No One's in the Room

Ima sat on a stump, fiddling with her newly regrown hair. It was interesting. At first, her hair had grown back like it normally would have, but now...1

Condoleeza laughed hysterically. "I can't believe your hair is green!"2

"Oh, shut up, fire starter," Ima grumbled. "You're the one who burnt my hair off."3

"And I loved every minute of it," Condoleeza amended before No One entered the room.4

Ima snickered at the thought. Was it possible for no one to enter a room? Or maybe it was just a suggested thing, such as, it was all in your imagination, Ima, no one has entered the room. Only, No One had entered the room. She was standing there, all tangible like, rather than being an intangible no one.5

"Child, you are making my head hurt," No One said lightly, pointing to the thought bubble over Ima's head.6

Oops. She had been thinking out loud...or in sight...or whatever one might call it now that she knew her "gift" for imaginizing things into existence. This was quite a conundrum that she knew had to stop, otherwise she would never defeat old what's his name.7

"His name is-" No One began before Ima lost interest in the thought. No One shook her head in exasperation. "Alright, girls, time for your training..."8

Ima stood up and frowned at No One. "So, how long until I can figure out how to use my power?" she asked stoicly.9

"Until you can learn to focus," No One said. Which is why we are going to the..."10

But Ima was already following a newly found butterfly out of the door.11

"Moor of Thought," No One concluded helplessly. "This is going to be bad."12

Condoleeza nodded absently as she watched Ima follow the black butterfly into the forest. "Um...Auntie No?"13

"What is it, girl?" No One sighed.14

"I think she's gonna find the Moor on her own."15

"She will," No One said. "But what she finds there...lord help us all..."16

~~~17

Ima chased the butterfly until a shiny thing caught her eye. She finally realized that No One hadn't followed her.18

"Or no one followed you," a voice came out of nowhere.19

"That's impossible, cause she's not here," Ima told the voice sagaciously.20

"Not that No One. No one as in no person."21

"I don't think I know a No Person. There's a Some One. And Every One. Then, of course, This One and That One. They're twins. Usually people just call them These Ones. Though No One says that's impropper grammar."22

"Oh, shut up, your nit wit!"23

Fluffy crawled up onto her shoulder. "I don't like this place."24

Este settled on her other shoulder with a silent nod.25

"So let's go home," Ima said quickly.26

"Oh, you can't leave," the disembodied voice whispered. You have to find a way to focus, to do that."27

"Or I could just turn around and walk away," Ima said defiantly, turning and walking back to where she had come from. Except that, it wasn't where she had come from. No where even close.28

A black snake slithered up next to Ima's leg and gave her a toothy smile. "Told you so," It said.29

"Oh, shut up," Ima grumbled. "If you're so smart, then you tell me how to get out."30

"Maybe you should ask them," It said, pointing at a group of trees.31

The trees were dark and tall, reaching up to the highest point of the sky, and the knots in the trunk seemed like faces, winking at her through the darkness.32

"Um...they don't look too friendly," Ima said. "Where did they come from?"33

"You," the snake insisted. "Same as me. And your two little friends, there." It licked its mouth eagerly. "Unless, of course, you want me to take them off of your hands. Then they would be part of me, and not you, though still you."34

"Huh?" Ima, Este, and Fluffy said simultaneously.35

"This is the Moor of Thought," the snake ammended. "Everything here comes from your mind, and only you can do anything to get out. Your mind needs some organization. At least enough to get you to focus in order to escape this place."36

"What happens if I can't?" Ima asked.37

Suddenly, a skeleton walked by, carrying a rotten sign that read, "Have you seen my marbles?"38

The snake grunted. "Ignore him. That's just Nicholas. He's been here for a while."39