* What is this smell? I can feel it cascade down my sense the smell of sweet blueberries fill the air covering my room, gently bringing me out of a deep slumber. My eyes are opening,so I decide to look around my room to see that no one has made an attempt to wake me up yet. My overhead light is still off, the door is still closed, and no loud noises from my alarm clock. The wool from my fleece blanket keeps me from wanting to get out of bed as I felt if I moved all the warmth would leave me, and bring on the winter breeze onto my body. “Evan it’s time to get up” I hear from outside my door. So, while I do not want to move, I gently peel the blanket off my body feeling a nice breeze on my arms that then covers my body feeling the cold breeze on my chest, legs, and feet. Achingly moving along the floor to open the door as it opens I notice the hall light is still off, so who woke me up? My mom always kept the hall light on as an eye test for us. We could regain vision from the bright light as we move like zombies from our rooms. This made the moment utterly weird for me. Did I check the time? What time is it? I turn to look at my clock and it is saying 3:20 A.M. What! “Mom!” I scream to wonder what is going on. No answer weirder I am going to check on this smell that is filling my house strong enough to awake me from my sleep. I try to move silently down the stairs grabbing onto the icy hand railing moving between the creaks on each stair to make only one at a time. As I approach the bottom of the stairs I still see no light on. I make it to the bottom of the stairs moving through the dark room the smell increases as I approach the kitchen. The oven light is on, so I move closer and closer to the oven. I see no signs of my parents or any life that is awake. The mice are even still sleeping right now. What is in the oven? Is it muffins? Why is it on right now they would be done in 40 minutes? Is it a cake? What could it be? I see no signs of ingredients as I pass the trash can, I see no egg shell or milk carton. The oven is within eyesight. I bend down and look in to see if the mystery blueberry food is done cooking. I see these trays of muffins that are just about to be done; they have risen, but not golden brown. Wait, who made them? Are they outside!? Why would my parents walk out at this time of the night! I rush to the door quickly pulling it open sticking my head out looking towards the road and the outside trash can. I still see no sign of my parents. “This is weird'' I start thinking to myself. I close the door and walk over to the oven to see if a timer was set for the muffins. As I inspect it I see there was a timer with 4 minutes left on the clock.I decide to stay down there and take the muffins out of the oven as they smell really good and I plan on stealing one, before I go back to sleep. Should I just stay up, since practice is in at 5 A.M.? Coach would say I need sleep or to start running. The muffins approach closer and closer to being done as I start hearing faint singing outside the words not able to make out the words I check outside one more time I open the door with precaution slowly easing the door open and glancing outside to see nothing again except the singing has gotten louder and louder the words are starting to become recognizable rather than a tune that is in the background. I hear the words `` we bake to live and live to bake”. Are you baking in my house! Anger came over my body as I slammed my door shut as I do I turned the deadbolt fast. I still hear the singing and it is getting louder as if it is in my ear, I check to make sure I do not have earbuds. The singing is getting louder as the seconds pass as if there is a caroling group in my kitchen. I start looking around frantically looking for a radio, tv, or something to make the noise. No radio, no tv, no phone, nothing where is it? What is going on! Where are you!?  Answer me! A loud noise goes off and I see the muffins are done. I slowly make stead way to the muffins I bend down and look into the oven seeing the muffins are done. I go grab the oven mitts to pull the muffins out of the oven as I turn around they are on the counter. I put them on and they are warm like someone just had them in their hand or they were above the oven. The feeling of anxiety takes over my body. I can feel my arm shaking, my brain is racing, my body isn't moving, how is this happening I feel the urge to throw up. No! I must find the people in my house! I rush to the living room looking in the closet no one! Check the upstairs closet no one! Check my room no one! Check my parents room. All I see is them sleeping. The anxiety is getting worse as I think my parents are dead, a cold, dark, almost heart dropping feeling goes over me until I see my mom roll over slap my dad and he pushes the arm away. There is nowhere else to hide! Wait…. the bathroom I think to myself moving slowly now not to wake anyone up I move towards the bathroom there's a light on in there, so I'm getting a surge of adrenaline and anxiety as I move closer to the door slowly pushing it open from the side of the wall, I slowly push my head inside to see who it is. No one again! All I see is a golden circle on the counter scared to approach it, scared to move I bend down to pick it up grasping it in hand shaking I quickly grab the item. My hand wraps around it and a bunch of lights surround me. These letters come crawling down the wall coming towards me, the letters feel as if they are being branded in me.  Brrrr-ring the alarm clock rings in my ear I jump from my bed checking my arms and legs for the brandings there are no signs of the letters or the burns, yet the pain is still feeling so real. What was that dream that I had? Where was my head last night? Is this stress? “Evan! It is time to get ready for school” my mother howls from the bottom of the stairs. What day is it? Oh no! It is Monday today. I have algebra today that teacher is such a drag she always rambles on about equations that we are not even going to have on the test, and her voice is so monotone it is like she can not keep anyone attention at all. “Evan! Are you out of bed” my mother is shrieking from down the hall as if she has moved up the stairs with each passing thought. “ I am up mom!” I respond to her in an aggravated tone as if I am wishing for my own death wish.That could be a way to get out of algebra can’t go to school if my mother has me in the crypt. 

Too bad that will not work today she seems pretty persistent of me getting up this morning. "Evan you have 15 minutes before the bus arrives get dressed and eat your breakfast" she screeched at me as if a banshee was living inside of her, so I get dressed in a rush throw on a black pollo with some light gray khakis my new black and gray Jordans grabbing my black hoodie on the way downstairs. "Hey mom you seem to be in a lovely mood this morning" without a second of time to respond I get a hug and a kiss "Thanks for making blueberry muffins last night I love them, but if I ever catch you up at 4 am on a school night again I'll kill you" what? I didn't make… any blueberry muffins….I don't know how to bake… was that real? Did it really happen? I turn to see the muffins on the stove next to two pot holders. Oh my it was real! All of it was real! How? How did this happen? I notice my mom looking at me during this internal freak out as if she watched my spirit leave my body "Are you okay?" How do I tell her about this? She will think I'm crazy. No! I won't just play along with it. "You're welcome mom sorry about being up so late I was nervous about next week's game" I could feel the sweat dripping down my head as if I was in the shower my voice stuttering with each word. It was unreal that these muffins are here. So, I grab my bag and tell my mom bye and start heading to school. As I walk to the bus stop I use these passing moments to clear my head. The muffins were real? Was everything real? No marks, no burns on me that is weird, I guess I can write it off as sleep walking. The morning air smells of fresh cut grass and morning dew a small noise catches my ear "Evan how are you doing?" I hear pacing forward towards the bus stops. I turn to see who it is as I see long flowing brown hair, a slender frame, and a nice smile that makes you want to smile back. "Oh! Hey Elizabeth I'm doing fair and had some trouble sleeping. How are you?" A twisted smirk crosses over her face saying "Amazing Evan! I'm doing amazing! A moment with my parents let me know that they will be out of town for a week on a work trip! That means I can throw a big party! You can come also." A new smell enters the air, a perfume smell probably from Elizabeth? It's a choking amount, would it be rude to tell her it's too much? It might move the conversation forward "That's actually really cool like an old high-school movie party?". Elizabeth giggles "Oh! Evan! You're so sheltered" . Trying to leave the conversation as I am still trying to wrap my head around the horror of my visions last night, to this morning seeing the muffins waiting in the morning on the counter.  Don’t speak to her about the dice you found. We are here to help you Evan. 

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“Elizabeth did you say something?” Evan nervously says to Elizabeth as sweat drips down his forehead. “Yes Evan! I did! I invited you to my party and still have not received a yes or no from you!” Evan trying to keep a level mind and a convincing composure

“Yes Elizabeth…. I will be there..” covering the  anxious feeling with a low toned voice. Trying to use the conversation to escape the events of the night trying to find a topic to discuss with Elizabeth, obsessively reliving the events of last night he walks in awkward silence and decides to try to make a conversation with Elizabeth unsure what to say or what to talk about as they continue the walk to school bus stop with the breeze flowing through Evan’s hair occasionally catching a hint of Elizabeth’s perfume reminding him to make an attempt at a conversation. Nervously trying to get the lump of words out of his throat to speak “Do...you like music....?” he blurts out only to be met with stone cold silence. His brain racking the thoughts in his head beating himself up for the question he constantly considered dumb “of course she likes music” “WHO DOESN”T like music?” Elizabeth finally breaking the silence between them “Evan, I like music to be honest I just listen to what is on the radio I am nothing of music genius” she says giggling. Noticing that they are at the stop Evan sits on the ground feeling the rough rigid edges of the concrete on his hands and the warm sensation of the concrete under his legs he reaches in his book bag to grab his headphones to slip off into a blissful moment. The bus just arrived Evan slipping into the peace of the melodic tempos of his music relaxing in the seat forgetting everything that just happened. 

Entering the school house he hears the creeping sounds of his classmates gossiping, clowning each other, singing songs loudly, and more the moment is slipping in and out with the base of his headphones walking past the lockers he detested. They always smelled of sour clothes and molded food.  Disgusted he moves closer to the locker missing everyone that running down the hall. Rest his head on his locker feeling different of being at school. BANG! A hand slams against the locker snapping Evan out of his trance and turns to see who did it as his heart is racing feeling each pump in his chest and his arm, as he finally recognizes his friend Drew “ What up Evan? You know you missed the morning practice right? The coach is going to make you push the Earth this afternoon for missing the practice!” Oh my …….. I MISSED PRACTICE Evan said panicking. Are they going to take me off the starting line up? What is coach going to say? This is the worst thing ever! Drew noticing that Evan is panicking, so he decides to calm him down “Don’t worry Evan, no one can run like you if they take you off the starting line they would be making a huge mistake” the reassuring words of his friend made Evan calm down. Evan we are your friends too, the dice will help you! The words echo in his ears as Drew is standing there talking looking at Evan.  “ Are you okay? Evan speak to me! Someone get a teacher!” 

“Evan, Welcome to this new world you are able to hear us, touch us, and visit us as long as you follow all the rules. We will never betray you as long as you follow all the rules. We will help you with any trouble you have”....... He’s waking up Evan can you hear us? Using a limp arm to display a thumbs up Evan acknowledges the voice even though he is still unable to see his surroundings he can only hear a deep voice. Follow the rules Evan. As he heard this his body shot up allowing his spine to be as straight as a arrow and his sight still returning to him blurry shades of white and black fill his eyes. Finally, the vision is clearing up to see that he is in a white brick room warmer then the normal school room looking around it looked like the school he attended, logos laying around on paper of the mascot the Silver Foxes Evan comes to realization that he is in the nurse’s office.”What brought me in here?” he says to himself out loud. No response was received. He looks for someone Evan you need to come learn the rules.  Looking around the room Evan doesn’t see anyone and is starting to think he is going insane. “Oh you’re awake now! Wonderful! Your parents have just arrived and are ready to take you home” What happened? “ We are unsure it looks like you might have fainted in the hall. Do you get enough sleep?” Yes, he says unconfidently. “ Well, we think you should go home at this moment and maybe get checked by your doctor, so we called your parents.” What about practice? “ Who is the coach we can explain what have happened today, so that you can get some rest. I do not think it would be good for someone who just randomly fainted to be training today this can be serious.” Evan realizing she is right says softly “ Coach Henry” “Oh the football coach! You must be so prouad of your winning games recently”  Evan not wanting to speak nods his head.

“Are you ready to go home Evan?” A stern voice says from outside the door. Yes dad, I am ready to go home sighs Evan. Nervous about what is going to be said on the ride home Evan tries to stay quiet entering the car. “What is wrong with you? Really? This is a new low for you I know that you hate school, but to fake faint to get a day out of school is pathetic” Evan “ I didn’t fake…” cut off mid sentence “ You seem fine now how can you say it wasn’t fake you seem to be acting okay now….. No random faints since you been in the car with me. Do you want a future Evan? Because, faking a serious situation can take that away from you” Evan trying to hide the fact he is upset that his dad didn’t believe him nods his head and fades off in the distances watching the trees pass by as his father rants next to him. Only catching a few words here and there. 

After the berating belittlement Evan sees his home fast approaching exhaling the musty air in the car he thinks of what he is going to do when arriving at the home. Run up the stairs get into bed and rest there as if he is sick. In his head he plans for every scenario his dad could plan cleaning up till school is over, working out till he throws up, or worse standing there arms extended for the rest of the school day, that is the worse your arms start hurting in the first 10 mins and school has another seven and half hours. 

Slowly pulling up the driveway “ Are you ready to start working out Evan?” with a quick response “I am so sorry dad I would love to, but I still don’t feel strong enough to complete a full set” “Absolutely! Bullshit! Evan! You are going to do what I say I am your father, and I am going to teach you a work ethic you can’t just leave your job whenever you want. Why do you think I am, so hard on you?” Evan feeling defeated reaches to the door handle it’s cracked always stabbing into Evan’s hand pulling it out and pushing the door….