A Break From Reality

In a dusty old room, still cold from when the heater broke down last spring, a class of 12 eagerly awaited to be rescued by the bell.  It had been a long Wednesday and after 10 periods, everyone just wanted to go home.  One girl in particular filed her nails and tapped her foot feverishly as if she had regretted having three cups of coffee that morning.  Another held his face up with his hand, most likely trying to keep from falling asleep.  Evidently, five AP classes were even too much for him to handle.  While some worked on homework, some played with their chewed pencils and 10 cent pens begging to hear that crisp monotone ring which would bring freedom for yet another day.  1

Forty minutes...thirty minutes...twenty minutes to go.  The minute hand on the ancient clock seemed to move slower with each glance up at it.  Her mind gradually began to waft to another place as her eyelids strained to remain open.  Her eyelashes fluttered up and down; still she found her conscience yelling at her to stay awake.  After a minute or so, she finally gave in and fell asleep.2

In the transition, her mind stopped at a very familiar place and she stood up from her chair to take a look around.  She was back in her study hall room, but all the other chairs were empty and her book bag was gone.  Now frantic, she knew she needed to find her book bag because all of her homework and textbooks were in there.  She fell to her knees and searched the floor only to find an Evanescence CD case without the CD inside.  She stood back up and realized she wasn’t in her original clothes.  In the place of her oversized jeans and self-esteem top was a tattered wedding dress with a deep red stain on the waistline.  3

All of oddities around her somehow seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn’t quite figure out why they were.  Where did they all go? They have to be around here somewhere!  She walked out of the study hall room in search of everyone who had disappeared.  It wasn’t long before she came along someone.  The girl was about her height and from the looks of it; she had on a baggy sweatshirt.  I know that sweatshirt!  4

“Kaci! What are you doing here...Do you know where everyone went?”5

“Dude, this isn’t our world.”6

She laughed and then replied in a sarcastic tone, ”Oh, you mean like in another realm?”7

“No,” Kaci paused. “I mean you’re freakin’ asleep, smart one.”8

She growled. “Then why am I in this old wedding dress, prey tell all-knowing Kaci?”9

“That’s more like it,” Kaci smiled. “And, frankly, I don’t know why you are dressed like that...It is your dream.  I think you’ve seen enough movies to figure something out.”10

“A lot of help you are.”11

“Damn straight.  Now I gotta go, chick, so talk to ya when ya wake up.”12

“But...”13

Within seconds Kaci dematerialized and she was left to fend for herself once again.  I just want to wake up...Is that so much to ask?  14

She wandered further down the hall and found herself at her locker.  As soon as she opened the cold, metal door, Josephine emerged from thin air.  15

“Oh my god! Do not do that!” she screamed.16

Even Josephine jumped.  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”17

“You’re too late...When did you get here anyway?”18

“I don’t really know.  I guess you needed me now.  I was with Michael and I was thinking I couldn’t be bothered. But the deiced that since you were my friend, I should help you.”19

“Jeez, thanks bunches, Eny,” she smirked.20

“Don’t call me that! Do you want my help or don’t you?”21

“Shoot.”22

Josephine explained that she had to discover the significance of everything that seemed missing or out of place.  After she understood why they were in her dream, she had get out of the school.  23

“I’d start with the Evanescence CD case,” Josephine added coyly.  24

“How did you…?” Once again, before she could finish her sentence, Josephine faded away.  “I need to get better friends.”25

As she walked through the various hallways, the frequent thought she kept coming back to was who would she come across next?  This is all too odd.  What does an Evanescence CD have to do with me?  While in the math hallway, a scene began to unfold.  It was different from her friends randomly appearing; the figures did not acknowledge her presence.  The closer she walked towards them, the more she realized, it was her with her mom at her house.  26

“But mom all my friends have that CD!  And I’ve wanted it for forever and a day!  You said we were going to Best Buy, why can’t we get it while we’re there?”27

“Because you buy your own CD’s and makeup with your own money.  You already spent this week’s allowance.  No advances.”28

“But mom!”29

“Do you want to be grounded?”30

“No.”31

“Good.  You’re not getting the CD today and that’s the end I want to hear of it.”32

The 13-year-old angrily shed a couple tears before mumbling about how unfair her mom was.33

She was still watching her reaction to what her mom had said and felt the old emotions sweep past her briefly.  That CD meant so much to me.34

The scene ended and a new one formed.  It was her 14th birthday and she knew what one of her presents was going to be.  She unwrapped the smallest box to find the CD she had wanted for over a year.  I was so happy.35

She only was able to listen to her new CD once before her brother stepped on it when they were fighting.  When she reopened the case, her CD was so scratched she couldn’t listen to a single word without it skipping.  36

As the memories flooded back, the scene dissipated into the air once again.  I don’t think I ever forgave him.  37

After reluctantly walking up two flights of stairs, she saw her great-great-great aunt.  The only way she would’ve ever recognized her was through pictures.  Her father had kept a bunch of old photos stored away in their attic and she had been searching for an old stuffed animal when she discovered them.  With the pictures, she found a medium-sized, leather-bound book covered in a thick layer of dust.  She smoothed the years of neglect away and debated whether to open it or not.  It is someone’s personal diary.   I’d be mad if someone read mine…38

Giving way to curiosity, she lifted the cover and peered inside.  The pages were dull, faded yellow around the edges with a putrid, old-book odor which made here turn her head. She tried to get used to the stench as she continued to read.39

Dearest diary,40

They got him. I could scarcely believe it, as I was in a state of shock when he shot him, but now that a few hours have passed, I can nearly grasp it. He’s gone. 41

Mary42

This wasn’t much to go on, so she asked her father if he was told anything.  Luckily to her curiosity, he knew the whole story.  In the few years before the Civil War in Tennessee, Mary Sullivan fell in love with a man from Maine named Tom Hancock.  Mary’s brother despised him, not just for being a northerner, but because he didn’t seem worthy enough for his baby sister.  With time, the tension inevitably grew and things came to a head at their wedding.  Her brother shot him in the middle of the ceremony.  Mary never remarried and found it hard to ever get close to anyone for the rest of her life.43

She came back from her trip down memory lane and remembered she still stood in front of Mary.  44

“Um, hi...great-great-great aunt.”45

“Just call me Mary,” Mary said smiling.46

“Ah...Ok,” she said unnervingly.47

“Why would I be in a wedding dress with blood on it?”48

“Why, I do declare that was my wedding dress,” tears filling her eyes as she spoke.49

“Oh. And that means the blood...”50

“Yes.  I held Tom as his last breath slipped from his mouth.”51

She didn’t know what to say in reply to her great-great-great aunt’s comment.  What do you say to someone who lost the love of her life?  52

“Why didn’t you ever remarry?”53

“I was afraid of love.  Afraid of what it could do.  After Tom, committing myself to another seemed like opening the door for more pain.”54

“Oh.  I can understand that,” she said, now hanging her head and staring at the ground.  It suddenly occurred to her why she might be in Mary’s wedding dress.  55

“I must go.  But remember this: Don’t be afraid of something you don’t understand.  Love is rare and true love more so.  If you’re in love, don’t be afraid.”56

Mary disappeared, but not like the others.  As she dematerialized, she drifted upwards as a light followed closely behind her.  57

She smiled.  Everything made sense.  Before she started walking again, she thought of the one thing she was forgetting.  Her book bag had been gone along with the whole class.  Well, I can’t solve everything.58

She made her way downstairs by the acting hallway and the door was within 100 feet of her.  This is it.  I’m finally going to wake up!  Before got in another thought, Veronica dropped down beside her.  59

“Wow, you look really ugly,” Veronica said.  She was a girl who she had known since third grade.  For some unknown reason, Veronica hated her and would go out of her way to make her miserable.  Despite being used to her rude remarks, they still stung.  If this is my dream, then why is she here?  “Well that’s rude.  You know, I don’t want to be here either.”60

She was taken aback.  “You know what I’m thinking?”61

“Well duh! You are such a moron.  Not to mention you lack of fashion sense.”  Just stay calm.  Maybe...No. Can’t think bad thoughts...Gr.  Veronica smiled.  “That’s right.  No bad thoughts about me, freak.”62

“Okay, Veronica.  Then what are you doing here?  I didn’t see a sign for the bulimic convention anywhere,” she shot back.63

“Funny.  Looks like jealousy finally kicked your ugly face.”64

“I’m not jealous.  I’m angry.  My dreams are normally pest-free.”65

“Aw, too bad.  Why don’t you just ride your horses, since you don’t have any real friends anyway.”  Veronica was always up to making her boil over and do something that got her in trouble later on.  As soon as she realized that was what she was meant to do, she thought up a way to safely get out of her dream.66

“You know what?  That’s a great idea.  Thanks.”  She gave Veronica a friendly hug and walked out the door.  67

Veronica’s face lost its arrogant smirk as she faded away.  68

I knew it!  The book bag symbolized emotional baggage.  I did it! I did it!69

“I did it...I did it,” she mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes.  Hoping for another soft transition, she laid her head back down to wait until she was fully awake; however, just then, the bell rang.  She gathered all of her books and stuffed them into her book bag.  On the way to her bus, she saw Veronica.  Veronica gave her a mean glare and she returned it with a smile and a wave.  As she walked on past, Veronica looked dumbfounded.  70

When she reached her shuttle bus, she sat down.  The cold seat felt comforting, after all, she had been walking for a whole period.  She rubbed her lips together and took out a picture of Mary.  71

“Hey, can I sit here?” Steven, her next door neighbor, asked.72

“Sure.” She smiled and scooted over.73