kissed Charlene to break the spell, she’d felt the tug of jealousy. Charlene, with her athletic ability, her incredible looks, and her class-A flirting—if she turned on the charm, a fire hydrant would agree to go to the mall with her. Why had Philby been the one to kiss her and not Finn? Why had his recent texts felt more normal and less crushy? Mr. Totems brought her comfort, but her mind wouldn’t stop churning.
Willa’s dream became intensely realistic. Suddenly, she was laying beside a lake, while clutching tightly to Mr. Totems, her bear. Across the lake—rising out of the water—was a green dinosaur. A brontosaurus, she thought, though she was no expert. It was not daylight, but it was not exactly night either. There was an eerie quality to the color of the light, everything around her was glowing. She let go of Mr. Totems, noticing the familiar shimmer to the outline of her forearm and hand. She held her hand out in front of her, admiring the translucent quality of her skin. Then a breeze blew across her and she shivered. And she gasped.
It wasn’t a dream at all: she was a hologram. A DHI. She had crossed over in her sleep.
It wasn’t supposed to have been able to happen. They had talked about avoiding crossing over until they knew more, until they knew it was safe. Philby would have told her if he’d planned this; otherwise it must be an extreme emergency, she thought. Something that couldn’t wait.
And here she was: in her pajamas with Mr. Totems, somewhere in Disney World. At least her Justice pajamas weren’t too embarrassing—red pants, and a long-sleeve top with a panda bear and fireworks that glittered. Not exactly what she wanted to be seen in; but better than a nightgown, which was what Charlene typically ended up in.
But which Park was it? Willa wondered as she took her bearings. She faced a street—not much of a clue. Some buildings surrounding an open plaza—again, not enough to tell her which Park it was. She sat on a raised platform; it was nearly pitch-black above her, except that she could just make out a patch of nighttime clouds swirling directly overhead in a doughnut of black.
Her lack of familiarity with the place told her two things: one, she wasn’t anywhere in the Magic Kingdom or the Animal Kingdom—she knew both Parks too well; two, by process of elimination, that left only Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Epcot had streets in the various World Showcase attractions, but none as wide, as real-looking as what she faced. A moment later, she had it: she was sitting beneath Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. Now it made so much sense, she felt stupid. Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Of course.
She heard a rhythmic clomp, clomp, clomp , reminding her at first of the sound of the football team crossing the running track as they ran out onto a field before a game. The sounds rang of men and equipment. She sat up, only to realize she was clutching tightly to Mr. Totems. She held Mr. Totems to the side so she could see, and there, coming up Sunset Boulevard was a group—no, she thought, a troop —of soldiers. They were so hard to see that she thought they must be wearing camouflage. But as they drew closer— clomp, clomp, clomp —she saw it wasn’t camouflage. They were a solid, dark green. They were the Army Men from Toy Story , but they weren’t toys at all. They were life-size, and they were coming right at her.
Willa grabbed Mr. Totems and scrambled to her feet, heading away from the Army Men, keeping in shadow until she fled down a set of steps. She sprinted once she reached the plaza, running down Commissary Lane and putting some distance between herself and the troop.
Arriving at the end of the street, she heard more of the organized marching up ahead. She turned left, past some landscaping, and kept running, the sounds of marching soldiers all around her.
Forced by the sounds to move to her left, she now faced Echo Lake. Willa squeezed Mr. Totems all the
Willa’s dream became intensely realistic. Suddenly, she was laying beside a lake, while clutching tightly to Mr. Totems, her bear. Across the lake—rising out of the water—was a green dinosaur. A brontosaurus, she thought, though she was no expert. It was not daylight, but it was not exactly night either. There was an eerie quality to the color of the light, everything around her was glowing. She let go of Mr. Totems, noticing the familiar shimmer to the outline of her forearm and hand. She held her hand out in front of her, admiring the translucent quality of her skin. Then a breeze blew across her and she shivered. And she gasped.
It wasn’t a dream at all: she was a hologram. A DHI. She had crossed over in her sleep.
It wasn’t supposed to have been able to happen. They had talked about avoiding crossing over until they knew more, until they knew it was safe. Philby would have told her if he’d planned this; otherwise it must be an extreme emergency, she thought. Something that couldn’t wait.
And here she was: in her pajamas with Mr. Totems, somewhere in Disney World. At least her Justice pajamas weren’t too embarrassing—red pants, and a long-sleeve top with a panda bear and fireworks that glittered. Not exactly what she wanted to be seen in; but better than a nightgown, which was what Charlene typically ended up in.
But which Park was it? Willa wondered as she took her bearings. She faced a street—not much of a clue. Some buildings surrounding an open plaza—again, not enough to tell her which Park it was. She sat on a raised platform; it was nearly pitch-black above her, except that she could just make out a patch of nighttime clouds swirling directly overhead in a doughnut of black.
Her lack of familiarity with the place told her two things: one, she wasn’t anywhere in the Magic Kingdom or the Animal Kingdom—she knew both Parks too well; two, by process of elimination, that left only Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Epcot had streets in the various World Showcase attractions, but none as wide, as real-looking as what she faced. A moment later, she had it: she was sitting beneath Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. Now it made so much sense, she felt stupid. Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Of course.
She heard a rhythmic clomp, clomp, clomp , reminding her at first of the sound of the football team crossing the running track as they ran out onto a field before a game. The sounds rang of men and equipment. She sat up, only to realize she was clutching tightly to Mr. Totems. She held Mr. Totems to the side so she could see, and there, coming up Sunset Boulevard was a group—no, she thought, a troop —of soldiers. They were so hard to see that she thought they must be wearing camouflage. But as they drew closer— clomp, clomp, clomp —she saw it wasn’t camouflage. They were a solid, dark green. They were the Army Men from Toy Story , but they weren’t toys at all. They were life-size, and they were coming right at her.
Willa grabbed Mr. Totems and scrambled to her feet, heading away from the Army Men, keeping in shadow until she fled down a set of steps. She sprinted once she reached the plaza, running down Commissary Lane and putting some distance between herself and the troop.
Arriving at the end of the street, she heard more of the organized marching up ahead. She turned left, past some landscaping, and kept running, the sounds of marching soldiers all around her.
Forced by the sounds to move to her left, she now faced Echo Lake. Willa squeezed Mr. Totems all the
Similar Books
