By Tyler Kaplan, TIWP Student

The sun rose, the people awoke, and the day began. The little girl got up and glanced out her window. It was 6:30 and her neighbors were beginning their routines. Billy tossed the paper. Mr. Hover went to check his mail, and the old lady yelled at Billy for throwing the paper at her invisible cat.

Turning from the window, the girl put on some clothes and rushed down the stairs. The girl stopped at the doorway of the kitchen just as her mother dropped a plate in the very spot the girl would have been if she kept walking. Apologizing, the mother pointed to the girl’s breakfast. The day continued and the little girl fell asleep for the night. The little girl awoke the next morning, but instead of the sound of her alarm and her neighbor’s morning routines, she saw a woman opening her drapes.

“Good morning mi ‘lady,” the woman muttered before rushing out the door. The little girl walked over to her window with a grin, realizing she had left reality. But this didn’t frighten her, for it happened every night. No one else seemed to realize it, but the world was not as much of a joyful place as it seemed. You see, people seem to have it all wrong. Life is the real nightmare. The little girl’s dreams were the joy of her life. At least her dreams changed. Yesterday, she was a pilot. Today, she was a princess. The girl went to get her clothes and was met with a walk-in closet filled with every type of clothes she could possibly imagine. She settled on a pastel blue dress and stepped out of her room. The day was filled with joy and new experiences and it was beautiful.

“Beep! Beep!” The clock blared with a sign for the girl turn off the clock and walk over to the window. It was 6:30 again and the old lady was yelling. “Billy! Stop throwing things at my cat!” Billy smirked and waved back to Mr. Hover who was standing across the street.

Turning around to get dressed, the girl heard the unfamiliar sound of a truck. She ran back to the window to see a moving truck—and a family with children moving into the house next door! Things were finally changing and the girl was overcome with emotion. That night she had no dreams and the next day, she met the new girl next door and began a new chapter of her life.