I know a place that we can run to
And do those things we want to
They won't know who we are
Let me take you there
I wanna take you there
I know a place that we've forgotten
A place we won't get caught in
They won't know who we are
I know a place where we can hide out
And turn our hearts inside out
They won't know who we are
Let me take you there
I wanna take you there
--Let Me Take You There by the Plain White T's
"What the heck? Where am I?" Leah asked incredulously. "What have you done to me?"
Little Emily smiled serenely. "Look right in front of you."
Leah turned her head and gasped. She was standing in her bedroom as it was ten years ago. The simple white walls and crimson bed covers of her room in the present were replaced by the pink—well, everything—with flowery décor. It seemed so surreal.
She looked lower and saw her old dollhouse, her favorite toy of the past. But it wasn't standing alone. No, Leah saw two little girls playing with their Barbie dolls and the house was set up like a church. The little eight-year-old girls looked familiar, and Leah soon realized that one of them was her.
"Emily, I want you to be my maid of honor when I get married," eight-year-old Leah said confidently. "It's supposed to be the most important day of my life, and I want you there right beside me."
Little Emily looked ecstatic. "Of course I will! Oh, thank you, Leah!" She held her Barbie doll closer to her. "I can't wait! I'm going to help you make it the most perfect day ever! We need to start planning right away…"
Leah laughed. "Em, I'm not going to get married for a long time. I'm only eight! Plus, I need to get myself engaged first," she said.
"Well, do you know who you want to get married to?" Emily asked.
"Um…well, sort of." Leah blushed. The older Leah looked shocked as she remembered what it was that she said. "I kind of like Sam."
Emily looked puzzled. "Who is Sam?"
Leah blushed even harder. She said shyly, "Sam's my best friend. He's really nice and funny. He promised to marry me one day, you know."
"Well, then, now you know who you're going to marry!" Emily exclaimed. "You're going to have your happily ever after, you know that, Leah? You're like the princesses in all the stories... I hope I will be like that one day."
The older Leah hadn't realized that she had begun to cry. Emily, the best friend that just said she wanted her happy ending, was getting her happy ending at the sacrifice of Leah's. Twelve years ago, Leah had her life planned out—marriage, friendship, and the whole nine yards. She depended on her fairy tale to come true. But now, it was all unraveled. Her best friend was living Leah's happy ending.
The ghost touched her hand softly. "Leah, can't you see? You were happy even before you and Sam were together. Emily was happy for you; you two were like sisters! And she still wants to be your best friend."
Leah snarled. "She gave up that right the moment she looked at Sam. Because of stupid imprinting, he's gone. My fairy tale is no more. Can't you see?"
The ghost gave a serene smile. "Leah, it was all a childhood dream. The princesses in fairy tales always go through the trials and tribulations in order to find true love. Just because you tripped on the journey doesn't mean that you can't still find your happy ending."
Leah turned back to the happy picture and sighed. "We were so happy, you know. I was happy. I just wish…I don't know. Something."
"Let's check out something else, and then you can decide what you wish for," the ghost said.
As soon as the surroundings cleared up, Leah took to looking around. A park. Really? She couldn't quite remember what happened at the La Push Park that was quite so memorable— until she saw herself and Sam walking towards the swing set.
Sam looked adorably nervous. Leah smiled to herself. Of course, she thought. Her facial features shifted so rapidly, however, from serene to anger. She turned on the ghost.
"Why did you bring me here? This isn't helping! I doubt that seeing Sam ask me out will change anything," she huffed. Leah crossed her arms and scowled. "Tomorrow was supposed to be the worst day of my life. Not the night before."
Leah's face softened as she heard giggling. She turned and saw Sam tickling her fifteen-year-old self.
"Sam, STOP IT!" young Leah squealed. "This is not funny!"
Sam just grinned like there was no tomorrow, but he relented. "As you wish," he said.
"So, what was so important that you had to tear me away from my trig homework? You know I have that huge test tomorrow," Leah said.
Sam got off his swing and kneeled in front of her. Leah watched as she saw herself widening her eyes.
"Uh, Sam? What's going on? Are you okay?"
He sighed and looked down at the ground. "Lee, I have a confession to make." Sam looked up with those gorgeous brown eyes of his and pushed his hair behind his ear. He grabbed her hands and held on like he was afraid she would float away.
"Lee-lee. I-I…I think that…well, I think that I'm in love with you," Sam stuttered.
Leah looked shocked. "W-w-what?"
Sam grasped her hand even tighter, and the older Leah looked on. She knew what would come next.
"Leah, I've loved you ever since we were kids. We've been together every step of the way so far as best friends. But now…now I think that we should be more," Sam said breathlessly. "I think that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Lee-lee. I've never felt this way about anyone. I'll always love you."
Leah looked hesitant, albeit happy. She gave a small smile and her eyes twinkled with hope. "I think I love you too, Sam Uley."
The older Leah reluctantly looked away when she saw herself and her old love take their first kiss. She closed her eyes, willing the pain to go away. This was torture, seeing her old happiness. It hurt even more knowing that Sam will not always love her.
Little Emily the ghost turned toward her and said, "Leah, it's okay. Can't you see that at least you had some happiness? You had your time with him. You spent a great two years together based on love."
Leah looked at the ghost with sad eyes. "I was happy with Sam, yes. I just…I just don't think I can be happy without him."
The ghost grabbed onto her hand and pulled her away from the old memory.
Leah was back in her room. There were no more pink and no more dollhouses. Just her simple white-walled bedroom with everything neatly in its place.
She turned to the bed, in which she saw herself laying there moaning.
The door creaked open. "Lee, honey? How are you feeling?" asked a comforting voice.
Leah looked up to see Harry walk in with a tray of food.
He placed the tray on her desk and then sat down beside her. "I brought you dinner. Your favorite fish fry, though I'm not sure if that'll make you feel better," he said. "And a lot of liquids. You need a lot to suppress that fever of yours."
The girl under the blankets continued to moan. "Thanks, Dad. But I still don't feel good."
Harry grinned and pulled out a DVD. "That's why I brought you this. The Princess Bride. It always makes you feel better when you're sick."
Leah sat up as her dad slipped the DVD into the slot of her laptop. They watched the movie together, laughing at the same time in all the right places. The older Leah looked on and smiled. She remembered the happy times with her dad, but she was just waiting for the explosion that she knew was inevitable in this memory.
By the time Buttercup realized that the "pirate" was really Wesley after he yelled, "As you wish!" Leah was no longer smiling. In fact, she looked rather mad.
Once Harry realized that Leah wasn't laughing with him anymore, he turned to her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Leah looked up with blazing eyes. "As you wish," she said mockingly. "That stupid line…he always said it, meaning to say that he loved me. It's an absolutely disgusting lie."
Harry looked worried as he saw Leah begin to shake. The older Leah was shaking as well, but not out of anger. It was out of fear.
Leah watched as she saw herself rant and scream at her father about that "lowlife Samuel Uley." Harry was backing away and trying to calm her down. But Leah would have none of it.
Suddenly, there was an angry gray wolf standing in Leah's place.
Harry stared for a moment. "It's impossible," he muttered. "Impossible." And then, he reached for his chest as his face turned bright red.
The wolf howled, and then there was a scurry up the staircase. Sue and Seth ran into Leah's room and found Harry convulsing on the floor. Sue tended to Harry as Seth grabbed the phone to call 911. As soon as Seth clicked off the phone, he finally noticed the big wolf in his sister's room.
"Leah?" he hesitated. "Is that you?"
The present-day Leah was in tears at the sight. She killed her father, her only real friend.
"Why? Why did you bring me back here?" Leah cried to the ghost. "I thought I was supposed to see happier times?"
"I brought you here to see the real beginning of your journey. This is where it all started," Little Emily's spirit said. At the same time, the ghost was growing dimmer and dimmer. "It seemed like it was the end of your world when it was just the beginning." And at that note, the ghost disappeared.
Leah sat on the floor, defeated. She just relived the worst moment of her life, and the ghost left her there. How much worse could this get?
"Hey, you," another voice said.
Leah looked up and sighed. "I guess you must be the ghost of my present. Wonderful. That other ghost just left me here."
"Yeah, sorry. The ghost of the past is kind of a flake. She seems all angelic and profound, but really she just wants to go home and do her nails," the ghost of the present joked.
"Anyway, this ain't over yet, Leah," the ghost said. "Come on. Let's get this show on the road!"
A/N: Yeah, the end is kind of weird. Sorry about that. Anyway, thanks to you guys that reviewed. It totally made my day. Please keep reviewing! (Pleasing the readers is what keeps the creative juices flowing, you know.)
So any ideas as to who the ghost of Leah's present is? Hmm... o.O