She thought that it was for the best that the world forgot about her. She was just about to descend into a new world of emptiness, when she awoke as a new person. The room was pitch dark until a sharp thud made the windows break into shards that lay on the ground, and the greenish light shone through the cracks of the windows.

“Julia!” said a screeching, high-pitched and inhuman voice

Julia panted and her heartbeat accelerated in an uncomfortable fashion, until she began to shake while she was trying not to. She turned and ran, but as she was running in the dark, Julia wondered why she had a name only after death. This however, felt more like a nightmare than an issue of heaven or hell.

The darkness was brightening up, and her legs felt tired and Julia was so thirsty and longed for a glass of water. As she walked with brisk steps towards a cottage with pink walls and adorned with painted hearts. Knocking on the door first, Julia entered the cottage since she found the door to be open. She slammed the door shut. Behind Julia there was a dim red light, with nothing but a white-framed mirror in the center. Julia looked around. There was neither water, nor food, nor any furniture other than a full length mirror. She saw that person in the mirror, the one who abandoned Julia while she was a dream without form or body. She hated to see Patricia again, and Patricia had her eyebrows scrunched and was staring at Julia with dull and emotionless eyes, and a frown. Patricia even dyed her hair a shade of hot pink and had short bangs. Upon coming closer, pointing with her index finger, and mumbling, Julia realized her new body looked exactly like Patricia’s.

“No! This can’t be. She is a pretty girl but I don’t want to look like the one I hate.” Said Julia

Julia sighed and turned around. She opened the door to leave and was dragged into light, until she realized she was falling. She found an umbrella in her hand and so, she opened it and landed on a pile of fallen brown leaves. The whirling and whistling wind almost blew the umbrella away, so she somehow closed and fastened it. Julia got up and brushed the dirt off of her white blouse and lavender plaid trousers. In front of her, there was a greenish glowing sign.

“WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CREATIVE ARTS. HELLO WITCHES AND WARLOCKS.”

She guessed this was the only path to take.

“Hey, wait!” said a man

He had blonde hair and rectangular glasses.

“You dropped your ID when you fell,” He said

“Really?” said Julia

He handed her a wooden card which was painted and had intricate details and her photo.

Name: Julia Blossom

ID: SW-LT-W

Dept.: Witchcraft

“Thank you very much,” said Julia

He nodded. She saw that there were people ahead of her in a line. So she joined them. The guy from before was behind her.

“Ugh, what a horrible line,” He said

Julia turned and saw the man from before and said nothing else but “Yes.”

“My name’s Cole. I’m assuming you’re Julia,” Said Cole

“Julia, that’s me,” She said

She couldn’t help but be shy around him. After all, this was the first time she had met anyone besides that traitor Patricia. What if he turned out to be just like her? It was better to avoid this new guy.

Julia was finally in front, but after walking ahead, she tripped and almost fell.

“Whoa, be careful,” Said Cole

“ID please,” Said an old woman in a black witch hat and emerald green dress

Julia handed it to her. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the ID for thirty seconds before swiping it across her star shaped magic wand. Julia got her ID back and then she entered the hall and followed the gleaming arrows in the dark halls all the way to the well-lit auditorium.

There was an announcement.

“Please take your seats. Fairy Core is in aisle two, Witchcraft aisle three…”

Julia took a random seat in aisle three. She kept her umbrella next to her, on the seat and her ID in her pocket. She then checked her left pocket. There was a wallet inside.

As the boring and long speeches commenced, she peeked inside her wallet. She found a bunch of copper coins with the symbol of two birds. And then there was a single note with the value of ten. She assumed it wasn’t much. The wallet went back into the pocket and Julia sighed. In front of her, Cole was sitting with head bent and chin resting in his hand.

It was the witch from before who was now on the stage. Julia sighed again, thinking that it will be another boring speech.

“Hello my students, I know all of you are very bored and tired,” she said

Everyone laughed.

“So I’ll keep it concise. I’m Heather Ice, the chairperson of the Department of Magic. I’m sure that all of you have already guessed that I specialize in Witchcraft. Well, before all of you go off to your dorms, remember to study well and put your studies first. That is the only way that you can gather enough energy for the Hope System to work and to keep us all alive.” Said Professor Ice

There was dead silence.

“Anyway, I’ve already been pleasantly surprised by one of our students. This just might be a fun semester. Or at least try to have fun. Thank you,” Said Professor Ice

When Julia was guided to her dorm room, she was shocked to see that she had no roommate. It was an empty room with a bed, a desk, and a bathroom. There was a note on the bed.

“You are expected to use magic to create all your necessities.”

“Seriously?” thought Julia

For sure there was no way to summon a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush. Being in disbelief, Julia opened the drawer to search for a real solution for the problem that no dorm shopping was done. There was a heavy brown leather bound book. It had golden corners, tied with twine and the title was, “The Complete Guide to Witchcraft.”

But before Julia could summon a toothbrush, she fell asleep on the cozy bed.

She woke up parched and dehydrated an hour later.

She somehow managed to recite the spell for drink. She drank the whole glass of orange juice in one gulp and went back to sleep.

“It’s funny how I know so much about being alive when I was merely a dream of a living being.” Thought Julia, when she awoke at dawn.