The Dream
By Jessie Bullens-Crewe

It was dark. The night was cold! I was riding in an old, worn-down school bus. I was with some of my friends — Carl, Max, Ben, Ona, Alicia, Steve, Jenn, Spencer, and of course Ms. Nolan.

Midnight. We were all tired, very tired, and ready to fall asleep when Ms. Nolan said, "Wait! I have a better place to sleep."

"Where?" everyone asked.

"Over there — in that old, spooky house." she answered. We all got out of the bus and went to the house. We knocked on the door. No answer.

"Well, no one is home. We can go and sleep in the bus." said Spencer. Then we all heard a creaking sound.

"What is that?" said Ms. Nolan. It became louder and louder, then it became footsteps.

"Hey, where is Steve? Oh, I'm scared!" someone said, sarcastically.

"Very funny Steve"'

"My name is not Steve." answered the voice. Startled, we all looked up.

We saw a pale man in dark flannel clothes. Then he said, "Why are you here?" We were shaking so much we couldn't talk. He boomed out again, "WHY HAVE YOU COME?!!!!"

A tiny voice said, "Leave them alone you big balooga!" The man put on a terrible face and slammed the door.

We all looked down to see who the little voice belonged to and I said, "Do you see that?" It was a boy.

He said, "What are you doing here?"

"Who said that?" Ona jumped. "It's him over here. Look! AAAANHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Ona screamed and ran back to the bus. Everyone looked as if they had no idea what she was afraid of and they didn't. But I did and by that time I was pretty spooked, what with the pale man and all.

By now, we were all extra tired except me. I wanted to explore everything. I made friends with the boy and he led me into the house. We came forth to an opening, a very small opening only the size for a mouse. "Where are we going?" I whispered, as if something was going to jump out and eat us all up.

"You'll see." he whispered back. We went through a secret door (people sized this time) and suddenly we were outside, behind a bush. I wondered why we were outside again, but I didn't say anything.

The boy went on. I followed. Then I saw my friends. I was about to say something but the boy quickly turned around and put his finger to his lips signaling that he wanted me to be quiet

We crept up on my friends, still not knowing what we would do. The boy turned to me, "Let's go up and scare them!" he whispered.

I looked out through the bush at my friends. They seemed kind of spooked. The house was pretty scary looking.

Then I took the boy's shoulder and dragged him behind the house. I said, "Gee, I'm tired. I'm ready to fall asleep."

"OK, OK, you go to sleep. I'll show you to your room," said the boy.

I had no idea what he meant about showing me to my room, because he didn't know we were coming ...... or did he?

We went back through the secret entrance and down the hall and stopped at the stairs.

I said, "Wait, what about my class?"

He said, "I'll just lead you first!" He led me up a set of twisty stairs and down a long dark hall. The door opened into a room with lots of books like a library. We walked to the other end of the room where he pulled out a book. With a grumble and a roar, a whole section of the room turned sideways. We walked through.

We came into a small bedroom which had a bed, a window, a drawer and some shelves. I was glad I had my knapsack. The ghost said, "I'll go take care of the others."

I set up a few things and went to sleep on the bed. After I fell asleep, I started to dream..... I dreamt that I was sitting up in the bed and the door swung open and in crept monsters. Monsters that had lost arms, legs and had only stumps left. Some had even lost stomachs, eeeeeeeew!! Eyeballs were hanging out!

I was dreaming this but it was also happening in real life! Suddenly my head sprang up from my pillow, I was dripping with sweat. All I saw was a flash of the monsters, then they were gone. When I realized that it wasn't just a dream, I was wondering if the boy ghost was evil or good. Thinking. Thinking, endless thinking, an endless think of the mind. I thought and thought for hours, finally it was morning. I wondered what I could do next. But it was still dark in the room.

I got up from the bed, got dressed and put my hand on the door handle. The door wouldn't open. At first I thought it was jammed. I pulled hard, but the harder I pulled the weaker I got. Finally I couldn't even raise my hand to try to open it. I dropped to the floor, I had no idea why it was locked. I had my answer to my think; he was evil no doubt about it.

I wondered what I could do until what ever happened next. I was still so weak I couldn't get up. I felt like I was crippled. Laying there, I felt a tenseness suddenly come over me. All at once a trap door under my back swung open. I swung myself on to my stomach. I looked down, there was nothing to be seen except a ditch as black as coal. There was a cool breeze and I wondered where it came from. Suddenly I felt something pull me down, it was a force, nothing gripped me, just a force.

I fell down and within twenty minutes I fell on something hard, hard as a rock, in fact it was a rock, a big boulder.