The Other Side

CHAPTER 1

     The Reason Behind

      "Settle down, everyone!" Miss Mayla shouted as her students started buzzing like bees when they heard the story of Collins McGreggor. This young man just fell asleep on his bed, and didn't ever wake up again. The only last words from this young man was,

"I'll see you soonest, Luna."

Which is probably a message for Luna Rigdon, who is Collins McGreggor's best friend.

"Now that you've learned how Collins died, please, I am pleading..." Miss Mayla stared at Luna who was staring back to her.

"...refrain from lucid dreaming," she stated. That then gave Luna goosebumps as she remembered how far she had gone from dreaming, while searching for Collins' consciousness. She wanted to find her best friend's soul, to bring him back to life before tomorrow but how? How will she be able to do that? She didn't even know how did her best friend went to lucid dreaming.

This is insane, she thought.

"Lucid dreams doesn't really have scientific explanations. According to others, it is just a mere imagination, or this is insanity that would drive people to satisfaction—some people huh or, despair and regrets. It depends to the person but I'm telling you to stop now if you are doing it, or do not ever try it." Miss Mayla, added.

Luna glared at Miss Mayla which made the latter roll her eyes. Luna doesn't want to be rude but she can't help herself especially that everyone's thinking now that Collins died because of the 'so-called-stupid' lucid dreams.

Luna bit her lower lip as she remembered the things Collins told her before.

"Luna, remember this. According to my research, there are two kinds of lucid dreams. The first one is what they call, dream initiated lucid dream which says that there is something within a dream of the dreamer that triggers him or her to understand that they are dreaming. And the other one is wake initiated lucid dream, which is about the dreamer who moves from waking to dreaming with no loss of awareness."

And from what Collins said, nothing from it was clear for Luna. It just made her overthink, whether if there's two kinds, how do these dreamers wake up or how do they do it. And how much do Collins know about it? How long did he search for it? And why is he so interested about it?

"I'm talking too much, I think you didn't even know how to do it. But would you like to know a secret?" Luna was taken aback from her thoughts as she heard Miss Mayla again.

"What secret?" Her classmate from the front seat, asked curiously.

"They say, that if any of you want to know how to do it, meet Mr. Collins in your dreams." Luna then stood up which draw everyone's attention to her.

"Can you please stop disrespecting my best friend, Miss Sidney? It doesn't make sense. It's just making me want to choke you to death and say bye and meet me in hell," Luna exclaimed. Miss Mayla Sidney felt the need to shut up and just gave Luna a glare which then made the latter grab her bag and walk out.

Luna is in rage. She feels mad about how everything's going fine with others while she is there, at the school, taking classes without her best friend—without the man she so much love. Without his hugs and kisses and everything sweet. She is in rage because she knows that there's something more about lucid dreams that made Collins gone for too long.

After walking out from her class, she proceed to the backyard of the university where she, together with Collins found a secret tree house, two years ago and where Collins studied and researched about lucid dream. Her best friend's books and papers are long gone but there's an envelope left for her which she hasn't tried opening yet in the fear of knowing something weird or creepy.

Upon entering the tree house, what caught her attention is the couch at the middle.

"We never bought a couch before, and how is this even possible?" she mumbled to herself after realizing that the couch is way bigger than the door of the tree house. She put her bag on the couch and look outside the little window, looking for a strange thing that might be the suspect in this suspicious couch.

Left, and right but none.

Luna breathe deeply.

She sat on the couch and stared on the wooden floor where the envelope was. She then decided to open it after multiple times of her respiring activity.

As she start opening it softly, nervousness came rushing down her spine which sent shivers and gives her the feeling to poop or pee. This unexplainable nervousness is making her feel crazy.

After opening the letter, she closed her eyes and as soon as she opened her eyes, she start reading the letter slowly and heavily—

"Hey love,"

Just this phrase made her heart beat uncontrollably. Being called 'love' is what she dreamt of and knowing that the letter's from Collins added a joy to her heart.

"Oh, honey, why did you leave so soon? You just have waited me so we can leave together," she whispered to the thin air.

A tear fell as she continue to read Collins' letter.

"It's been months since I started this lucid dreaming. I had been dreaming about our wedding and having our own kids but it had always leave some spaces—those spaces felt so sad. I was not satisfied especially that I could only hear your voice from my dreams but not see your face. I was not satisfied because it isn't real—then I remember that I was dreaming, lucid. I told you before that there are two kinds but honestly, I found the third type.

Would you believe such thing? I guess you will. Of course, you will because that is how I know you. That is how you show me support.

But shame on me, really. I felt sick when I heard you months ago. You were talking to Miss Mayla about me and you called this thing I am experiencing stupid. I was hurt. I felt the pain so much and as I look back from the first time we met, I wished we never crossed same paths or stared at each other's eyes, but what's funny is that I love you still.

I still love you, that I'll tell you the only thing I'm afraid of to say in personal.

The third is the,

portal of magic.

I don't know if I'm a lucky guy to witness such witchcrafts and magics before my eyes but I can no longer go back to my body after this. I will be stuck in a portal that will hinder me to find my way home to my body, and to you.

How did I know? Because I met someone from the dark planet.

-Collins."

"What-the-friggin'-pumpkin. I! Don't! Get! A! Thing! Or! Two! What does this mean!?" Luna shouted. She stood up, messed up her hair and started stomping off her feet back and forth in the tree house, not minding if it would wreck or not.

As she do it, she heard the envelope fell to the floor. She was weirded out because she really heard it fell but somewhat, she thinks it was just natural. She pick up the envelope and saw a little pocket book inside.

The cover was so old yet she can still read it clearly. And what's written was something she actually didn't expect.