I'm trudging, tired from the hot summer heat, into the cold air conditioned home. I slide my arms lazily out of my Jansport backpack straps and tilt my head back with a tired sigh and moan “Long day today at school...” I kick off my shoes by the door and shuffle my feet on the hardwood floor, picking up hitchhiking dust bunnies along the way. I come into my room and I see my already-made bed and think to myself Sanctuary!, I flop face down on my pillow and doze off.


I wake up with the lights off, the only light I see is the orange glow from my digital alarm clock. Everyone is in bed except for me; all the noise I hear is the air conditioning as well as the muffled sounds from a few cars driving by my house. I sit up and put my legs over the edge of my bed and stretch. Silently I sit here with the wheels spinning in my head, counting the hours I have recently spent in slumber. I hear a noise on the other side of my closet door, my eyes dart to the door. I hold my breath and wait for that eerie noise to happen again; the noise happens again and this time I am scared. I get up out of my bed and walk towards the closet door with a flashlight. The air conditioning comes on again with a louder “whirrrrr” than normal – only to blow my hair just enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up with goosebumps. I have been standing long enough at the door to make my body shake even more with fear. I gather enough nerve to reach for the closet door door knob and turn it; it creaks open as I slowly make my daring move. The flashlight in my hands reveal nothing is in my closet but clothes and old formal dresses. I pass over a bunch of jackets with the light from my flashlight and then go back; as I move the jackets, I see a door just big enough for me. For some strange reason I do not hesitate opening this second door. As soon as I open the door, my flashlight burns out dead. I try to fix the flashlight when all of a sudden a cold breeze rushes into my room. In the distance, I see a colored house, looking as if it is made of willowy tissue paper due to the fact it is glowing different colors. This house is also covered in silhouettes from the people inside, casting shadows onto the papered walls – someone has company over, I think to myself. As I take my first step onto the black marbled floor, I see an orb of light on the floor before me. Reaching down, I pick it up and it turns into a flashlight. So I begin, out of curiosity, to walk towards the house with my beacon. A few steps later, my closet door slams behind me all thanks to the air conditioning. The next thing I know the second door slams shut – my heart beats ten times faster, making my palms sweat. I lose my grip on my light as it falls to the marbled floor; turning back into an orb of light. Needing the beacon, I reach down to pick it up and notice I can not reach it! I get down on my knees and I try to reach it again, this time I do – but it is not a flashlight I find, it is a terrycloth bear. Hugging the bear, my mind crosses over the thought the orb... it knows my fears and what I need. Still on my knees, I look up to see there is not a ceiling but only clouds and twinkling stars making the jet black sky sparkle with wonder. I look back down at my knees. I am still clutching the terrycloth bear as I watch space pass by my knees. The marbled floor begins to be dotted with water. I look up and there are dark clouds covering my midnight stars. I get up from my knees and the terrycloth bear slips from under my arms and drops to the floor. The bear turns into an orb of light again and rolls a few feet in front of me, I chase after it but it keeps rolling away – avoiding my pleading hands. The rain still pours and I am drenched with tears streaming down my face in sadness and frustration. I stop chasing the orb of light and bow my head, I sob in the rain – it is still midnight. A few minutes later, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to find a man with an umbrella. Only his gentle smile peers from under the umbrella. He reaches out his hand as an invitation of a handshake. My heart beats fast as I try to make up my mind. Should I go with him? What should I do?! I've never met him before... I find my hand in his as I stand there in the pouring rain; just smiling at the fact that I am not the only one here. The man puts the umbrella over my head and I am instantly dry. He asks me in a sweet baritone voice, “Where are you going?” I swallow and think, Where am I going? He looks into my eyes and asked “Are you okay? Where are you going?” I look back into his deep brown eyes and sniffle “Yeah, I am just lost. The orb of light rolled away... I am cold and wet, not to mention the fact that I cannot to get to the glowing house over there.” I point off into the distance toward the glowing silhouetted house. He gives me a hug as I cry in his shirt. As my tears fall onto his shirt, I hear his heartbeat and feel his chest moving up and down as he breathes. He pulls me out of the hug and looks into my eyes again, telling me that everything is going to be okay and that he is going to the glowing house as well. Outside of the umbrella, it is still raining; we start to walk together. He and I tell each other our stories and adventures. As we are walking I slip on the wet marbled floor. The man catches my fall and pulls me up into his arms. He asks me again sweetly “Are you okay?” I decide to return a question, I ask him, “What is your name?” He whispers into my ear, “My name is Thomas, what is yours?” I blush and tell him my name. I thank him for not letting me fall when I slipped and helping me out of the rain.

Thomas and I walk around for a while along the stretch of marbled floors, we talk and exchange stories of our lives. But then he is quiet; he looks around trying to find something to talk about. People have told me that I can learn about someone while walking in silence with them. I look up at this handsome young man and notice his curly brown hair; he puts down the umbrella and it is still midnight. When he put down the umbrella, I see more to him than I have before. Thomas is wearing a gray V-neck and blue jeans with converse to match; I also notice he is wearing a silver Rolex watch. I will never forget the aroma he has around him and the feeling I have when I am with him.

As we are walking, a house starts to build itself around us. Brick walls and stucco-decor accent the home along with the interior, leather sofas and soft lighting and extravagant rooms appear and make themselves known. The smell of warm sugar cookies fill the air and make Thomas and I hungry. Later, the little orb of light that ran away from me earlier comes back and this time it is bigger and it talks! “Hello, welcome to your new home!” it cheerfully welcomes. I scream a frightened scream, jumping into Thomas' arms. He chuckles and says, “What are you afraid of?” He sets me down but I still cling to his side. “I-i-i-it talks! An-an-and it's HUGE!” I stutter, trying to find words to describe how I have missed it. Thomas laughs and says, “Hi Beam, how are you?” Beam replies, “I am doing just fine, Thomas... I see you know my owner.” Beam is talking about me. I hide behind Thomas like a little child scared of meeting their new elementary school teacher. “Yes, indeed I have, Beam she is wonderful, isn't she.” I blush as I hear him talk about me like that – he acts like he has known me forever.

My trip on cloud nine is interrupted when I hear Beam say “We need to leave...” I peer from behind Thomas with a confused look, Beam notices my expression and says “I will continue with more information as we walk.” Thomas, Beam and I start to walk out of the beautiful home and out onto the marbled floor. Beam starts to explain why he and Thomas are there with me and what is going on; he says something about my future and then I dose off daydreaming about my future. I wake up to Beam saying that everything is going to be okay, just as long as I keep going to the glowing house in the distance. I take a quick glance at Thomas' Rolex, and notice that it is still midnight. But then something else occurs to me, on his watch, it has my name on it and a bunch of numbers. The numbers on his Rolex are not the normal twelve one would see on a normal watch; these numbers look familiar- the thought comes into my head those numbers show how many times I have had a dream... Thomas looks down at me, noticing that I am marveling at his Rolex. He smiles and asks “Do you like it?” I quickly look up at his face and reply “Oh yes, I do like it... but why does it have my name on it?” He stops walking, as does Beam, and turns to look into my eyes; my heart races with excitement as Thomas sighs and puts his hands on my shoulders. Out the corner of my eye I see Beam with a huge grin on his face, then I think to myself, If Beam is smiling, then I should too! Beam knows everything... I begin to hear Thomas' voice, but I did not quite catch everything he explained to me the first time. “What?” I ask, and he explains to me once more of why my name is on his Rolex. “The reason why your name is on my watch is because, well, I am your future husband. You are on my watch because I am preparing now for the time we are going to spend with each other.” Thomas smiles and rubs my shoulders, my heart races and I faint, waking up a few hours later in Thomas' arms as we are headed to the glowing house. As we are walking, trees and grass start to come up out of the marbled floor as Beam bounces up and turns into an eagle and takes his place next to Thomas. Thomas and Beam are talking away about nonsense when Thomas looks down and sees that I am awake. He looks around and admires the scene around him. “This is a beautiful place, Beam, what are we doing here?” Beam flies away, leaving Thomas and I together alone in the forest. Thomas sets me down and says, “Well I guess it is time for us to bond... erm get to know each other better.” He looks at my grinning face as we start to walk in search of a place to build shelter, he and I exchange stories and dreams. Thomas is telling me about his childhood and I am enjoying learning more about him. As we finally get the supplies we need for the shelter, Thomas and I build our own huts just until Beam flies back. A question arrives in my head and I blurt it out without even knowing I did; Thomas glances at me and says, “You do not even know your own world anymore... do you?” I stare at nothing and ponder in my head... Do I really know this place? I thought. “I have all these questions about my own world! What am I going to do?” I exclaim to Thomas, who is by the way the one who knows me better than anyone I know, gives me a reassuring hug that lets me know that everything is going to be okay. He then sits me down and explains everything:

“Beam is the one imaginary friend you made up when you were in the third grade. He changes shapes and such because, well, you want him to. See that house down there? That is the place you want to go right?” I nod and he continues his explanation “I, Thomas, am your future husband. You have not met me yet, but I am in your dreams fighting for you. Like I have told you before, my Rolex with your name on it means that I am preparing every minute of the day to be sealed to you in the Temple of your choice.”

As soon as he is done, I feel a tightening squeeze around my neck. I put my hand up to my neck and I try to scream, but my voice would not make any noise. My eyes close and my mind goes blank. Just as soon as I think there is no such thing as hope, Thomas is there helping me, somehow able to destroy the controlling snake. I gasp for air and plead my mind to find my imagination and creativity. Darkness fills my head as I slowly start to feel my heart slowing down. Thomas is calling my name, begging me to stay. I feel his hands trying to free me from the snake's choke hold. I wake up later, after what seems like a few days of sleep. And I find Thomas' watch next to my face. I smile and sit up; Thomas apparently made me a cot and a warm fire after the snake incident. On the other side of the fire I see Thomas sound asleep, and I catch myself smiling. This young man has saved my life so many times. I look down at the watch and I notice it is no longer midnight, but rather it is two in the morning. I look up at the star studded sky through the forest trees, and I realize that the stars have multiplied since the last time I saw them. As soon as I get up out of the cot, Thomas is right by my side with Beam on his shoulder. Beam announces that it is time to leave and that it is going to rain soon. “I am curious Beam,” I said, “How do you know all of this information?” Beam flies off Thomas' shoulder and lands on mine. He whispers in my ear, “I know this information because I have seen it happen.” Right as Beam tells me that, he returns back to Thomas' shoulder and I stop walking. The lush green forest starts to melt away into the black marbled floor and the glowing silhouetted house is almost in arm's reach. Thomas stops walking and pulls me aside, he once again looks in my eyes and says, “I must leave now, I have my own dreams to be in...” Tears swell up in my eyes and and I hang my head in despair; thoughts and memories fly through my mind like paper airplanes. “I don't want you to leave...” I choke back through my tears, he brought me so much happiness into my life. I look around, no one is there. The glowing house is only a few feet away. I hear laughing and clinking of fancy glasses and soft classical music playing. I sigh and glance back down again, the jet black sky begins to shed its fair share of rain again. My eyes look a little bit ahead of me and see the terrycloth bear I had held in the beginning of this adventure; I run towards it falling on my knees to the black marbled floor. My tears run down my face as I embrace the terrycloth bear; the rain still pours on me as I sit there for a while and ponder what to do next. I am thinking about what my plans should entail and I am startled when I hear someone's voice behind me say “All is not lost, get up and go to that house. Thomas is there waiting for you.” I turn around to see who it is and find it is Beam in the form of a floating orb of yellow light. Beam's light is not as bright as the sun but it is bright enough to scare away the dark clouds around me. I smile up at Beam while getting up off the slick wet floor as Beam hands me a note that reads:

To my beloved friend,

I will never forget you.


Love,



Thomas
There is a package too, I open it and it is Thomas' Rolex. My face blushes a bright red accompanied by my white smile. I say to Beam “Beam, thank you for always being there for me.” Beam's light glows a little brighter and replies, “You're welcome.” Beam and I start to walk towards the glowing house, the rain stops as I look back at my world I have traveled in one night. I glance at the Rolex and how my name glitters in the moonlight. My heart beats faster as I get to the glowing house. My hand reaches out to the doorknob, I look back and hear “Go on, you can do it! Thomas is waiting for you...” Beam encourages. I take a deep breath and nod my head. My shaking hand opens the door as a breeze comes through the door. Bright colors feed my hungry eyes; I walk into the Technicolor home and I fall face first. Falling so fast I hardly feel a thing when I land. My landing is graceful and soft like a gymnast sticking the landing after swinging on the uneven bars.

I hear birds singing and I feel the warmth of the sunlight shining through my window. My eyes open. I am in my bed and my alarm clock just went off. As I go to shut off my alarm clock, I notice I still have the Rolex with my name on it and it is six thirty in the morning. A smile appears on my face as I get out of bed and get ready for school.

The question of what I have experienced, whether or not it was real, runs through my head as I head off to school.