In the dark of night, Mena stood in Caligari’s dreary room. She clutched an eye-of-newt spice latte she had purchased in the cafeteria to stay awake, but it and the ember torches on the walls did little to brighten Mena’s dour mood. “Professor?” she called out. “Professor?”

Two glowing green eyes shone in the darkness before Professor Caligari appeared out of nowhere. When she did, a loud woosh dispersed the blackness, revealing the rest of the room and startling Mena. The young witch accidentally spilled the latte all over Caligari’s shoes. “Oh my galoshes,” Mena exclaimed as her professor glared at her like a wet cat. “I’m so sorry, professor!

“You’re lucky I’m not trying to impress anyone tonight,” Caligari grumbled. “But anyway, Willow, Gemini has designated me as your teacher for tonight. Do try not to embarrass yourself as much as you normally do in my class.”

“Yes, Ms. Teacher,” Mena snapped to attention. Not even the Doris the Ghost Librarian could compete with Caligari’s subtemperate stare.

Caligari nodded, and Mena added, “W-w-what will we be doing today?”

“Even if you haven’t gotten past the basics of clearing your mind,” Caligari said, pacing away from her. “Tonight, we’re going to try something that Gemini is counting on you to know. How to deal with night creepers.”

Mena gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. She had never encountered one of these monsters from the Nightmare Void before. She hoped she’d be able to handle one.

“Don’t get in a tizzy, Willow,” Caligari responded curtly. “I’d never put you in front of a real one at your skill level. Gemini would not stand for it. Instead, I will place you in what I call a Dream Fight Simulation.”

Caligari walked over to a part in the room still blotched over with darkness. It vanished to reveal a bed with grey sheets and a bunch of strange wires attached to the post. Observing the wires, Mena swallowed hard.

“Relax,” Caligari said, “I’m merely going to transfer the simulation to your head through these wires. It’s an involuntary dream, but it won’t hurt or anything.”

Mena climbed into the bed. The comforter was slightly softer than a mattress full of rocks and the grey blanket was old and scratchy. She winced as Caligari positioned the wires to her head. “I want to see your reflexes when you encounter a simulated night creeper. Do whatever comes to mind first.”

Mena nodded. She closed her eyes and the room quickly blurred out of focus. Mena found herself standing in a circular arena carved out of limestone. It floated within a purple and orange sky. No one was in the arena to cheer her, but ominous dread filled the young witch as the iron gates before her opened. Several pairs of yellow eyes blinked in the darkness. Mena’s heart beat faster and faster as the night creeper moved forward into the light.

When Mena saw what the beast resembled, she immediately lost all fear. It resembled a knee-high puppy dog with several yellow eyes and silverish-purple fur. A large green bulb with teeth stuck out of its backside like a tail. As the creature made soft whining noises, Mena immediately clasped her hands to her chest and swooned. “That’s so cute!” she exclaimed.

The night creeper pup looked at Mena, turned its bulb-tail around and before Mena knew it, her face was engulfed in the fangs of the plant bulb. She woke with a start, panting hard.

Caligari rolled her eyes, looking extremely annoyed. “What was that?” she asked.

“I’m sorry,” Mena said, “But that critter was so adorable.”

Caligari looked absolutely shocked by Mena’s words. “The twisted manifestation of your loss of sanity within a nightmare is cute…?! I could understand a boy or a puppy but that?!”

“But it looked like a puppy!” Mena said, holding her hands together.

Caligari slapped her hand to her face. “I think we’re going to have to start with the basics here. Just because something is cute on the outside, doesn’t mean that it’s cute on the inside.”

Mena nodded. “Got it.”

“I’m going to put you in again,” Caligari said. “But this time, please do something, anything but stand there.”

“Okay,” Mena said, nodding quickly.

Once again, Mena delved into the arena. She’d be smart this time. Once again, the iron gates rolled up with a loud creak, and the night creeper emerged, looking as bizarrely cute as it did last time. Mena put on a brave face as it gazed up at her. “Alright, you twisted monster from my subconscious. Prepare to taste defeat!”

Mena ran up to the tiny beast and kicked it. It yelped as it recoiled.

“How did you like the taste of my feet?!” Mena laughed. In response to her attack, the beast turned around, stuck out its bulb tail and extended it with a devious expression.

“Uh oh!” Mena screamed, as the beast chased her around the arena with its backside turned and its vicious plant bulb growing ever closer to Mena’s face.

She took one look behind her and found herself smothered by the plant bulb again.

Mena woke with a start in the scratchy bed. “How was that?” Mena asked

“Well,” Caligari said, her hands coolly crossed. “I suppose anything is better than last time. But you forgot one thing: Magic! Aren’t you in this school to learn dream arts?”

“Derr,” Mena said, slapping her hand on her face. “Ok, this time, I’ll definitely be able to handle that beastly pup! With magic!”

“Dula can only pray,” Caligari said, a bleak expression on her face.

Mena closed her eyes, but this time, she kept her wit about her. When she appeared in the arena, she was ready to take on the beast. As the iron gate lifted for the third time, and the beast hopped forward. Mena sized it up, letting her imagicnation formulate her method of attack. As the beast turned around, Mena quickly chanted,

“Magic magic, on the double. Give this wicked beast a muzzle!”

Rainbow sparkles shot out of her mind and enveloped the beast. A muzzle of dark leather bound both the beast’s mouths. “Wow, two for one,” Mena exclaimed. “Sweetness! Alright, let’s finish this!”

“Magic Magic I will cast, give this beast an energy blast!”

Mena held out her finger, and a large charge of rainbow energy fired from her finger, blasting the beast to smithereens. Mena gave a wink and placed her hand on her hip. “Told you I was a genius!”

The dream world dissolved around Mena and she found herself back in the bed. “How are them apples?!” Mena asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“Third times the charm, I guess,” Caligari remarked.

“At least, you’ll have something nice to tell Gemini,” Mena said with a grin.

“Oh, that’s right,” Caligari said, and she gave a small smile.

“You think he’s cute, don’t you?” Mena responded back with a coy expression.

“What?” Caligari said, her face turning bright pink and her hands held to her face nervously.

“Oh, come on,” Mena said with a wink. “It’s pretty obvious. And don’t worry. I think he’s cute too.”

“Right,” said Caligari, her face flushing back to white. “Good job today. Willow, once again, you’ve proven to me that you’re not as useless as you seem to be.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Mena said, “And I know you’re not as scary as you seem to be!”

“Don’t push it,” Caligari said, her face assuming a stern feline like expression. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

***

Mena left the Caligari’s lesson in a much cheerful mood than when she came in. Perhaps even her classes with Caligari would go better now that she had a successful session with the phantom professor. When she reached the top of the cloud wall and entered her room, her roommates had fallen asleep (or whatever it was that Janus did.)

Mena tucked herself into her own comfier bed and closed her eyes.

Mena found herself roaming the corridors of the Dream Castle again. This time she was alone, but she found herself strangely entranced by a golden light that shone around the corner. She followed it, and yet again, found the magnificent golden door, shining before her. She could not resist the urge to approach it; after all, it tantalized her enough when she was awake. She reached for the knob, and pulled it open, bathing in the white light that escaped from it. Mena entered it.

“Y’all gonna be ready, dear?” a sweet country voice asked. Mena opened her eyes and found herself in Deidre’s Bakery of Love. Deidre stood before her with a picnic basket covered in a checkered red and white tablecloth. She held a pitcher of fresh pink lemonade, cubes of ice jingling around it. “We’ve got a special engagement at the Sunset Lake, today.”

“Of course, I am,” Mena said. She noticed she was dressed in a frilly dress herself, much like Deidre.

“Well then,” Deidre said. “Let us head over to meet our friends.”

The next time Mena opened her eyes, she was standing at a lake adorned by the golden colors of a sunset. The radiant yellows and oranges shaded everything as beautiful as the gilded door itself. Mena realized this was the lake that her parents had taken their photo together. “There you are!” A raspy, but feminine voice filled the air.

Mena and Deidre were greeted by an enormous Toyah, and standing below her was Ashlan, wearing an emerald dress. The sun made her mane even more yellow. Mena smiled when she noticed there was no look of distain in the young lioness’s eyes. “Come,” she said to Mena in a hushed voice.

Mena and Ashlan sat beneath an enormous birch tree overlooking the Sunset Lake. A light breeze rustled the grass and tickled their bare legs. Leaves fell around them. “You know, Rainy,” Ashlan said, looking into Mena’s eyes with a deep fondness. “You’re the best friend I’ve always wanted.”

“Same here, Sunny,” Mena said, and she placed her hand in Ashlan’s. “I’m so glad we’re friends.”

“Always have been,” Ashlan said.

Mena rested her head on Ashlan’s shoulder and fell into a deep sleep. The darkness of sleep changed to light, and Mena heard Gemini’s voice echo across the void like a carnival barker.

“All these dreams and more can be yours if you just find the Gilded Door!”

His voice echoed, saying, “just find the Gilded Door….just find the Gilded Door,” almost mockingly, letting Mena know that everything she saw was only the deepest hopes of her subconscious.

When she awoke the next morning, she cried to herself.

“What’s wrong, Mena?” May asked from her bed.

Mena peered over and saw a look of sympathy in May’s round, bespectacled eyes. The same look was on Janus’ face.

“I really need to find that Gilded Door,” she said back. “It’s going to drive me crazy.”