Chapter One
My life isn't exactly one that people can picture themselves living. I'm sure there are kids who would dream of being part of the world that I dared to venture into. But they have no idea just how cruel that world can be. This is the story, of how I found myself choosing between our world, and a land full of dragons.
…
"I know everyone you know, You know everyone I know Our Venn diagrams are one circle, You grow up when I'm not looking We grow apart without knowing, And all of a sudden I'm leaving..."
"So, do you have everything packed?" Mom leaned against the doorway, arms folded as she watched me.
A backpack full of clothing and other supplies lay on my bed. Mom always expected me to be an A plus student. She used to tell me that reaching for the highest point would get me places, and I was beginning to realize that she was right. So of course, when I found out that I was failing math, I was forced to embark on a camping trip our teacher had proposed. Mom was more than happy to sign me up, on the assumption that I would go for the extra credit.
"Yep, I've got about two week's worth of supplies in here," I replied with a sheepish look.
How I managed to do that was beyond me. I wasn't exactly the most organized person in the world. It was usually my mom who managed to help out when it came to packing my stuff. But this time I tried doing everything on my own without having my mom breathing over my neck.
"Hm… maybe we should give this whole camping trip a second thought," mom suddenly said as she gave me a hug.
Her reluctance to let me go alone suddenly left another reminder that I didn't venture very far from home on my own. I understood why she was so reluctant to part ways with me, but I also knew that staying would only hinder me in the end. I wanted to go out and see the world, and everything it had to offer.
"Mom, I'll be fine," I reassured her. "Besides, I won't be alone."
"I know, that's what worries me."
Her response only made me laugh.
"Mom, Jacob's waiting for me outside," I muttered with a roll of my eyes.
Fortunately mom dropped the subject. It wasn't just a matter of being away that bothered me. I desperately wanted to get good grades in school like I had promised. Doing this extra credit assignment would hopefully prove that I had what it took. With that thought in mind, I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder and made my way downstairs.
Sure enough, my neighbor and best friend, Jacob Faux was waiting for me outside on the front porch. He looked as if he was ready for anything, a full hiking backpack and all. I grinned sheepishly when the door slammed behind me.
"Got the insect spray?" I asked with a chagrin.
"Haha, very funny," Jacob replied. "Come on, the bus is waiting."
"So I say I'm sorry I can't, I've got plans As I watched the time slip through my hands, What you don't know now, One day you'll learn, Growing up is a heavy leaf to turn A heavy leaf to turn..."
The trip to Lake Ariel felt like it had taken hours. Abigail sat next to me while Jacob chatted with another student. Abigail was another good friend of mine. We'd been friends since the first grade, and things hadn't really changed since then. Only Abigail was more interested in getting more popular than I could ever dream of.
And of course when girl in particular was joining us on said trip. Her name, Jessica. I wouldn't necessarily say that I hate her. But let's just say we've been enemies since the first grade. Jessica did everything she could to make my life miserable. To the point where I had often thought of transferring schools.
"Take me with you, 'Cause even on your own, You are not alone Take me with you, 'Cause even by yourself, my love You are something else..."
"So, have you heard the rumors about Lake Ariel?" Abigail suddenly asked. I pulled out an earbud and looked at her skeptically.
"You mean about it being haunted?" I retorted. She simply shrugged as I glanced out the window. "Yeah, I've heard."
"I just wonder if it's true," Abigail murmured in a longing tone. "I mean, wouldn't it be cool if someone just vanished?"
I bit the bottom of my lip, remembering what had happened to my father eight years ago. Jacob was the only other person who knew what he did to me. Even Abigail was unaware of the truth. A few years ago he disappeared off the face of Earth. The cops had told us that it was like he didn't even exist. I called bullcrap on it, but of course it wasn't like my opinion ever mattered.
"Well, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone," I whispered.
Abigail gave me a look that suggested I was crazy. Hey, I didn't want anyone getting hurt unless they deserved it.
Fortunately the bus had finally pulled to a stop. Thirty minutes went by, and the trip wasn't as long as I was expecting. Miss Attwater, the math teacher, was standing beside Mr. Blight as she searched for the papers in her duffel bag.
"Alright, I want everyone to be on their best behavior while we're here," Miss Attwater told everyone. "And these maps will act as your guide throughout the area. Please, try not to get lost when exploring. And stay with a partner or a group."
The moment I stepped outside was when I regretted going on this camping trip. Jessica had been behind me at the time, and pushed me forward. Of course everyone was watching at the time, and laughter burst throughout the crowd when I landed in a pile of mud.
"Oh, sorry, I'm such a clumsy girl," Jessica sneered as she stepped forward and onto the grass nearby.
"That's enough, Miss Grenson," Mr. Blight snapped. "Unless you'd like to run a few laps around the lake?"
Leave it to our school to force the gym teacher on a math trip. Not for the first time, I was beginning to wonder why the school thought allowing him to go was a good idea. I had a feeling the only reason he was there was because no one else wanted to go.
This was going to be fun. I nearly rolled my eyes at the prospect of spending an entire week with the gym teacher
'You okay?" Jacob asked as he helped me up.
"Well, other than being soaked and covered in mud, I'm perfectly fine," I muttered, sarcasm dripping from my voice.
"There are showers in the cabins," Miss Attwater reassured me. "And Jessica, you will be excluded from campfires tonight," she added to Jessica, who was now scowling in annoyance.
My moment of triumph was short-lived when I realized that Jessica would probably just do something far worse later on. I shook my head at the thought, grabbing my suitcase and making a run for the girl's cabin. Luckily it was only a few steps away from where the bus had parked. And sure enough, Miss Attwater had been right.
I let out a sigh of relief the moment warm water touched my skin. This camping trip was beginning to seem more like a nightmare than a challenge to get better grades. I was beginning to wonder if going really had been a mistake.
"Hey, Alex, over here!" Jacob waved to me once I was outside.
Small circles around campfires were formed as the sun began to set. I looked around to try and get my bearings as I wondered what we would do tonight. Miss Attwater had said that the real fun wouldn't begin until tomorrow. But she always had something planned under her sleeve.
"We were just telling ghost stories," Abigail said, her voice giddy with excitement.
"Sounds exciting," I murmured halfheartedly.
"Well, Matthew's the best storyteller around," Abigail chimed in.
By now Jacob was fighting his laughter while Matthew's cheeks turned a bright red. I couldn't help but smirk at the sight. Abigail had a huge crush on him, and I had a feeling Matthew felt the same. Of course he would never admit his feelings, and neither would Abigail. It was fun to watch them though.
"Hey, why don't you tell the story this time?" Jacob asked, glancing at me expectantly.
I looked at him warily. He knew how much I hated being put on the spot.
"Okay… how about the story about the girl who disappeared?" I suggested after giving it some thought. This was a story my mom had told me when I was younger. I was always freaked out by the story, thinking it could be true. "So, ten years ago this school hosted a camping trip similar to what we're on now during the summer," I started as everyone quieted down to hear. "Rumors have it that it was a rainy season, and the lake was deeper than people expected. A girl around our age was part of the trip, and she wandered away from her cabin during the night. She claimed that the lake was calling to her, that she saw someone drowning. When people started calling her crazy, she decided to go and explore the lake herself and find out the truth.
"People say that she jumped in to find out who was drowning. They never found a body. Only a shoe that she wore that day. To this day, people say that you can see her spirit roaming the lake's shore, calling people into the water depths below."
By now everyone was staring at me with huge eyes. I had a feeling none of them would be sleeping tonight.
"Well, I guess you're a better storyteller than I thought," Matthew said grudgingly.
I only stuck my tongue out at him in response. At least I managed to impress someone during this trip. I had a feeling this was the last time anyone would focus their attention on whatever I had to say. Then again, I wasn't overly fond of being put on the spotlight as it was.
"Alright, I think that's enough storytelling for tonight," Mr. Blight announced after a moment of silence followed.
He clapped his hands, breaking everyone from their trance. I tried not to laugh at their expressions. Moments like these really made me wish I had a camera.
"Tomorrow we'll be working in groups, so get some rest," Miss Attwater added.
Relief washed over me as I followed the others back to the cabin. There were four bunk beds inside. Fortunately Abigail and I were sharing one; she had the top while I had the bottom. With me being afraid of heights, I didn't want to sleep any higher than recommended. Once I closed my eyes, that was when things started getting strange.
Have you ever had those moments where something feels like a dream, but it isn't? Well, this is one of those dreams. I found myself standing in the middle of a forest. It wasn't like the forest where Lake Ariel was. In fact, the trees were completely different from those trees. Tall pine trees surrounded me. They seemed to go on forever.
I started walking aimlessly on a path forward. My body seemed to work in slow motion.
Up above I could see a full moon hovering in the night's sky. That was what made me realize this was just a dream. Back home it was a half moon at the moment. Here the moon seemed oddly closer, almost as if I could reach out and touch it.
Finally I caught sight of something unusual in the shadows. For a moment, I thought it was just the shadows playing tricks on me. Then I noticed that it was changing shapes. My eyes widened in shock when a boy around my age stood up. He wasn't dressed like anyone from our world. What threw me off was the look in his eyes when he looked at me.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice was barely a whisper. My eyes were locked with his green eyes. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. It was almost like he couldn't see me, but he knew that I was there. "Do you need help?"
Silence greeted me. The forest around me was beginning to fade as quickly as it had appeared. I looked around frantically, desperately seeking another way to communicate with him. Something in his eyes told me that this was more than just a dream. It felt too real to be a dream. Of course my body chose that moment to wake up.
AN: So... I'm not exactly sure how this story will play out. I've already got about nine chapters typed up so, I guess that's a good thing. I'm not going to lie when I say that I've gotten writer's block for the Paradigm. And I apologize for that, but I might be taking it down. This story is kind of like a rewrite to Another Hiccup, only with different elements added to it. To top things off, I'm going to add the second part of Riders of Berk, and Race to the Edge before continuing on to the second movie. So, hopefully readers will enjoy this version, and forgive me for quitting on yet another story...