Mattogno Girls

To this day,
this magical land,
(called dreamland),
from the meadows of Calafornia,
to the houses of England,
an eichhornia (a flower) grows in Dreamland.

I sat up in bed and yawned. I checked my watch. Still 8:16. It has been 8:16 since… 8:16. It’s been days. I got out of bed and went down two flights of stairs to the kitchen. The pale yellow wallpaper was the only thing to greet me. The counter tops were still littered with dirty dishes from… last night. Mom was sitting, news paper in hand. It said it was the 18th of January. It doesn’t seem like that now. I walked up to Mom and screamed in agony, clutching my wrist. If she was… lively she would have all ready called 9-1-1. I wasn’t hungry, like when 8:16 started. I walked out side and stretched with a mighty groan. My neighbor twitched slightly. She was quite beautiful. Long blond curls crusaded from the top of her angelic face. My head whipped around in time to see her adjust her right foot. “AH-HA!!” I shouted.

She sighed, Her icy breath chilling me to the bones. “WELL? Do you… you know… have it?” she asked me quietly.
“Woah! What makes you think…. Did I do this?” I stammered.
“Yes. And that means you must undo it, as well. Find the portal, and you can!” and went POOF! just like that. So I had it? I have it. I HAVE IT! “YESSSSSS!!!!! I haave it, mmhhnn mmhhnn!” I sung out to the minute of 8:16. Then, quieter, I whispered, “I must find the portal to restore 8:17!” I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I started my search at the N.E.R.D. store at the mall. I had a lucky guess. “I wish the portal to restore 8:17 was right… HERE!” I pointed to a large, flat, metal square. A stone dragon appeared. I picked it up, grinning madly. A soft, iridescent glow made its way to the surface. I screamed, dropping it. It shattered, leaving an orange dragon in its place. It glared at me and sucked in a huge, long breath. On instinct, I shouted out “I HATE, HATE, HATE, DRAGONS!!!” Instantly, the beast was a small kitten, still orange, mind you. It stuck out its tongue a second to late. “You don’t look like a fierce dragon now, just a kitty with an attitude!” I giggled toward the cat.
“You are so RUDE!!!” the cat replied. “I could never breath fire in the first place! Oh! I am Kortal-Kanzaie. Call me Zaie. You froze time? We need to go battle The Evil Northingath! He has been waiting a long time for you!” The cat, Zaie, yammered on.
“Hi I am Jasmine and sorry, yes, why ME?” I responded, stunned.
“BECAUSE!!! Now teleport us to Arkansas!!!” Zaie screamed at me. “Okay! No need to be so loud!!!” I shout back. Next, Zaie stays quiet long enough for me to wish to go to Arkansas. A soft wind whips my face then I open my eyes. The scenery was ugly. Several, long, dusty paths stretched as far as the eye could see. A few plants scattered, and very thirsty, were the only living organism for miles around. “where do we go now?” I whisper to him.
“THE PORTAL!” he shouts in my ear. “Sheesh! No need to yell! I an right here!” I respond.
“And no ones around for miles so whats with the whispering?” he tells me in a mocking whisper.
“hmmph!” was all I said before I wished for the portal. That familiar wind that whips across my face came. Soon we were in a long corridor stone black with a tall man with a moustache that looked like a fish hook stood in front of me. I tried to run but was frozen solid! I wished to be free from being frozen but no words came. “ Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I am Northingath! Bow to me!!! Mwahaha!” the man said.
“Mffif mrif!” that is the only thing I could say being frozen. “M Mif Mat Moo Mer Mrif!” I mumble and it works! The man turned into Zaie and I unfroze. “So what I didn’t tell you I have it!!! I liked the look on your face when I said ‘Northingath’! It was HILARIOUS! He’s standing behind me! Ya right! Now lets go defeat the brute!” Zaie said as I was able to move. So we walked on. And on. AND ON!!! When are we going to get to…. anything!! I thought.
Soon. Very soon. a voice like Zaie’s sounded in my head.
I didn’t even think then. Soon we reached a man an awful lot like Zaie’s imitation of Northingath. I was frozen once more.

The man laughed. “Mwahaha!” the man laughed. “Kortal-Kanzaie! You have escaped me! That means…” he dropped to his knees and looked at me. “Have.. have you frozen time? How? You are from the legend, right?” Northingath said to me.
“I… well… what legend?” I asked baffled.
“If you have frozen time… how?”
“I said ‘I hate time’ and POOF time was frozen.” I responded.
He began to rise. “Even if you freeze time, I wont be frozen.” I pointed out. I quickly spat out, “I wish you were a tiny bug and that your powers never existed!!” just that happened.
“COOL!!!!” Zaie shouted.
“Thanks…” I mumbled then stepped on him. A crate appeared. I walked over to it. Then, I wished to be home. Then I ran up 2 flights of stairs and Mom shouted, “WAKE UP CALL!!” and I raced down the stairs. “Can I have a kitten?” I ask.
“Sure!” Mom replies. Zaie comes out. “this is Zaie.” I tell her.
“How do you do?” Zaie asks. She faints. Typical Mom. I went upstairs and fall asleep.

I wake up and check my watch It was 8:17, same as when I fell asleep. “Not again!”  I shout into the world of 8:17. Zaie was frozen. “EVEN WORSE!!” and with that I raced to see if my neighbor, the one with long, blond hair, was there.