The dark misty forest path, overgrown with vegetation creeping out of the least used parts, looked old and unused. However it was evident that it still was in use. You could tell someone or something still took this path all the way down to a lush opening, where the grass looks as though it is brighter than the rest of the grass before it. In the clearing a fresh path was made where the grass was pushed down, it looked like one or two people could have passed through but the new path came to an end where it met a girl that looked to be 14 or 15 years old. She had blond hair down past her shoulders and looked as though she was prepared to go far into the woods. She wore a white T-shirt and long black pants that barely blended into the grass thanks to the bright moon above. Amidst the darkness of the trees were three pairs of big white glowing eyes which watched,barely visible, in the darkness. As one set of giant white eyes approached the lighted clearing, it revealed a 12 to 13 foot tall, dark, hooded creature.The only details on its face were its eyes. Its face was pure black, like looking into nothingness. As it got closer, a stick snapped under its weight with a loud echo throughout the forest. The girl opened her eyes revealing bright blue eyes almost seeming to light up her surroundings.
A faint voice called out. Its words almost lost in the wind. "Becky you have to wake up before they find you!"
The girl got up, not knowing where she was or how she got there. She looked around the clearing quickly and saw the giant creatures coming towards her. She almost stumbled before catching herself, and started running towards the forest. The forest, however, had its own plans. As the girl ran, she couldn't go where she wanted. The forest twisted and weaved in front of her eyes forcing her to go where it wanted her to go.
A voice called out again "Becky you have to wake up! You don't want him to find you." The voice faded into the forest as it got further away.
The girl ran and ran for her life with the three tall figures chasing her through the forest. They knew where to go in the constantly changing forest without breaking a sweat like they were magic. The girl ran and made it to a small river with a single old stone bridge that looked like it had been there since the beginning of time. The bridge had a weird pattern going across it. It looked like it was held still in time. Old, but never aging. Each stone held together with magic to form a bridge. The wind whispered seemingly out of nowhere, the whispering got louder with each step the girl took closer to the bridge.
As the girl stood before the bridge the wind whispered her name "Becky…Becky..." Something about this bridge seemed off. A feeling of dread overcame her.
The girl got closer to the bridge not knowing where else she could go. The sounds of the creatures got closer to the girl. Closer than she hoped. With the creatures in sight, the girl had no other choice. She decided to cross the bridge. And as she walked on the bridge the pattern carved into the bridge started to glow. It glowed a blue color lighting up the forest around the bridge. When the girl reached the middle of the bridge a bright blinding light went off from the bridge where the girl stood. Before the girl could do anything she found herself falling in an environment like none other. There were hundreds of colorful balls all separate from each other. Some big, some small. The girl fell past hundreds of them before falling straight into one.
"Becky, wake up"
Becky woke up in her bedroom with the sun barely shining through the window. "Oh, it was all just a dream," she murmured, though the sensations lingered, vivid and tangible. The very essence of the air, the grass beneath her feet, and the whispering wind—it had felt so real. But it was a mere dream.
"Becky get dressed and come downstairs so you can eat breakfast before we leave." her mother's voice echoed throughout the house.
"Okay, Mom. I'll be down shortly," called out Becky.
Becky descended the staircase, and as she did her eyes glanced at the window. She caught a fleeting glimpse of movement outside the window. Perhaps a passing cat or the playful rustle of the wind, she thought. It was likely nothing more than a small creature scurrying amidst the foliage. Then Becky sat down at the table with her mother to enjoy her breakfast. While savoring her breakfast, Becky thought about her dream and how vivid it was.
"Are you almost finished, Becky? We probably should get ready to leave soon." her mother said, bringing Becky back from her thoughts.
"Ya, I'm almost done," Becky said. Becky quickly finished her breakfast and grabbed her bag and ran out the door to catch up with her mom. She got into the car and was off to school. During the car ride to school, an unshakeable sense of being observed or followed shadowed Becky's thoughts. Yet, she found no concrete evidence of such surveillance. Becky thought back to the dream she had last night connecting it to how she felt, it didn't feel like a normal dream. It was like seeing through someone else's eyes, unable to control what happened, like a puppet. Upon arriving at the school grounds, the wind tried to mess with her hair and reminded her more of the dream—the ancient bridge nestled within the forest. However, she fought against the urge to lose herself in reverie; her friends awaited her. Still, that bridge held an enigmatic significance in her mind. No, she must remain focused, her objective firmly fixed on reaching her math class. The subject had proven challenging, and her grades suffered as a consequence. Once Becky got into the school she walked down the semi busy halls. She continued to walk through the cafeteria to where she normally meets her friends.
Once Becky saw her friend she called out, "Hi Rebecca, Hi Emily!"
"Hey, Becky!" Rebecca's cheerful voice resonated through the cafeteria.
Approaching her friends, Becky still couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Yet no prying eyes met hers, no visible judgments were cast.
"Hurry up, Becky! Come look. I got the new book, Whispers of Arcane Hearts: A Journey Through Enchantments," Emily said with a sense of urgency.
"Alright, alright. You seem unusually excited about a book. Especially a book about a girl that learns she has magic and goes on an adventure in a magical world." Becky replied.
"You're never excited about any story no matter what it's about. You never know what's possible. It could happen to you." Emily playfully teased.
"That can't happen, magic isn't real. But, I suppose magic could be in one's dream,"said Becky.
"Come on, let's start reading it before the bell rings," Rebecca interrupted.
"Alright, chapter one, The Enigmatic Call of Elysium. In Elysium, where magic hummed in the air, Princess Anna strode through the city's bustle. Wrapped in a dark cloak, she sought the hidden library, known for its ancient secrets. Princess Anna, fueled by curiosity, wandered the streets, today drawn by an unknown allure, a beckoning mystery…" read Emily
Becky's focus went from the book back to her own thoughts. Her thoughts drowning out Emily's' reading. Almost like magic Becky couldn't shake the feeling of being drawn towards the bridge. Almost like something was pulling her arm to get her to follow them.
"Becky?" said Emily in a concerned voice, "Are you okay? I said your name twice and you didn't respond. Are you feeling okay?"
"Ya…I'm fine, I was just thinking about something." Becky answered.
"Alright then…" said Emily before being interrupted by Rebecca.
"We better get to our class before the bell rings. I don't want to be late again!"
Becky, Emily, and Rebecca got up from the table and started heading for their first period class, math. Emily, and Rebecca talked about magic and how cool it would be if there was real magic in the world. How life would be different if there was magic. Once inside Becky took her seat, in the back of the class with her two friends sitting next to her. After the teacher gave his morning introduction he told the class to take out their math books and turn to page 106. Becky reached down and took out her math book from her little green backpack. As the teacher went through his lesson, Becky couldn't shake the persistent tug at her consciousness, a whispering call from the dream world. Math class became a blur; the numbers on the board seemed to dance with the fleeting memories of the forest's winding paths. Her focus faltered, her thoughts drifting away from the quadratic equations that filled the whiteboard. The longer she thought about it, the more vivid and surreal it felt, enticing her to seek out the bridge nestled within the woods. Her thoughts drifted into another reality, with Becky walking on the old tattered path that she walked on in her dream but this time there wasn't anything after her. It was as though she was actually in the forest. Determined, Becky made her way toward the woods looking for the thing that was haunting her brain. The forest greeted her with its dense foliage and the subtle scent of earth. The daylight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. As she ventured deeper into the woods, the familiar feeling of the dream world enveloped her senses. Every rustle of leaves and every gentle whisper of the wind seemed to echo the events of her dream. Her heart raced with anticipation and trepidation, unsure of what she would find. Amidst the trees, Becky's eyes met something she had hoped to never see again. She saw the same tall, dark figure standing still. Becky's heart raced. She tried snapping herself out of this daydream but she wasn't able to wake up. Becky stumbled backwards causing herself to fall down. Beckys fear increased.
Becky's clumsiness managed to draw the creature's attention. Becky was face to face with the monster from her dream. Becky scrambled to her feet and started bolting in a random direction not knowing where she was going. Not long after the tall creature let out a painfully loud scream. The whole forest went silent. As Becky ran, not knowing how close it was to her, she could hear its scream echoing through the forest. Then, in a clearing bathed in a soft, ethereal light, Becky caught sight of the bridge—a weathered, timeless structure that bore the same enigmatic pattern from her dream. Its stones held together by an otherworldly magic, just as vivid and surreal as in her subconscious realm. Becky approached cautiously but quickly, the bridge seeming to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Her breath hitched as she stood at the bridge's edge, mesmerized by its mysterious allure. The creature let out a painfully loud scream once more, urging Becky to take the first step onto the ancient structure. As Becky walked across the bridge, a tide of transformation surged through her being. The familiar woods dissolved, yielding to an entirely new dimension. In this unearthly realm, the very air crackled with an enchanting energy that sent shivers down Becky's spine. Her eyes widened in pure wonder.
Before Becky could fully grasp the situation, she was falling into a captivating space. Numerous vibrant and uniquely shaped blobs filled the area, each a burst of colors – some large, others small. It felt like she was floating weightlessly, as if in zero gravity. Yet she couldn't control her path. She was being pulled through the air. Gliding down, Becky passed many of these captivating, color-filled blobs until she found herself heading straight towards one. As Becky got closer to one of the blobs of color she started moving faster and faster until she hit it.