The Girl Next Door

Cam was standing in the center of a dark room. The only light came from a small candle in his hand. Where the flickering circle of light ended, blackness swelled and clanking echoes rang. Cam took a step forward. He had to keep going. He had to get away from the darkness. Back the way he'd come was nothing. He had walked into this room straight out of pure nothingness. He didn't know what lay ahead of him in the inky black, only that he had to reach it. Somewhere in the far distance, Cam knew that there was a light he couldn't see. Yet he knew it was there. A light in all this sufocating dark. Sounds rebounded off the walls with each step he took. His footsteps sounded eerily like clanking chains and dripping water. Would the black never end?? Step after step he took, reaching his hands out in front of him to let the candle's weak light stretch farther. A gust of wind diminished the tiny flame and Cam was left standing in the dark. Something cold and slimy touched the back of his hand. He did not move. He could not move. He could not scream, nor breathe. He was numb with terror. But suddenly, a dim light began to shine in the far, far distance. As it neared, it became so dazzlingly brilliant that he had to turn away. The light softened, and Cam looked up into it. In the midst of the white light, holding out her hand like an angel leading the way to the heavens, was Emmie. He reached out to take her hand, when a shrill screech sounded through the air.
Cam sat up with a jolt to his screaming alarm clock. He shut it off. 6:30. Monday morning. He groaned and fell back onto his pillow. Then he remembered his dream. 'Why hadn't I taken her hand?? Why did the alarm ring right then??' He thought. Nothing made sense. His head spun. The room lurched, and he closed his eyes. The alarm clock beeped again, and he sat up and threw it across the room. It was silent. Then, he crossed over the bedroom to his balcony doors, opened them, and stood there breathing in the morning air. Emmie's light was on, and she was jumping on her bed, already dressed for school. Her hair spun in a circle as she jumped. Turning to face Cam, Emmie laughed and waved and pointed at the marble bench. The bench held a drawer with a notepad and marker. He pulled it out and turned to a blank page. 'What's going on, Emmie??' She had come to her balcony and was scribbling on her own pad of paper. 'Look at the sky!! Can't talk because mom is sleeping next door. Ugh.' Cam turned his face towards the rising sun and smiled. It was blue, except for just above the horizon. Swirls of red and orange mist clung in shreds to the line of faraway hills. It was the second most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
'Wow....it's amazing. Emmie....' Cam paused for a second, his pen poised over the page. 'Do you want to hang out today??' He lifted the pad and watched Emmie's face as she grinned widely and nodded. She held up a finger, and disappeared into her bedroom, drawing the shades behind her.