Chapter Two: The First Glimpse

            In the blackness around him Aidan could feel nothing, nothing but the hand inside his. A voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

“We’re in between.”

Aidan tried to speak but no sound was made.

“We’re almost there.” The voice said.

There was a tingling all over his body, it felt like he was being pulled from all sides, figures danced before his eyes and nothing seemed to stay still. Then it was all over. He stood in a dark hallway with Sonia. The walls seemed lifetimes away and the only thing visible was a door, a simple, brown door.

“All you have to do is open it.” Sonia whispered.

Aidan grabbed the cold metal knob on the door and turned it. On the other side was a beautifully decorated room. Tapestries were draped on the walls and a sparkling chandelier hung from the ceiling above them. The doors at the end of the corridor swung open as they approached, revealing a whimsical town. The houses were of every shape and size, some long rectangles and some stout spheres. The people milling about were as dissimilar to each other as their houses, some had oddly colored hair or skin and others were as plain as a plot of dirt. Together Sonia and Aidan walked down the main street. Shops on either side of the street were opening, some sold bread or groceries, but some sold more thrilling things, like mermaid scales and pet dragons. Everything was new and exciting, how was he supposed to take it all in?

“What are we going to do?” Aidan asked excitedly.

“We should visit Olaf first, he has some supplies for us. His shop is right up there.” Sonia pointed to a cylindrically shaped building.

Inside they found a stocky man with an overly large nose. He greeted them with a large smile. “Sonia! To what do I owe this pleasant visit?”

“I’m here to pick up the supplies you had for me and Aidan.”

“What supplies?” Olaf scratched his head thoughtfully.

“Remember? The supplies you put together for us?” Sonia tried to jog his memory.

“I’m not following you.” Olaf said.

Sonia sighed. From the door behind the counter emerged a tall thin boy with shaggy red hair. “Hello, Sonia. Here for the supplies, I suppose?”

“Yes, Milo.” Sonia was relieved that someone had remembered the supplies.

Milo turned back into the room behind the counter and began rummaging around. Aidan looked around him, the store seemed to be suspended between the past and the future. The wood paneling and old-fashioned barrels of sugar and flour suggested 19^th Century America, but the sleek telephone and high tech computer on the counter shouted futuristic spaceship. The whole place seemed to be a collection of contradictions. Soon Milo emerged with two black backpacks. Milo handed one to Sonia and one to Aidan.

“Inside you’ll find enough food to feed the two of you for three days, a first aid kit, a flashlight for each of you, three star candles and a change of clothes for both of you. I packed an extra bag just in case, well, um, just in case you wanted to, um…” Milo stuttered.

“Would you like to come with us, Milo?” Sonia asked.

“Yes.” He answered quickly. “I mean, sure, if it’s okay with you.”

“Of course it is, Milo.” Sonia laughed. “Now, lets get going.”

Chapter One: A Stranger At The Back Door

(here is chapter one of my NaNoWriMo novel)

Aidan opened the door to find a strange girl reading a magazine on his couch. Upon his entering she turned and smiled plastically.

“Hello, Aidan, my name is Rachel.” She said.

“Hi Rachel.” Aidan walked past her and to the kitchen. Aidan was used to things like this, every day his mom hired a babysitter to watch him and his sister while she worked over time. Every day a new sitter would treat him like a five year old till his mom came in the door and dished out the cash. By the time she got home, Aidan usually had eaten dinner, had a bath and watched more Playhouse Disney than one would ever want to in one’s life time. Aidan would then be promptly sent to bed, because there would be school tomorrow, because, ‘a good education sets you up for success.’ As his mother says.

            Aidan pulled open the fridge and peered inside. A half eaten banana and two cups of yogurt lay on the shelf at his eye level. Aidan hated yogurt. Ever since he ate spoiled yogurt in kindergarten he has despised yogurt. He grabbed the banana and began eating it as he walked down the hall to the bedroom he shared with his sister.

“Aidan, Lydia is sleeping in there.” Rachel came up behind him. “Let’s go to the living room and watch some TV, k?”

Aidan sighed and followed her back to the living room. As Aidan watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the seventh time that day he heard a gentle laughter coming from behind him. He turned and saw only Rachel, engrossed in the TV. He shrugged and returned his eyes to the television. Again he heard the playful laughter accompanied by a knock on the back door. Aidan stood up and walked around the couch to the back door. Another knock sounded when he reached the door. Rachel didn’t seem to notice the knocking at all. Aidan turned the knob and pulled the door open slowly, on the other side of the door was a little girl of about six. Aidan stood unsure what to say.

“Hello, my name is Sonia.” She said cheerily.

“Hi, I’m Aidan.” He said shyly.

“Aidan, what are you doing?” Rachel asked.

“I’m talking to Sonia.” Aidan said.

“Who?” Rachel turned.

“She can’t see me.” Sonia pushed a little of her long white hair from her face.

“Why not?” Aidan asked, looking at Rachel.

“Because she doesn’t believe anymore.” Sonia shook her head sadly. “Now, we must go before the door closes.”

“What door?” Aidan looked around, all the doors in the house were closed, except the back door, which he still held open.

“The door to Paxis.” Sonia’s eyes sparkled as she said the name. She took his hand and pulled him outside.

“I’m going to play outside, Rachel!” He shouted as they ran into the yard. Sonia led Aidan to the tree on the edge of their lot.

“The door to Paxis is on the other side of the fence.” Sonia explained. “We have to climb the tree to get over the fence.”

Sonia began scaling the tree; within a few moments she was at the top, beckoning Aidan to follow.

“Are you sure its okay?” Aidan asked.

“Its fine, I promise!” Sonia called from the top.

Aidan looked up into the pale green leaves of the tree, it was really tall, what if he fell?

“Come on!” She called again.

Aidan shook the fear from his body and began climbing. Higher and higher he went till finally he sat on the branch beside Sonia’s. The view was spectacular, everything seemed so far away, his mom’s job that took way too much time, his dad’s anger that made him leave, nothing seemed to matter anymore.

“See down there? That’s the door to Paxis.” Sonia pointed to the ground below them. Aidan was shocked to see that instead of grass and dirt, there was a hole in the ground. “The only way in is to jump.” Sonia took his hand. “Will you come with me?”

“What about my mom, and my sister?”

“They’ll be right here waiting when you come back.”

Aidan thought about it, he could get away from his problems for a little while and come right back whenever he wanted to. But what would his mother say? She wouldn’t care. Aidan hardened. She never cares enough to even tuck me in at night. She hasn’t once said ‘I love you’ since dad left. He thought.

Aidan gripped Sonia’s hand tighter. His heart began racing. He took a deep breath, and jumped.