Creating World Writing Camp - Project One

Hi everyone!:)

CWWC is back and I am SO excited! The prompts were awesome and I immediately had an idea for the three prompts.:) It's just so much fun to figure out a story for every prompt!;)

These are the prompts I used!

 

I am on Team Dragon FYI! WHOO HOO!;D

Ellie paused as her gaze ran over the familiar words of her favorite novel, Through the Looking Glass. It was so imaginative, so extraordinary how Alice could travel through a mirror. Reading was her escape from the loneliness that pressed against her at all angles. Ellie looked up and around her small empty bedroom that was in a small empty house. Her parents never really came home, they were busy working, living separate lives, which left her alone for weeks before she saw them. Tonight was an especially hard night where she felt the emptiness deeply.

She sighed, stood up, and meandered around her room. What would she do in Alice's place, to go to a brand new world? What kind of world could there be other than this one? Ellie ran her fingers through her thick brownish red curls and spied her long mirror sitting on the floor. She twisted to face it and giggled at herself.

What kind of world could there be?

Grasping the book in her hands, she sat in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection. She took in her small pointed nose, large, brown, almond shaped eyes, thick lips that didn't quite have a Cupid's bow, and cleft chin. She pulled her hair away from her forehead then stretched and twisted her face in odd angles. After a couple minutes, she slipped her hand outwards to the glass mirror. It was silly, foolish even, but she found herself desperate for an escape from being alone so often. Her fingers hit the cool glass and she grinned at how foolish she was being, but she didn't remove her hand. She shook her head and took her hand back, but it was stuck to the glass. Ellie's eyes widened as she yanked her hand away. It was as if it were glued to the mirror. Desperately, she began to work at her hand, ripping and tearing at it although it stayed firm.

"Help!" she yelled. "Help!"

No one replied, yet she already knew that no one would. She gasped in ragged breaths as her mind raced to try to find a way out. A minute later, after her fit, she hesitated. Reaching out her free hand that held the book, she touched the mirror with it. It, too, became glued to the mirror. Could it be possible?

Ellie pushed her hands in farther and they disappeared behind the glass.

"This is insanity," she whispered breathlessly as she went deeper into the mirror. Soon her torso was going into the mirror until she was completely gone.

***

She woke up in a dizzy fog. Ellie looked all around her, feeling sharp pains in her abdomen. They felt like shards of glass jabbed inside her, but she remembered the mirror traveling and somehow knew it was a side effect of the mirror.

Once the pains ebbed, she heard a roar and she whizzed around to see a huge dragon gallop toward her. Screaming, she leaped up and tore through the forest around her, not understanding where she was. Other than the fact that she had traveled in a mirror, she had no idea what happened. The dragon chasing her flew through the air, its curled wings pumping and getting it to go faster than Ellie could ever run.

It landed in front of her and she fell to the ground, cowering at the sight of such an unexplainable beast. 

"Wait!" it cried and Ellie shrieked.

"Who are you? I'm not here to hurt you or anything!" it said in a slippery voice.

"What?" Ellie mumbled. "How?"

"How what?"

"You're a dragon..." she whispered, shaking in fear.

"And you're a human," the dragon pointed out.

"Well, yeah! That's what everyone is!"

"Not here...wow..." it sighed in awe. "You must have come from a mirror!"

"How did you know?"

"The Ferrymen tells us about Mirror Travel. Not like they tell humans though. They're not allowed to Mirror Travel. It's not safe for the other creatures." It scrutinized her, its golden gaze taking in her appearance. "So, the question is, why did they let you Travel?" it whispered in a sly tone.

"Ferrymen?"

It nodded. "You wouldn't know 'em. They don't make themselves known to you all."

"I really did go through a mirror? Where am I now?" Ellie questioned, coming out of fetal position.

"This is just Vaprot. Nuttin' special. But you! you come from Earth!" the dragon roared, then grew quiet. "And you're not s'pposed to be here..." it's voice became whispery and sing-songy.

"I don't know what happened," Ellie admitted. "I just disappeared into it."

"They left a mirror unguarded?"

"What?"

"Mirror...unguarded...I thought they weren't allowed or something. You'll probably have to go back before they find you."

"Back?" Ellie asked, horrified by that idea. "But I'm in a whole new world!"

The dragon thought about this. "But...on Earth, you wouldn't let a dragon fly around, would you? You have to go back before the Ferrymen come and take you with force!"

Ellie couldn't help but feel a little silly. "Ferrymen don't seem very-uh- frightening."

"You've never seen 'em though," the dragon laughed. "So..." it drawled. "Back to Earth then..."

It nodded back to where they had started the short chase.

"I can't get back though," Ellie replied as she stood up.

"Yeah, you can. The mirror travels with you so that you can always get back," the dragon responded and began to walk next to her.

Ellie wasn't set on going back just yet.

"Um, so what's it like here?"

"What's it like here?" the dragon snorted. "Um...that's an odd question. It's just another world. Maybe it's a lot like yours, maybe it's a lot different. It doesn't really matter."

"Ferrymen, what do they do?"

"They are the ones who control Mirror Travel so that creatures can explore other worlds. They guard the mirrors, too," it explained. Ellie could sense a little bit of angst to its tone about saying things about the Ferrymen and about her being here, but she had questions and she was not leaving yet.

"Why don't humans know about the Ferrymen?"

"Because you guys are dangerous! Humans do war and bad things and most creatures in other worlds despise that."

"Not all of us are bad," Ellie said.

"Whatever," the dragon said. They were quiet for a moment then she piped up again.

"I'm Ellie."

"Uh, cool?" the dragon replied.

"Are you going tell me your name?"

"I don't have a name," the dragon laughed, which sounded like joyful hissing.

"What? Why?"

"That's not what we do. We don't need to be called names. We are who we are."

"That's...weird. Then what am I going to call you?"

"You're not gonna call me anything," it hissed. "You're going back to Earth."

They reached the mirror and Ellie paused, not taking a step closer to it. She stared at her reflection in it and noticed the haziness of it, as if it was liquid. As she thought about going back, she felt the deep grief of loneliness swelling in the pit of her stomach. The dragon growled, it's curly horns and spikes twitching.

"What?" Ellie asked, looking at it.

"You...have...such emotions. They're potent."

"You can feel my emotions?" she gasped.

It nodded, it's eyes filling with a cloudy liquids.

"You-you're lonely."

Ellie froze as she waited for it to continue.

"This hurts-" the dragon clawed the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ellie's loneliness was pushed aside as worry for the dragon took center stage.

Its claws eased and it sighed.

"I am now."

"Oh."

They stayed in mutual silence and Ellie was about to beg for it to let her stay for just a little while until she felt like leaving, when it said, "you should stay."

Ellie gasped.

"Not for a long time! Not even for the night! But-- for a little while."

"Thank you!"

"The Ferrymen won't notice yet, but they will in a few hours. That's when you'll go," the dragon demanded and she nodded her head eagerly.

"I have so many more questions! Are there more dragons? What other creatures are there in other worlds-"

"Please, Ellie..." it cried. "No questions. Silence is a good companion."

"Oh," she murmured. "If I'm staying...what should I call you?"

"You're not staying long, but I just want you to feel not what you felt before. The loneliness."

"Can't I call you something?"

"I-" it paused. "I wouldn't even know what you could call me."

Ellie scrutinized the dragon's dark purple scales, golden gaze, and black curly appendages hanging from its cheeks.

"Amethyst?"

It curled its lip, showing sharp fangs.

"Whatever."

"I want a name you like."

"Amahyst is fine," it shook it's head, unable to form the 'TH' well.

"What can we do here?"

"Enjoy the peace and quiet," Amethyst replied, then noticed her face.

"I s'ppose humans need a source of entertainment?"

"We prefer it, yes," Ellie said and then realized the book still in her hand. "I have a book though, if you like quiet."

"Book? How odd!"

"You've never read a book?"

"Nope! But if it's quiet, I have a perfect place for you to do it."

Ellie smiled as they went to Amethyst's perfect place. As they drew closer to it, she heard the gorgeous sound of water rushing down from a waterfall, it was quiet but still crystal clear. They reached a bridge that spread over the waterfall and Amethyst glided to the middle of it with Ellie not too far behind. As mist flowed over them, she read her book with a blissful look of peace over her face. She leaned on the dragon's chest, feeling peace. For once in her life, she was together with another creature that seemed to enjoy her, even understand her although they weren't even the same species.

She glanced up at Amethyst and caught it staring at her, a curious and happy gaze fixed on her. It quickly looked away, down to the waterfall. The hours flew by in what felt like seconds and soon Amethyst slowly drew itself up with a sigh.

"It's time for you to go home."

Ellie's bliss was torn as she looked up into its eyes. Amethyst didn't want her to go and Ellie didn't want to go.

"I could stay a little bit longer-"

"No. You've stayed too long anyways. It's time to go."

They gazed down at the mirror that glistened with dew from the cool mist that clung to both of them.

"Can I come back?"

"I wouldn't forgive you if you didn't," Amethyst smiled and Ellie knew it meant it.

"I'll come back really soon! I swear." 

She reached out to touch the mirror when it stopped her.

"I've grown sort of fond of you, Ellie."

"Me, too."

Ellie stood up and hugged the dragon, wrapping her arms around its wet body.

"Thank you."

She let go and the dragon smiled sadly.

"I'll see you soon."

Ellie let her fingers dig into the mirror and she slowly disappeared into it. She finally knew she had a friend. One that loved her even after such a small time.

When she woke up on her gray carpet, she grinned. She couldn't wait for tomorrow, when she would go back to see Amethyst.

***

The next day went by slowly and Ellie didn't even mind that her parents didn't show up, even though they were supposed to every Friday. When she got back from school she flung her bag to the side and climbed to the top of the stairs where her bedroom was. She threw her door open and gasped when she saw what lay behind. A tall and thin creature reminiscent of a human stood there, but his pale yellow skin and scarlet eyes told otherwise. It was a Ferryman, she could tell.

"You've been Mirror Traveling to forbidden worlds. You must not be permitted to go back." He lifted a silver dagger from his leather belt and pointed it at the mirror.

"NO!" Ellie shrieked, her voice thundering. The high pitched scream sounded through her little room and the Ferryman's red eyes rolled to the back of his head. She took her one chance and grabbed the mirror and split away from him. He reached out for her but only touched her hair. She was already out of the house, the Ferryman running after her. He was blindingly quick and he gained on her within seconds. She raced on the road, eyes stinging with tears as fear coursed through her blood. She couldn't lose Amethyst. It was her only friend. She only needed to touch the actual mirror and she would get to the dragon's world. Her pumping legs and the adrenaline inside her wouldn't let her stop to touch the glass though and she continued to sprint away. The Ferryman screeched at her and she dared to glance back at the tumbling creature who was now on all fours, pursuing like an animal. Her eyes wide in terror, Ellie felt something snag her foot since she wasn't looking where she was sprinting. Everything began to spin as she fell as if she was in slow-mo. Her body crashed onto the mirror and a gut wrenching crack shuddered through her whole body as the glass shattered beneath her. She lay rigid on the street, not daring to look underneath her even though she felt cuts on her skin.

Sobs racked through her body as she knew what the broken glass meant. The only unguarded mirror on Earth, and she had broken it. The Ferryman had disappeared, his mission complete.

Ellie crawled onto all fours and stared at the mirror. The broken mirror. The broken friendship. The broken girl in the reflection. Tears flooded over the shards as the reality set in her heart. Loneliness followed. The beautiful world she had witnessed was gone and most importantly, Amethyst was gone. 

"I'm sorry. So sorry. My only friend now gone-" Ellie broke down into more sobbing as she gazed at herself. She was left alone. Again.

***

Sorry for the depressing story...actually...no.;D I hope you liked it!:D GO DRAGONS!

-Emma-