Pre College Composition

13 May 2014

Trapped Inside


I wake up from hearing thunder crack; I look outside and it’s pouring rain. My covers are sprawled around my bed and I’m sweating. I look at the clock and it’s already 11:23 A.M. on this stormy Saturday morning. The date is April 26, 2014. I get up and go get some hot coffee that has already been brewed for me. I sit down to watch the news with my coffee and the weather is being shown; I see that it’s suppose to rain the rest of today and on Sunday it’s sunny and clear. I see the date and think to myself that the date looks familiar, and that’s when I realize!

“Crap!” I yell as I carelessly spill my steaming hot coffee down my shirt onto my pants.

Tomorrow is Carly’s birthday, how could I forget my own girlfriend’s birthday. I know she’s expecting something big, like a ring, but I don’t have the money right now. Of course, I want to marry her sometime in my life but money is important too and without that I can’t buy a nice ring that she deserves. As I’m changing into a new set of clothes,I remember that my creepy neighbor, Mr. Johnson, is having a garage sale today. I usually try to avoid him completely because, he’s just very odd and seems to be hiding something, but possibly I could get something nice there for her. Carly is into the old and unique stuff. I, on the other hand, think that stuff is useless and breaks too easily. I get my umbrella and coat, it’s still raining hard as I walk outside. I get to Mr. Johnson’s garage sale and it looks like a good crowd has come. Inside the crowd I see Mr. Johnson starring at me. I quickly turn around and act like I’m interested in this mirror with a metal design painted white and black. I try my best not to make conversation with anyone really, but especially with him. As I pick up one of the plates I hear from behind me.


“You’re not thinking about buying that, are you?” Mr. Johnson questions me

as I roll my eyes and turn around.


“Um ah, yeah well I could use a new mirror in my house and this one seems nice,” I utter.


Looking at the mirror Mr. Johnson states, “ Well this one is pretty old for a young gentleman like you.” He takes the mirror from me and continues, “My children are insisting on me selling all my old stuff, but this object means a lot to me so if you don’t mind I’d like to keep it”


“Yeah, of course” I confusingly say.


“Thank you young man,” Mr. Johnson replies with his head facing downward


He walks away with the mirror in his position. He seemed kind of panicked, I think to myself as I see Mr. Johnson push through the crowd of people and takes a glance around once. He sets the mirror underneath a table and puts stuff on top of it so people can’t see it. It was clear he was hiding something, but what? I look around more for something that’d spark Carly’s interest, but I keep turning back to that white and black mirror. It’s her taste, and it’s cheap so why not? Ignoring what Mr. Johnson had said before, I grab the mirror, pay for it, and go on my way.

I wonder what he was trying to hide or avoid me finding out, or maybe I’m just overthinking all of this and it was really just close to him. I’d feel really bad if that was the case. When I get home I set the mirror on the dinner table.


“It doesn’t look that bad; I actually kind of like it,” I whisper to myself.


The rest of that Saturday was quiet and calm beside the thunder and lightning outside. I took the rest of the day to fix up the house. I needed something to keep my mind off the mirror. Finally I decide I should probably wrap it up for Carly. I’m clueless with this type of stuff but it’s the thought that counts, right? I set it on my bed and look at myself in it. All of a sudden I see something behind in the reflection in the mirror. I quickly turn my head in a panic, but I see nothing. Slowly turning my head back towards the mirror I see this large raccoon.


“Am I going crazy?” I yell as I grab my hair ,“ Is this actually happening?”


I take a deep breath and look in the mirror again. There he is, the same raccoon. It’s very clear he isn’t a normal racoon; he’s colored black, blue, and pink not to mention big for a raccoon. I keep looking closer and closer in amazement. At that moment I start feeling gravity pull me towards the mirror; wind is blowing my hair and clothes all kinds of directions. I’m not the strongest man, but I don’t think even the strongest man could have resisted the pulling. I find myself falling into what's seems to be the between world of the mirror and my world.


“Help!” I scream as loudly as I possibly can, desperate for someone to hear. The strange raccoon is getting closer and closer. Smack! Everything goes black.


“Sir, sir are you ok?” I hear a stuttering voice as I cautiously open my eyes. I can make out a figure but no details. At first I think I was all a dream but then I start seeing the same weird raccoon. It seems like my heart stops and I start breathing fast as I try to get away from this terrible nightmare.


“I need to get back!” I howl as my voice cracks “Help!”


“Calm down sir, Where and what are you talking about?” The over- sized raccoon says while stammering over his words.


“My house, my home, back to Carly” I tell him. “ I just need to get back to her before her birthday. Please help me.”


“Yes, of course, but I have no clue what you are talking about but I know someone who might.” the racoon informs me.


Then I realize, he’s a raccoon! I’m talking to a raccoon! I was in such a panic before I didn’t even realize.


“How can you talk or understand me? What is going on and where am I?” I barked at him as I start breathing heavily again.


“Please sir you need to calm down, you’re in Agartha and you fell from the sky. I’m just trying to help you out.” He states in a soothing voice. “My name is, Asura. What’s yours?”


“Ah, Jasper Kerton. I’m sorry I just need to get back to my home by tomorrow. My girlfriend is waiting for me; it’s her birthday tomorrow and I need to be there.” I desperately say to him.


“Of course, Jasper, please follow me.” He politely states.


We start to walk down this path that appears to be made of chocolate bricks. As we are walking along I notice we’re heading towards this town.

“We will stop for food here, but quickly, and don’t talk to anyone.” Asura commanded.

Asura seemed very much on edge and kept looking around. I go to get some fruit off this tree and then I hear this voice from behind me.

“Psst, Sir.” A quiet voice tries to get my attention.

It’s a elderly lady with a cane. I remember what Asura told me, but she’s old so what can she do.

“Yes ma’am.” I politely state.

“Don’t go towards the heat.” The fragile woman warns me.

She hands me a diamond ring; I bring it closer to my face for a better look.

“What’s it for?” I ask the lady, but she’s already gone.

I walk away curious about what she meant by the heat and why she gave me this diamond ring. Asura and I continue on our way to this person who will tell me how to get home. The time is going by so slowly, but this new world is keeping my mind off of it. Asura shows me things as we walk on the same chocolate path. He points out the butterfly forest on our left; there had to be thousands of butterflies in there. Another thing he showed me was the strange animals. I thought Asura was odd looking, I think to myself.

“Jasper, do you see the smoke by that mountain?” Asura asks me.

“Yeah, what about it?” I respond.

“Well that’s actually a volcano and that’s where we are going. So we are almost there.” He informs me.

That was music to my ears; we had been traveling non stop for hours, and all I wanted was to watch TV at my house with Carly like I always spent my Saturday nights. I couldn’t help but notice I was sweating an insane amount. My mind quickly thinks back to what that lady told me. It keeps repeating in my head. “Don’t go towards the heat. Don’t go towards the heat.” What does that mean? And am I just sweating from walking such a long distance without a break, or is it the heat? All of this was going through my head when I found myself at the bottom of the volcano. I need to trust Asura. I walk with him into the bottom of the volcano that was made into some kind of palace. By this time I was drenched in sweat and by the looks of this palace I could sense something was wrong. Asura was much more aggressive and kept pushing me forward. Could this nightmare get any worse? I wish this was just a dream, but sadly this place is my only way home.

We walk into this huge room and Asura says to me.

“I’m sorry, Jasper, I had to follow commands,” Asura muttered underneath his breath. “This is where I leave you.”

I am at a loss for words because at this point I have no idea what is going on. I don’t even know if I should be mad at Asura or not because I don’t know why he’s sorry or why he’s leaving.

“Finally, Jasper, you have arrived!” a voice snarled. “Guard! Take him!”

“Yes, my king.” The guard responds

Before I know it I’m in a cold and wet jail cell. I think back to the time Carly and I went on our first date. I took her to the movie theater; we had popcorn and soda. It’s still one of the best memories and I’d give anything to go back. What if I never get back to her.

Suddenly I overhear a couple of guards talking about how they want me to bring their king to my world. Only problem with that is the fact I’m stuck here too. I feel tears start to develop in my eyes, but I quickly wipe them away. On the bright side, the jail cell is cold so I’m no longer sweating. I lay down to try to get some rest; it’s been a long day.

“Ouch!” I yell to myself.

The ring that I had put in my pocket sent a sharp pain through my body. I take it out to examine it again and put it on my pinky because that’s the only finger it fits. That’s when I hear the guards coming towards me!

“Oh no! Where did he go?” One of the guards asks the other in a panicky voice.

“Ah, I don’t know! I’ve had the keys this whole time! I swear!” The other guard states as he stutters over his words.

“Well we’d better hurry up and get the other guards and have them help us find him before the king finds out” The first guard says as they both run out of the room.

How didn’t they see me I wonder to myself. Is it the ring? I take the ring off but I hear footsteps again, quickly I put the ring back on and hold my breath.

“Son are you there?” A voice whispers.

“Mr. Johnson is that you?” I confusingly say with a big sigh of relief as I take the ring off my finger that is starting to sweat all over again.

“Yes, we need to hurry so there’s no time to talk. I stole the keys to get you out.” He says as he unlocks the cell. “Hurry, let’s get out of here and put that ring back on.”

We start running and it seems like Mr. Johnson knows where he’s going.

I ask him, “How do you know?”

“What did I tell you, there’s no time to talk. I’ll tell you everything as soon as we are safe,” He harshly cuts me off. “Quick find something with a reflection.”

I’m done asking questions after that so I start trying to find something that I can see my reflection in.

“I’ve got it!” Mr. Johnson cheered as he grabs a silver plate from what appears to be the palace’s kitchen. “Look at it from the front and I will from the back and say ‘There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.’”

My heart beating out of my chest, I join in with him.

“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” We both chant.

All of a sudden I feel this familiar push towards the silver plate. I’m no longer looking at my reflection anymore; now I can see my bed with my covers the way I had left them before. Smack! Everything goes black.

I open my eyes in a panic as I hear a banging on my front door; it’s Mr. Johnson. I slowly open the door for him to come in. I can’t speak right now, not everything has sunk in yet.

“Are you ok?” He concernly asks me. I just nod my head yes. “I told you not to take the mirror but you just had to, didn’t you? When I was young, my wife and I went through the mirror also. The king took both of us, but I got away. I tried and tried to find her until I had no other choice but to return home to take care of our children; she would’ve wanted that.” He took a long pause and I could tell he hadn’t told anyone this before. Then he continues on “I kept the mirror so no one else would get trapped inside like my wife. Now it’s your time to talk, Jasper, where did you get that ring?” He questions me.

I look up at him confused “Ah, this one?” I say as I show him the ring that was on my finger.

“Yes, that one.” He answered.

“Well this elderly lady gave it to me and warned me not to go towards the heat. I probably owe her my life.” I added.

“That ring belonged to my wife; it was her wedding ring.” He responds with a tear rolling down his face. “I want you to keep it, but thank you for telling me that. I needed to know she was ok.” He said as he left the house in a much happier way than he had entered.

It is April 27, 2014. I look out side and it’s a beautiful Sunday morning. I drive over to Carly’s house and knock on the door. As she opens it I take the diamond ring, and kneel down and ask, “Will you marry me?”