Imagination's last hope: The quest to save the unseen world

Chapter 3

"This is a long and complicated story. I don't know how to explain it to you." Finnigan was flying up and down the room.

Rachel could tell that he was nervous, which made her even more nervous.

"Just get to the point." Rachel was sitting on her bed. She was a little worried about what Finnigan would tell her. It's not every day that a magical flying cat appears out of your closet and has something serious to say to you. That Finnigan couldn't get to the point made her even more worried.

"Rachel, this might be difficult to believe, but I need you to hear me out. I promise you that you aren't crazy. I am real."

Rachel just nodded. It still felt like she was a little crazy for believing a flying and talking cat. "There isn't just one world; there are a few. The real world is where we are now, and there are a few others. When people die, they get sent to one of these worlds. Some people become guardians. They get sent to the world of imagination and appear as imaginary friends in the real world. You stay with a kid for as long as they need you, then move on to take care of the next one. That's what happened to me. We have to take care of the children and protect them. One of our major jobs is to help spark creativity in the children's hearts. There are portals between the real world and the world of imagination. The portals are closing. We think it has something to do with the world of technology. I'm unsure what is happening there, but it isn't good. The children are losing their creativity and imagination because of their obsession with technology."

"Where do I fit into all of this?"

"I'll get to that now." He stopped flying up and down the room. "If the portal between the worlds closes, it's over. The world of imagination gets destroyed, and the real world becomes an awful place. We have to figure out a way to prevent that from happening. That's why we need your help."

"Why my help?" Rachel asked.

"You're the only person I can trust, Rachel. Plus, you're perfect for the job. You know exactly why having an imagination and being creative is so important, and you know how important it is. You're smart, a good leader, and you know how to think out of the box. I can name lots of ways why you are perfect for this."

"This makes no sense at all. How can there be so many worlds we don't know about?"

"Humans aren't supposed to know about these worlds. They would try to go through the portals, and the harmony would get disrupted."

"Is there still enough creativity left in the world?"

Finnigan started pacing up and down again. It was as if a dark cloud had dawned on him. "Only for a little while. A strict set of rules is in place for all the worlds to stay in harmony. The world of technology has broken those rules and caused an addiction to technology."

"How can that happen?" Rachel got up from her bed. She and Finnigan were now pacing from one side of the room to the other.

"Nobody knows. Everything was fine until about a month or two ago. Some guardians noticed the children weren't interested in them anymore. They are only interested in their PlayStations and playing video games all day."

"Just like Caleb."

"Exactly like him. The children don't want to read or draw anymore; they don't have any imagination anymore. The imaginary world is fading, Rachel, and if the portals close, it will be over forever." He stopped and looked at her straight in her eyes, "We need your help."

"Rachel! Dinner is ready." Caleb shouted from the hallway.

Rachel fell back down onto her bed. She was dumbstruck. She couldn't get any words out of her mouth. This whole thing was very surreal to her.

She has never even heard about the world of imagination and the other worlds. Finnigan was flying around the room. He didn't know what to say to her. Rachel seemed to take the news well, Finnigan thought. He expected much worse. He was worried that she would freak out once he broke the news to her. Finnigan knew he could count on her.
She has always differed from all the other kids. She didn't sit on her phone or in front of the TV all day. You could find her outside in the garden, collecting flowers and anything interesting that she could find. If she wasn't outdoors, she was reading a book or trying to draw a picture. Before she could read, she would scroll through the book and look at the pictures, making up her own story. Finnigan smiled when he thought back about the little girl who was always looking for a new adventure.

"How do I know that any of this is real?" Rachel sat up straight on her bed. "Maybe I'm insane, and you're still just a part of my imagination."

"Rachel, I know all of this sounds so crazy, but you have to trust me. You know I am real. You're the only person I could think of who would believe me." He came closer to look her in her eyes. "Please, Rachel. The world needs you."

"I have to think about it. How do I get you to come back once I've decided?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll know." Finnigan said and disappeared into thin air.