Diana and Mark both return home. They see their house with teenagers having a wild party. A slushy drink hits their front window. Diana and Mark both exit the red van and walk into the house to find it a mess. There are some potato chips, and BBQ chips all over the counter, empty soda cans are all over the couch, and lots of paper plates and cups are all over the floor. Mark is very upset. Diana also seems upset.

Diana notices Spencer dancing with a girl.

“Spencer!” Diana shouts to get his attention but Spencer cannot hear her because of the loud music.

Mark walks up to Spencer and taps on his shoulder.

“Not now,” says Spencer.

Spencer turns his head and sees whom he was talking to.

Spencer now feels very embarrassed. “Hi Mark,” says Spencer with a nervous smile.

“Where’s Daniel?” Mark asks.

Spencer points up the stairs. Mark walks upstairs with Diana.

Megan is still in my room, looking at the pictures that I’ve drawn in my sleep.

“Look.” Megan places her right hand on my left leg. “I know that you have no idea of what’s going on, but neither do I,” says Megan.

I nod. Megan nods as well.

“But you are going to have to tell your parent’s about this,” says Megan.

I shake my head.

“I don’t want them to know. I just want them not to worry about this again,” I say.

“What do you mean again?” asks Megan.

I turn to Megan.

“I have been drawing in my sleep for as long as I can remember. My parents wanted me to get help. They suggested a psychiatrist and that didn’t help me. They had a very stressful time because of my drawings. Especially, Mark was terrified of my drawings. I forgave him when he burned them. I just wanted to forget about my odd talent. I don’t want them to worry,” I say to Megan.

My door opens. It is my mom and dad. Megan gets off my bed and walks up to them.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tony,” says Megan.

Mark folds his arms. “There are some kids downstairs having a wild party,” says Mark.

Megan nods. “Don’t worry I’ll have them clean up after the party,” says Megan.

Mark shakes his head. “We’ll take care of the mess, just have them go home,” says Mark.

“All right, but if you need any help just call Paul, Spencer, and me,” says Megan.

Megan passes by Mark and Diana. “I’ll take care of the kids,” says Megan.

“How? They’re partying like wild animals?” asks Mark.

Megan walks down to the living room. The music is still going and the teenagers are still dancing. Megan clears her throat.

“Ok! This party was a mistake so I want everyone to clear out now! This is supposed to be a birthday party, not a wild party!” shouts Megan.

No one is even listening to Megan.

“I’ve called the police!” says Megan.

Without hesitation, all of the teenagers, including Paul, Spencer, and Billy run out the door as fast as they can. Even though Paul, Spencer, and Billy know that Megan lied about the police thing, they also know that the party is over. The stampede of teenagers runs all over the front yard. Everyone is now out of my house out. They all run to their cars and drive away from my home.

Megan quietly chuckles. “Psych,” says Megan.

Megan walks back into my room. “They're all gone,” says Megan to Mark and Diana.

Mark points at my exit door. “Not everyone.” He tilts his head at Megan.

Megan nods and she walks out of my room. Mark and Diana both stand in front of my door.

“So you want to explain what happened down there?” asks Mark as he folds his arms and makes a very serious face at me.

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I swallow as my heart pounds very fast.

“I was having a party,” I answer.

“At ten o'clock PM?” asks Diana.

I nod. “Yes. Well, it was sort of Megan’s idea. She planned all this. Please don’t blame her. She just wanted to give me a perfect birthday party,” I answer.

Mark shakes his head. “We won’t blame anyone. We’re glad that you’ve had a birthday party. But at least inform us next time. I don’t want to end up calling the police next time you have a wild party,” says Mark.

“Ok. Ok. I’ll inform you next time, I’m sorry,” I say.

“Never mind that,” says Diana.

She turns to Mark and her voice sounds quiet.

“We have to tell him,” says Diana.

“Not yet. Not until I get another job. Besides what if he does not like it?” asks Mark.

“We don’t have a choice we have to tell him,” says Diana.

I can hear what they are saying. “Tell me what?” I interrupt their conversation.

Mark and Diana both turn around with nervous faces.

“He…he…” Diana tries to tell me.

I have a feeling that I do not want to hear Diana. “It’s not good news. Is it?” I ask.

Mark sighs. “I quit my job,” says Mark.

I feel so in shock. I cannot believe what Mark just said. I get off of my bed. I feel very surprised, angry, and stressed.

“What?” I ask.

“He quit his job,” repeats Diana.

I walk to a wall because I feel depressed and place my head on the wall. I pant with emotion.

“Why,” I ask.

Mark begins to explain. “Because I hated that job, it was all work and not enough money. And I missed three birthday parties which were yours and I missed two Christmas parties…”

I slam my fist on the wall and feel very angry at Mark.

“Why?” I burst.

“I told you, because of all the things that I’ve missed,” says Mark.

“No, because you did not think of what’s best for this family!” I shout.

Diana tries to calm my angry tone. “Don’t shout at your father,” says Diana.

I sit down on my bed and try not to cry because I am never an emotional teenager. But this might break my emotion. I begin to sniff and my eyes are a bit watery.

“I’m sorry. It’s just I…I…I just don’t want to be poor. Where are we going to live, what are we going to eat, and what am I going to wear?” I ask.

Mark and Diana both sit on my bed by me. “Don’t worry. There are plenty of jobs out there. Diana still has her job and it’s temporary. But we’ll find another job, one I can do at home,” answers Mark.

I turn to Mark. “Is that even possible?” I ask.

Mark nods. “Yes, it is. We’ll find a way. We always do.” Mark pats my back.

I turn to Diana. “How long have you been keeping this a secret?” I ask.

Diana hesitates to answer. Then she finally answers me. “We have been hiding this for a week. We were afraid to tell you,” says Diana.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I ask.

“The same reason why you did not tell us that you blame Billy for what you did at school yesterday,” answers Diana.

I rub my head and act innocent.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say.

Mark taps my right shoulder and I turn to him. “We got a call from Mrs. Thatcher. She told us you have been drawing in your sleep again,” says Mark.

There is no use acting innocent anymore.

“I didn’t want to tell you guys because I was afraid to tell you. I didn’t want you guys to worry or send me away to some insane asylum,” I say.

Mark puts his right arm over my shoulders. “We would never do that to you. What you can do in your sleep scares us too. But I think it’s a great talent. Even though it scares me I need to not be afraid. And neither do you, Daniel.” Mark pats my back.

“We love you and we will never do anything that we will regret in life,” says Mark.

I nod and look back at Diana.

“So you want to open your presents?” Diana asks.

“Maybe later, right now I need to sleep,” I say.

“But it’s still your birthday,” says Diana.

“Maybe later, wake me up around eleven and as soon as I wake up I’ll help you guys clean up the mess,” I yawn.

Mark nods and walks out of my room. Diana turns off my light.

“Have a good nap son. I promise everything will be fine tomorrow,” says Diana, and then she walks out of my room.

I nod back at Diana. I lie on my bed and shut my eyes. Mark and Diana both walk into the living room and still find it a mess. Diana begins to throw away the paper plates and cups.

“Do you think it was the right choice to tell him?” asks Diana.

Mark picks up a few soda cans. “Daniel feels the same thing that we’ve felt when he didn’t tell us about his drawings in his sleep. It was supposed to be a lesson for him. So it was the right choice,” answers Mark.

Diana puts the paper plates and cups in the garbage. “It’s just that, he’s been having problems at school. Failing grades, bullies, and sleeping in class. I think that the next time we have terrible news, we should just lay low for a while,” says Diana.

Mark shakes his head. “I don’t think we should do that honey. Families don’t keep secrets. Next time we should just be honest,” says Mark.

Diana nods and walks up to the closet near the kitchen to find the vacuum.

I am asleep. Nice and calm. It seems like sleeping makes all of my troubles go away. Then something wakes me up. It is not a car or a bird. It sounds like the wind. I wake up to see if my window is open and it is not.

I feel a breeze on the back of my neck. I look around to see if anyone is behind me. No one is in my room, just me alone. I lift my shoulders to forget about it and lay back down on my bed. Then I hear the wind again. My head turns to my closet. I see a yellow light from the crack at the bottom of the closet. It seems kind of creepy like a horror movie. But I feel so very curious about that light. I get off my bed and I walk towards the door as I feel the wind again. I feel it on my face. I look around my room to see if anyone is there. Still, no one is in my room. It feels like the wind is coming from my closet. Slowly I walk towards the closet door. I grab the handle and stop for a moment. “Bad idea,” I say to myself.

Slowly I open my closet door to see what the light is.

A rough gust of wind blows once in my room. I cover my face with my arms. I see far away green mountains, with dark grey clouds. It’s like I’m standing on top of a building and can see the land far away below me. I can hear the birds tweeting. The mountains and the wide land look so very far away from my view. There is no path, no ladder, or stairs that lead to the far away land. The clouds cover the land and make it very hard to see anything clear. I cannot believe my eyes, there is a beautiful far away land in my closet.

I have no words whatsoever. I feel like I want to explore this land that’s in my closet. Then I hear a loud roaring noise that sounds like the roar of a bear. I gasp and slam the door. I put a chair in front of the door and run to my bed. I close my eyes and whisper in a panicky kind of way.

“It’s only a dream, it’s only a dream, it’s only a dream, it’s only a dream,” I repeat.

I sure hope that when I wake up tomorrow the land in my closet will be gone.