Wonderings of the Mind

Terror began to well up inside Paige Danner  when she realized she was no longer at home, in her own bed. Her heart was pounding inside her chest when she  woke up and felt sand inside of sheets.  Propping herself up on her elbows to glance around, she opened her left eye.  She was on a beautiful beach with white sand, she closed her eye and opened the right eye.  It was the same.. 

"Boy, Nana will really be mad this time," she thought.  "I'm not suppose to leave the yard."

When she looked towards the front she saw beautiful blue green water and a man standing there looking out across the water.  He was dressed in a black coat with tails, a top hat, his pants only went mid calf.  His stockings were  either red with white strips or white with red strips. his shoes black with large gold buckles.  He stood with his hands together behind his back.  He was rocking back and forth heel to toe, toe to heel.  He was humming a tune that she felt she knew but wasn't sure.

She, however, was dressed in her bright yellow Sunday School dress, white stockings and black slippers.  Paige got to her feet and brushed her long light brown hair from her face.  She dusted the sand from her dress and walked over to the man and tapped him on the back.  He froze on his toes, dropped his feet to the ground and begin to turn around.  He was a tall thin man so she had to look up at him. He had shoulder length black hair.  He wore the longest, wildest mustache that Paige had ever seen before. It was very thickly waxed and stood straight out from his face then curled back towards his face.

"Sir, please sir," she ask.

"What are you doing here,: his voice was full of surprise.  "You're not suppose to be here.  No, no, no this won't do, this won't do at all."

"What won't do sir," Paige ask.

"You being here!" his voice sounded excited now.  No, no she won't like this at all!"

"Who won't like it if I'm here?" Paige was trying to be polite.  "But the man wasn't listening to her.

"My name is Paige Danner," she said trying to introduced herself.

"I know who you are,:" he said very sharply. "But not why you're here."

"Where is here, Sir?" she was beginning to get upset herself. "And how do you know who I am?"

"I'm the Dream Weaver," he answered finally." And I know all about you.  You are twelve going on thirteen.  You live with your Nana, Gloria Sharp at 1022 Sunset Lane.  Yes, I know all about you, but not why you're here,"  He was wringing his hands together very nervously.

"How do you know all that stuff about me?" she ask puzzled.  "I don't remember ever meeting you before."

"I told you I'm the Dream Weaver...well more to the fact your dream weaver." he began. "And we've know each other since the very beginning."

Paige's heart was racing again,  It was beating so hard that she was sure he could hear it.  How does this strange man, whom she was such she had never met before, know so much about her.  How was that possible?  Now he's talking about being in my mind. How could she be in her own mind?  She began to wonder if he was in his right mind.

"Since the beginning of what sir? Paige asked.

"Since the very beginning of you," he answered.  "I'm the one assigned to help you with all your dreams,"  he said rubbing his head.  He rubbed so hard that his top hat slide to one side. 

"I don't understand,"  she said confused.  "How can we be in my mind?"

"Yes, your mind, and I know why I'm here," he said turning her around pushing her away from the ocean.  "And I know what I'm doing here, but I don't understand why you're here."

"Stop pushing me," she dug her heals into the sand.

"See all those trees with the roads and trails?" he asked.  "Well we made them you and I.  Each one leads you to a different one of your dreams>"

"Are they sweet dreams?" turning around to face him she crossed her arms and stomped her foot.  She always did that when she mad.  And she was really mad now.

"Yes, they're sweet dreams!"

"Then what is that place over there?" she was pointing across the water at the darkest clouds she'd ever seen.

"That's your dark side," there was quiver in his voice now.  "That's where nightmares come from.  We have to hurry now before she fines out your here!"

"All nightmares?" Paige asked.

"No, just your nightmares,"  he answered.  "That's where the dark Queen lives."

Paige looked up into his face and saw that he was really scared.  He was holding her hand now trying to pull her into a run.

"Is she the one who doesn't want me here?" Paige asked getting a little scared herself.

"Well, it's kind of like she doesn't want to be here," pulling her closer to him.  "She needs you so she can leave.  Now let's go before she fines out you're here."

Suddenly there was a load crash and a bright light.  It was just like thunder and lightening.  Paige began to feel cold and strange.  It was like someone was trying to get inside of her.

"What's happening!" her voice full of fear.

"Oh, no, she's here!" shouted Dream Weaver. " You come out right now! You know it's not allowed!"

Suddenly Paige felt as if she was being pulled apart.  It wasn't hurting but it did feel very strange.  Then something began to appear from her chest.  There was a hand at first, then an arm.  Soon a whole person was standing in front of her.  She looked just like Paige only it was like watching black and white TV.  Instead of brown hair, hers was black, she appeared to be a fated black color.

"Well look whose here," the other Paige said.an do that."

"Who are you?" Paige asked.

"I'm the darker side of you," there was a strangeness in her voice.  "The meaner side if want think of it that way.  And I'm tired of being pushed to the back of your mind.  I want out, but only you can do that."

"Don't listen to her, Paige!" he pulled Paige closer to him.  "For her to get out there you would have to stay here."

"Oh be quite, you don't have anything to say about it!" said the darker Paige.  "Look you agree to stay here and take my place and I take your place out there.  I'll be you, only meaner and I won't be such a goody, goody two shoes!"

"Look Paige you have to agree and then you hold hands,"  Dreamer Weaver explained.  "Then you change places.  She would become you and you'd become her."  Suddenly his face lite up  as if he had discovered gold.  "You did it.  You brought her here so you could leave."

Yes, I did.  So you just but out!" the other Paige was beginning to get upset.  "Look you don't ever have any fun.  You're living a boring life.  I would have fun, lots of fun."

"No Paige don't!  Come on I'll take you to the  doll house," he took her hand again and started moving towards a wide bright yellow road.  "the house is just down this road.  "I'll take you there and you can go home."

"No, Paige...please let me out.  It's so lonely here."  she began to cry or was she.  She started moving slowly towards Paige.  All she had to do was to hold of her hand; trick her into agreeing and the change would happen.  Like a flash she'd be out and Paige would be stuck here.

Dream Weaver could see what was happening.  He began to pull Paige closer to him and he was moving towards the road again.  He knew something the other Paige didn't.  She couldn't enter any of Paige's good dreams so just by touching the road she would be safe. They had just made it onto the road when the other Paige grabbed her hand.  There was a flash and she hit the sand.

"What did you do!" she screamed at them.  "I just saved her from you," he said.  "You can't touch her now and I'll make sure you can't ever bring her back."

They turned and hand in hand they walked down the road.  As they went he explained what had happen to Paige.  He told her that she was now safe from her bad self.  That she could never again bring Paige back into her mind.  When they arrived at the doll house Paige remembered it.  It was bought for her by her Nana when she was five.  It was in her Nana's attic right now.  When she got home she would get it out and put in her room.

Dream Weaver told Paige that all she had to do was go into the doll house,.  Paige was amazed that the doll house was now as large as her Nana's house.  She was told to go into one of the bed rooms and lay down on the bed.  When awoke she would be back home again, in her own bed. 

"Will I ever she you again?" she asked as she began to cry. 

"Now don't cry," he told her "Maybe we can meet in one of your sweet dreams...now that we know each other."

Paige give him a hug and walked into the house. She went upstairs and waved out the window to Dream Weaver, he waved back.  She lay down on the bed as she was told and closed her eyes.  Dream Weaver had been right when she opened her eyes she was home again.  She told herself that that was a real strange dream.  Then she remembered the doll house and she went to the attic.  As she looked at it sitting in her room she saw Dream Weaver waving from the door to the house.  She smiled and waved back knowing she was safe and that he was watching over her..