The Dream Trotters

Chapter 24

Phillipa and Finn met Theo a few hours later in one of the hallways, after they took half an hour to find the right one.  The hallway was the same as all the others, clean, simple, and with a plethora of rooms on each wall.  About twenty feet down, the hall ended in a single, black door.  The fascinating thing was, the door wasn’t an ominous or goth black, thats purpose is to inspire fear and turn away anyone who chances upon it.  It was merely black, a qualitative observation that anyone could have made.  The black of chalk boards.  The black of most new roads.  Just black.  There was no doorknob.  No hinges.  Just a lonely black door.

“I think that’s the room he meant,” said Finn, glancing down at a sticky note with instructions they had found on the kitchen fridge.  Next to the black door, the pink sticky note seemed out of place, alien to its surroundings.  

“Are you sure?  I would hate to go snooping in the wrong room.”  Phillipa glanced down at her shoes.  Her converses matched the door.  

“Positive as an electron.”  

“Finn… electrons have a negative charge.”

“Come on Pip, you know what I meant.”

“First things first, my name is not Pip, as much as you are not Finnigan. And secondly, I hardly ever know what you are talking about.”

“Whatever,” he said as he stuck out his tongue.  “No, I’m not positive but we should just try.  I’m tired of wandering around.”  Finn took three steps forward and on the fourth step, when he was about two feet from the door, it disappeared, leaving an open doorway leading into a dark room.  Finn’s curiosity was sparked, and he kept walking, Phillipa following cautiously as ever behind.  

The room was completely black, though interestingly enough, it was dark enough to see.  

“I didn’t see that coming.”

“Thanks for my daily dose of sarcasm Pip.”

“You’re completely welcome Finnigan.”  He growled, and was about to reply as Theo walked in.  

“You guys, calm down.  What ever happened to love for your fellow man?”

“But she’s a girl…” countered Finn.

“And he’s immature…” replied Phillipa.   

“I thought you were above petty insults Phillipa.  Both of you, sit down.”  A few moments ago, the room had been completely empty, except for the color black.  But in the next few seconds, the walls lightened to a comfortable grey and a red couch came into existence behind them.  Theo sat down in a  matching red bean bag which had also just “popped” out of nowhere.  Now that Theo had cleaned himself up a little, Phillipa had an easier time seeing how genius he truly was.  Yet he still had a sparkle of mischief in his eyes, the same as a young boy who knows that he’s wearing the wrong shoes to school, yet doesn’t care one bit.  All in all, it was a rather funny sight, a put-together man in a suit, sitting on a bean bag as if he were a giddy teenage girl at a group sleepover, drunk on punch and about to start a senseless party game which will probably end in everyone spilling their innermost secrets.  

Finn was hunched back on the couch, sitting as if his spine was curved backward or if the padding was curved that way.  Phillipa sat straight, feet firmly planted and hands over her waist, a stance which she normally presumed and helped calm down her nervousness.  Theo broke the heavy silence.  

“I have to say, you two are the spazziest students I have ever had.  Really, watching you practice is almost headache inducing, and I’m pretty random.”  To indirectly illustrate this point, Theo fiddled with his shirt buttons while he spoke.