Episode Four, The Pirate Queen Reveals an Other World

Since we had a question pertaining to the unknown and anyone we told would think we were crazy, our only bet was to ask the Pirate Queen. To everyone else she was known as Ms. West, but to a select few who knew her personally, this was her title. She wouldn’t question us or look at us like we had multiple heads; she would help us find out what was going on. Now that’s the kind of person anyone should look up to; someone who listens to and understands us teenagers. If Big Brother has a problem with that, he can shove it, because it’s rare to find an adult that doesn’t disregard every single word coming out of the mouth of someone under the age of eighteen.

Monday rolled around and we all met outside her room. Once the last student filed out we went in, catching the Ms. West opening a fresh tub of mint-chocolate ice cream. She noticed us and opened a drawer in her desk, producing four extra bowls and spoons. We each grabbed a desk and made a small circle in the middle of the room.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Ms. West asked as she took her seat, passing out the utensils.

Kitty was the first to speak; “There are some strange things going on in this school.”

"You’re going to have to be more specific,” Ms. West laughed as she finished scooping herself some ice cream, and then passed it to Addy, who was on her left. “I have been aware of that particular fact for many a year.”

“Friday night,” Lucas began, rubbing the bruise on his cheek, “we got ourselves locked in the school. The next thing we know we’re in the middle of some sadistic horror movie and we can’t get out.”

“Sounds like a normal day to me.”

We all laughed, then I added, “I know this will sound strange, but it seemed liked the students who were after us were in some strange trance. It was very reminiscent of zombie high.”

Addy, Kitty, and Lucas nodded in agreement, then Ms. West asked, “What exactly did these students look like?”

At that exact moment a prissy looking girl, dressed in designer everything, walked in carrying a purse as big as her hairdo. Ms. West shifted her attention, “Yes Kayla?”

The girl named Kayla put her hand in her purse, which could have eaten her whole, and took out a few crumpled pieces of paper with scratchy handwriting scribbled across each. “I have that extra credit I needed to do,” she said, sounding as pompous as her posture lead on.

“Thank you,” Ms. West said politely, taking the papers from her.

Kayla turned, purposely flipping her hair into the air, then walked out. “That,” we said in unison, responding to Ms. West’s previous question.

“Depressing, isn’t it?” she said mournfully. “Even in the Other World our school is still ruled by them.”

“The what?” we echoed.

“I can’t believe I’ve never told you,” Ms. West replied. “The Other World is a place that lies between the worlds of dream and reality. Have you ever noticed things that you can’t explain? Strange events that seem impossibly surreal? Of course you have, you’ve just explained to me such an occurrence.”

We all looked at her skeptically, then she added, “Have I ever done anything that would cause you to mistrust me? I would never lie to any of you.”

“But,” Addy said slowly. “Why our school?”

“It’s not only this school,” Ms. West responded. “I guess you could call what you saw a ‘specter’. They appear anywhere there is an unseen problem that needs to be resolved. They are the inhabitants of this place I call the Other World.”

“What exactly do you think this problem is?” I asked, intrigued.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Kitty said quite matter-of-factly. “Our school is terrorized by the popular kids. I say it needs to be put to an end!”

“And how do you suppose we go about that?” Lucas asked. “How can we change something that has gone on for an eternity?”

“I know exactly how,” Kitty responded triumphantly. “We show them whose boss. We get them so bad they’ll wish they never messed with us!”

“How?”

“Well, I haven’t thought that far ahead."

“So if we solve this problem,” I began, “then the specters will leave?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Ms. West replied.

“I say we do it!” Addy exclaimed. “It’s time those punks get their just desserts!”

“Now we just need a plan…” Kitty thought aloud.

“The best plans are created on the fly,” Ms. West pointed out.

“Yeah,” I said, “but we better come up with a rough outline. We don’t want to go into this without a clue.”

“The Pirate Queen will save us!” Kitty cried out happily.

“I may be a Pirate Queen,” Ms. West agreed, “but I think we all need to put our heads together on this one.”

And so we sat, savoring our ice cream and pondering a plan that had to be extra ordinary.