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~* I am walking through a long corridor, I can't see any doors so I just kept walking wondering where am I.

'How did I get here?' I think to myself and keep walking.

After what felt like ages I see the end of the corridor at a distance and there is a door, also I see something else. Something is on the floor by the wall not far from the door and I decide to take a closer look. 'It's not like I have any other way to go.' I thought.

As I get closer I see it's not something, it's someone. A girl sitting down holding her legs and with her face buried in them. It seems she is crying.

“Hello.” I said as I got closer to her.

She raises her head, looked at me for a second or two, buried her head on her knees again and resumed crying.

“What's wrong? Are you okay?” I said slowly sitting down close to her hoping she doesn't freak out.

She shook her head and just kept crying.

“Is that a no nothing is wrong or I'm not okay?” I ask her.

“I... I'm... not... okay.” She said between sobs.

“What's wrong? Maybe I can help you?”

“I'm sad.”

“Why are you sad?”

“Because of you.”

“What? Why? I never saw you before. How can you be sad because of me?”

“That's why. You don't remember me and that makes me sad.”

“How can I forget someone as pretty as you?”

“I can't tell you that. You have to find out yourself.”

“And how do I do that?”

“The door.”

“What about it?”

“The answers are behind the door.”

“Is that it? All I need to do is go through the door?”

“Yes, but is not that easy.”

“How so? Is the door locked?”

“No, it isn't locked, and you'll see what I mean when you try to open the door.”

“Who are you? Why are you telling me all this?”

“I can't tell you who am I and I'm telling you this because I want you to remember me.”

“Can I at least have your name? Just the first name will be enough. It might help me a little.”

“D...Danielle.”

“That's a pretty name. I wish I could remember you.”

“You will and I can't wait for you to remember.”

“So all I need to do is go through the door?”

She nodded.

“Can you go with me?”

She shook her head and said. “No, you need to do it alone.”

“Will you be okay here?”

She just nodded her head again.

“Okay. I better do it then.” I said getting up.

“See you later Danielle.”

“I hope so Dan, I really hope so.” She said.

I started to walk towards the door again and look back to see her one more time but she vanished.

'What is going on? Was she real or am I losing my marbles?' I thought and decided to keep walking towards the door. She said the answers were there, but also that might be my only way out of here so I need to go through it anyway.

As I got closer, each step seemed to be harder to make. The door looks familiar but I don't know why. I started to get a sense of dread, like something really bad is behind that door. I can almost feel what it is and it scares the crap out of me.

I kept going slowly and the fear in me kept growing too. All I want to do is turn around and run away but something else tells me that not only something really bad is behind that door but also something very dear to me.

'She was right, this is not going to be easy. I hope she is worth it.'

It seemed that an eternity passed before I could reach the door. By the time I reached it I was shaking and very afraid of what might be behind it. I slowly reach for the doorknob. After a few false starts I finally was able to grab it. I was about to open the door when.... *~

The alarm starts screaming waking me up with a start.

'I hate this alarm. It is always scaring the crap out of me.' I thought after turning it off

'Gosh I hate that dream. I have been dreaming it every night since I made that stupid promise to Ashley. The girl is something new though. What does this dream mean? I better write it down before I forget. Maybe Ashley can help me get some sense out of it.'

Ashley is a long time friend of mine. She is a neighbor and we grew up together. She, Steve and I were always together. Steve is my best buddy but he has been acting strange for a while now and she keeps saying everything is fine but I know him. Something is bugging him and I think it is something to do with me.

Ashley is always there for me and keep having strange ideas. She is also always trying to make me dress like a girl but I always refused. I mean until last week when she tricked me to make that damn promise.

Before you ask me, no, she didn't dress me up, yet. She said something about doing it right, and needing some stuff. So, she said she would do it Saturday. The worst part is that Steve is also in cahoots with Ashley, and no she is not going to dress him up. Talk about being unfair. Of course there is no way he could ever pass as a girl. He is 17 years old, 6'2 and very athletic. By the way did I tell you he is also Ashley's older brother?

I am 16 and just 5'7 just like Ashley and people keep thinking I am a girl. I know I'm not buff like Steve but I don't think I look like a girl. Okay I confess I am scared shitless about Saturday. What if I really do look like a girl? I keep getting this sense of dread just like the one I sensed in my dream.

No I can't think like that. I know I don't look like a girl and they will see it soon. That's why I made that promise to Ashley. And yes she tricked me to make that promise. What can I say she knows me better than anyone and used it against me.

What did I promise? Well... it is the holidays season and she knows how much I like to help people out, specially children, and she... well... wanted us to volunteer to help out some children in the local hospital that will need to spend Christmas there. The thing is that she want us to volunteer as Santa's Helpers, yes you got it, female elves like those you see in the malls. So I promised her that if she can make me look like a girl I will volunteer with her. What can I say she appealed to my soft side. It almost makes me hope she can make me look like a girl so I can bring those sick kids a smile on their faces.

  

  

After I finished writing the dream down I quickly went trough my morning routine, grabbed a piece of toast for breakfast and flew out of the house to meet Ashley and Steve.

It didn't take long to meet them because as soon I got out of the house I bumped into Steve as he was about to ring the bell. I just didn't fall on my butt because he held me up before that.

'Gosh he is strong' I thought to myself

“Are you okay?” He asked me.

“Y...yes. Thank you Steve.”

“You are welcome, Danny.”

“Hi Danny.” Ashley said and gave me a big hug and a peck on my cheek.

“Hi Ashley.” I said and did the same to her.

“Did you sleep well?” She asked me.

“More or less. I had that dream again.”

“The one with the door?” Steve asked.

“Yes, the same one, but this time there was something different in it.”

“What was that?” Ashley asked.

“I wrote it down and you can read it later okay?”

“Okay.” They said.

“Oh, are you ready for tomorrow?” Ashley asked.

“What about tomorrow?” I asked her.

“Tomorrow is Saturday, remember?”

“Oh shit. I forgot. Steve, please get me out of this.”

“No can do Bro. It's your mess and I have nothing to do with it.” He said.

“Yeah right. I know you are dying to see me dolled up so you can laugh at me.”

“That's not true. I would never laugh at you, and to tell the truth I am kinda curious how you would look dressed as a girl.” He said.

“I am doomed.” I said and lowered my head.

  

  

The walk to the school was pretty quiet after that.

What can I tell you about my school life? Ashley and I are juniors and Steve is a senior. I dread the next year when I will be a senior. Why? Because my friendship with Steve have kept the bullies at bay so far as he can be very scary when he is protecting me or Ashley. Of course he will be at university next year and I will still be trapped here, at least I will have Ashley with me.

No I'm not a loner, lot by a long shot. I just don't have many friends and most of my friends are the same as Ashley's so I am always around girls, but I am just a friend for them and I am fine with that. Unfortunately that has a downside and they treat me like one of the girls and they talk about everything around me and I mean everything. For example I know more about periods than any guy should know. Also it seems that the guys at the school avoid me like plague. I hear them calling me names in the hallways and even some openly gay boys asked me for dates a few times. No I'm not gay. At least I don't think I am. To tell the truth I'm not attracted to boys or girls. I did hear some boys talking about “hard-ons” sometimes but I never had one and I wonder what it is like.

Yes you probably figured out by now that I didn't start puberty yet, but my parents said it isn't uncommon in our family for boys to start it late. My father only started bulking up when he was my age so I figure that it won't take long now.

I better stop rambling now

  

  

The morning was pretty uneventful and before I noticed it was lunch time. Today I sat with Ashley and Steve as they wanted to read what I wrote about my dream so we found an empty table at the corner of the cafeteria after we grabbed the grub they call lunch here.

As soon as we sat down Ashley said. “Okay, where is it?”

“Where is what?” I said feigning innocence.

“The paper with the dream, silly.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.” Both Steve and Ashley said firmly. One thing you can say about them, they are very close and get along very well.

“Can we eat first?” I asked them.

“You can eat while we read. What about that?” Steve asked.

“That won't work.” I said. “I will be too nervous to eat while you read.”

“Okay, we eat first, but as soon we, and by we I mean Ashley and I, finish our lunches we start reading, okay?” Steve said.

“That's not fair.”

“It is. I know you. If we don't do that way you will take your time eating and the bell will ring before you finish your lunch.” Ashley said.

Darn, they do know me well. That is exactly what I was planning to do.

“Fine.” I said and pouted.

It didn't take them much time to finish eating because they both wolfed the food down their throats. I never saw Ashley eat that fast though wolfing down is Steve's usual way of eating. I don't know how he can eat so much and stay in shape. I think he could eat an entire cow and then go back for seconds.

“Okay we are finished.” Steve said.

“But I hardly started to eat mine.” I said.

“You always eat slowly.” He said.

“Just as slow as Ashley usually.” I said.

“But you are eating more slowly today.” Ashley said.

“No, you did it like Steve today.” I said.

“I know.” She said. “It's because I want to read it without worrying about the time. The other dream was pretty interesting and you said something was different this time.”

“Okay, okay. Here it is.” I said producing the pieces of paper and giving it to Ashley.

They put it on the table and started to read together while I tried to eat the rest of the lunch.

By the time they finished reading they had a strange expression on their faces.

“What's wrong?” I asked them.

“N..nothing.” Steve said.

“Do you know something about the girl in my dream? Is she real?”

“We don't know anything, Dan.” Ashley said.

“Is it true?” I asked Steve.

“Y...yes.” He said.

“Why don't I believe you?” I told them.

“Please believe us, Dan. We don't know anything. We just found the dream a little strange and interesting.”

“Okay. I'll drop it for now.” I said.

  

  

The rest of the day was pretty quiet but I was a little distracted. Something kept telling me that they know something about the girl in my dream and are not telling me. I might be wrong and a little paranoid though, after all it was just a dream, wasn't it?”

After the end of the school day we walked back together. They walked me all the way home but had to leave because they had errands to run.

“That's okay guys. I'll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, don't forget to shave before going to my place.” Ashley said.

“Shave? You know I don't shave yet, Ashley.”

“Not your face, silly. Pits and legs.” She said.

“But I hardly have any hair on my legs.” I whined.

“You want to do this right, don't you?”

“There is no way I can win this one, is there?” I asked looking at Steve.

“You should know that by now, bro.” He said.

“Fine. I'll do it right. I made you a promise after all.”

“Thank you, thank you.” She said happily and gave me a big hug.

“See you tomorrow at 9:00 then?” Steve asked

“That early?”

“No whining.” Ashley said.

“Okay, okay.” I said

  

  

Ashley

After we left Dan at his place we quickly went back home so he couldn't hear us talking.

“Do you think it is starting?” I asked Steve.

“I think so. It is about time.” He said.