I couldn't believe what I've had to go through to get out of the darkness. It took a moment to realize I wasn't back in the graveyard anymore. I found myself snapping awake in my bed, letting out a bloodcurdling scream of surprise!
Mom was standing at the foot of my bed, looking at me with concern. "You don't know what happened to you, do you, son?" Mom asked, with an earnest expression on her face. My head was throbbing. I realized I was sweating and cramped under my bed covers.
"Everything seems normal at the moment right now, Mom," I explained. "I just had a bad dream. It's nothing, okay?" I said. Mom walked around and sat beside my side on my bed. She put her hand on my forehead. I patted Mom's hand away. "Mom, don't bother me," I complained.
Mom sighed and took her hands away from my forehead. "You really need to stay home from school today, Kirk, son," Mom said. "I'll call the principal and let him know you are not feeling well today," she said.
I let out an annoyed scoff and sat up in my bed. "What? I'm fine, Mom. I just had a bad nightmare. Like I said. Everybody has bad dreams, every now and then," I said. Mom forced me to lie back down under the covers of my bed.
"No," she said, forcefully. "You're sick. Stay home from school today. You need your rest, I'll let Mr. Monster knows," Mom said, pushing a strand of my bushy sweaty hair out of my eyes.
What choice did I have? I didn't want to lie in bed all day. But I didn't want to argue with my Mother, either. Mom grabbed a clear glass of cold water from the bedside table next to her. And handed the glass of cold water to me. I took a slurping gulp of cold water and thanked my Mother.
"Those dreams will not get the best of my son, okay dear?" Mom told me. I nodded and understood her. She was just trying to be protective of me. "You get some rest, now. I'm going downstairs to make a phone call," she said, getting up off my bed.
I nodded and told my Mom I loved her. After she walked out of the bed, I put the glass of half-drunken cold water on my bedside table next to me. And hopped out of bed, like I had a bunch of energy eager to start my day.
I turned to look at my alarm clock radio above my bed. It still read: 12:00 a.m. Midnight! I grabbed the cord and yanked it out of the wall next to my bed, angrily. The alarm clock radio still didn't change! It was still midnight! Only it was morning the next day. Because there was sunlight pouring in through the draped curtained bedroom window.
"This can't be good!" I groaned. Frustratingly, I grabbed the alarm radio clock out of the bed table. And took it with me to show proof to my Mother what the problem was with the time not moving forward.
I could hear Mom talking on the phone as I made my way closer downstairs into the living room. Not taking my eyes off the frozen time on my alarm clock radio, Mom had her back turned against me in the living room. She was already on the phone, talking with my principal, Mr. Monster from school.
Finally, Mom hung the phone. "Hey, Mom?" I said, quietly. Holding the alarm clock radio in my hands, Mom groaned and slowly turned around to face me. "Look! My alarm clock radio is broken!" I complained, and handed the clock to my Mom, angrily.
"Kirky, babe. I thought I told you to stay in bed," Mom whined. "You could get worse," she continued, honestly. Mom gripped the alarm clock radio in her hands. "It doesn't make sense. Maybe the battery is dead," she said.
I sighed heavily and pointed to the electrical cord dragging on the ground. "You just plug it up. It doesn't feed on batteries. I always count on being on time for everything I do in my life, Mom. What does this mean?" I asked, feeling dread with fear.
Mom shrugged and continued to examine my alarm clock radio like there wasn't anything wrong with it. "I'll buy you a new alarm clock radio, okay son?" Mom said. "It doesn't mean anything," she continued. I hope she was right! Mom handed the alarm clock radio back to me. "Go back to bed, you're still sick," Mom said.
I tossed my hands in the air in frustration. "This can't get worse! I never get sick!" I cried, stomping back up the staircase, heading up to my bedroom. I heard Mom laugh behind my back. I walked back into my dimly lit bedroom and slammed my bedroom door at Mom.
I tossed my broken alarm clock radio in my wastebasket next to my brown wooden desk next to my bed. I sighed and plopped my head on my fluffy pillow on my bed and screamed. "Time won't make me disappear! I must get proof time has stopped," I said, to myself.
Suddenly, there was a tapping sound coming from my bedroom window. Looking up from my fluffy white pillow on my bed, I looked up, frowning. I walked over to my bedroom window. And looked out.
I saw down the foggy street, my best friend Albert Alexander was standing in front of my front lawn. He waved at me. And called out my name. I slowly opened the draped window of my bedroom. And popped my head out of the window.
"Dude, what are you doing?" I asked, my friend angrily. He just smiled and laughed at me. Albert waved again and motioned for me to come outside to meet up with him. Growling in frustration, I closed my bedroom window with a slam.
I couldn't let Mom know I was sneaking outside to chat with my best friend, Albert Alexander from middle school. She was in the living room, with the big screen TV on, while watching some kind of yoga exercise video training. She didn't hear me sneak past the living room, as she continued her afternoon exercising.
After meeting my best friend Albert Alexander at my front driveway, he smiled and shoved his hands deep in his pants pocket. "Dude, I miss hanging out with you on the weekends," he said. "You haven't been around much at school," he continued, with concern. "What's up?" Albert asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing. I–I just don't know if life in Supernaturalville will ever be normal," I explained. Albert shrugged and laughed. "You always make me happy. I know I haven't always been the most trustworthy companion to have. But I promise once I find out what is causing me to lose track of time, I will get my life back together again," I said, honestly.
Albert laughed and frowned. "Time not keeping up with you or something these days?" Albert asked. As much as I'd hate to admit it, but my friend was right. "I don't understand, pal?" he continued.
"It's confusing to know, right now, bud," I said. Rolling my eyes and taking a deep breath and sighed. "Look, I don't expect you to believe me. But I can't go back to school. Not until time gets unfrozen again," I said.
Albert laughed nervously. "You're joking, right?" he asked. I didn't want my best friend to get scared for me. But he was really my friend, he'd listen to me. "You're my best friend, forever. I will support you in anything you do. If it means getting time to cooperate with the world around you, then I won't stop you from finding the time to enjoy your life again," Albert said.
It seemed almost the right time to give up hope. I started to let out a loud sob. I sniffled my nose, letting snot slung down my nostrils in disgust. "Thank you buddy," I said. "I won't forget what kind of real friend you are to me," I said.
Suddenly, the front door to my house opened. Mom poked her head through the door. And looked out into the foggy front lawn. "Kirky Hopscotch? Are you talking with somebody outside?" She hollered at me.
I groaned sadly. "Yes, Mom! I'm talking with my best friend, Albert Alexander from middle school!" I said. I turned back to look at my companion. But he was gone!