text: My sister, Kelly, said, “Close your eyes, and imagine you’re in dreamland. It’s a magical place where unicorns bound free, and mermaids swim in the deep blue ocean while playing with their dolphin friends.” While clenching my eyes, I tried to picture dreamland, but I knew that wherever we were was not even close to being dreamland and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t convince myself that it was. I didn’t know where we were or even how we got here and for a second, it seemed like we were in a frozen over hell. It was completely dark, I could barely see a few feet ahead of me, and it was chilly enough that I was shivering. *I don’t want to be here*, I thought. ‘*I know,’* Kelly answered, ‘*I don’t either. I want to go back home. How in the hell did we get here?’* I didn’t know how to answer her question and all I could think of was how Kelly and I were happily playing in our basement before all this happened. Kelly, while searching for Christmas wrapping paper that Mom had asked her to find, had found her old box of Barbie dolls that she collected when she was a preteen. She came back upstairs with the box of wrapping paper and gave it to Mom. Kelly looked to where I was sitting on the den floor and came over to me. I was playing Super Mario Bros. on my brand-new Nintendo Nes, which was an early Christmas present because I got all A’s on my midterms. Kelly sat down next to me and asked me if I wanted to play with the Barbies she found. She had her hair in a side ponytail with a hot pink scrunchie holding it up. She was wearing her favorite oversized Madonna sweatshirt with a pair of leggings and a mini skirt. She looked amazing as always unlike me, and I smiled at her. I was wearing a Metallica sweatshirt and acid wash jeans with so many holes that it couldn’t possibly be pretty like Kelly’s mini skirt. I wasn’t a big fan of Barbie dolls anymore because I was 14 and had outgrown them, but since Kelly was usually away at college and only came home for holidays, I said yes to her and followed her downstairs. Kelly shook me from my daydream and said, “Ok, no more daydreaming for you. We must buckle down and find a way out of this horrible place. Alice, I promise you we will.” I said, “Ok, but how? One moment we were playing with your old dolls and the next we wake up here in this hell. I want my mom.” I started to tear up a bit and she looked at me pitifully. She then knelt down next to where I was sitting on the floor and gave me a big hug. She answered with, “I know, sweetie, but everything is gonna be alright and if we are going to find a way out of here, we will have to work together. I understand that you’re scared and cold, but I’m here with you and I promise to protect you, ok?” I nodded while the tears swelled and made my eyes as red as a rose. I remembered being told that my sister was always protective of me even when I was a baby and she was eight years old. She was always there to catch me if I fell. I was bullied a whole ton throughout junior high and Kelly was there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. Therefore, I believed her when she said she’d protect me. I stood up, still a bit unsure about how exactly we’d find our way out of here, but I trusted Kelly and I knew she would never let me down. She wiped my tears away and thought, ‘*What would Magnum do?’* knowing that I loved Magnum P.I. and that watching his shows always cheered me up. I answered aloud cheerfully as if I had forgotten for a sec where we were, “I think he would investigate and find clues in his own way, of course. Let’s do that.” “Wait, did you just read my thoughts?” Kelly questioned. “What? I thought you asked me what Magnum would do.” “No, I asked myself in my head.” It then clicked with both of us what had happened. Our eyes met and we, in unison, said, “It must be Telepathy. We can read each other’s thoughts. So bitchin’.” Kelly grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the darkness. I couldn’t see anything or hear anything for that matter. ‘*Do you see anything?’* I thought. Kelly answered, ‘*No, nothing. I can’t...’* She stopped mid-sentence and before I knew what was happening, she fell and pulled me down with her. We kept falling and falling. I didn’t think it would stop until I saw a vast hole of light at the bottom. I braced for a hard impact, but once we got to the hole, we stopped falling and a flood of light surrounded us. Kelly and I gently fell, as if we were feathers, into a colorful room and heard children laughing. I landed on my squishy bum and Kelly landed softly next to me. She stood up while stretched her hand out to me and I grabbed it. She then pulled me up. *‘Where are we?’* I thought. Kelly answered, ‘*I don’t know.’* Two boys came out of another room and ran right past us while flying toy planes in their hands. I asked the boys, “Hey, do you two know where we are?” But they didn’t answer me. I walked up to one of the boys and waved my hand in front of his face. He didn’t even flinch. He ran right towards me and went straight through me as if I was mist. I looked towards Kelly and her face was white as snow like she had just seen a ghost. A raspy voice called out to me, “Save these kids or you both will spend an eternity with me in hell.” I then felt the icy cold fingers of death on my shoulder, and I blanked out. When I woke up, I smelled smoke and started coughing because the smoke was as thick as pea soup. I noticed that I was in my basement, again, but somehow it was darker than a moonless night. The smell was overwhelming, and I collapsed onto the basement floor. I used all my strength to call out for Kelly, but I didn’t hear anything back. So, I called again. Kelly came crawling up to me. She looked me in the eyes and said, “Everything will be ok. Someone will rescue us.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. “Alice, are you ok?” brought me out of my trance. “Yeah, I am ok, but I think we’re dead, Kelly. It would explain everything. It would be why no one can see us or hear us.” Tears filled my eyes. Kelly said, “But... But we can’t be dead. I want to finish college and I want to see you graduate high school. It’s not fair.” Kelly then noticed I was crying and wiped my tears away. Kelly gave me a smile and said, “It’s ok, Alice. I shouldn’t be complaining as I need to be your big sister and help you. I can’t be selfish and think only about myself. I love you, little sister.” I stopped crying and said, “I love you, too, big sister. Also, a voice told me ‘Save these kids or you both will spend an eternity with me in hell.’ Do you know what that means?” Kelly shook her head and said, “An eternity? That’s a long time. I say we do what it said too, ok?” I nodded in agreement. I then heard the cute kid laughter again and began to walk towards it. Kelly followed behind me. I moved to another room which reminded of me of a playroom, but it was different somehow. I saw two little girls playing with Barbies. One girl had brown hair in two pigtails and the other was a blond with hair in a ponytail. They both were wearing summer dresses. “Aww...” slipped out of my mouth. The little girl with brown hair looked up and saw us. The blond just kept playing with the Barbies. The brown-haired girl ran up towards us and said, “Hi, my name is Abby. What are your names?” *‘Can she see us?’* Kelly thought. *‘I think so, Kelly.’* I answered. *‘Well, answer her and ask her where we are.’* *‘Ok, I will. Hold your horses.’* I rolled my eyes at Kelly. I smiled and answered Abby, “Hi, Abby. My name is Alice, and this is my sister, Kelly. How old are you and can you tell us where we are?” Abby gave us a huge grin and said, “I’m 8 and you guys are in my basement, silly. Come meet my twin, Angie.” “Ok, I would love to meet your sister.” I said and looked at her sister who has happily playing with her dolls. I went up to Angie. I knelt down beside her and said, “Hello, Angie. My name is Alice, and this is my sister, Kelly.” Angie didn’t even look up at me as if she couldn’t hear me. ‘*I don’t think Angie can hear or see us, Kelly.’,* I thought. *‘I don’t think she can, too. Maybe only Abby can see us’* Kelly answered me. Abby intervened and said, “Angie, remember what Mom said about what you should when a grown-up says hi to you. You can’t ignore them.” Angie looked up at Abby, “What grown-ups? You and I are the only people in here.” Abby got frustrated and yelled at Angie, “Alice is right in front of you and Kelly is standing behind her!” “No one is there. They are just imaginary friends. Either play with me or go somewhere else.” Angie yelled back. Abby, who apparently has a temper, said, “Fine, I’m leaving, and my friends are going with me.” She tried to grab my hand, but her hand went right through mine. Abby froze and asked me, “Are you and Kelly really imaginary?” Abby broke down into a crying fest. I reassured her and said, “No, Abby, sweetie, we are ghosts. We were alive once like you are now, but no longer are. I think we are here for a reason. By the way, what year is it?” Abby wiped her tears away and said, “It’s 2017.” My eyes widened. I thought to Kelly, ‘*It’s 2017. God, how many years is that? I remember it being 1985.’* Kelly answered, ‘*It’s been 32 years. I’ve be 54 if I was alive. Wow, no wrinkles for me, I guess. And you would be 46.’* Kelly always knew how to look on the bright side of any situation. I loved that about her. I decided to tell Abby, who was staring right at me, “Wow, Abby, we’re from 1985.” “Oh, that explains why you look like the people from my mom’s college pictures from the 80’s.” Abby snickered. A familiar smell pressed itself into my nose and I knew exactly what it was; It was smoke, my old enemy and where there is smoke, there is always a fire. “We have to get out of this house right now. Abby grab your sister’s hand and do whatever you have to do to get her out, ok? I smell smoke and I know that means there is a fire somewhere.” I said. Abby said, “I smell it, too. Ok, Angie, let’s go. I heard mom call us.” Angie sighed and said, “Fine, I’m coming.” Abby told me, “Wait, what about my brothers? Lucas and Mikel are playing with their planes down here.” I looked down at her and said, “Ok, let’s find them quickly and get out of here.” Kelly, Abby, Angie, and I looked for Lucas and Mikel. We couldn’t find them, and we hoped that they were upstairs safe. The basement was filling with smoke and we could barely see. We raced up the stairs as fast as we could. Luckily, everyone got upstairs, but we weren’t in the clear, yet. We had to get outside before the fire consumed the whole house, but as soon as Kelly and I reached the door, we both heard, “Good job, but I will be back to test you again.” A bright light reached out to us and we walked towards it as if it was calling us. I saw Grandma and Poppop. I yelled for them and sprinted straight towards them. Kelly quickly followed behind. They gave us a big hug and said, “Welcome home.