Stage 3: Dreams and Nightmares

You have to be kidding me.

This place gives me the creeps…all these dead people all around me. I just can't stand being in places like this…I can even feel their presence everywhere.

But, only one person I knew in this graveyard is none other than mom.

I spotted her grave a few inches away from where I stood. Her grave was just south of here, between the two dead stumps (does everything have to be dead in this graveyard? I mean come on…). I always came here, so it's quite natural to pay respects to someone you care for deeply.

Even though tombstones are just markings for where dead people are buried, I found mom's grave to be beautiful…just as she was when she was alive. It's not all that fancy, but it's a small rectangular plaque with the words engraved on the shiny silver platform:

'Here lies Aurora Eveline Kiya

1959-1997

-The angel who makes even the smallest of flowers bring life to those within them-

May her soul be put to rest'

I remember the first time I read this plaque it makes me cry. It always makes me cry, because…I never did anything to save her. I only watched her face death in front of my eyes. But, I had to be strong. No more crying…because, it just makes you feel bad about yourself.

Well besides that, I spotted something sticking out next to her grave. I dropped my book bag on the ground and began to investigate around the grave. I dug my hand through the dry sand and than I realized right away that it was a short stick with an evil pumpkin face sticking at the top of it. The stick looked like a candy cane…only it was straight and instead of having red and white colors on it, it was orange and black. Sticking out of the pumpkin's head was a tiny little flag saying, 'The Earl's Key to Ultimate Power!' written in a tacky looking font.

I figured out right away that it was a scepter.

This thing looks pretty old. There are millions of scratch marks, and blotches of black mud that don't seem to come off. Whoever this 'Earl' guy is…he really doesn't know a thing or two about keeping his possessions safe from harm. But why would anyone throw this Halloween stick in the middle of a deserted graveyard that's south of town?

By the way…wasn't this Earl guy a little too old for Halloween? Seems so.

I should stop getting sidetracked; all I did was come here and needed to get some advice. Then, find a good place for this really old scepter. I placed the Halloween stick inside my book bag.

"Hey mom," I began to say, "It's been a while since we last talked together."

I felt pretty awkward saying that out loud. I mean, it feels like I'm talking to myself like there's no one else to talk to. But, that's what I've seen in movies so it doesn't bother me much.

"Well." I started to say, 'cause even if my mom was dead, she still needed an answer pronto. "Um…I have this problem and…it's about Toboe…he's changed…and--,"

Gah! What was I doing? It feels like I'm babbling like an idiot instead of speaking clearly to her.

I took a deep breath and started over, "Sorry mom, I'm really not used to saying this but…Toboe suddenly changed, and I don't know what to do or what to think. I need you to give me some advice. Was the birthday he planned for me was a con to get me to notice he doesn't like me?"

That can't be right. Toboe was always nice to me, so it's not like I treated him bad in any sort of way. We got along so well; it feels like we knew each other forever. So, what exactly did happen? I really need an answer 'cause right now, I'm in a state of sadness.

And before I could even say anything else, I felt my eyes starting to blur, and then…I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. Did I just start to cry already?

"It's just that…" I closed my eyes, more tears starting to fall left and right, "Sometimes…I just wish that, I was never from this century. I wish to be left alone where nobody was able to hurt me for any reason at all…"

Then I heard somebody scream. My eyes burst open with shock and something began to shudder. I searched through my book bag and then the scepter began to rattle.

"Your wish…" The scepter began to speak, "…Is my command…"

This is really getting out of hand, I tried to throw this freaky Halloween stick, but somehow, my hands were stuck to it like glue! Glue!

"You must not throw me away…" it said. "…You finally woke me up from my two hundred year sleep…and now I should thank you for all of your bravery for wakening me…"

I tried to scream, but no sound came out of my mouth whatsoever. Then a light shot through my body, as I somehow passed out in the cold dirt.