Collided Worlds

Chapter 3

I don’t think Mr. Sharp cared that we missed second, third, and now, half of fourth period. All I knew was that we were standing in the area behind Riveredge, a place I never knew existed, with all my classmates from first period. It wasn’t exactly a forest, but had some trees, and lots of caves. I thought of it being the perfect place for an Entrance or Exit, but I wasn’t sure there was any here.

“Well, Calia.” Mr. Sharp began. “You have the honor of entering first.” He pointed to a cave that was large, and had a deep, dark entrance.

I looked into the cave, and quickly turned away from it. “Can’t I just send some guards in or something…?”  I asked, dreading that a second later he shook his head, and also that I ditched the guards back at the Academy.

“Oh, relax. You’ll be fine.” He assured me, but I knew by the evil smile on his face, nothing was even close to being fine.

“Come on, Calia.” Ezami smiled, stepping next to me. “Let’s enter the dark and possibly dangerous cave together!” Her tone was like a five-year-old, wanting to explore.

“Okay!” I exclaimed, copying her excited voice and linking arms with my best friend. “We’re off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!” We sang as we skipped inside, pretending that the dark-grey soil was the yellow-brick road.

The first thing we saw was a weird glow. Like, a dark-blue and white glow. I heard the footsteps and whispers behind me, which meant my classmates weren’t far behind.

“I don’t like it.” I whispered nervously as we stopped skipping and un-linked our arms, hoping we would somehow turn back, like it was the wrong cave or something.

“Relax, Calia!” Ezami smiled as we approached the glow, and noticed it was some kind of portal. “Where does it lead to?”

Ezami proceeded towards it, but tripped over a rock in the process. She let out a short scream before falling through.

“Ezami!” I screamed before jumping in, head first, after her.

I hit grass, and Ezami. I didn’t recognize the area at all. “Ezami?” I asked as we both sat up. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She replied, rubbing her head. “You?”

“Yeah.” I smiled as we stood up and shook ourselves off. Our eyes searched around the area. That’s when I started to believe Mr. Sharp. There are other worlds.

I’m just not sure what lived here.

I heard the footsteps and whispers again, which meant my classmates made it, hopefully none of them tripping, too. I glanced over the heads, but didn’t see Mr. Sharp. Something’s not right.

“Well, class.” Mr. Sharp’s voice was there, but I couldn’t see him. “This is my home world, and this is what I am.”

I looked in the direction of his voice, and then I saw it. The big, brown, four-legged, sharp-teethed, sharp-clawed, and very fuzzy, fur-like…

Werewolf.

I conjured fire to my hands and up my arms as my classmates ducked behind me. The wolf stood there in sitting position and cocked his head to the side, but came closer.

“Is that any way to act in front of your teacher?” The wolf asked us. “Not very respectful now, is it?”

Wait… Mr. Sharp… is a Werewolf!?

“Mr. Sharp?” I asked the wolf, his head still cocked to the side.

“Yes?” The wolf- I mean, Mr. Sharp, answered back.

“You're a wolf!?” Ezami screamed, making him jump back and start growling, teeth showing and looking at us furiously.

“Ezami!” I whispered loudly. “You’re gonna scare it.”

“I’m no ‘it’ Calia.” Mr. Sharp laughed. “Glad you think of me that way.”

“Oh, no problem.” I said, dousing the flame. “Okay, Mr. Sharp, you mind showing us around this dark, scary area to us?”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Mr. Sharp smiled his weird wolf smile and took the lead and headed down a dark, asphalt path.

We passed trees and caves, paths leading to who-knows-where, little cottages that I guessed other wolves lived in. We soon arrived at a town. I saw people and wolves, so I guessed they were werewolves, too. Just not transformed into them.

“Do you have family here, Mr. Sharp?” I asked out-of-the-blue. I don’t know why I asked, I think just out of curiosity.

“I have some.” Mr. Sharp replied.

“Ooh! Can we meet them?” Ezami sounded all excited.

“Maybe at some point.” Mr. Sharp laughed.

“But why not?” Ezami sounded like the five-year-old, except whining.

“Because I have other places to get to.” His voice was harsh, and made Ezami stop talking. In fact, it made all of us stop talking.

“So… what do you all think of my home world?” Mr. Sharp asked the class, breaking the silence.

“We haven’t seen that much of it.” Ezami replied.

“Fine.” Mr. Sharp said, thinking of a way to restate the question. “What do you think of it so far?”

“It’s definitely… you.” I replied, thinking that was the right word.

“Me?” He asked like he took it offensively.

“Yeah, like you.” Ezami said, agreeing with me.

“Oh, so you think your teacher is some kind of furry dog who likes the full-moon-lit night and howls for no reason, huh?” He asked us.

Ezami and I looked at each other, thinking the same thing. “Yes!” We said in unison.

He let out a laugh. “Well good, cause I do.” He jumped up onto a high rock and sat into sitting position, the moon silhouetting him as he howled into the night.