came to the edge of the forest I had been walking through. I looked out from the cover of the trees. A small town lay ahead. It was fairly open, and I was hesitant to move forward. But a town also meant I could find some easy food. The dogs had caught their dinner for the night and ate well, but I was starting to lose energy.

Light was starting to grow in the east, but I knew the sun wouldn't rise for a while yet. The rest of the world was dark. The moon had set early and the woods had been a trap for darkness. The ability to see were my path now lead was a gift and a curse. But I had to take my chances. I continued forward, one dog on each side, alert and focused. I felt like a spy from a poorly made film. I was creeping in the shadows and using anything I could find for cover. I know a light post may seem like a horrible hiding place, and it is. But it's better than walking down the middle of the street. I've seen people survive in plain sight before. It takes a solid object, complete silence and stillness, and a bit of luck. But fear could drive a person mad and faith was hard to come by. No one could stay still forever.

I started cutting through the yards, rounding the edges of the houses for cover and searching the garbage left behind. My dogs shifted ahead of me and trotted to the side door of the next house. It was broken and hanging from one hinge. They looked back for confirmation and I nodded. One slipped in after the other and I was alone in the trees. I waited. Steadying myself, I closed my eyes to keep my focus on my other senses. I could hear the dogs inside the house and the bugs all around me. I felt the soft wind against my face and the pressure of the air dropping. The smell of the plants around me preparing for the approaching storm filled me and relaxed my nerves. I knew I wouldn't see the sun rise this morning. The clouds were coming in dark and full. I would take all the time I could in whatever cover the weather would give me. It was a slow process to travel across county by foot.

One dog looked out through the opening. I nodded. He surveyed the scene and moved back toward me. The other popped out behind with a bag in his mouth. The first continued past me and stayed at the edge of the garden to keep watch while the other brought me his findings. It was meat. Someone must have left in a hurry, and recently. It had already been cooked. I sat and started eating right there. I knew I didn't have much time left, and this was obviously not a safe place to stay for the hours of daylight. I could feel the hunger pains soothing away. I usually never realized how hungry I was until I started eating. I took off two chunks and wrapped the rest for later. I fed the dog nearest to me his share and turned to the other dog and made a quick click noise for attention. But he didn't move. His ears were perked and his hair bristled. I heard the slow whimper from the dog next to me and I rested my arm around him to let him know I understood. I was still and listening.

A car door? The noises were soft and nearby. Whispers. It must be humans. Driving a car? Were they mad? Not only was gas impossible to come by, but it's like you're sitting in a giant target. I started to slip from the garden, shifting to the corner of the house to get a better look. My dogs stayed at my heels, keeping a close watch in both directions. Peering through the branches of a bush that was long dead, I looked down the street.

There they were just across the street and only one house down, their movements barely visible in the dark of a stormy twilight. It was a family, or what had turned into a family due to the conditions humanity had found itself in. Human nature hadn't changed just because we were forced apart. People grew attached to those they had spent a short time with. Some company usually felt better than no company at all.

A child moved back toward the house as the others entered the car. I couldn't tell how many people were fitting into the car. I leaned forward, ready to move toward them. But one of my dogs blocked my path. My vision shifted down the road in the other direction as my dogs moved in closer to me. They weren't taking notice to the people and their car. Rounding the street corner were three more of those... things. Another machine again. Very likely the same crew I had encountered before. I looked back at the people, the pain in my chest tightening as my breathing became more shallow. But they weren't looking. They were still organizing the car. No hiding, no running... my heart skipped a beat as I realized they weren't going to get away.

I had to risk it. I couldn't just sit there and watch. A whistle, high and loud, filled the air. No reaction from the creatures. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't know if it would be audible to their hearing range. Either it wasn't, or they didn't care to pay attention. But the people heard it loud and clear. All movement had ceased.

The deep chatter started to become more clear. I watched as they shoved each other and tripped over practically nothing. They were like children. Deadly, impenetrable children. I was afraid to look. Afraid to know what would happen next. But the artist in me, the part that hadn't had an outlet for too long, locked my vision on them. I was fascinated by them just as much as I feared them. I followed the curves and angles with my eyes. We knew so little about them. I wanted to know more. I visualized how the mechanics of their systems must work. It wasn't human. It wasn't even earthly.

They stopped suddenly, and it was like the spell over me was broken. I watched, waiting to find what caught their attention. They started moving to the other side of the street. Cautiously, they crawled forward toward the trees directly across the street from me. A deer darted out and ran behind the nearest house. One of them pushed the other, accusingly. It fell to the ground.

The car engine roared to life, leaving all eyes on the small group of people. It went in reverse and screeched back out of the drive.

"What are you doing?!" I could hear the hysterics of the woman's voice in the car. "He's still inside!"

The driver changed gears again and hit the gas pedal to the floor. But with a huge crunch from an arm of the machine, all that accomplished was a lot of burnt rubber. A tear fell down my cheek as I saw the look of horror in the boy's eyes from the doorway of the house. I looked away, the emotions sweeping into me. Staring into my dogs eyes as the waited for my orders, I could see my family and my past. I could see the different versions of my future. And I again saw the boy, eyes wide.

I blinked it all away as I heard the crash of the machine falling onto the trunk of the car. The dogs started running across the street at my signal and I immediately ran in the opposite direction around the back of the house. Hesitating a moment before running to the back of the next house, I saw the dogs in the street, play fighting with each other. Good distraction, I thought while circling the next house into the front yard. The machine was flailing, like a turtle stuck on the back of it's shell. The others didn't help their fallen comrade because they were surrounding the dogs, curious of the action.

The boy was just in front of the door, fallen to his knees and crying. I glanced at the car to see the woman holding her hand to the window in his direction. The movements of my body didn't seem like my own. A force seemed to be pushing me before my brain could react and say no. I was across the street before I realized I was running again. Scooping up the boy in my arms, I turned to see the door being ripped from the car. I moved around to the back of the house, holding the boy's head and covering his ears. I was listening to the sounds that no human should ever hear. I turned to whistle for my dogs, but they were already almost at my heels.

I never knew how far I ran. I suppose I was lucky there was nothing else in my path. But the rain continued to fall and the boy held me tightly as I moved swiftly through the yards. I was looking, I suppose, for help... for some type of salvation. I was looking for faith as my body started to break down. The strength in my body was failing as the storm slowed and the clouds started to lighten.

We were in the middle of a field. The remains of cornstalks surrounded us in seemingly unending rows. I faltered... fell to my knees gasping for air. I slowly released my grip on the boy's body. We looked at each other for a moment, seeing a mirror image of our thoughts, worries, guilt, and sadness. I smiled. I knew he could see through it, but I smiled anyway.

"Let's breathe for a moment, and then we can find some shelter for the day." I was trying to reassure him as much as I was myself. I was trying to be strong because there was nothing else to do.

We stood together and walked, hand in hand in no particular direction. Eventually we found a farmhouse and a storm shelter in the back yard. The door to the shelter was broken, but we went in to get out of sight. The dogs went first, to scout the area. We followed to the bottom of the stairs. We each fell into an almost immediate sleep of exhaustion, still holding each other tightly. The dogs became our blankets, creating a small pile.

This was to be my new family. No questions asked, we accepted one another in all of our differences. Our dreams freed us from the terror. They washed away our fears and doubts and brought us to a new world. Better days and better places and a knowledge of something brighter yet to come.

Through Their Eyes

Where do you meet people in your dreams? Is there a formal introduction? Do you simply turn around and they are there? Are they always people you seem to already know in your waking life? Or do you seem to create new stories in your mind?

Do they ever become real, or are they a projection of something already real in your life?
_____

He was tall, handsome in a quirky sort of way, and ultimately my dream guy. I don't know if you could call it a date, but it was our first. Of that I'm sure. I was so happy to see his complete enthusiasm and be able to share some of that with him.

Somehow we missed the initial introductions and preliminary interviews that seem to make up the mass majority of my real world dating. There was a connection. We understood a lot about each other just by looking. So there was no fact based history in a sum of his life, or mine. What we ended up sharing was our passions. If you don' know me, you should know my passion is art. But to be able to see his, and witness it, was amazing.

There were no explanations. There was only an outstretched hand and an invitation of, I would like to show you something. But that smile. There was passion of course, but also a knowing... a certainty of sorts. There was quiet confidence behind that smile that I haven't seen in the longest time.

He drove me to a building that seemed a little worse for wear. I heard the words trust me and knew I always could. So he took my hand in his, yet again, and led me toward his dream.

It was like walking into organized chaos. Kids flying left and right. No one noticed the door open right away, as if it's a normal event that happens throughout the day.

But there was a boy in the corner curled up on a simple plastic folding chair who was so intently reading a book much too large for his hands. He seemed to have no trouble keeping focus on the book as the noises of the room impacted him. But he looked up from his book only seconds after I stepped in. He looked directly at me, just observing. His eyes looked old, like there was a thousand years of experience and knowledge behind them. But they shifted. All those years fell away as he looked into the eyes of my companion. It was like the sun just started shining through a fierce storm. That warmth and brilliance that takes you by surprise, and then all you want to do is bask in the glow. It was his smile. You only needed to see his eyes to know the deepness and the love in that smile. I followed his gaze to the man standing next to me and realized that they were family. Obviously not by blood, but they were a strong family that you don't always find through blood connections.

The boy dropped the heavy book on the floor and bounced out of his chair. He yelled a name... what was that name? He yelled and sprinted at the same time. He jumped into the arms of the man who brought me there. And all eyes were on them. The room silenced only for a moment as he picked the boy up into the air. As the activity resumed, it had all changed direction toward the door.

They took me in. Trusted me as they knew he trusted me. We talked, we played, we laughed. It was endless movement and excitement. And every time I stole a glance into this man's eyes, he knew. He looked back at me and smiled softly. A content smile, as if he was where he belonged, and he knew and appreciated that. And I couldn't help smiling back in understanding,  amazed that I would be chosen to share this. And every time the moment would be broken by more laughter.

I didn't need to know what the organization was to appreciate what I had seen, what I experienced. Whether or not these children had homes or parents or were just staying out of trouble... it didn't matter to the connection and the importance this man was in their lives.

Have you ever been able to seen the goodness in someone's heart by a simple action? I saw it. I saw it in them. I think it was the ability to see him through their eyes that made me fall.

But it doesn't matter how hard you fall, you still have a past that defines you. Ultimately, the heavier your past is, the easier it is to fall for someone. You have experience of the good and the bad, and you know yourself better and what you need. But the past is always complicated, and as much as it teaches you, it can also distract you. It's a fine line balancing between emotion and logic. Either one can send you spiraling off your chosen path.

It's scary to take a leap of faith. To hope that everything will work out. When you know so little about a person, as I did this man, your emotion may tell you it's worth it, but your mind tells you it's a huge risk. And your mind can be very particular in the things that it remembers, depending on what you need.

For me, this ended up taking place after I left this man's personal utopia, and ran into my ex. Mind you he was simply a character in my dream life and should not be related to any man I may have dated in my true life's past.

I was sharing some of the tail end of excitement and enthusiasm I had experienced that day with some of my close friends. I was glowing. There was nothing to bring me back down to earth and cement me into reality. That is until I walked into the elevator. I left my friends behind with a dream-like smile on my face, looking into the possibilities of my future, short and long. But the door reopened just before I thought I would be moving up.

My heart missed a beat. There he was, smirking at me. I knew his face, I knew so much behind that face. I knew him better than I could imagine anyone else knowing him on the planet. And he knew me.

He sauntered into the elevator and let the doors close behind him. He always had the right words, always knew just what to say... today was no different. And that sort of confidence in knowing the ins and outs of the conversation before it would even happen always left me at a loss.

I stumbled over my words, partly from intimidation, and partly from infatuation. That's the problem with falling in love... you never truly fall out of love. And the tricks your mind was just playing on you, saying there might be too much risk to fall for someone new, feed the new thoughts in your brain to fight the argument. And if, by some miracle, you find the strength to take the upper hand in the logical debate swimming through your mind, as I was just starting to do in the middle of our conversation... you might also find the strength to show a bit of that. The problem is, when a person knows you that well, they also know how to corrupt that strength for their own purposes.

I told him something, reminded him we were over and that it couldn't happen again. Told him I wanted to fight for something new, something with hope and promise. I reminded him of what he overheard me telling my friends. But with that argument, he saw my shift to reasoning. And he used the emotions to override.

But don't you remember? Don't you want this? He was closing in on me, the elevator not having the opportunity to interrupt since he stopped it between floors. He pulled me close with that certainty and strength of knowing exactly what he wanted. It didn't matter that what he wanted might not be what I wanted too. But how could I say no? He knew each button to press. Knew exactly how to excite me. And as my brain was shouting no, my emotions took over. I kissed him back and remembered that horrible but beautiful physical connection of our past. I was consumed by it, as he well knew I would be.

You see, even a seemingly perfect moment of something new doesn't have the power to overturn those feelings of the past. Even if this man I met in my dreams could change my life, it hadn't happened yet. I don't know if he'll ever save me, or if I need to learn how to save myself.
_____

After feeling such deep emotion in your dreams, how do you wake up? How do you continue? How do you learn?

Ouija Mayhem

Meghan sat toward the back of the bus, not thinking too much about the school day that had just passed, and not urging the bus to get her home. She was content just sitting to stare out the window and not think about anything in particular.

Off in her own little world, Meghan didn't quite notice the seat next to hers being filled. But a voice brought her back to reality. "It's this Saturday... I know it's not that far in advance, but I hope you can come." She looked in front of her to see a hand holding an invitation with bright colored balloons on it. Meghan took the card without thinking and glanced up to the voice. 

Oh no, she thought. It's Peter. Out of all the people on this bus, he has to sit next to me. Why is this happening to me? 

"Thanks." she responded to the still high pitched voice that Peter hoped would fall like his classmates. She gave a weak smile and placed the invitation into her bag. Peter continued to look her way with such a delighted look on his face. Meghan glanced around the bus and started to feel the eyes shifting her way. "Well, thank you, I'll try to come. But I don't feel well right now, so I think I'll close my eyes."

"No problem! I hope you're not sick for Saturday though. I'll let you rest. Then we can have more fun later!" Peter gave a little snort with his laughter and pulled his greasy hair back off his glasses before he got up and walked back to the front of the bus.

Why me? Meghan continued to pity herself as she continued to stare out the window. The seat suddenly jumped and she swung her head around to see who it was, dreading the sight of Peter again. "Having a moment there?" It was Sarah, Meghan's best friend. Sarah had way too much enthusiasm for the end of the day. "I can't believe it," she continued, "I thought he was going to kiss you the way he was staring into your eyes!"

"Shut up, Sarah." Meghan looked back out the window to hide the red flushing onto her cheeks. But Sarah ignored her as she usually does and continued talking through many different topics as the kids slowly dispersed from the bus. 

_____

It was inevitable. She was going to the party. I should have thrown the invite out the window, she thought as her mom placed it up on the calendar over "Saturday."

"I know you think you don't like that boy," her mom started up, "but he just needs some help socializing. You are ahead of your time, my dear Meggie! You could use some of that popularity you've seemed to fall into to do some good in your school. It's amazing enough how little it seems to affect you. Middle school can be a crazy place."

"Thanks mom, but he's just so... weird." Meghan started shifting her food around on her plate. This conversation seemed to be taking away her appetite. 

Her mom caught the sullen look falling across her daughter's face. "Okay I think you're done with your dinner. Why don't you go work on your homework." She gave a warm smile as she took the plate from her daughter. Meghan couldn't sulk with a smile like that looming in front of her. She smiled back and turned to finish her nightly activities. 

_____

As Meghan walked the school for the rest of the week, she started to feel better. It seemed that most of her classmates would be attending the party that Saturday with her. At least I wont be alone, she thought solemnly. But every time she passed Peter, he seemed to have an extra glow of enthusiasm around him. He always gave her an extra special smile. That seemed to keep her worry level to a nice medium-high. 

"You're going with me, right?" Meghan looked imploringly into her friend's eyes.

"Wow, get over yourself! It's just a party. We'll have a great time. It's not like you're his date or something..." Sarah seemed almost jealous of Meghan. 

"With the way he's been staring at me, it almost feels like I am," Meghan responded without notice.

"I wish Brad would ask me to go with him..." Sarah started into the next topic. But Meghan seemed to not be able to keep her mind off Peter as her friend continued talking. She has never had too many problems socially, but that didn't mean she wanted to start now. And Peter seemed to keep himself at a good low on the social totem pole.

_____

But the day would come. And it did, much faster than Meghan would have liked. And despite the childish bright balloons on the outside of the invitation, it was to be a "formal" event according to the beautiful script inside. I bet his mother wrote these out for him, she thought, but I can't imagine him in "formal" wear.

Sarah arrived at Meghan's house to get ready about an hour before they were to leave. "I like that we get to wear dresses. My mom took me out shopping for the occasion. I told her all my other dresses were too small." Sarah looked into the mirror to apply her mascara as she chatted. 

"Does she know you're wearing her makeup?" Meghan was leaning in the doorway, in her simple black dress, with no intention to pick up the makeup and apply it to her own face.

"Don't be such a bummer. We look more grown up if we wear makeup. We look prettier. I don't know why you don't want to use any. I think you could use at least a little color on your eyes." Just then Sarah smeared the blue over her eyelid. Meghan had a slight vision of a clown bounce around the back of her head. No paint for my face, thank you.

After Meghan's mother took a few minutes to tone down Sarah's makeup, much to Sarah's dismay, she piled the girls into her car to take them to the party. But they weren't going to Peter's house. The party was to be held at a particularly large and beautiful mansion a fair distance away. The girls didn't realize this until they pulled up the round-about drive. Both of their eyes seemed to grow larger as they viewed the scenery out the window. 

"Okay, have a wonderful night girls!" Meghan's mother smiled to them as they left the car. Meghan smiled back, a little more strength seeming to seep into her bones. Her mom waived, "I'll be back at eleven to pick you up."

And there it was, the mansion with two huge looming doors to walk though into a whole new world. The girls clasped hands and headed toward the doors. They opened before Meghan had a chance to worry about where the door bell was. 

A particularly beautiful young woman stood just beside the doors to welcome them into the home. She made the girls feel almost shabby in her delicacies and elegance. "Welcome to my home. Meghan and Sarah I presume?" the woman smiled with strength and certainty. The girls nodded in assent. "Please do come in. Your friends have gathered in the room just there" she stated as she referenced to her right. "There will be a full night of activities. I'm sure you will be pleased."

"Thank you very much," Meghan managed to respond to the beautiful creature in front of her. And the girls turned the corner together, following the slowly growing music and conversation. They were warmly greeted by their fellow classmates as they all continued to gawk in amazement at the location of the party. 

Suddenly Meghan realized Peter wasn't there. She asked some of the others who responded with shrugs that seemed not to fit the atmosphere. I can't imagine he would be missing his own party, Meghan thought, surprising herself in her worry of his lack of presence. Surely she would feel much more comfortable the longer she didn't see him.

After a few more guests arrived, their beautiful host entered which created a slow hush around the room without her even lifting a hand. "Thank you all for joining me for this wonderful occasion. My name is Ophelia, and I again welcome you to my home. Peter will be joining you shortly. Please help yourself to hors d'oeuvres. There are different activities laid out in the rooms of the house. Feel free to roam through any open doors. The main room will be held for dancing. Have a pleasant evening." And with that, she glided out the door and disappeared.

"Oh-fee-lee-ah," Sarah slowly mulled over the word. "Do all people with beautiful names grow up to be so amazing?"

And for once, Meghan had the exact same thought. 

_____

After the kids ran around the house for a while, trying to take everything in, most of them joined into the main room. It was a wide space that could fit them all easily. The stairs curled up along the curved wall. And a fairly modern looking chandelier hung loosely from the ceiling, letting multicolored lights from something above slowly change as they shown through the crystals to the dance floor. By the time everyone had gotten over a good portion of the initial excitement and started feeling more comfortable, the dance floor was full of people chatting and moving to the music.

Meghan was listening to Sarah talk about how perfectly she figured she would fit into a house like this, with Brad by her side of course. But she was only half listening. Something caught her eye. She thought someone was watching her in the distance. And through the crowd she saw it again. Not too familiar, but intriguing, was a face from the other side of the room, slowly appearing through the guests for only a quick second.

"Excuse me," Meghan interrupted her friend's words that had long left her mind. And she turned without looking at Sarah who had an utterly lost expression fall across her face. 

Meghan started walking through her classmates, paying them no mind. It was almost like a game, trying to follow the one face through the crowd, slipping in and out, but eyes always on her. She was mesmerized. She wasn't even thinking. And at the moment when she thought she lost him and decided she must be dreaming, her had was softly taken by someone behind her.

She turned in surprise, "Peter?"

He smiled softly back at her. Not his usual grin, but the same intense stare. Only this time, his stare held her eyes, she couldn't look away as she usually did. She hadn't noticed how beautiful his eyes were. His glasses were gone. His hair was cut and cleanly kept back. He was dressed no more formal than any other person there, but he fit them well. 

"Join me?" Peter pulled her to the middle of the dance floor and held her close, swaying to the soft music. She never looked away. This time, she didn't notice as the eyes in the room started to fall on her. But no one said a word. No one broke the trance that held their eyes together.

As the song ended, Peter lowered her arm but continued to hold her hand. He walked her away from the main room. As she sat down on a couch in one of the next rooms over, she seemed to start to come back to reality.

"What's going on?" Meghan asked softly. 

"I'm glad you came. I was worried you weren't going to." Everything was slower; his movements, the conversation, the whole night. They continued to talk for what seemed to Meghan only a second, and yet an eternity. 

But it was broken just as quickly as it had started. Some of their classmates fumbled into the room as exclamations of Peter's appearance and the house started to ring through the air. He was pulled into the quickly growing group. And he gave Meghan one last smile, still gentil, as he turned to the other kids. 

Meghan felt lost as she continued to sit on the same couch. But then she felt that familiar bounce of the seat she was sitting in. "What just happened? Tell me everything!" Sarah stopped talking in hopes to get every juicy detail.

"I'm not really sure." Megan looked deeply into the excitement of Sarah's face and couldn't help smiling back as she said, "you can see for yourself!"

"So what happened? Did he get a makeover or something? I bet it was that pretty girl that did it to him. Where did he find her? Oh my god that was so romantic! You totally just disappeared. I couldn't find you anywhere! But then I saw all the commotion in here and I figured that's where you would be. I still can believe it! This is so weird." Sarah continued to talk until the conversation had made complete turns to other topics, as usual. And Meghan pleasantly responded when she could. 

_____

Peter was long gone now and the girls decided to do a little more exploring of the house. They eventually ran across a group of kids who stopped them, asking if they wanted to play a game. "It'll be better with more people. Just take a look at the room back here!" One of the boys led the group down the hallway and around the corner to a smaller back room they hadn't noticed before.

The room was lush with deep, rich colors. Bookcases lined the walls. But the entire middle of the room was taken over by a nest of pillows and blankets, each different, but with the same metallic shine and beautiful accents. There was an old wooden table, low but broad, resting in the center of the bedding. And what else should be resting on this table but a Ouija board.

"Seriously?" Meghan stared at the table incredulously. 

"They have everything here! I swear I'll live in this house one day!" But Sarah didn't add anymore information than that because her beloved Brad was only two steps away. Meghan smiled to herself, knowing how hard it is for her friend to keep from talking.

There were seven of them, and the all sat evenly around the table. They felt like they were melting into the bedding which seemed so luxurious in stark contrast with the simple store bought Ouija board.

"Let's ask questions about our futures," Brad suggested, and Meghan noticed a bit of a sigh from Sarah on her right.

Meghan was amazed at the silliness of the game. Most of the group seemed to believe the indicator was moving all on it's own, but it seemed to her that Brad was pushing down more than he needed to. After finding out some vital information like how Brad and Sarah were meant for each other, and two people were going to ace the Math test that Tuesday, Meghan was starting to lose interest.

But it bounced. The indicator moved all on it's own. Meghan was sure of it. The whole group was holding their breath. Slowly, each person pulled their hand back slightly.

"Did anyone else see that?" Megan didn't look away for confirmation, but all the others were nodding their heads.

Suddenly Sarah screamed and two of the others jumped back off the pillows. The indicator swept itself straight across the table and away from all the hands.

Meghan couldn't move. It's pointing at me, she thought, what in the world is going on? It started shaking and moved surely across the table to start spelling it's statement. 

I

Remember what it's spelling, Meghan...

N

It's talking to me...

E-E

That must be two, it swung around in a circle...

D-Y-O

I don't understand! Why is this happening to me?

U

It stopped... What was it all? I-N-E-E-D-Y-O-U

The indicator was pointing to Meghan again, as it sat so still on the center of the board. "I need you..." she whispered. "Who are you?"

Then all eyes immediately turned from Meghan and the board. The bookcase at the far end of the room was moving. No one said anything. They all stood up as the bookcase shifted further away from them.

And without thinking, Meghan started walking toward the end of the room. I need you... she repeated in her mind, over and over. And she stepped into the dark room, her heart pounding.

But the fear seemed to drift away with the rest of the world, as she saw a dim light falling on a figure in the middle of the room. Peter...

He held out his hand as she started walking toward him. "Do you see me now?" Peter asked, staring into her eyes.

"I don't understand. What's going on?" Meghan's mind was scraping for answers.

"Tonight is the first time you've actually looked at me. Out of all the people at school, I thought you would be the one to look past appearances, but you always just brushed me off." Peter looked down for the first time.

A pain cut across Meghan's chest. She started thinking about the past week; all the moments of hesitation and worry. 

"I wanted to make sure I had your attention. I needed you to see me without anyone else's opinion swimming through your head. My cousin, Ophelia, told me she could help me. It was all her idea. She helped me with everything; the party, my clothes, my hair, even my actions. I wanted to jolt you out of the thought of popularity that everyone seems so focused on. So... do you see me now?" he was more than looking at Meghan, he was pleading to her with his eyes. 

And she finally found her voice, "I... I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I didn't even think. You've changed so much."

"I haven't changed that much. It was the way you were seeing me that I had to figure out how to change. But I wanted you to see it above all others. I wanted you to make the choice to learn who I am without anyone telling you otherwise. I love the way I am. I don't care about the physical appearances. But I care about you. I see who you are." He smiled again, and Meghan couldn't help but return the expression. Both smiles turned to grins as they laughed and hugged each other. That look on his face, she knew that look. It was the same excited burst of energy as he gave on the bus. She knew it was really him.

"I can see it now. It was all there when we were talking in the other room. I was just so amazed at the transformation. But Peter, why would you go through all of this?"

"I knew you would understand. I know how different you are from everyone else. That's what I love about you." Peter winked and shifted his gaze to the doorway where light was seeping in. "We better get out there, I'm sure they're worried about you. I'll tell them it was a practical joke. No harm done, right?"

Meghan nodded in accent as she followed Peter out the secret door, hand in hand.

They walked into slight chaos. No one looked their way. Sarah was, maybe for the first time in her life, not saying a word and just staring of into space. The boys were are fighting about who would have to go in and save Meghan. And the other girls were poking at Sarah, trying to get her to move. 

"Don't worry, she's safe!" Peter shouted over the noise. The room got quite as they all finally noticed the two new people in the room, with the bookcase closed behind them. "It was all a joke. I had it set up."

The color started to come back to Sarah's face as she ran over to Meghan and squeezed her so hard that Meghan thought she wouldn't be able to stand up any longer.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Sarah started. "I didn't know what was happening. I was so scared. I thought you disappeared! I... I think I blanked out for a while there...."

Well, at least she's back to normal, Meghan thought. "It's okay. It was all a joke."

And the group started laughing at themselves for believing that some spirit was talking to Meghan. But Meghan just looked at Peter. They both knew that this was the start of something amazing.