Sept. 2nd
I know it’s been a while. Here’s a story i wrote a while back that is meant to be the beginning to a much longer story. Hope you like it.
Eleana was only four years old when things started. She would go missing and randomly show up in various locations in plain sight. Her Dad showed general concern for her being missing. Her mom said very little. It wasn’t till she was seven that her mom pulled her aside for a serious talk–one Eleana didn’t really understand. After another time where Eleana had disappeared, she told her parents of the fantastical lands that she visits when she disappears. Her father believed it to be nothing more than an overactive imagination, after all she was seven years old is all.
That night her mom came into her room and sat down on her bed. She had a long face on. The clear dread on her face made Eleana worried.
“What’s wrong Mama?” Eleana asked.
“...I want you to tell me more about this world that you visit when you disappear.” Her mom prompted.
Eleana went on about a world where there were all sorts of different variations of humans, and fairies. Some had magic. She described a big field of flowers that she loved to play in that smelt of cotton candy. She talked about how an elf liked to talk to her, they had called their land Topia and had lived there many years, but that they saw potential threats on the horizon, that she shouldn’t visit because the Empress put their land at risk. With this tears slid down her mother’s cheeks.
“What’s wrong Mama?” Eleana repeated.
“Honey, you must never go back there,” She warned.
“I don’t try, it just happens” Eleana defended.
“I know, but people like you, I’ve known some before” a tear slid down her cheek “you must stay in control of your emotions, do you understand? You need to try to live in this world.”
Eleana nodded, but didn’t really understand. It was a few months later that her mom died of a heart attack. Eleana tried not to go to that other world, but anytime she was too angry, or too excited, she found herself traipsing through the cotton candy smelling flowers. As she reached her early teenage years, she began to question her own sanity…but it seemed so real. Her Dad questioned her sanity as well. She became withdrawn and when she did go to that other world, it was darked every time. The flowers no longer bloomed for the sun was covered with smog. Her elf friend almost never came to greet her anymore. This only strengthened her resolve that this world was a reflection of her mind, because she was more depressed and it was seeming to be darker, but perhaps her perspective on it was to blame.
Either way, her Dad began to take her to a psychiatrist because of her “imaginary world” which was not right for a teenager to have. They put her on pills. She felt very little, and anytime she talked about going to the other world they increased her dose. She felt miserable, but at least her emotions were so in check, that she never went to the other world anymore. Eleana’s life took dark turn after dark turn after that.
One day Eleana was walking home from school. She looked around, still trying to feel something from time to time, but it was a great effort to do so. All of a sudden she let out a little shriek, there standing in front of her was the elf from her other world. She was sure it was him, but...but she was still here on her route from school to home. Never had the two worlds collide before. She started to walk away, but he followed.
“Stop, go away. I know you’re just in my head.” She screamed at it.
No one was around just her and the elf from her imagination. She began to cry.
“Don’t be afraid, don’t you remember me? We used to be great friends” the elf said.
“You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real” Eleana told herself hoping it’d make the elf disappear.
“I am real, and I need your help. I told you to stay away because the empress was coming. I was wrong, we need you. You’re the last World Jumper, you may be the only one strong enough to save us” the elf pleaded.
“You’re not real. And I’m a crazy teenage girl with psychotic symptoms that couldn’t save anyone even if you were real” Eleana said and walked away and went home.
She never told anyone about her encounter with her elf “friend”, and years went by without ever seeing him again. Eleana’s senior year of high school her father died in a car accident. She was only 17 at the time, so was put in foster care. The group home didn’t keep up with her medication, so she was on when she could find the money from odds and ends jobs, and off when she couldn’t manage while finishing her senior year. This made Eleana highly unstable mentally because of the frequent change in what chemicals were being pumped into her brain.
She started out on her own with a regular waitressing job right after high school. She sought comfort and feeling anywhere she could. Some way of feeling alive. This endless search turned into her being a single mother, with father nowhere in sight at age 19. Her son Tyler became her world for the next 18 years. Through all these years, her delusions seemed to be all but a distant memory. Her life was hard, but she was determined to give her son a better life than she had. Through saving up she had saved enough to pay for his college. He got some scholarship money as well to help. It was at his sending away party that the past came crashing back.
“Tyler, your friends are going to be here soon, you need to get the chips out on the table. I’m marinating the barbeque so you’ll have to get the chips.” Eleana called from the kitchen.
Tyler came up behind his mother and planted a big kiss on her head.
“I got it ma” He replied, grabbing the chips and leaving for the backyard.
Soon the backyard was filled with friends who were here to see Tyler off. Many presents were given. His mom gave him her car. Though he fought it, she insisted she could walk to work. It wasn't that far and it was more important to her that he be able to come home to visit. The day was nothing but joy and love from all. Tyler left that evening after the party to get to his dorm. He had insisted that he needed to go alone, so his mom quietly was picking up after the party all alone when she saw it. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
There in front of her was the elf she had seen all those years ago. He was here…and he was real enough that he was helping clean up after the party. She didn’t know what to say so she didn’t say anything. She just continued cleaning up the empty plates, tossing the paper ones in the trash. He didn’t say anything either. When she had finished cleaning she looked over again, he was still there. She couldn’t help but let a tear run down her face. She thought she was done with that part of her life. Finally, he spoke.
“I know you think none of this is real. Me, Topia, any of it. You don’t want anything to do with it. I warned you that the Empress was ruining our world, but she now poses a threat to yours too. Your mom knew what you always have been, that’s why she was scared. Your mom was from our world. Her mom sent her here so that she’d be safe. Your mom didn’t have your gift, she could live a peaceful life here. You’re not delusional, you have to believe me, you have the power to jump between worlds. Scientists might call it dimensions or planes of existence. Whatever you call them, their boundaries don’t phase you.” The elf said.
“This isn’t real…but you said our world is in danger, how?” Eleana asked.
“The Empress has harnessed the power of World Jumpers to expand her empire. When she harvests them, they die. That’s why you’re the very last. Now that she has control of our world, she’s looking for a new one to conquer” the elf explained.
Eleana didn’t believe any of this was real, but she decided to humor her fantasy and ask about it.
“Does that mean my son could be in danger?” she asked.
“Yes, and everyone else you know. If we don’t stop her before she gets to this world” the elf warned.
“What could I even do? I don’t know anything about your world. I’m just your ordinary screw up.” Eleana questioned.
“It’s me Elfred from your childhood. You are anything but ordinary. You possess strong power, and she thinks that all the world jumpers are gone, so we’d have the element of surprise! The rebellion is praying you’ll help us bring down the Empress.” the elf said.
“I don’t even know how to do it” Eleana excused.
“You and I both know that’s not true. It’ll keep your son safe” Elfred argued.
Eleana would do anything for that. So she leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and pictured the world she’d go to when she was younger. When she opened her eyes, she saw gray skies and a bleak world that was not her own. Was this really what she was meant for. She took a deep breath and thought to herself “I guess I’m about to find out”.
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