The Crucible

Chapter 1

Oh my gosh! Is this really a dream or reality? Catch me Ashton! I am falling for you. I will go over there and catch me! 1, 2...

“Hey Elaine, wake up you will be late for the first day of school!” Mom said.

“Okay mom, why does mom always wake me up so early?” said Elaine

Why do I always dream of Ashton? Although Ashton is my imaginary crush in my dreams, I don’t know him and I haven't even met him? I noticed that in all of my dreams, he's always there. Will my question be answered?

Janina is my best friend and also my childhood friend from elementary until now in high school. I told her about that dream, about Ashton and she always said, “It’s just a dream, don’t mind that!" 

As I walk through the hallway in our school with my best friend Janina, I see many weird things like a Queen with her servants, a flying cat and a rabbit who wears pajamas. I asked Janina.

“Hey Janina -- Janina look over there do you see that Queen? I think she is going somewhere with her servants. Oh! That flying cat in the sky is cute! And do you see that rabbit? She wears pajamas!  Janina did you see it?” I asked. We stop and Janina slapped me on the face.

“Elaine, what is happening to you? I can’t see those things you see, are you weird? You’re imagining again”, Janina replied.

“Well, I think it’s only my imagination or I am daydreaming. Those things are weird --maybe I am weird.”

The bell rang.

On Biotechnology, my teacher, Ms. Flamonte explains the Cell Division, I saw Ashton walking around. My teacher is asking something but I ignore her and called Ashton. “Ashton!”

The whole class looked at me and laughed and also my teacher asked me.

“Who is Ashton? Why you aren't listening to my discussion? Ok class I am explaining something in front and you will just call someone’s name? That is weird Elaine! I am ashamed of you!” My teacher said. I am very quiet after what happened in that subject. Then my classmate shouted something in front of the class. “Ashton, Ashton, Ashton! Where are you? Elaine needs help!”  All of my classmates were laughing at me. Then I noticed the tears falling from my eye until I fall asleep.

I dream of something I never dream before. The queen that I saw in the hallway was saying something to me. And there is a battle on that place. Then I saw Ashton wearing a pajama and a pillow because he is lost. He is finding something or someone and I don’t know what or who is it. I can’t see his face and the place is very blurred. All I can see is a world going to that place. I want to go over there because I am conscious of what is in there. Something is whispering on my ears saying, “Enter the world now and once you enter, you will receive a challenge and solving that challenge is the only way to go out of the world. It is challenging!”, then someone whispered with an evil laughing voice,“ Enter the world or  the world will visit you in your dreams tonight wahahahahahahahahaha!”

Then something is pulling me going to that world and I saw a small pot with a plant and I hold the little plant and then suddenly Janina woke me up.

“Elaine, why are you sleeping? And yuck, there is saliva in your face!” she said.

“What the -- Janina I will say something to you later”

“Ok...”

We have a pretest in Grammar today and I can’t concentrate because I remembered the words whispered to me, “ Enter the world or  the world will visit you in your dreams tonight wahahahahahahahahaha!”, I tried to concentrate on the test but my eyes blur and it is like something is controlling me. My teacher saw me and as she looked at me, I heard that she is saying, “Come to the world of dreams. Experience the happiness and enjoyment of life. Are you ready now or your dream will be affected? Wahahahahahahahahaha!” and I shouted to her.

“Stop! This is my decision and you can’t control me because we have different personalities so stop!” And then she became angry and she said, “I am just asking are you okay and you will just answer in that way? I am ashamed of you, we don’t know each other and you will shout at me? Who are you to shout me like that?”

“But Ma’am I hear...”

“That’s enough. You explain it to the guidance office and find someone that will help you to explain.”

Well now my studies are affected because of that dream. And I called Janina to help me explain in the guidance office. As we walked through the guidance office’s door, I saw the Queen is laughing at me. I just ignore her because we are in the guidance room.

 “So why did you shout on a teacher?” the guidance counselor asked.

“Ma’am, I am afraid because there is something whispering at me saying “Come to the world of dreams. Experience the happiness and enjoyment of life. Are you ready now or your dream will be affected? Wahahahahahahahahaha! Because I dreamed of something I never dreamed before. And it is like a sign of being prepared like that”

“So you are telling me that you are daydreaming? What kind of student is that?” my Grammar teacher asked.

“Because Ma’am, Elaine saw weird things in the hallway like the queen with her servants, a flying cat, and a rabbit wearing pajamas last Recess”, Janina replied.

“So okay, you don’t have the intension to do that?” my Grammar teacher asked.

“Yes Ma’am”, I said.

“You will be excused tomorrow because something is happening to you“, the guidance counselor said.

“Ok Ma’am”, I replied.

When I went home, the whisper followed me and I am really worried if it's true that it will appear to my dream.

When we ate dinner, I told my mother what happened to me in school. I told her about what is my dream. She was shocked and then she said “Elaine, I can’t explain your dream and I think you lack sleep. You better go to sleep now.”

And when I am on bed, something whispered to me, “Come to the world of dreams. Experience the happiness and enjoyment of life. Are you ready now or your dream will be affected? Wahahahahahahahahaha! I just ignored that and I wonder if the world will appear in my dreams.

"Oh, where am I, “said Elaine

"Elaine, enter the world and you will see Ashton in there", someone whispered.

"Oh no, it’s true the world appear in my dream", said Elaine.

"Elaine, enter the world and you will see Ashton in there”, someone whispered again.

"Wait, who are you and why are you forcing me to go in that world?” said Elaine.

"I am Rover Caprione, the henchman of the queen. I follow orders of the queen that I need to send you to the Kingdom of Nefelibata", said Rover.

"Come in and experience the happiness and enjoyment of life. Because of the softness of his voice, I was easily encouraged to enter and just a second I see an amazing world full of different people, unique languages and and I think it was the Kingdom of Nefelibata.

"Enjoy", Rover said.