Torn Between Two Worlds: New Discoveries - Chapter Two

A Chapter by Be.My.Love.Story

This chapter is when it all begins :)

At the mall Nadia bought Amanda cowboy boots for her birthday present. Amanda absolutely adored them. The brown boots almost reached her knees, and had dark green designs on the side. The boots had a pointy end, and small heels. Afterwards they got manicures. Nadia got them painted a bright crimson colour and Amanda chose a dark blue. Everything was going great, they talked about the latest gossip going on at school, shared their thoughts on popular television shows, and laughed at hideous clothing items. They were at the food court waiting in line at Starbucks to buy hot chocolate when their enemies, Joyce and Iris approached them.

"What are you two going to get?" Joyce, their enemy of over two years asked. She had her honey blonde hair tied in loose ponytail, and was wearing big hoop earrings.

"Hot chocolate," Amanda responded slightly bewildered as to why she cared.

"Are you sure you want to get that? In my opinion you have enough fat already," Joyce smirked. Amanda was used to her insults, Joyce had insulted her everyday for the past two years. Insults never had an effect on Amanda, she was the type of girl who didn't let things get to her. She found being upset over little comments was a waste of time.

"You think I'm the one that's fat? That's funny, because I remember when you only had one stomach," Amanda answered cooly. She always had good comebacks ready at the back of her head. There was a few seconds pause, probably because Joyce was searching for a good comeback. Iris stepped in for her.

"She isn't fat. Anyways, unlike you she is actually pretty," Iris responded defensively as she gave Amanda a 'I'm better than you' look. Iris put her hand on her hip and swished back her straight black hair.

"So that's why Liam chose me over Joyce. Because I'm ugly, and Joyce is pretty," Amanda noted sarcastically, referring to the reason why the feud between the two groups began.

Two years ago Liam dumped Joyce for Amanda. Joyce and Amanda were never friends, but Joyce blamed Amanda for Liam's decision. She wanted to get back at them, so Joyce started a rumor about Amanda in attempt to destroy their relationship. The rumor was that Amanda had cheated on Liam. To Joyce's disappointment her plan failed when Liam believed Amanda, and the rumor had no effect on their relationship. Not willing to give up without the satisfaction of revenge, Joyce tried again. When it was Amanda's fifteenth birthday, Joyce and Iris toilet papered the outside of her house, threw eggs at the windows, and taped loser on her front door. They skipped last period to do this, so by the time Amanda came home with her friends the work was done.

That was the last straw for Amanda and Nadia. When it was Joyce's birthday, Nadia thought up of a way to get back at her. Revenge was Nadia's expertise. They decorated Joyce's front yard with Dora the Explorer balloons. They also had a clown come to her birthday party. Everyone at the party thought it was super lame, and didn't believe Joyce when she denied it was her that called the clown to come. The next day, her party pictures were all over facebook. She was made fun of for weeks afterwards. Ever since, there were ongoing wars between the two groups. Everyone at school knew not to get involved in their battlefield.

"Liam likes you, so what? I can get any other guy I want," Joyce stated stubbornly. Without waiting for a response, she walked away with Iris following close behind. Nadia flipped open her phone and checked the time.

"It's already six! After we get our hot chocolates, it's time we get to your house," Nadia exclaimed.

When they arrived at Amanda's house, the sun had already set and was hiding behind the mountains. They walked up the steps leading to the front door, everything silent except for the clicking of Nadia's heels. Amanda unlocked the door and they walked in. She was immediately greeted by her family members and 'happy birthdays'. Soon afterwards, they were all seated at the dining table with a chocolate cake at the center of the table. Her mother started lighting the candles on the cake. Sam was watching impatiently with a fork in his hand, waiting to eat. When all the candles were lit, everyone sang Happy Birthday and started eating. Sam was done eating his second piece before anyone finished their first. When Amanda was finished, she noticed that her parents and Sam were exchanging excited looks.

"Amanda, let's all go to your bedroom," her dad said in a way that clearly showed something was up. Amanda agreed, and everyone followed her into the bedroom. She stepped in an looked around. To her surprise, her room looked unfamiliar.

Her bed used to be a twin size that was in the corner of the room. Now she had a queen sized bed that was under the window. On the other side of the room, there was a flat screen tv hanging on the wall. It was arranged so she can watch tv while she was in bed. Her desk was moved to where her bed used to be, and there was a mirror beside her closet.

"My room looks so amazing, I love it so much! A queen sized bed? Oh my goodness, I love the purple blanket. And a flat screen tv! This is like a dream come true!" Amanda said screaming, jumping up and down.

"Today is your sweet sixteen, so we tried to make it special. Your dad and I have been working on this after you left for school. Sam came home as quickly as he could so he could help. We asked Nadia to keep you busy, so we could get this done before you came," her mom explained.

"That's why I took my car to school, Dad's car didn't really break down. We had it all planned. We've been hiding the tv in my closet the whole time," Sam elaborated. Amanda beamed and hugged each family member one by one.

"Thank you so much guys, this is truly the best birthday ever."

"I dare you to prank call Logan, your boyfriend of the week," Amanda said smiling. Nadia dated so many boys, that Amanda sometimes made fun of her for it. They were playing Truth or Dare. Her parents were fast asleep, and her brother was probably awake playing video games in his bedroom, since it was a Friday.

"I'll do it, I love pranking." Nadia grabbed her phone and dialed Logan's cellphone number. She put it on speaker so both of them could hear. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" he answered tiredly.

"Hello, this is the number one hit music station. You are live on the radio, and all you have to do is answer three questions to win a trip for two to a vacation in Hawaii," Nadia said enthusiastically, disguising her voice by using a british accent. There was a few seconds pause.

"A vacation in Feburary? When school is in session, and people are busy with work?" he asked unconvinced. Nadia continued as though he hadn't spoken.

"Question number one! Do you pick your nose?" Nadia asked innocently as though she was only asking for the time. She was asking him embarrassing questions to make the situation more funny. Amanda couldn't help herself, and she let out a quiet giggle. Nadia couldn't hold back her laughs any longer and burst out laughing.

"Nadia.. is that you?" Logan asked suspiciously. She hanged up and they continued laughing hysterically. Amanda grabbed a glass of water from her desk. Her hands still trembling from laughter, she accidentally spilt the drink on her shirt. This made them laugh even harder. Amanda walked to her closet and took out a pajama shirt. The shirt was orange and plaid. It didn't match her brown with pink polka dot pants. After she buttoned her shirt, she glanced to her right and scanned herself in the mirror. She took a step closer towards it. It had a wooden frame with designs carved in on the sides. The bottom part of the wooden frame had words inscribed on it. The words were small, she had almost missed it. It read 'When you can see the stars, you can travel a thousand miles'.

"What!?" Nadia exclaimed suddenly. Amanda hadn't realized that she had spoken aloud.

"When you can see the stars, you can travel a thousand miles," Amanda repeated. "That's what it says on the mirror." Nadia stood up and walked to the mirror. She squinted and read the writing. Amanda examined herself in the mirror and fixed her hair.

"The carving is so faint, it's almost as if someone hurriedly scribbled it in," Nadia said and Amanda nodded in agreement. Amanda traced the neat designs on the frame, which felt smooth and polished. She then felt the words. Unlike the designs, the carving felt rough. The words were scratchy.

"I wonder what it means," Amanda thought as questions flooded her mind. Was it some nonsense someone decided to carve in? Or did it have meaning behind it? What does traveling a thousand miles have anything to do with the stars?

When Amanda was deep in thought, Nadia quickly ran to the bed and grabbed a pillow.

"Pillow fight!!!" Nadia yelled throwing a pillow towards Amanda who was standing across the room. Amanda ducked in time to avoid getting hit. Being near the wall, the pillow should have bounced off the wall and landed near her feet. Instead, something astonishing happened. Amanda had been too preoccupied avoiding getting hit, she had missed what happened. However, Nadia had seen the whole thing. Too speechless and confused to move, Nadia stood frozen on her feet. Amanda looked around for the pillow, which she couldn't find.

"Did you see where the pillow fell?" Amanda asked. Why couldn't she find the pillow? She had barely missed it, so it must have fallen somewhere near. When Nadia didn't respond, she turned to look at her. Nadia's green eyes were open wide, and her mouth formed a large circle. The bright light in the bedroom glimmered on her white teeth. She seemed to be in a stage of shock. Or maybe it was horror?

"The pillow. It went right through it. The mirror. The pillow fell through the mirror," Nadia choked out, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Amanda laughed. Nadia was always pulling pranks on her. This prank isn't well thought out, I'll just put my hand on the mirror and show her nothing can go through it.

"Nadia, I'm not going to fall for your joke. I thought you were an expert at pranks, this one is just ridiculous." Nadia didn't respond. She just stood there, and didn't move a muscle. Amanda rolled her eyes and walked to the mirror.

"I'll put my hand on the mirror. If it goes through it, I'll believe you. If it doesn't, then the joke is over." Nadia's eyes followed Amanda's hand, but she remained silent. Amanda brought her hand up to the mirror while watching Nadia, and waited for her hand to touch the reflective surface. She felt nothing. She spun around to look at her hand. It wasn't there. In fact, half her arm had gone through the mirror. Horrified, she pulled her arm out as fast as she could. There was a minute of silence while both girls were too shocked to say anything. Nadia was the first to recover.

"I told you so," she said smiling slightly. Amanda just blinked, she couldn't find her voice. Nadia however, seemed to be in a stage of excitement instead of shock. Typical Nadia, always making jokes even in serious situations.

"You have a magical mirror. That's awesome! People would say that's impossible, but your pillow just flew right through it! Amanda, don't you just wonder what is on the other side? Let's go through it too!" Nadia exclaimed all in one breath.

Was Nadia insane? Going through the mirror and not knowing where it will lead would be a big risk. What if they can never get back? That would horrifying. What if ghosts live there? If we can go through the mirror, they must be able to come here too. Amanda started shaking, and tears filled her eyes. She was afraid. Afraid of what might get her. She didn't want to know what was on the other side of the mirror, and she certainly didn't want them to come here. Nadia noticed Amanda's change in emotions, and immediately comforted her with a hug.

"What if there are evil things that can come here through the mirror? What if they kill me?" Amanda said, her voice shaky. She wasn't crying, but her fears frightened her. When Amanda was ever in a bad situation, she would jump to the worst possible conclusion. Nadia on the other hand, was always relaxed. She quickly finds a solution, and never frets. The only time Amanda witnessed Nadia panic was when <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

"I guess the only way we can find out what's on the other side is if I go there. You can stay in your bedroom, and I'll come right back," Nadia suggested calmly.

"No! What if you can never come back?" Amanda shouted.

"If I never go there, you won't have a pillow. That wouldn't be very conformable when you sleep, would it?" Nadia grabbed a chair from under the desk and brought it over to the mirror. She climbed on the chair and placed her hands on the edge of the mirror, ready to dive in.

"No, you are not going to the other side," Amanda said sternly. "Not without me." They smiled and Amanda climbed up on the chair.

"On the count of three," Nadia said as they held hands.

"One, two, three!!" they said to together, and dived.

When she dived through the mirror, she felt as though she was in ice-cold water. Frigid liquid rushed around her, making her spin in circles. The violent waters around her was forcing her down, and she felt as though she was getting sucked in a whirlpool. She kept her eyes shut, afraid see what was happening. She didn't breathe, afraid of swallowing water and suffocating. She held on to Nadia's hand tighter, even though her bones already felt like crushing. But she didn't dare let go, broken bones were the least of her worries. She had no idea what was happening, or how much longer she could hold her breath.

She felt her feet touch the ground, and all of a sudden she wasn't cold anymore. She didn't feel wet, even though she felt sure she was underwater just moments ago. She wondered if they had gone anywhere at all. Maybe they were still in her bedroom, she thought. Nadia's hand left hers. Alarmed, she opened her eyes and was blinded by the harsh sun. She blinked rapidly to adjust her eyes to the brightness. The sun was different.. it was farther away, and brighter. It was white, with a blue tinge. It didn't look orange-yellow like she was used to. She looked at her surroundings. She was standing barefoot on a dirt road. There were trees on both sides of the road. Lots of trees. Was she standing in a forest? She turned around to find a wooden door on the middle of the road. There was nothing else there, just a door.

"Do you want see where this road leads to?" Nadia asked beaming.

"Are you insane!?" Amanda shouted frustrated. "We don't know where we are, how we got here, or how we are going to get back. I don't even think we are on Earth anymore. No, I do not want to know where this road leads to. I don't care. I want to go home!"

"Stop worrying, Amanda. We found ourselves standing in front of a random door, I bet all we have to do is open it. Then, voila! We will be back in your bedroom. We will go back home, I just want to explore first." Nadia said. "Please? I promise we don't have to be here long."

"Fine, but I really don't want to get lost so-"

"Yeah, okay. Let's go!" Nadia screamed cutting her off, and started walking. Amanda reluctantly followed her. They walked for a few minutes in silence.

Snap.

"Did you hear that? Nadia, I think I just heard someone," Amanda said. She scanned her surroundings but saw no one.

"You have to chill," Nadia said in an annoyed tone. "I bet it's just a branch that broke off of a tree."

"There is no wind. Why would a branch break off a tree? It wouldn't," Amanda said irritated. Couldn't Nadia listen to her this once? She hadn't stopped to check where the sound had come from, and they are in the middle of a forest where no one can hear them. When she didn't respond, Amanda decided to follow her and keep her worries to herself.

After about five minutes, the road turned left and left the forest. The road had led to a grass field. The field was at least three time larger than a football field. There were six houses, and they weren't modern like the ones back home. They were made of stone, and had wooden roofs. The houses had windows, but there were no glass in them. Just rectangular holes in the wall. In the distance she saw see a river, and she realized how thirsty she was.

"Nadia, I'm really thirsty and it's remarkably hot out. Can we go back?" Amanda whined. She felt as though she was a candle being melted by a flame.

"It's only been five minutes, I don't want to go back yet. How about we put our feet in the river to cool ourselves down?" Nadia suggested. When they got to the river, Amanda sat on the edge of the river and felt the cold water cool her entire body. This surprise her, since she only had her feet in the water. Desperate for a drink, she made a cup with her hands and took a large sip from the river. She immediately felt herself regain the energy that she had lost from the humid heat. She didn't feel thirsty anymore. She didn't feel hot anymore. She felt energetic, and strong.

"Ahh, the water is so refreshing," Amanda said smiling.

"It is, isn't it?" said a voice from behind. She spun around to see a boy her age, or perhaps older, kneeling very close. Their faces were just inches apart. She could see that he had mesmerizing green eyes, and dark brown hair that neatly fell onto his face. How had she not noticed him come up from behind? Startled by how close a strange was to her, she nearly fell into the river. The boy quickly caught her by the arms, and helped her up.

"Thanks," Amanda said.

"Anytime," he responded, and smiled. "I haven't seen you two around before."

"That's because we don't live here. I know this is going to sound utterly stupid, but we have no idea where we are or how we got here. Can you tell us where we are?" Nadia said. There was a several moments pause. He didn't seem confused by our situation. A look of realization crossed his face, and suddenly he was expressionless.

"I'm guessing you girls are from Earth. Am I right?" he asked.

"Yes we are," Nadia responded calmly.

"What do you mean by that!?" Amanda hollered at the boy. "Does that mean we are not on Earth anymore?"

"That's right," he answered with an evil smile. "You girls are now on planet Tykeeza, and I am going to bring you to your death."

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