“Where am I?” I screamed, "What's going on?”

I was running through a maze or some sort of labyrinth. I could hear Mikayla screaming. It was more of an echo. I started running towards the sound, which I kept hitting the walls. This labyrinth was getting in the way. I look up at the sky. It was pink. Which was kind of weird. “Where the heck am I?” I thought. “This doesn't appear to be earth.” I see enormous white birds swoop by me. I keep running, terrified. Those birds were twice my size. I had to find Mikayla soon, but I have no idea which direction I should go.

Mikayla's screaming was everywhere. I stop. I glanced behind me and in front of me. “This is hopeless, I can't find her if her voice is everywhere,” I complain. Just then I heard a noise beside me. I look and see a garden gnome or something. Or maybe it was a dwarf. It had his back facing me, so I couldn't tell what he was. The little creature was sitting next to a tiny pond. Maybe he could help me find my sister?

“Excuse me!” I cried. “Can you help me...”

I must have startled him because the little creature saw me and ran off.

“Wait!” I cried some more. I ran after him, but he was gone. All I noticed were a few butterfly-like creatures flying around a few bushes. I'm guessing they were fairies. I didn't want to startle them. I have a feeling they would be no use to me.

I continue to walk, hoping I could find my sister in time. I have a feeling something is wrong. Mikayla's screaming has stopped. Which makes it even harder to find her. This makes me even more worried. What would mom do when she comes home and sees us both missing?

I guess we both will be in the newspaper and the news on TV. We will if I don't find her. And once I do, where do I go? I have no clue where I am and how I was even able to get home.

I turn a corner of the labyrinth and see a magnificent mansion in the distance. It was so huge, it was towering more like a castle than a mansion. Its stone-clad walls rise three stories to the eaves, with dormers poking through the slate roofs. There was a forest of peaks and chimneys above the roof. It seemed spooky and huge, but yet it was quiet and dark.

“Could this be where Mikayla was brought?” I thought. I walked towards the building. It was a long way up. I figured I could find my way back. Glancing behind me, I stopped. The labyrinth was gone. I couldn't believe it. All I noticed were miles and miles of trees. More like a huge forest.

“How could this be!” I screamed. “This world is changing every second!” I started getting even more frightened. “I know there was that awful maze. I just got out of it!”

I turned around and hit my head on something. I couldn't have hit the building? It was still a few miles away. I looked up and saw the most horrifying sight of my life. So horrifying, I have no way to explain what it looked like. The creature in front of me started spewing gasses from its body. Breathing it in, I ended up fainting.

~o~O~o~

I woke up in a small room. I had a migraine or something. I looked around the room I was in. It was all pink. In the corner of the room, I spotted something lying there in a little bed. I cautiously walked over to it. My eyes focused. Before I knew it, I was running. “Mikayla!” I screamed. It was my sister. She was sleeping soundly. “Mikayla!” I shook her.

Mikayla slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me.

“Hi big brother…” she said. Then she gazed at me some more. “Cory? Is that you?” Her eyes opened up even more.

“Yes, it’s me,” I barked. My voice didn't sound right. I started coughing. I was kind of confused.

“Then why do you look like a girl?”

“What?” I ran to a mirror in the room, then looked between my legs and screamed. “This can’t be happening. I can’t be a girl!”

Mikayla started giggling.

“It’s not funny! I’m supposed to be a boy!”

Mikayla was still giggling. Just then, the door opened and a robot-like thing came into the room carrying a tray of some sort. It was full of food. Mikayla ran over to it.

“Don’t eat it!” I yelled at her. “It could be poisoned.” Mikayla already had some in her mouth. It was a cupcake. She put her hand out and offered me some.

“Here,” she sang, offering me a doughnut.

I walked over to it and examined it. It sure looked like food, and Mikayla is having a joyful time with it. I couldn’t help it. I was starving. I took it from her hand. I hesitated for a little bit, then took a bite. I was amazed at how well it tasted. I grabbed a cupcake. “This is delicious” I purred. You can say I was enjoying myself. My mouth was full. I took the tray from the robot and it left the room. I ran over to the wall where the door was. I couldn’t find the opening anywhere.

Mikayla sat at the table pouring a cup of milk. I sat next to her. She looked at me and started giggling again.

“Yeah, I know I’m a girl.”

“A lovely one as a matter of fact.”

“Don't rub it in,” I grumbled. I munched on the cupcake. “You have any idea how we got here?” I asked her, after a minute of silence. Mikayla pondered for a little bit.

“I was petting the kitty, you left the room, and the next thing I knew I was here and you were a girl.” She glared at me. “How did you get here?”
“I got knocked out after I opened the back door looking for you. Then I was in some weird labyrinth.” Mikayla had a look of confusion on her face. “It's like an enormous and confusing maze.”

I was just about to drink the cup of milk when an invisible TV on the wall turned on. A woman was on the screen. “I see you have finally made yourselves at home here,” she said. I ran over to the wall TV.

“Why are we here, why did you take us, and most of all, why am I a girl?” I yelled at her.
She did not answer my questions. “Welcome to Saclaurilia, we hope you both are feeling comfortable here and enjoying your breakfast. The time is 08:31,” she spoke.”

“Why did you bring us here?” I asked again.

“I can not answer your questions at this time, but I will answer them shortly.” She told me.
“But?” I cried.
“Later.” the TV shut off. I ran over to the wall. I couldn’t find the place where the TV was. This room is so weird. I glanced back at Mikayla. She had a big grin on her face and a milk mustache. I sat next to her again and grabbed a muffin. When we were done, the robot came back into the room and took the tray. I ran to the door and tried to get out. I couldn’t.

Before I could get my hand there, I was shocked. “Ow! I cried. Next thing I knew I was getting dizzy and had to lay down on the bed.

“Oh no, not again!” I looked around me. Where was I, this time? All I could see were lots of trees. This surely was not the labyrinth, like before. This must have been those trees I noticed afterwards that the labyrinth changed into. But how did I get here when I was in a locked room with an electric doorway that I couldn't get out of? I started walking through the woods. I knew if I kept moving, I could find the house again, or at least get out of the woods into somewhere else. But where exactly?

But then, I jumped. I noticed a little troll or something running past me.

“Oh, dear! I’m late!” He rushed about flustered and worried. “Oh, dear!” He gazed at his watch on his arm. He was such a panic. “Oh my, oh my! Look at the time!”

I started running towards him. I had a feeling he could help me get back to my sister.

“Sir! Wait! Please!” Being such a small little fellow, he was running faster than me. I couldn't catch up to him. “Please stop running so fast. I only want to ask you a question.

“I’ve never been this late before!” In a blink of my eyes, he was gone. I won't find my sister now.

I started crying. I was in a different world away from everyone I knew, including mommy, and now I am away from the only person I knew on this strange planet, my sister. Worst of all, I am a girl. I sat down and sobbed.

I was exhausted. I decided to lay down for a while.

~o~O~o~

I woke up and was a bit confused. I was back in the little room. “Was that a dream? It sure felt like I was in the story Alice in Wonderland. But with a troll instead of a rabbit”

Mikayla was on the floor playing with a few dolls. I got out of bed and walked over to her. She stared at me.

“Cory?” She looked surprised. “You look different.” She stood up and kept staring at me. “You look so familiar,” she smiled.

I again ran to the mirror and realized what she was talking about. “No way!” I screamed. “I look like you.”

I started crying. I loved being the oldest child. Now I am the same age as Mikayla, and we look like twins. I can't believe they did this to me. I don't want to be this way.

“Cory...” Mikayla started giggling. “Cory doesn't sound right for your name. How about a girl's name.”

"You do know that Cory can be a girl's name as well as a boy's name, don't you?" I laughed.
Mikayla started whimpering and giving me her puppy-dog face.

“Okay," I groan, "You pick a name,” I start to sulk.

Mikayla sat there for a while contemplating. I can guess she got an idea because she jumped up and looked so excited. “Well, since your name was Cory, how about Courtney!” She gleefully said.

“I guess,” I pouted.

“I found out the name of that lady on the screen. Her name is Jane. She is a nice lady.”

“Nice? You call her nice? She took us away from mommy!” I screamed.

Mikayla started crying and ran to the other side of the room. I felt sorry for her and was about to apologize, but then the television turned on and Jane was on the screen.

I was angry now. “Why did you turn me into my sister?” I yelled at her.

Jane's eyes were opened wide. “We didn't change you,” she pointed out. “I'm as surprised as you are.” She glanced at Mikayla across the room. “It might be when you tried to run away, and the electric shock, combined with your sister, when she comforted you...”

When do we get out of here?” I said, now noticing my voice didn’t sound like me. But more like Mikayla.

We are working on a place for you and your sister to go. You are both not mature enough yet and need lots of training before we can start the process of our world.” Jane said while looking at some papers in front of her.

“This is kidnapping!” I yelled, storming towards the television set. I was pissed, not because I was a girl, but because we shouldn't be here.

“I doubt anyone will find you. We are on the planet Saclaurilia, in the Truferus Galaxy, and over 45 million light-years away from planet Terra, or I believe you may know it as Earth.”

“If we are on a different planet, then why are you speaking English?” I calmly asked.

“English is the name Earthlings call it. Its real name is called Soplion. We sent a few of our kind to Terra a little over two thousand years ago, to observe those on Terra. But humans didn't adapt to Soplion for another six hundred years.”

“I'm confused,” I cried.

“Let me finish,” Jane growled. “During the time the Saclaurilians made it to Terra, we noticed that other creatures inhabited the planet from other worlds. The Japanese, on Terra, came from the planet Chichi, which is the furthest planet in our part of the solar system.
We also noticed our nemesis, the Goahiri from the planet Geolara was on Terra as well. We had to find a way to protect that planet from the worst war ever. What you call World War Three.” Jane eyed us both for a second. “The first two world wars were merely a practice war.”

I was surprised. “So does that mean, my ancestors came from another planet?” I asked in shock.

“That is true. We chose you and your sister because you both are one of the last Saclaurilians on Planet Terra. Your biological father was also Saclaurilian.”

“So that makes mommy...”

“Yes, she was a Goahirian.” Jane frowned. “That's why your father left when he found out she was one.”

“Why didn't he take us with then?” I asked. 

“He wanted to bring you two with him, but Mikayla was too young at the time. She wouldn't have survived the trip. So while he was gone, he was working on a way to bring you both here.”

“oh,” I sigh. “But that doesn't explain why I am a girl now,” I whined.

“It was the only way to get the Goahirian DNA out of you.”

“What about Mikayla?” I said, pointing at her.

“That's the funny thing,” Jane laughed. “Girls don't get the Goahirian DNA. Only boys get it.”

“Okay, I get it now," I look down at my feet. “So when is this new home you are working on for us going to be finished?” I asked with a twinkle in my eye.

“Well,” Jane typed on a computer in front of her. “Your father is working on the building with a few other workers at the moment. It should be done in a couple of days. As for now, you will be staying in the guest house. You can leave the house if you want, now, but I wouldn't recommend it. You might get lost outside. Since the world constantly changes.”

I glanced at the door. I might not want to go out there yet. I can remember the shocking experience that happened.

“For now, let's turn on a few TV shows for you both to watch.”

“Is 'The Adventures of Princess Panty-Boy' on the list?” Mikayla excitedly asked.

“Yes, it is,” Jane said smiling at Mikayla.

“No, not that show!” I cried. “Anything but that!”

It was too late. The show was already playing, with a bouncing Mikayla sitting and watching the show. 
My sister is weird.

It was late at night. A woman named Megan was out on a date with a man.

She was having a few drinks enjoying herself and knew her son and daughter were safe at home, eating pizza, and either playing video games or watching TV. She had no worries at all.

Yes, there have been reports of missing children in the news lately, but she also knew that her kids were smart enough to lock the door and not answer it.

Her neighbor could always check up on them if anything does happen.

Drinking her third glass of Long Island ice tea, Megan smiles at her date.

“So how are your kids doing?” her date asked.

“They're fine. Fred,” Megan chuckled. “I just talked to Cory, my oldest. He said my daughter, Mikayla, just got into the cookies and soda.”

“Typical children,” the man laughed. 

A waiter walked over and handed them their food. “Here you go, Madam.” He put down a plate in front of Megan. “Gravadlax With Celeriac & Fennel Salad” He puts down a plate in front of Fred. “And for the gentleman, Grilled lobster with lemon and herb butter, and scalped potatoes.”

“Thank you,” they both say simultaneously.”

“Will there be anything else, I may get you?” he asked.

“Another Long Island?” Megan smiled.

“Don't you think, you've had enough?” Fred asked. “You already had three tonight.”

“I believe the gentleman is right,” the waiter told Megan.

“It's alright,” Megan chuckled. “I'll take an Uber home.”

“You don't have to do that,” Fred pointed out. “I can always give you a lift.”

The waiter left for her drink.

As the couple sat there enjoying their meals, Megan's phone went off.

“Excuse me,” she said and wandered off to answer her phone.

The waiter came back and dropped off another Long Island while she was away. Fred sat there and continued eating. 

A few minutes later, Megan stepped back to the table and sat down.

“Who was on the phone?” Fred asked, trying to open the shell of his lobster.

“That was only my neighbor,” Megan said, putting her phone in her purse. “She heard screaming coming from our house, and was worried.” She chuckled a bit. “I told her it was likely Cory playing a trick on Mikayla like he always does.” She takes a bite of her Salmon. “She would have gone over and checked on them, but it's down-pouring outside.”

“Didn't you try calling your kids?” Fred asked.

“I sent them a text,” Megan grinned. “Cory said they were alright.” She took a sip of her Long Island and continued her meal. 

~o~O~o~

It was nice to spend some time with you tonight,” Fred said to Megan as they step up to her front door.

“Would you like to come in for a bit?” Megan asked, “You know since it's raining?” They both stepped into the room. “I'd like to introduce you to my children.” She gazed around. “If they're still awake, that is.”

They both laugh.

“I'll check on them.” Megan steps upstairs. Checking every room. She was screaming. A minute later, she runs down in a panic.

“My kids are gone!” She screams.

“Now hold on” Fred tried to calm her. “Did you check every room? They could be playing a prank on you.”

“I did, they aren't anywhere to be seen.

They both start searching the house. Fred notices the backdoor was open.

“Did you open this door?” He asked.

“No I didn't,” Megan panicked.

The neighbor walked in the front door a second later. She could hear every word.

Megan took out her cellphone and called the police.

“Nine-One-One. Police, Fire or Medical?” the dispatcher says on the other line.

“Hello, my children are nowhere to be seen. I have searched everywhere for them. I believe they were kidnapped.” She screamed to the emergency dispatcher.

“Now calm down, ma'am... Did you say your children were kidnapped?”

“Yes, I got home and found the house empty. The front door was locked, but the back door was wide open! I couldn't find my children anywhere!”

“Ma'am, when was the last time you heard from them?” The dispatcher calmly spoke over the phone.

“I texted to my oldest child... My son about two hours ago, while I was out on a date.”

“Okay, we are sending a police officer over just hold tight.”

Chapter Five
Exploring

It has been a long day. I was cheerful for a change. But still a little confused. I am an alien? A Saclaurilian? How did we even get here?

I sit at the table and munch on a chicken nugget. It wasn't McDonald's. And I believe it wasn't even chicken. I wonder what kind of animal it was? What kind of animals do we have on this planet? I check outside. The sky, as I knew before, was light pink. It's about as pretty as the blue sky on earth. Yes, I know it's actually called Terra. What causes the sky to be pink?

We all know the reason the sky on Terra is blue. Blue light is scattered in all directions by the tiny molecules of air in Terra's atmosphere. Blue is scattered more than other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. But what causes Saclaurilia's sky to be pink? What I like about this planet is that it has three moons. Plus, we can observe the nearest planet in the sky. Which I found out was called Teonus. It's not a habitable planet. If you look at it, many rings were surrounding it. Kind of like Saturn. Someday I will learn about all the planets in this part of the solar system.

I decided to leave the guest house. I couldn't stay in that cooped-up place forever. Mikayla was busy watching her shows. To keep it safe, I stayed near the house. I wasn't going to get lost in this world. As Jane said, this world changes all the time. I should know that, with the labyrinth. I wish I could see this place as a map.

The street I was on was beautiful. It was not made of asphalt or concrete. I look at the buildings. They looked the same as what we have on earth. The grass was green too. I step towards a wall. It was very smooth. It felt like marble. A door opened up from the wall. I gulped in disbelief.

“There was nothing there a minute ago,” I thought.

Then the huge door opened wider and a terrifying creature ran out, full speed, screaming for his life. Right behind him come two wingless creatures riding on strange animals. I wish I knew what they were. They quickly catch up with the fellow running and drag him. He was screaming piteously, back through the gate. Before the gates close, I noticed more trolls, what seems like hundreds of them. I couldn't see much of it, because the next thing I knew, the door slam shut.

I ran over to where the door was, and couldn't find the seam.

This world is becoming more of a fairy tale. All those fiction stories of mythical creatures were real here. It makes me think that the stories that are written were based on real events. Could the author J.R.R. Tolkien be from Saclaurilia instead of where he was said to be born in Africa? Could the Hobbits be on this planet? Could The Lord of The Rings be a true story?

I walk down the street. At first, I noticed it was empty, but now it's filled with people... Humans... Um, Saclaurilians. What do they call themselves? Shops were busy with... Well, let's just call them people. I wasn't sure how they got there, but I am glad they were here.

While I was walking, I noticed that a few people stared at me. I guess because I was a child about nine years old, all alone on the street. But no one stopped to see if I needed any help.

I stepped into a store and saw all kinds of food. I encountered lots of fascinating fruits and veggies. Some that looked familiar and some that did not.

Could the apple, which I saw in the store, come from this planet and was sent to Terra? If that was true, the story of Adam and Eve, eating an apple might not be exactly true. They couldn't have eaten an apple. Unless the Garden of Eden is on this planet. But that would make the Bible all wrong.

The garden must have been on Terra, and the apple could have been a different fruit.

All the fruit was making me hungry. They looked sensational. I took one of the fruit stands and took a bite out of it. It was the most delicious fruit I have ever had in my entire life. I knew I shouldn't have done it. It was stealing since I didn't have any money. I hoped the sales guy doesn't have me arrested. After a few bites of the fruit, I felt awkward. I dropped the fruit and started walking, or should I say staggering out of the building.

Again, the townspeople saw me and knew something was wrong. I didn't notice much of what was going on around me.

I head back to the guest house and lay down on the bed. Mikayla noticed me and continued watching the TV show, not knowing anything was wrong.

I woke up to Jane standing next to me. She was not on the television at all. This made me jump out of my skin.

“Hello there Courtney,” she smiled. “I'm glad you're feeling better.

I noticed I was not in the guest room. I was in a room with white walls.

“Where am I?”

“You are in a medical facility,” Jane informed. “Mr. Adrian, the sales clerk, saw the fruit you ate on the floor. He watched the surveillance and saw you eating it, and quickly called for assistance. This fruit is an adracot. A delicious fruit, that is not meant to be eaten without being cooked.”

“Am I going to die?” I cried

“No, ” Jane laughed. “Mr. Adrian got help right away, but you will have to stay in the hospital for the day for observations.”

Well, this is what I get for leaving the house. I shouldn't have left. I am a big dummy. Now, what can I do? At least when I was at the house, I could wander around and play games and eat what I wanted. Now I can't even do that.

I turn on the TV and start watching a show. I still don't know how they got Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network out here, 45 million light-years away. I watched my favorite show. It was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Just because I am a girl now, doesn't mean I can't watch my old favorite shows.

While watching my shows, a man walks into my room and stands there for a minute. I looked up and almost jumped out of the bed. I can not believe my eyes.

“Daddy!!” I screamed.

“Working on a house for my kids to live in is backbreaking work. But because they need a place now, I have to do it,” said a man named Mr. Greenfield.
“I remember when my children were born, Cory was my first. I remember the day. When I heard them say 'It's a boy', I jumped for joy because I was a proud father.” He kept working on the building.

“It is always nice when you become a father, and a father again when you have a second,” said George, one of the workers of the house. “I believe it's about the same when you become a mother.”

Mr. Greenfield chuckled, “Yeah, but I wouldn't know that, because I am not a woman.”

They both laughed.

Mr. Greenfield sighed. “I sure wished I could have taken Cory out hiking and fishing when he turned five years old, but I couldn't do that. I had to leave him and Mikayla.”

“Don't worry about it now.” George patted dad on the back. “You have your children now. You can always take your son out fishing and hiking here.”

“Yeah, but Cory isn't my little boy anymore.” Mr. Greenfield sat down on a bench. George sat next to him. “The reason why I left Terra and the kids was because I found out Rita was a Goahirian.”

“Oh, that's got to be tough on you.”

“It's tough on Cory now.” Mr. Greenfield sighed some more.

“George was a bit confused.”

“You see, Cory had half Goahirian DNA. The only way to have it removed was...”

“Oh, I see,” George gazed at James in silence. “Hey, you might have lost your son, but you gained another daughter. Besides, you can still take him... I mean her out to go hiking and fishing. She hasn't died and she is still the same person she was before.”

They both were about to have lunch, when another man came rushing up.

“James,” the man yelled. “We need you in the hospital, it's Courtney.

“Oh dear god!” Mr. Greenfield jumped up and started running to his car.

~o~O~o~

In the hospital, I was laying in the bed watching a movie called “Space Zombies from Planet Blorp” when someone stepped into the room.
I glace up and saw my own father. I can't believe he's here. I was so delighted. I haven't seen him in over seven years. But I am a bit mad at him for leaving us. I understand now. I hated it that he didn't tell us where he went.

“Daddy!!” I screamed. I tried to climb out of bed. “Ow!”

I held my stomach. I couldn't get out. It hurt. I guess the adracot I ate causes the pain. Daddy walked over to me and gave me a hug.

“Owwy!” I cried.

“You're a big girl, you shouldn't be crying,” dad noted.

“I am a boy!” I whined.

“Sorry to say this to you, but you look like a girl to me.”

“No, I look like Mikayla,” I grunted.

At that same moment, Mikayla ran into the room.

“Courtney, are you...?” She stopped when she saw dad. She didn't know who he was. She stood there and stared up at him. Mikayla has never seen dad before. Well, actually she did, but at two years old at the time. Usually no one would remember who someone looked like at that age. I sure wouldn't. Luckily, I was five years old when he left. I remember what he looked like, even though it has been seven years.

We had a long time talking. I had to explain to Mikayla that he was daddy. It took a lot of convincing before she understood. During the visit, we played a game. It was this new card game I never played before. The game's name is called spit.

I won a few times, and Mikayla won at least twice. It was challenging, but I had fun playing the game.

The game was created by King Calvin of Bermin. He was their third king. Bermin is a small country on Saclaurilia. We live in the country of Grandi, east of Bermin.

~o~O~o~

I finally got out of the hospital a few days later. I was considered normal again. I was glad for that, because the house daddy was making was finished. Which means we can finally move in, but we didn't have any furniture.

“Daddy, where is all the furniture?” I asked when I stepped into the kitchen.

“They are being delivered as we speak,” he pointed out. I gazed out the window. No one was there.

“How can they deliver it?” I was puzzled. “I don't even notice a moving van.”

The doorbell rang. A man was at the door, which I opened. The man was friendly. He had a smile on his face.

“I got a delivery for Mr. Greenfield,” he chimed.

“Um, come on in,” I said, confused. The man stepped into the living room. “Where is all the furniture that was supposed to come?”

The man chuckled and then threw a small capsule of some sort on the ground. Right away, it opened up, and a couch came out of it. I was shocked.

“How...?”

He threw another capsule and it did the same thing, but this time it was a lamp.

“Where is the TV?” I asked? He took out a remote and pointed it to the wall, which turned on the TV in the wall. I smacked myself in the head. “Why didn't I think of that?” Everywhere I go, the TV is hidden. Even at the hospital. I guess it's an easy way to keep your TV from being stolen. “Wish they had that on Earth.”

“Earth?” the man asked. He talked into a small device on his arm. “Where is Earth?”

The next thing I hear is a lady's computer voice speaking from that device. “Earth...” It spoke. “Earth, also known as Terra, is the third planet from the Star called Sol, the densest planet in the Sol System, the largest of the Sol System's four terrestrial planets. A part of a Galaxy called 'The Milky Way' This planet is inhabited by 'Terran' or 'Earthlings' and many non-terranean, like Goahirian and Saclaurilians. It is the youngest inhabited planet in the universe.”

The man eyed me for a second, and then continued his job. I gaze at him with those capsules. Is he Merlin from Sword in the Stone, or did the whole idea come from the show Dragon Ball? I must have not been paying attention, because the man left and the house was filled with the furniture that wasn't there before.

I ran upstairs. I didn't know which room was mine. It didn't take long. On a door read, 'Courtney's Room'. I went into the room and saw the prettiest room I have ever seen. It was light blue, like the colors of Cinderella's dress. It was a princess style room. I even noticed a small cylinder thing on a desk. What was it. I touched it and a hologram screen flashed in the air. “Wow! It's a computer. I wonder if I can touch the hologram?” I thought. Which I touched it. It was almost like a Apple computer, but without a screen or keyboard attached. Plus, it was larger.

“So cool. Way better than those on earth. My friends would be so jealous of me.” Then it hit me. “My friends? I will never see my friends on earth again. I started crying. There were good things about being on another planet, and there were some nasty things. And losing my friends were some of the bad things.

I lay on my new bed. I figured out how to use my computer to make a hologram around my room. I sat there watching animals from earth roam around. It was a bit depressing. I will never see a real live elephant again, except by pictures and holograms. The elephant was one of my favorite animals. Will I find another animal that will replace it?
I doubt it.

I smelt the air. It was food. I ran downstairs and saw the table was filled with lots of foods. Well, at least the food hasn't changed. I sat at the table with my family again. Except this time, daddy. Mommy will not be with us anymore.
I sighed.

Chapter Seven
School

Megan Greenfield was sitting outside her house praying her children would return. There is a nationwide search for her children. The police told her they will do everything they can to help. The other children abducted a few days ago were found alive and well. So she had hope that her children would be found alive. She didn’t know that her kids were not even on the planet.

~o~O~o~

I can’t believe it’s been a little over a week since we were brought to Saclaurilia. I was told that on Terra, it has only been about a day gone by, since we got here. It seems strange due to the laws of physics, or is that time and physics? Almost like Doctor Who in his TARDIS, except we don’t travel through time.

Well anyways, I have a feeling that mom is having a melt down, looking for us. If the thoughts of mine were correct, I believe the police are in the house talking to her. I turn on my computer (which only takes a second to load) and do a Google search on kidnapping on Terra. Yes, we have Google on Saclaurilia. Google may have been created on Terra, but the founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have ancestors from Saclaurilia.

Google results show recent news from Terra, including news from everywhere in space. If I wanted to, I could check out the planet Geolara, but I was told not to. The Goahirians could track it and think we were spying on them.

I got the news from Terra.

“AMBER ALERT: Two Children, Mikayla Greenfield Age 9 and Cory Greenfield Age 12, missing. Last heard from around 17:30 last night. If anyone knows anything about these two children, please call the Lake Barkley Police Department at 932-547-0911.

I now know mom is freaking out. I kind of feel sorry for her. She is my mommy for gosh sakes.

~o~O~o~

I am a little scared. I was told today Mikayla and I started our first day of school. When I was on Planet Terra, I was in middle school at seventh grade and only one year away from high school. Now I am back in elementary school in fourth grade.

The worst thing is, we are supposed to get a shot or something. It is to show who we are as a form of identification. They usually have young kindergarten children get it done, but since we were not born on this planet and just got here, we had to get it done. I was told it was going to be a shot with a needle. I believe it’s going to hurt. Mikayla isn’t scared. She is a brave girl. I for one have always been terrified of needles.

When we walk into the school, daddy brought us to the nurse's office. When I saw the nurse, I started crying.

“I don’t want to have a shot!” I sobbed.

“Do you believe this is a shot?” the nurse said, showing me a little object in her hand. They brought it to a hologram computer, and it was floating in the air. Daddy gave her some information, which I was confused. Then she took the little object and walked over to me.

“Don’t worry,” she calmly said. “This won’t hurt. She set it on my arm and watched it get absorbed into my skin.

“What was that?” I asked, still staring at my arm.

The principal of the school, Mr. Joe Banko came into the room.

“That, if you want to know, is your Electronic Identification Device or EID for short. You scan it when you go to each class, so the teacher knows you are here. If you are ever late, you will be marked tardy. It also is a GPS, in case you get lost. This world can change on you.”

“Yes, I kind of know that. I witnessed it change on me once,” I muttered. “By the way, what would happen if I was tardy?”

“If you are late more than three times, your parents will be called, in this case your father. Most kids don’t like that. If you were in middle school and high school, you would also be sent to after school detention. This is more of a practice for the big school.”

This kind of made me glad that I was in elementary again.

“Oh, I almost forgot, if you ever misbehave or slack off in class, the one in charge will scan your arm. It will let me know you have been a problem child, which you will have me to talk to.”

Mikayla had the object absorbed into her arm as well. We were registered as twin sisters. That made me a little upset. Yes, I know, I look like her. I even talk like her. The terrible thing is, I am starting to act like her.

~o~O~o~

Class had already started when Mikayla and I walked into the classroom. We scanned in, which made an announcement that we were tardy. Mr. Banco did an override on both of us. That made me glad. I wanted to have a good attendance. Mr. Banco introduced us.

“This is Mikayla and Courtney Greenfield, from Planet Terra,” he began.

The whole class gasped. I noticed that some children in the class didn’t look like us. To everyone on Terra, we would consider them mythical creatures.

“They were sent here as a protection from the Goahirians.”

Again, more gasps.

“Please treat them like everyone else from this planet, because this is their planet from now on.” He glanced at Mikayla and me, and then back at the class. “And if you don’t, you know what will happen?” He left the room.

Our teacher introduced herself, and then we found some seats in the back, right next to this creature that resembled a Hobbit. Thank you J.R.R. Tolkien. Now I can’t say it is one, because if I did, I might get in trouble for name calling. I want a perfect record. I will just have to ask him what kind of species he is later.

Today in class, we learned a little about outer space. It was fascinating. Mostly everyone knew the answers to the planets in our part of the system. I found out we had five planets. We also had two stars. I was glad we had two. But anyways, in this order of our largest star, we had Drora, a planet similar to Jupiter, but much smaller. Our planet, Saclaurilia, Teonus, the planet that looks like Saturn, Cucreon, which I think looks like an ginormous watermelon, and ChiChi, the city planet, I was told the Japanese came from. The smallest star was located a little ways from ChiChi. Which I believe they used, since they are farthest away from our star.

I knew I would have learned the names of all the planets some day, but I never knew it was going to be today. The day we started school. I guess they wanted us to know it, since we were new to this part of the galaxy.

After school, Mikayla and I spent playing outside. The school didn’t hand out homework. I was glad they didn’t. I wasn’t ready for it yet.

~o~O~o~

“How was your first day at school?” dad said when he came home from work.

“It was fine,” I said. “We learned the five planets,”

“Courtney almost got scanned,” Mikayla giggled.

I glanced at her in shock and anger. “Why did you tell.” I whined.

“Did you?” dad looked at me.

“It was an accident,” I pleaded. “I was talking about the Goahirians and where their planet was located. I didn’t know it was against the rules to speak about them in school.”

Dad chuckled. Then kissed me and Mikayla on the foreheads and stepped into the kitchen. We didn’t speak about it for the rest of the night. Instead, we ate dinner and watched a movie. This is something I miss doing, when it was just me, mommy and Mikayla. Because mommy never had time for us. She was too busy with whatever she was doing. But still, I miss her. I miss her smile. I miss her hugs.

Oh, why do I keep thinking about her?

Chapter Eight
A New Friend

Usually I am the smart one in school, but in this school, I am not. I don’t know anything about this planet or galaxy. It was like I was starting over again.
I ran into the girls room stall, sat on the toilet and cried. I felt weird going into the girls room, since I was originally a boy, but now that I am a girl, the boys' room was off limits.
I almost went into the boys room one time, but I learned my lesson and was shocked by the force field door protecting it.
The EID that was put inside me the other day knows I am female and stops me and other girls from entering into the wrong room.
I have a feeling its the same for boys as well.
I entered the girls room and ran to the stall. I started crying.

Brianna, one of the girls in my class, heard me crying out in the hall and came into the room. She had eight arms that looked similar to an octopus on Terra. I bet she could get a lot done at once. I never mentioned it to her, but I bet she would agree.

“Mikayla?” She spoke through the doorway, stepping in.

“It’s Courtney,” I sobbed.

“Oh, sorry. I thought you were Mikayla,” she apologized.

“It’s okay, I get that a lot now days.” I move out of the stall. You could still see tears in my eyes.”

“Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?” She put one of her tentacles around my shoulder.

“No,” I wiped my tears. “When I was on Terra... I was one of the smartest students in my class. Now that I came to Saclaurilia, I am not as smart. In fact, I am dumber.”

“Don’t worry, you will catch up soon.” Brianna spoke softly and calmly. Which helped me out a bit, but I still felt unhappy.

We stepped out of the girls' room and headed to class. It looked like they were working on art. We both scanned our arms, which gave us both tardies. That made me worried. I knew two more tardies meant my dad would be called.

“Sorry for being late,” Brianna and I apologized.

“Where were you two?” Our teacher asked while we sat down at the art table.

“Potty break,” I answered, “And sorry again for not telling where we were going.”
Our teacher scanned us with a device which told her that we were telling the truth and because we were honest, she signed us in as a bathroom break, and we didn’t get a tardy after all. That was a relief for me. I want a perfect record. As for Brianna, she was glad she didn’t get the tardy. She already had two.

Today in art class, we were told to paint something special. It can be our imagination, and it could be something that you have enjoyed in our lives. Since I was a good painter, I decided to draw an elephant. I painted the long trunk and the ears perfectly. By the time I was done, I felt like adding a few trees and even a waterhole where the elephant could drink from. I even added a lion on the other side of the waterhole drinking from it, just for fun.

The teacher came over to me and stopped to gaze at the painting.

“Very nice Courtney,” she sang. “What are you drawing?”

I stopped painting and looked at it. Then up at my teacher. “It’s an elephant and a lion in the meadow. Don’t we have them here on this planet?”

“They seem familiar, but I have never seen them on this planet,” she answered and continued moving around the room. If they are not on this planet. Where could they be?

After class, we had recess. We went outside and played on the jungle-gym. I looked up at the sky.
“Why is the sky pink?” I asked Brianna.”

“I don’t know,” she said, gazing up the sky as well. “Isn’t the sky pink on Terra?”

“The sky on Terra is pink only during sunset or sunrise.” I explained. Otherwise, it’s always blue during the day and black at night?”

“Sunrise? Sunset? Night?” Brianna looked confused. “What are those words?”

I forgot. This planet doesn’t have a sunrise or sunset, and their night time is a brief minute or two. But the sun doesn’t disappear. It reappears an hour later. And with the other sun in the sky, it keeps it from getting dark.

“Well, you know when the sun...”

“What’s a sun?” she cocked her head to the side.

“The huge glowing thing in the sky?”

“Which one? Dol or Ego?” she smiled, still looking at me.

Now I was confused. I decided to show her after school at my house. We continued playing. I showed Brianna how to play Hopscotch. They didn’t use chalk on this planet, which was weird. I guess it’s only used on Terra. I ended up using a rock to make the squares. Mikayla noticed what I was drawing and joined in, which basically attracting other kids. Eventually, we drew a crowd, and everyone wanted to play the game. I guess I just introduced the game of Hopscotch to planet Saclaurilia. I wonder what other games I should introduce to them.

Before I could show them another game, the bell rang and it was time to go back inside for more class.

~o~O~o~

After school, Brianna and I were about to go to my house, but her mother said she had to go shopping and take a rain check.

When I got home, I saw dad sitting at the table looking through an old photo album. It was weird that we still made photos, since everything is on tablets and computers, but sometimes photos have better memories than the digital type.

I sat down next to dad and realized he was looking at photos of mom. Why was he looking at her? Did he still love her?

“Do you miss mommy?” I asked?

“Oh Courtney, I didn’t hear you come in,” he smiled and gave me a kiss on the forehead. If I were a boy, I normally would have thought that was gross, but for some reason as a girl, I didn’t mind.

“As I was saying, do you miss mommy?”

“Oh honey, I have always missed her. We grew up together in school. I have known her all my life, ever since Kindergarten. She has never hurt a fly. The only reason why I left her was because the Saclaurilian government told me. If there was a way to bring her here, I would.”

We sat there for a while. Which was a hard thing to do. “I wish I could talk to her,” I said after a while of silence.

“I know you do,” Dad agreed. “I know you do.”

Mikayla marched through the door. She was in a gleeful mood.

“Guess, what?” She happily cried. “Never mind the guessing, I was invited to a sleepover on Friday at my friend Lily’s house. She even invited you and Brianna over if you want to go as well.”

“Really?” I jumped out of the chair and hugged Mikayla. “Of course I want to go. I have never had a sleepover before. This will be my first time.”

“It will be my first time too,” she said, “If only...” She looks over at dad.

Dad chuckled. “Of course you two can go.” We both cheered and jumped up and down.

~o~O~o~

-Meanwhile, at the Saclaurilian Government Building-

“I’m so glad we got Courtney and Mikayla off of Terra when we could.” Jane said, watching a monitor with live video feed of Terra. It didn’t look pretty. “It’s sad to see this happening. Such a young planet, and it’s going to end in a matter of days, if it keeps up.”

“Should we warn those who lived on Terra about the news?” asked Brock Jane’s assistant, who was also watching the monitor.

“No, they will find out soon enough.” Jane shuts down the monitor. “It will be on the news in a few days. Besides, Courtney and Mikayla’s mother is still on the planet. I don’t want the children to be unhappy.”

“Why don’t we get her off the planet then?”

Jane looked at Brock. I have thought of bringing her to this planet many times. But because she is Goahirian...”

“It doesn’t matter if she is Goahirian, she is the mother of those children.”

“I will think about it, but I doubt she will be delighted to see her husband after all these years.”

“And her son, who became her daughter.” Brock chuckled. “I have one question that’s been on my mind. Why are you so obsessed with those children anyways?”

With a smile, she sat down in a chair. “Because they're my grandchildren.”

Chapter Nine
The Storm

Megan Greenfield was getting ready for bed. She has been up all day waiting for the phone call about her missing children. The unfortunate thing is she won’t get a phone call. Because the world was in a war, the police were not going to search for two young children. She knew there was no way she would ever find her kids again.

She hopped into bed and lay there praying they would return. Praying that she will see them again. Just then, a loud noise came from downstairs. It sounded like it was coming from the basement.

Grabbing a bat, she stepped down the stairs slowly. The noise kept getting louder every time she stepped closer to the door of the basement. She got to the door, when it stopped. Opening the basement door, she saw nothing. This was weird to her. She switched on the light of the room and started walking down the steps. When she got to the bottom, she saw an empty room. Empty except for the washer, dryer, and dirty clothes sitting, waiting to get washed.

Just then, she heard scratching coming from upstairs. She trudged up the steps back into the kitchen that leads to the basement. “The intruder in the basement must have gotten out. But how” She thought. While shutting the door, she locks it. Making sure nothing got in or out of the room, she started searching the house, which oddly the scratching sound stopped.
It didn’t take long for the noise to start up again, but this time it sounded like it was coming from her bedroom.

She ran to the kitchen and started dialing for the police. But there was no dial tone. Nothing worked. The lights flickered and shut off. She glanced outside. The wind was blowing very fast, and it looked like it was about to rain. She was about to look away from the window, when something hit her in the head. Everything went black.

~o~O~o~

“What a game, wasn’t it?” I said to Mikayla, while stepping into the bus, heading home.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Mikayla answered. It would have been better, if the ball hadn't kept flying away from me, we would have been done faster. I hate it that I am the only one on my team to chase a stupid hovering ball.

I took my seat. Mikayla sat next to me. “That’s as bad as me trying to block the enormous ball from going into one of three rings, and not getting tackled by one other ball that comes out of nowhere.

I normally don’t care for sports, but today was different. It’s nothing like the ball games we had on Terra. This was Graviball. Dad told us we needed some kind of sport. I decided to join that game, because Mikayla did as well.

Everyone was so happy for the game, that we barely noticed the rain starting to fall. We were too busy laughing and talking to notice when the bus’s engine began to sputter. Suddenly, the bus slipped on the road and stopped. The driver tried to start it again, but it was no good. He went out in the rain and looked at the engine, but nothing he did seemed to help the situation. "Sorry everyone," he said. "I suppose I'll run down the road and see if I can find any help. Do not leave the bus. I'll be back in 15 minutes."

As the driver left, we expected help would be on its way soon. But then an hour passed, and no help came. The rain outside stopped, but the night air in the bus became freezing cold.

“Now what do we do?” I asked.

Mikayla glanced out the window, hoping to see the driver jogging back down the road. “Hey guys," she yelled. "I think I see a light out there. There, though the trees.” She pointed.

The others saw it too.

“We should check it out," I said.

The team piled out of the bus and headed toward the light. Many of them fell on the under bush, and to make matters worse, the rain started to come down again. After about fifteen minutes, we were standing in a clearing. Only a few yards away was a cabin. It appeared warm and inviting.

Mikayla knocked on the door. "Hello, is anyone home?"

A woman answered the door and invited us in.

"We were going home from a game, and the bus broke down.” I cried. “We're cold and hungry, and wondered if we could stay here until help comes."

"Oh, of course," the woman said. "Be my guest. You kids look half drenched. Stand near the fire and warm up.”

We all stepped in front of the roaring fire. It felt pleasant and warm.

"I’ll see if I can get something for you to eat." as she went off into the other room. I followed her. I believe she might need some help. There are many players. Plus, I can also phone for help.

The woman was pleasant. When I walked into the room, we talked.

“It looks to me, by your uniforms, that you are all Graviball players. Am I right?”

“Yes, how’d you know?” I giggled smiling.

“I used to be one myself.” She started making sandwiches and even put some soup on the stove.

“Is it okay if I use your phone to call for some help?” I asked.

“Be my guest, but you will have to use the wall phone behind you. I don’t have a cell phone like most people have.”

I giggle. “I am too young for a cell phone. You have to be at least thirteen to have one.”

“Oh, I see, is that the rules these days?” she continued making the sandwiches while I dialed for some help.
The phone wasn’t working. “The phone is dead,” I cried.

“That’s okay, it usually goes out during a storm. Most likely, the Internet is out. I sat at the counter watching her make the sandwiches.

The food was ready after a few minutes of cooking the soup. It was something similar to chicken noodle soup. But it was not chicken. I wonder what it was. I remember my mommy making me homemade chicken noodle soup when I was sick. I loved it. I wish mommy was here. She always made excellent food.

I believe she made this soup for all of us, because she didn’t want us to catch a cold. She must be a mother herself. I help her with the sandwiches by carrying it to the table in the next room. She brought the soup.

All the kids stepped into the room and sat at the table. They were all hungry and ate their meals in silence, watching the storm outside. It looked really strong. The wind was also very fast.

“Where Mikayla and I originally came from, we had big storms like this. Sometimes we had hurricanes and tornadoes.”

“What are hurricanes and tornadoes?” the woman asked.

“They are both deadly storms.” I brought up images from my wrist computer, which made a hologram in 3D. “A hurricane is a huge wind storm that comes from the ocean. The wind can go from 119 kilometers per hour to over 251 kilometers per hour. As for a tornado,” I brought up an image of a tornado. “It is a huge wind storm shaped like a funnel. It can reach wind speeds of 64 kilometers per hour to over 482 kilometers per hour. A tornado destroyed my neighbor's house, when she was a little girl.”

All the children, including the woman, were amazed that I knew so much. No wonder I was the smartest in my class when I lived on Terra. Maybe someday I will be as smart on Saclaurilia as well.

“Where am I?” Megan Greenfield wandered around a strange place. “'Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.” She said talking to an imaginary dog, walking next to her. Looking up in the sky, she saw two suns and a planet that looked like Saturn. “I’m convinced we're not in Kansas anymore.”

Strolling around on a dirt path, she saw a wall, which looked like it was made of vines of some sort. On the wall, there was a door. “There has to be a village or something on the other side.” She pondered and started running towards the door. As she reached to open it, she noticed an old key on the ground and picked it up to examine it. “That’s strange? Why is this here? Not thinking straight, she tries to open the door, which was locked. “Hmm... maybe this key is meant for the door.”

She looks around to see if anyone is nearby, imagining someone dropped the key. Nobody was around, so she inserts the key in the keyhole and slowly pushes it open, slipping inside.

Megan gazes about in reverence and wonder. To her surprise, what was on the other side of the door was a gorgeous garden. It appeared well taken care of. She noticed lots of things. Flowers that didn’t look like flowers she had ever seen before, and some she had in her backyard garden. There were creatures that looked like butterflies, flying all around. Unfamiliar looking birds and other strange looking animals were also in that garden. A beautiful pond sat in the distance. She went up to it in amazement. It was very clear. You could see the bottom of the pond. Lots of little fish were swimming around.

“I’ve never seen a pond so clear before. I wonder if I can drink from it?” She was about to dip her hands in the water, when she saw this troll. He was peeing in the pond. Grossing her out, she didn’t even try to drink.

“Excuse me, sir!”

The troll eyed Megan.

“Can’t a guy have some privacy around here?” he growled and started walking the other direction. “First the little girl, now this crazy woman. Sheesh!” he mumbled.

Megan sat down near the pond and watched the troll march away. It was no use to even ask him for directions. He didn’t seem friendly. She was also confused why she even spotted a troll. “Where in the world am I, Fantasia?” She lies back and glances up in the pink sky, smiling as a golden beam of sunlight warms her face. “Where ever this place is, it’s better than at home.”

~o~O~o~

At the house of the old woman, we found out her name was Wendy. Me, my sister and the class have been here for a few hours now. I stare out the window. The rain was really coming down. It was like cat and dogs... That made no sense. I meant to say it was raining cats and dogs. I watched the lightning. It was beautiful. I am still surprised they don’t get tornadoes on Saclaurilia. But I wonder what natural disasters this planet has. I sat on the couch glancing at my teammates and sighed. I guess I will find out someday.

With the storm messing with the Internet, I can’t even get a signal to call for help. I also wondered what happened to our bus driver. He told us to wait, but after he didn’t come back, what should we have done? Sit in the bus and twiddle our thumbs?

I watch everyone sitting around the fire. Mikayla was the only one asleep. Which made me sleepy. I yawned. Wendy noticed me yawning and got up off her chair.

“Do you want a blanket?” She asked. “You look tired.”

I look at my sister. “I guess. Can you get one for my sister as well?”

She glanced at Mikayla and smiled. “You two are the first twin girls I have seen in years.” If she only knew I was originally a boy and was originally twelve years old. She grabs us a blanket, and I curl up next to Mikayla. A few seconds later, I fell asleep.

~o~O~o~

When I woke up, I was still on the floor. I could smell food in the air. Not sure what kind of food it was, since this world is foreign to me. I wandered into the kitchen. My whole team was up and eating. Mikayla was sitting at the table munching on what looked like flapjacks. I sat at the table and grabbed a plate.

Wendy saw me and smiled. Walking over, she had a plate of something in her hands. “Do you want some eggs and Fraggle strips?”

“Fraggle strips?” I was confused, “What are Fraggle strips?” I got my answer when she put it on my plate. “It looks like bacon?”

“What’s a bacon?” Joe, one of my teammates asked, while chowing down on a Fraggle. Mikayla giggled and took a bite of egg.

“Bacon is ahh, never mind, you'll never understand, but it looks like this Fraggle strip," I explained.
I sit down and munch on my breakfast, and stare outside and notice the sky was becoming clear. I wonder if the Internet is working again, so I can use the phone to call for help. I didn’t want to get off the chair to find out. I enjoyed my breakfast.

~o~O~o~

After breakfast, the rain had stopped. I was able to use the phone to call my daddy. He was concerned about us. He had been out all night searching. A few others were as well. I mentioned that we were at this farm. Wendy took over the phone.

When she was talking, Mikayla and I went outside to check out the livestock. We observed many animals that were a bit strange. The only animals we recognized were pigs. Just like the Piggies on Terra.

Wendy came out of the house and walked over to us.

“What are those?” I asked, looking at a bird on a nest.

“Those are called jorkifin [york-ifin]. They produced the eggs we had today for breakfast. As for the Fraggles over there,” she pointed to the pigs.

Wait, pigs are called Fraggles on this planet?

“What about those?” I pointed to another animal that looked like a blob.

“That is a stipolod. They make milk for us. Also, when they poop, that is the mixture that is made to make what your sister calls flapjacks.”

I almost puked right there. “You mean I just ate...”

“Don’t think of it that way. We don’t like wasting things on this planet, like those on Terra do.” Besides, stipolod poop is beneficial. It may appear a little runny when it comes out, but it makes an excellent meal, when you cook it, and add a little berries or syrup on it.”

About that moment, I heard a vehicle pull up. It was a tow truck. Behind it was the bus we were on last night. Another bus was driving behind that.

“Well, it looks like your ride is here,” Wendy said. She helped all the kids with their things, and we headed toward the bus. I looked up at her and ran over to give her a hug. So did Mikayla. “I’m going to miss you.” I cried.

“Don’t worry,” Wendy chuckled. “You can always come and visit. You were only five miles away from town.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that?” I sniffed. We could have gone home.

“I didn’t want you to catch a cold in the rain. Now hurry up and get home. Your dad has a surprise for you and your sister.”

A surprise? What kind of surprise? Now I am excited and want to get home as quickly as possible. Mikayla and I jump on the bus and find a seat. What a night. First we win the Graviball game, then we get stuck in the rain, meet a really nice lady all in one night. Now I can’t wait to get home.

~o~O~o~

The bus pulls up to the school. Everyone gets out of the bus and heads to their parents' vehicle. Mikayla and I see daddy waiting for us. We run up and hug him.

“What’s the surprise Mikayla and I ask simultaneously.” He points and waves at the car. Someone comes out of it. It didn’t take long for both of us to notice who it was.

“Mommy! We both screamed. We ran over to her, giving her a big hug.

Chapter Eleven
The Great Harvest Crush

My mom wasn’t surprised that I had changed to being a girl. After all the information between Goahirians and Saclaurilians. She was confused for a while, but it took a lot of convincing that she was on a different planet. She was still confused why I looked like Mikayla. No one knew the reason. Not even Jane.

But, now that we are a family again, we plan on having a barbecue. On Terra, we would go to a restaurant, which is usually fast-food. Saclaurilia doesn’t have any restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King or The Banana Peel (The name Subway chose when they merged with Banana Republic). I believe it’s because we eat healthier here. In fact, there are no restaurants. If we eat out, it usually means a barbecue or at a friend's house.

My dad invited a few neighbors over. I invited the whole Graviball team, and even Brianna. I guess Mikayla invited a friend. I’m not sure who. I usually don’t like seeing animals on the barbecue, but today I was okay with it, because those Fraggles smell excellent roasting over an open fire.

Another good thing about this barbecue is its beginning to get cold out, and with a fire going, it helps us keep warm. I even suggested making S'mores. The upsetting thing was it wasn’t that easy explaining S'mores, when there aren't marshmallows on this planet.

I keep forgetting that this is a healthy planet. Marshmallows are considered junk food. As for chocolate, I gave up explaining that after the marshmallow incident.

I watched the pig... I mean Fraggle cook. None of my friends were here yet. What else could I do? I wasn’t going to be a couch potato and watch TV all day. I heard the Fraggles came from Wendy’s farm. That's when I thought of it. Did anyone invite her? I ran to the phone. I was about to call her, but stopped. What’s her phone number? In fact, what’s her last name? I can’t call her if I don’t have her last name. I can’t look it up. Bummed out, I stepped back outside and continued watching the food cook.

The first guest arrived. It was one of our neighbors. They introduced themselves as the Flandersons. They seem pleasant. I kept watching the Fraggles, but not for long. On the corner of my eye, I saw someone that made my heart pound.

The Flandersons have a child. Not just any child, a boy. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. This was weird for me. I never had a crush on a boy before, only girls. Especially since I was originally a boy. He had gorgeous semi-short, light blonde hair, and his eyes were like light blue. He looked to be about my age.

He noticed me staring and came over to me. When he saw me staring, I looked away. I guess I am a bit shy. I have never been shy before.

“Hi,” he chirped. I looked at him again and then started blushing. I turned away. “Don’t be shy. My name is Cory. I just moved here.” I can’t believe it. That was my name. I looked at him, with my mouth open. “Did I say something wrong?” He looked worried.

I looked into his eyes again. He has the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen.
“My names...” I began. “...Courtney. I was too shy. Why am I acting this way? It was embarrassing me. Mikayla came skipping along. She spotted me with Cory and skipped over.

“Hello,” she spoke quickly. “My names Mikayla. I see you are with my sister, Courtney. I could say she’s my twin sister. But she never was my twin sister before.... Long story. It all started when we lived on the planet Terra. By the way, I never saw you before at school. Are you new? What’s your name?”

“My names Cory,” he answered with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“Oh my God! That was Courtney’s name before she changed into a girl.”

“Mikayla!” I grumbled.

“You were a boy?” Cory asked, looking at me again.

“Um...” I started to cry.

"Did you go through surgery to get... your penis removed?"

“No, I didn’t," I cried, "I was forced to change my gender.” I had tears in my eyes now.

“Forced? How could you be forced?” He let go and looked into my crying eyes.

I was half Saclaurilians, half Goahirian. The only way to remove the Goahirian gene was to physically change into a girl.”

“I see." He looked down at my body. "So you have everything a girl has? That is cool." He looked back up at me eyes. "But hey, you turned into a beautiful young lady.”

I looked at my sister. She was watching us. Playing with a flower as well. “Yeah, well my looks came from my sister, when she touched me. I got the genes from her. So I guess, I am the exact copy of her in a way.” Mikayla smiled when I talked about her. I can tell she loved the attention.

I was about to continue talking, but just then, my friend Brianna came over with her parents. I had to go see her.

"I... gotta go," I stuttered. I ran off to meet Brianna. Mikayla stayed and chatted with Cory.

“So this is your house?” Brianna said gazing at it.

“Yeah, it was built two weeks ago,” I stated. I can’t believe it's only been about two weeks since we left Terra. Mom only got here yesterday. It’s a bit confusing. I wonder what the date is on Terra? As much as I know, only a few days have passed there. That still confused me. I still think we are in a different dimension or something. And I still think The Doctor from Doctor Who will show up sometime with a blue box. If it does show up, I am out of here.

The rest of the guests showed up within the hour. Brianna, Cory and I played together. I was still too shy with Cory. I would keep stuttering when I talked to him. Brianna said I had a crush. I knew I did, but I didn’t want to believe it.

Mikayla was with the Graviball team I invited. I would have played with them, but was not in the mood. I did feel sorry that I didn’t want to play. They didn’t mind. In fact, they anticipated Mikayla invited them. We do sound the same over the phone, and I didn’t mention my name when I called.

To my surprise. Wendy came to the barbecue. That made me happy. I guess she was invited when dad bought the Fraggles from her. Why didn’t I think of that?

Talking about the Fraggles, they were finished and we were all sitting down to eat. Cory Sat down next to me. That made me blush some more. I have to stop blushing when I see him. It’s a dead give away that I like him.

There were many people here. Or whatever they call themselves. I wondered if this was going to be the same as Thanksgiving on Terra? Wait, there is no Thanksgiving on this planet? Unless this is Thanksgiving, and I didn’t know it.

I had to find out. “Dad?”

“Yes, sweetie?” He answered.

“When we were on Earth... Err... I mean Terra, we had Thanksgiving. Is this like Thanksgiving on Saclaurilia?”

“In a way, it is?” He announced. “But we don’t call it Thanksgiving here. It’s The Great Harvest Festival. Every city has one. We were the lucky ones to have it at our house this year.

“Why is it so early?” I asked. “Isn’t it supposed to be in November?”

“Only in the United States. In Canada, it’s in October, and other harvests can be different, wherever they are. On this planet, the harvest comes in Onrich. That is this month on Saclaurilia.”

I keep forgetting, our months are different than on Terra.
Juna, Phrane, Milnisium, Apoach, Milneen, Jolnick, Johop, Alfrane, Solice, Onrich, Nuvent and Daphrane.

“Oh,” I acknowledged. “Thanks dad.” I sat down at the table next to my food, and... of course... Cory. I sighed. He is so dreamy. I slap myself. Stop thinking about him, in that way. But he’s so cute.

“Kiss him already!” Brianna blurted.

“I...”Cory stared at me. I gazed at him. I blushed. Without even giving in, he gave me a kiss.
I accepted it.

Chapter Twelve
What Can We Do?

As I type on the computer in the computer lab of my school, I notice the news Google was showing. The main headline about a War on Earth. I didn't even know that war was going on. I read that Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and even China were evading countries. The United States, Japan and Korea, including England and Scotland, were in the battle to keep peace in the world. Israel, which borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia, is the country that was hit the worst.
"So World War Three has started on Earth," I thought. I was glad I was on Saclaurilia. It would be frightening to be on Earth right now because of the war, and I would have been in the war once I turned 18 if the world was still around.
I wonder about my old friends. They must be worried or something. I also wonder if they are talking about me. I was in the news with my sister when we were taken here.

~o~O~o~

"Why didn't you tell me Earth was at war?" I asked mom when we were sitting for dinner.

"I didn't think it was important," Megan said as she brought in the salad from the kitchen. "We're not on Earth anymore."

"Terra," Dad corrected us.

I keep forgetting that Terra is the correct name for what we called Earth. Because Earth is the ground, not the planet.

I pour a cup of milk and sit down at the table with Mikayla. I always wonder why the milk is blue and not white. It reminded me of the milk from the movie Star Wars. But our milk is from the Stipolod, and not a Bantha, like Luke had to drink from.
I put down some milk to the cat Mikayla had before we left Terra. We hadn't seen her for a few weeks after we got her. The reason was because she was still in our house. Mom had found her, and she ended up coming with mom when she was brought here.
I was worried she would have been the only cat on this planet, until we found her sleeping in the closet after she gave birth to kittens. Since cats have never been on this planet, they would be the only cat species around.
So instead of spaying and neutering the cats, we have decided to let them reproduce so they don't suddenly go extinct.
Who knows if the animals on Terra will still be alive or end up being the last of their species as well.

~o~O~o~

After dinner, Mikayla and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie, as Mom and Dad sat in another room drinking some wine made from Kitawa. Kitawa is a local plant from Saclaurilia that is comparable to the grape. It's a bit more tarty than a grape, but it still tasted good. I just wonder what wine tasted like. I never even tried wine made from grapes.

Berries on this planet are very delicious and unusual. Not all of them are made here. Some came from our neighboring planets, and a few from Terra as well.

The movie we watched was about a puppet that hates everyone. He was selfish and never shared. When he was sent to a boarding school, he would cause mischief.

"Courtney!" Mom called from the other room. "You have a phone call."
I got up off the couch to get the phone. "Hi Brianna," I say. I listen to what she was talking about. "Yes, I'd love to go." I glanced over at my parents. "Can I play laser tag with Brianna?" I asked them hoping they would say yes.

"Well," Mom glanced over at Dad and then back at me. "You are only nine years old."
"Mom, I'm was almost thirteen, and even if I am nine now, Brianna's father said he would be with us the whole time."

"Well..." she hesitated.

Dad knew I wouldn't get into much trouble. "Just let her go."

"Okay, you can go," I cheered. Mikayla wanted to go to, which was okay. The more people on our team, the better the laser tag is.

~o~O~o~
ZAP!
I jump. I almost got hit. Better pay more attention next time.
I turn a corner in the arena and notice a girl. She looked ready, and was aiming right at me when I roll into cover, and quickly shot her with a blue laser.
I heard beams flying everywhere, and heard some of them land on people. "This match is intense!" I thought.

I peeked over the corner, and shot a metal rod sitting in the middle of the sky. It bounced around everywhere, dodging it when it came right at me, until it shot another girl who wasn't paying attention. She screamed, which made me giggle, moving on to find more cover.
Within the hour, I dodged beam after beam, flying over my head, and missing them, but the lasers ended up getting someone else on my team. I was getting exhausted. I shot a boy and rolled over into cover.
I gazed at the scoreboard to see how many were remaining. Blue: 2 Red: 8. We were getting hammered!" I cry.
Mikayla was out of the game ten minutes ago. I watched her get hit. She tried her best and was now watching as I played my part. Brianna was the only other player still existing on my team.

"Looks like we'll need a miracle to win this game..." I sighed as I got up. Sprinting around, I heard a laser blast. I looked behind me, and dodged red beams, left and right, jumping up and down and ducking.
I heard a slight buzz and looked up to see what it was. I saw a bright red light coming closer.
I ducked as several light beams whizzed past my head. I returned fire and managed to shoot one person, who lazily walked off the grounds. I ran to cover with Brianna, who was so scared she almost shot me!
I kept running, and running, looking for cover, until I couldn't take it anymore. I waited for them to come, and when they came, I quickly fired at them. As they did the same, I jumped, ducked and dodged, as they simply moved their head while shooting. I was panting intensely.

I shot at a metal rod, and heard what sounded like a girl's scream run away from me. I had delayed them for now, but wished I hit her. I ran to the end of the laser tag room, and sat down and stared at the game time. One minute left.

I took a breather. But after ten seconds, three kids were nearing me. I knew I wasn't going to win this game, so I figured I would just have to hide from them instead.
They neared closer, and closer. My heart started beating faster, and faster. I fire ten shots at a nearby metal rod, and three shots straight towards them. They were dodging, but they were still near me. Ten red beams flew towards me in every direction. I tried to shoot, but was too afraid to make a terrible mistake. I dodged beams, but was exhausted, and fell down panting.
"She's tired." A boy said, running at me.
"I guess this is it." I cried.

BUZZ

He almost pulled the trigger. So glad for the buzzer.

"Game over. Blue Team: 1, Red Team: 7. Red team is the winner. Please head to the Lazer Gun room to unpack your gear. Have a nice evening." The referee announced.
The Red team member that was about to shoot me moaned as he went to the door. I had survived, but didn't win the game. I still had fun.

~o~O~o~

After the game, we ended up at a local ice cream shop and got a cone for all of us.
Even though this planet is healthy, we still get to treat ourselves once in a while. I ended up getting a faylag flavored ice cream cone. Faylag is a berry that came from planet ChiChi. It tasted okay to me. I would have preferred strawberry or chocolate, but they don't have those here.

Brianna and Mikayla had a Kitawa flavored cone.

When we got home, we ended up going to bed. playing that game was exhausting, but I was so overjoyed to play a game almost like what we had on Earth... I mean Terra.

Chapter Thirteen
Halloween-ish

Almost a few days ago, we had a harvest festival. It was wonderful. The first festival I have ever had on a new planet. It won't be the last. But I found out that of all places, this planet Saclaurilia, has never heard of the holiday Halloween, which is weird, because they can get TV channels from Terra. They broadcast Halloween shows every year. I have a feeling they are broadcasting one right now, on some channel.

I had to find a way to show them what Halloween was.

Yes, Halloween is not exactly a typical holiday. Everyone has heard of the Yule Festival, where we sit in front of a decorated tree and open presents. And somewhere, wherever you are, there has to be something similar to Thanksgiving. Just like we had. The Great Harvest Festival. Halloween celebrates many things, including the lives of people who aren't with us anymore. Saclaurilia is one place that is strange when it comes to holidays.

I guess the reason this planet doesn't do the traditional Halloween is because there are no pumpkins, which is kind of sad. No pumpkin pie. No pumpkin bars. No Jack-O-Lanterns. Not even The Great Pumpkin. Poor Linus. I had to find a way to at least celebrate my second favorite holiday, right before Christmas.

Were there any types of squash that can be used as a replacement of the pumpkin? I had to find out. Even if I made a Jack-O-Lantern, how could I get people to celebrate Halloween? If I dress up and go door to door saying trick or treat, they will think I am nuts. Plus, no one would pass out candy. This planet is a healthy planet. Which isn't fair for me.

While I traveled through town, nothing is going on. I look through stores thinking of what I could do to make it feel Halloweenish. I passed an old building and stopped. What am I thinking. I can still make it Halloween, without all the candy and pumpkins. I bet there are plenty of haunted houses out there. Plus, we can always watch a scary movie and tell scary stories.

I rushed home as fast as my little legs could take me. I knew I could think of something. This was going to be the best Halloween ever.

I went to the home phone and called up my friend Brianna.

“Hi, Brianna, I have something fun we could do today. You wanna come over?” After getting a yes from her, I blushed, because I decided to call Cory. He may be right next door, but I am a little nervous to just go over and ask him in person. I picked up the phone and dialed his number. It rang. When he answered, I hung up. I was too nervous to talk.

I knew I should have blocked my phone number, because he called me right back. I was also stupid and answered it without even reading the caller ID.

“Hello?” I said when I answered. I started to blush.

“Hi, Courtney,” Cory replied, “You called me just now?”

“Um… No,” I lied. “It must have been someone else.

“I'm sure it was you, I saw your name on caller ID. It shows who dialed the number. You do remember that caller ID on the planet is far superior to the ones on your older planet. It knows who was using the phone and who called.”

I started crying. I didn't know he could figure out it was me. I hate these new kinds of caller IDs.

“Maybe I called you by accident,” I lied again. I was getting a little more comfortable on the phone now with him. “Anyways while I am the phone with you, would you like to come over? I have something fun we could do today.”

“Sure why not, I will be right over.” I hung up the phone and sat down on the couch, waiting for my friends to come. I knew it wouldn't take long for Cory.

When Brianna finally came over, I was already blushing. I liked Cory. It's clear that everyone knows that I do. If I was on Terra, I would be picked on at school. I can imagine all the kids singing the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song. The kids on this planet seem friendlier. I have not been picked on at all.

“I have a wonderful idea for what we could do tonight. On Terra tonight, or I guess in a few days, because they are only a few days behind us, for some strange reason, they will be celebrating a holiday traditionally for kids. We usually would go door to door asking for candy.”

Cory and Brianna stared at each other. I can tell they thought I was nuts.

“Yes, I know what you're thinking, but that's what they did. We usually would say Trick-or-Treat. We also carved an orange squash called a pumpkin. Usually it would be a scary face or whatever you wanted it to be. Well, since we can't do that here on Saclaurilia, I am bringing one other tradition. Haunted houses.”

That opened both Brianna's and Cory's eyes up. I think they like the idea.

“We have seen lots of haunted house movies on TV and have always wanted to explore one. I think this would be a good time to do that. I know my dad would allow us to go there. He is big on haunted houses and he would love to join in on the fun, especially on Halloween.”

“Hallow what?” Brianna asked.

I forgot to say Halloween when I told about the holiday. What an idiot I am. “Halloween is the name of the holiday on Terra. It's always in the month of October on the 31st. It's the most spookiest holiday of the year. Some imagine, the dead wake up on that day. Or it's the devil's holiday or even his birthday. Lots presume witches powers are much stronger on that day. There have been stories about ghosts encountered in haunted houses. That is also the reason why I wanted to go to a haunted house here on Saclaurilia.”

When I told dad what we were going to do, he was in an agreeable mood. He knew of a famous haunted building that would frighten the willies out of us. Mom wasn't into the idea of having us get scared. I wanted Mikayla to come. Dad agreed to end the whole thing, if anyone said they wanted to leave because they were too terrified. Mom finally gave in and allowed it. But she was not going to be part of it.

So Mikayla, Cory, Brianna and I all hopped into the car.

Once we were ready, dad set the GPS on the car to the coordinates of where we wanted to go. The best thing about cars on Saclaurilia is that we don't need to drive. He sat back and we took off.

I love flying in the car. It's one of the best things. We never did this on Terra. The FDA would never allow it.

I watch outside at the world. It's so pretty. I'm not sure where we are going, but I am excited. I watched the ocean. It was very bluish. I cold spot animals in it. Not exactly knowing what they were. Finally, we were slowing down and landing on an island. The island had a brick building. Not sure what sort of building, but I feel it's the building that we will explore.

It didn't appear like we were the only ones here. Others were also parked in the car park. As we walked up to the building, we noticed something. The sign on the building. “Psych Ward Amusement Park”

“We went to an amusement park?” I cheered. Everyone was also cheering.

“Not just any amusement park, a haunted themed amusement park,” dad pointed out.

We still cheered. “Why is it on this island?” I asked.

“This used to be an actual Psych Ward. When it closed, they didn't want to tear it down. Because it was so huge, they decided to fix it up and make it an amusement park. It's one of the biggest parks indoors.

We stepped up to the sales clerk. “Children under 12 only costs ₭35 today, but adults are ₭120”.

Seems like it was a perfect choice to come today. They must know it's Halloween, or something. When we walked in, the first thing we did was scream. This guy dressed up as a patient came out of nowhere. The first ride we decided to go on was the roller coaster. It looked spooky and popular. It took ten minutes before we could get on it.

“Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. You will get scared. Enjoy the ride.”

The ride starts out slow. But it speeds up very fast. I'm not sure how fast it was going, but I sure was freaking out. I screamed the whole time. I can hear my sister and Brianna screaming. That was a two minute long ride, but it sure was worth the ten minute wait.

The next ride was a log chute. It sent us in a dark tunnel. It seemed like things were crawling all over me.

When we got off that ride, we were a little starved. We decided to go eat at 'The Choke and Puke'. It was their name for the cafe located in the old cafeteria that was used during the Psych ward.

I had a burrito. It was food colored green to appear disgusting, but it tasted quite like a burrito. Mikayla had something that looked like a hot dog. Again, it looked like it was rotten, and also the bun appeared moldy, but it wasn't. Brianna and Cory chose a slime-burger, a cheeseburger with slimy and moldy looking green cheese.

No, we didn't get sick. It was meant for the theme of the park. We all had fun. Dad was video taping us eating those foods. It wasn't like we were grossed out or anything. But I bet it sure would gross out mom.

After we ate, we went in the haunted house. Mikayla decided to stay out. While we were in there. She stayed and watched the undead horse race. I believe she chose to skip the haunted house, just so she could watch that.

Eventually, we were feeling exhausted and wanted to head home. We went on many rides. I believe this was one of the best Halloween I have ever had. I hope we can make this a tradition every year.

Why go out door to door getting candy? Being with friends and family is the whole reason for this holiday. That's my opinion. This is Halloween.