The dream.

"The witches-- they're here!" a woman wearing a crown exclaimed. "Hurry! Open the portal to the Nextworld and send her in!" a man with a sword demanded. "Think you can escape, your Highnesses?" a dark shadow swooped by and said. "Goodbye, my child. Your father and I will miss you!"

"Gasp!" sixteen-year-old Evelyn Charming woke up on the wooden floor of a small house beside a forest in America, Los Angeles. She rubbed her forehead, trying to shake away the confusion. She'd been having that dream for weeks and still couldn't figure out why.

Evelyn was a pretty girl with pink cheeks and soft blonde hair. She had bright blue eyes and a sweet smile. She was an adventurous girl, but never got time to explore as she was always busy helping her mother do housework.

"Got the same dream again? That's why you fell from your bed?" she found her mother standing at the door of her room. "I knew you would be having that dream again and would wake up at this time, so I came by to drop of some warm milk."

"Thank you, Mother," Evelyn took the mug from her mother and finished the milk in a gulp then lay on the bed with her head muffled under one of her small pillows. "I just can't figure out why, mother! Why do I always have the same stupid dream? I have got very less sleep in the past few weeks!"

"Well," her mother sat on her bed and pulled her up. "Maybe it's a sign?" "Pffft. Mother, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm sure it's just a crazy part from a show I forgot I'd seen on TV? Maybe." Evelyn told her mother.

"Oh, it's time for you to prepare for school," her mother said after checking the time. "Go shower and change, then help me make breakfast, dear."

Evelyn showered and changed into her black, white and red school uniform and grabbed her backpack. She hurried down and ran to the kitchen to assist her mother. "Crack the eggs and fry them, Evelyn. After you're done, prepare the dishware."

"Mommy! I need help!" Elton, Evelyn's little brother yelled. "I can't find the toothpaste! I'm sure Elly took it to prank me!"

Elly was Elton's twin sister. "No, mommy! I did not!" Elly giggled.

"Guys, shut up, will you? I'm trying to sleep!" Ethan, Evelyn's older brother yelled.

"Go check on your siblings, will you?" her mother sighed.

"Yes, mother." Evelyn rushed up to the twins' room. "Big sis, Elly took my toothpaste and said she didn't!" Elton exclaimed. "Elly! Give the toothpaste to your twin brother. Both of you have kindergarten today, okay? Not only you. He has to get ready too." Evelyn said. "Okayyyy." Elly reluctantly gave the hidden toothpaste to Elton.

She then rushed to her big brother's room. "Big bro? Don't we have school today?"

"Nope! Not for me. The principle announced it yesterday. A whole week of holiday, baby! But don't worry. I'll still drop by the library to pick up your favourite adventure books." Ethan said. "Thanks! Kay, then. Sleep well." she rushed down again.

"Hurry, crack the eggs and prepare the dishware!" her mother exclaimed when she got down. "Your father is coming home from work any minute!" Evelyn hurriedly got everything ready just in time.

Her siblings came down to eat and their father came in. "Hello, chil- Ethan, why are you still in your pyjamas?""Oh, today is a holiday." Ethan replied.

After the family was done with breakfast, Mr. Charming left the twins at the kindergarten and Evelyn at her high school.

"Goodbye, sweetheart. See you at home." Evelyn's father said and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye, father." Evelyn said and hugged him.

Evelyn gave a confident smile and entered her school.

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"That is why the chinese celebrate 'Chinese New Year,'" Evelyn's history teacher, Mrs. Brown, was telling the class. "Can anybody tell me what the chinese used to frighten the beast away?" She scanned the classroom looking for a student who wasn't listening. "Miss Evelyn, would you like answer this one?"

"Huh?" Evelyn looked at her teacher. She had been thinking about the dream. "Um...answer what, exactly?" She asked. The whole class giggled. "Answer the question I gave you." Mrs. Brown told her. "Oh! Erm....can you repeat the answer again?"

"What did the Chinese use to frighten the beast away?" Mrs. Brown repeated. "Erm...." Evelyn knew it was useless to ask what was the question again because she hadn't been listening, but it was worth a try. "The Chinese used.....um.....daggers, swords, crossbows and arrows to frighten the beast away?"

"Wrong! The Chinese used fire crackers, the colour red and fireworks to scare the beast away. Miss Evelyn, I advise you to listen to me during class or you'll get a nasty grade." Mrs. Brown snarled and continued teaching.

"Ughh. I wish I could listen, but I can't!" Evelyn mumbled. "Does she know how hard it is if you keep dreaming the same dream for weeks?" she opened her notebook and started sketching out her dream. The figures in her dream were blurry, but she could still see their features.

Right after she was done drawing, the school bell rang and everyone emptied the classroom for recess. "Miss Evelyn, a word with you, please." Mrs. Brown called to Evelyn. Reluctantly, Evelyn grunted and stood in front of her teacher's desk.

"Is something bothering you?" Mrs. Brown asked. Evelyn went stiff. Was her problem that obvious? "Erm....yes." she answered. "How did you know?"

"Even though you're not the smartest kid in the class, you always concentrate and answer my questions confidently. What's wrong with you today?" Mrs. Brown said.

"Sorry about that. I've been having the same dream for weeks, but I don't know why. And the dream doesn't even make sense! Only my mother knows about it, but I guess now you know about it too."

Mrs. Brown gave her a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure it'll all pass in a few weeks, but I just need to know what the dream is about." Evelyn told her all about the dream and showed her the dream she sketched. "I..um..drew it just now in your class." she said sheepishly.

"Even though I do not appreciate you sketching on your notebook and sketching in my class, this dream looks and sounds interesting and odd." her teacher said after examining the sketch.

Mrs. Brown checked the time and told Evelyn to keep her notebook and get some lunch. Evelyn didn't follow her orders, though. She stared at her sketch for the whole recess and thought about it until school was over.