Emerald Green

Chapter 6

That morning, Melanie wakes up to find herself in a bedthat isn’t hers. She has no clue where she is until she feels a sharp pain on the back of her head where she had fallen on the stiff ground numerous times.  The previous day’s traumatic adventures come back to her as if she was being punched in the face.  She sat extremely still, waiting for something to happen or someone to come in.  But no one did, so she got up out of the light blue bed and stood there, taking in the fantasy room.

     It had light blue walls with small, faded flowers scattered throughout the large bedroom.  The bedspread was an intense navy that held your attention; the color was as deep as the bottom of the ocean. The frame was a canopy bed that had a white veil surrounding it on all sides.  There was a small white desk with swirls and pretty patterns etched onto the side.  A chandelier was positioned on the high ceiling.  It sparkled in the almost blue light coming from behind the drapes that hid the balcony.  There was as much blue here as there was green back at Emerald Green.

     Melanie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She felt the light, cooling breeze run gently across her worn body.  Looking down, and saw that she wasn’t wearing her clothes; instead, she found that she was wearing a glimmering nightgown that was blue as well.  “Do not panic,” she whispered to herself quietly, “Don’t panic.”  She knew that she had been taken to New Tyme, but where was everybody?  That question was soon to be answered.

“Knock, knock!” 

Melanie jerked around to face the door where she had heard the cheery voice, “Who’s there?”

The women, who Melanie vaguely recognized as the lady who took her here, replied, “Oh!  I didn’t mean to startle you Melanie, dear!  I’ve just brought in some breakfast; you’ve got to be hungry!”  And hungry Melanie was!  She hadn’t even gotten a chance to eat dinner at home or the tea at Emerald Green.  The lady, whom Melanie had trusted instantly, opened the door wider and stepped inside of the room.  She pushed a cart that carried all sorts of foreign delicacies that Melanie had never seen before.  The exotic scent wafted through the room until it reached Melanie, who was still standing awkwardly by the bed. 

Her stomach let lose a roar.  Her face turned bright red.  “I guess that my stomach speaks for itself,” Melanie said nervously.

 “You can sit down now sweetheart!”  Melanie slid up onto the bed, ready to finally eat.  “Here’s your tray,” she walked quickly over to set the plate in front of Melanie, “Hurry up and eat, your lessons will begin at the bell.” 

She started to leave but Melanie cried out, “Wait!  What lessons?  Can’t you stay to answer all of my questions?”

“It will have to wait. My name is Kristy if you happen to need anything.  I will come back at the bell to escort you over to the Main Chalet to summon your powers, and yes, I am your assigned trainer.  Until then, eat up, you will need the energy!”

•         •         •

GONG!!!!  Melanie’s ears shook with the sound of the bell.  She jumped out of bed from where she had been waiting patiently, not knowing what was about to happen.  Nothing like this had ever happened to her before.  Her life had never been out of the ordinary.  Every day, it seemed, she did the same thing.  Got up, went to school, went to book club, walked home, did her homework, and went to bed.  Now was her chance to make a difference in the world.  Now was her chance to become the made-up characters she had read about and loved.  On that note, she walked confidently up to the door, ready to face anything. 

The door opened with ease to Melanie’s surprise, and right outside the door she found Kristy just arriving to lead Melanie to her “lessons” and to answer her questions. 

“Hi,” Kristy said, always happy, “just follow me this way!”  Then, they strode down the lit hallway with many windows that led to a giant lobby dotted with many cool colors such as blue, green, and purple.  Melanie had decided that she loved New Tyme.  The glass chandeliers sparkled and danced, casting dancing rainbows on the tall white walls.  It was a palace.  Melanie saw busy butlers bustle about dusting the furniture and talking amongst themselves.

“Where are we going, again?”

“We are going to my Main Chalet to summon your inter powers before we start your training!”

“The Mane Cha Let?”

“It’s pronounced Sha-Leh,” says Kristy, correcting Melanie.

“Alright… summoning my powers won’t hurt, will it?”

“I don’t think so…”  Kristy says uncertainly.

“What do you mean?”  Melanie asks, tensing at the thought of pain being brought upon her by people who don’t even know her.

“You see, it only works for people of great power.  If we predicted correctly that you are the right one then it will not hurt.  If you aren’t, well… you get the picture.”

She looked at Melanie with a look of worry and paused before beginning again, “I was once like you, young and bright with my whole life ahead of me. Then all of that changed.  I lived on earth around the 1890s before I was presumed to be you as the answer to the realms’ predicament and was stolen by Dark Night.  Never had I been so worried about what would become of me.”  The usually happy expression fixed on her face shifted into a faraway look.

Melanie said nothing, not wanting to disturb the person who had trusted her with her troubles. 

          After a while of walking in silence through the Egyptian-like streets, they had left the building and found themselves in front of what she had called the Main Chalet.  It was amazing.

Melanie breathed in, surprised at its power.  Somehow New Tyme could incorporate different time periods in one building.  It had stoned walls to represent the medieval times, satellites to represent the modern time period, and many more different things.  Its majestic Greek pillars loomed over them.  It was simply breath-taking.  Melanie stood there in silence.  “Isn’t she a beauty?”

“Amazing,” Melanie sighed.

“I built it myself; back when I was first learning.  It turned out all right, but originally it was a mess-up when I had combined several spells on accident.  They merged into this beauty, a journey through time.  Kind of like the rest of New Tyme, so many time periods.”  Kristy stepped forward motioning for Melanie to follow.  They then headed inside together, disappearing into the darkness.