I squeezed my eyes shut as I soared through the air. As before, the blinding light surrounded me and air whooshed by me as I flew.

Finally, as I opened my eyes tentatively, I saw a small spot of light ahead of me. My eyes widened as I slowed down, heading straight towards the hole.

I shut my eyes again as I was squeezed through it. There was the sensation of going through a tunnel, and then I landed on something hard.

I hardly dared to open my eyes and look around. What if I hadn't ended up home, but somewhere else?

I opened my eyes. Sure enough, I was sitting on the floor of my laundry room.

I blinked, wondering what to do. I slowly stood up and realized that I was in my modern, mercifully barf-free clothes.

I'm not wet, either, I thought wonderingly. What the hell's going on!

Shocked, I moved a hand to my neck to see if the burn was still there.

It wasn't.

I gave a little whimper of confusion. Was it possible--had I dreamed up the whole thing? Or had I really been missing for nearly a month?

This thought seized me tightly. Oh, God, Mom must be worried sick! I thought, panicked, as I ran from the laundry room.

"Mom?" I called, running to her room. "Mom, where are you?"

There was no answer.

I spun around and thundered upstairs, hoping to find my sisters, my mother--anybody!

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I called, roaming around the house.

I found no one.

I felt tears of frustration sting my eyes. I had missed my family for 29 days--and now I had no idea where they were!

I walked to my room. I was shocked to find the TV still on, with my Pirates DVD still paused in the same spot.

I heard a small movement behind me and whirled around instinctively.

I looked around, seeing no one, but then my eyes dropped to my purple beanbag--and I saw my dog.

"Rex!" I exclaimed, dropping to my knees and hugging him. He didn't move, but gave a little sigh.

"Didja miss me, buddy?" I asked, sitting back and ruffling the black fur on his head. "I missed you!"

I sighed as Rex rolled over on his side and closed his eyes.

"Isn't anyone happy to see me?" I murmured, standing up.

I walked dejectedly downstairs, wiping my eyes with the back of my hands. I was suddenly reminded of Jack...would I ever see him again?

I let the tears flow silently. I had just experienced a range of emotions: boredom, amusement, anger, fear, elation, confusion, and frustration--some in this world, some not--and I let them get the best of me.

I returned to the dryer and opened it, half-hoping to see the familiar light and go see Jack again.

All I saw was a pile of dry clothes.

I jumped as I heard the door open. I went to the kitchen and saw my mother, my 18-year-old sister Michelle, and my 21-year-old sister Alison coming in, dresses in tow.

"Hello, Monica," Mom said, dropping the keys on the counter.

I stared at her. Wasn't she happy to see me? I had been gone for almost a month!

No one noticed my incredulous look, however. Then something dawned on me...

"How long were you gone?" I asked, my heart thumping loudly in my chest.

"Um...only about an hour," Alison said.

"Why?" Michelle asked.

I racked my brain desperately. I watched Pirates for about thirty minutes, I thought. Then I came down to do the laundry...I put the wash in the dryer...it went for a minute...then I found the sock and put it in...

The dryer had run for 29 minutes. I had gone back in time for 29 days.

"Did you get the laundry done?" Mom asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah," I said, staring dazedly at her. "I got it done, alright..."

A few weeks later, I went with my friends to see Dead Man's Chest. They didn't understand why I was so excited. I mean, they knew I was obsessed, but I was bouncing off the walls as I watched the previews.

Luckily, none of them saw me wipe a tear from my eye as I saw Jack for the first time. I had missed him so much...I couldn't help but wonder if he missed me, too.

I grinned through the whole cannibal island scene, reminiscing about my own adventure there. I laughed as I saw Jack nibbling on the toenail.

No one understand when I let out a huge gasp when Elizabeth smashed a bottle over Norrington's head. I brought a hand up to the back of my head, remembering how much it had hurt.

As Elizabeth kissed Jack, I had mixed feelings. First, I was confused. There was no doubt in my mind that they didn't love each other. I was outraged that she had done it and felt sorry for Will. I also felt a strange sense of pride: I had kissed, him, too, and the whole scene only reminded me of it. And I also felt a tiny twinge of jealousy.

When it was shown what she had done, I couldn't help smiling as I remembered chaining Decklan to the bars of my cell. I felt confident that Jack would get out of it.

I cried at the end. I tried to hold back my tears as the kraken devoured the Pearl...and Jack.

I was rubbing my eyes miserably as Will, Elizabeth, Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton, and Marty went to Tia Dalma's. I couldn't believe it...he couldn't be dead...he couldn't be...

The ending caught me off guard, though. My jaw dropped open as Barbossa came on screen.

The theatre erupted in discussion as the credits began. I didn't join in as my friends talked excitedly. My mind was focused on not bursting into tears.

I struggled through the credits, smiling and nodding with my friends, who luckily didn't notice my discomfort in the dark of the theatre.

The last scene cheered me up, though. I smiled weakly as I saw the dog perched on the throne, the cannibals doing the same dance they had for Jack and me.

I was silent on the ride home. I barely heard my friends as they jabbered the whole way. My mind was numb; all I could see was Jack charging the kraken and disappearing.

The movie haunted my dreams, too. I kept seeing the Black Pearl getting crushed in pulled under...I awoke every night in a cold sweat, panting heavily.

It just wasn't the same watching the two movies after I had lived the experience--been pirating with Jack and the crew of the Pearl. I found myself half-wishing the whole thing had never happened so I wouldn't have to be miserable.

Now, whenever I saw Jack on a poster or something, I felt a horrible tugging sort of feeling--almost like homesickness, but not quite. I couldn't put my finger on the feeling--it had felt like I had lost one of my best friends, I guess.

Another thing that made me miserably was my sense of adventure. I had had the time of my life on the Pearl--well, technically, off it, too--and here...there was nothing. Nothing to perk my interest, nothing to feel passionate about, nothing to get me to feel that thrill I got when having a good time with Jack.

My sisters, who were staying for the summer, noticed my strange behavior. Once, Michelle caught me leaning against the dryer dejectedly, muttering to myself about innkeepers and cannibals. She had just insisted that I go to bed, looking concerned.

I watched The Curse of the Black Pearl as much as possible, just to remember the Pearl and Jack.

There was no doubt about it, my experience was making my present life miserable. Although I was happy to see my family again, I missed my pirate life.

I took every opportunity to do the laundry, hoping to be sucked through, but it never happened.

I knew my sisters worried about me, but they never said anything. They gave me long hugs the day they left. They asked if I wanted to go with them to the airport, but I declined. I wanted some time alone.

As they drove off, I wandered into the laundry room. I smirked at the innocent-looking dryer at the back of the room.

"I'm never going to get to go back, am I?" I asked it, leaning against the wall.

I could have sworn I saw a flicker of light shine from the cracks in the door.