Chapter 3: A New World

When I came to, I had no way of knowing how long I had beenout.  It was no longer winter, but a warm spring day.
I looked up.  The sky was a warm aqua, but neither sun nor moon were visible.  And the cause of this whole thing--the unicorn--was cropping daisies just a few yards away from me.  I wasn't in Freeland Park anymore.  That much was certain.
"Where am I?" I asked out loud.  Not that I honestly expected an answer from anyone.
"You're in the land of Arkadie," the unicorn replied.  As weird as things were, it helped to know it could talk.  Talking animals can usually be trusted, I guess.

Chapter 2: Explosion

So I followed the unicorn down empty corridors into the wintry landscape beyond the heavy double doors tot he outside.
The mythical beast led me across the bridge, over the old, abandoned railroad tracks to Freeland Park.  It was there that my real adventure was to begin.
All the time the unicorn had been staying just a few feet ahead of me, not running too fast, but not letting me anywhere clsoe enough to touch it.
Could the thing talk? I asked myself before I became breathless from chasing it.  It went slowly when when I honestly couldn't go faster, but seemed able to feel somehow whether I was following as best I could.  If I hadn't, I would have lost the creature long ago.
I would have been colder too, considering I had left my overcoat in my locker.
It finally stood int he center of the small park.  Puffing up, I stretched out enough to brush the white haunches with my fingertips.
An explosion of intense light and heat surrounded me.  I fainted.

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Class Visitor

No one was more amazed than I to see a unicorn in Mr. Bartlett's English prep class.  That man can make the Norman Invasion sound boring as he droned on about the history of the English language.

There turned out to be a good reason no one else seemed amazed.  It seems I'm the only one who actually could see the unicorn.  My eyeballs felt like they were actually popping out of my head.

"Rose Andrews, is there something you would like to share with the class?"

"No, Mr. Bartlett, sir."  Mr. Bartlett still has some kids call him "sir", especially geeks like me.

The best thing to do, when you are the only one to see a thing is to pretend to ignore it and hope it goes away.  Even if it doesn't, at least no one will suspect you're going crazy.

It was a very beautiful creature.  Almost too beautiful.  It looked as though it were carved of something brittle yet expensive like fine porcelain or china.  Then it beckoned me with its horn....

I raised my hand.  "Yes, Ms. Andrews?" Mr. Bartlett sounded more tired than usual.  Just 3 more years till retirement, I could imagine him saying to himself.

"Mr. Bartlett, could I be excused for a moment?"

"To do what?"

I could feel my face get red.  "To, um, get a drink of water."

Mr. Batlett gave a start.  "Oh, I thought it was a restroom thing."  The whole class giggled nastily.  "Come back as soon as possible."  Bartlett winked at me and I thought I would die.

So I followed the unicorn out of the classroom.  When a mythical creature wants you to follow you follow.