She was dead. But…how could that be possible? Leslie…Leslie was the queen of Terabithia. Even if the Dark Master did somehow manage to get to her, there is no way the Terabithians would allow her to be killed, especially if he wasn't there to protect her. He had never told Leslie but he had, somewhere along the way, taken it upon himself to be her protector. She was the light of Terabithia, she held it together and made it into the place of magic and hope that it was. It was because of that that he had promised that he wouldn't let anything ever happen to her. Of course he knew perfectly well that Leslie would go into Terabithia by herself, not seeming to care about the dangers of being caught by the Dark Master while on her own. So he had called upon the free subjects; the few that he and Leslie had managed to release from under the control of the Dark Master, and had told them that if Queen Leslie was ever in Terabithia on her own, they were to watch over her and protect her until he could arrive and free her from the Dark Master's grasp. Why was it that they had let him down? All of those times that she had crossed over the Great Divide on the Rope of Enchantment and the one time that it failed her, failed them, was the one time he and his subjects were not there; were not watching over her as they had all sworn to do. Perhaps this was the magic's way of telling him that he could only have one Queen; only one person to rule Terabithia with. Had it taken Leslie away because it had though that he had chosen Ms. Edmonds to be his queen? Had he chosen Ms. Edmonds to be his queen? As soon as he thought it he felt himself nearly double over in pain and guilt. NO! He didn't choose her! She was…she was just his teacher! A woman who had peaked his interest because she was untouchable. But Leslie? Leslie was his best friend. She was the one that brought him to Terabithia and soothed his soul. Leslie was his queen! "Jess!" The voice pierced through the cloudy darkness as he battled with his anger; with his anguish. "Jess!" There was no way that Leslie was dead! The magic is all-knowing. It would know that Leslie was the true queen of Terabithia. Just like he was the true king. "Jess! Wake up!" His eyes shot open and he lurched up with a gasp and a yell. "Leslie!" May Belle shrieked and stumbled back in surprise, accidentally dropping the phone she had held in her small hand. "Jess!" May Belle said. "You scared me! And you made me drop the phone!" Jess wasn't listening to his younger sister as he struggled to regain a sense of his surroundings. He was in his room, or rather, what was meant to pass as his room. It was the same tattered blanket that served as his door that was draped around his body and he shuddered as he remembered his father laying it across his body during his dream. Or had it all been real? "May Belle!" Jess said, cutting her off. "Have you ever been to Terabithia?" May Belle scrunched up her nose as she stood up from picking the phone off the ground. "What are you talking about Jess? What's Terabithia?" "You…you really don't know?" May Belle huffed and shoved the phone into Jess's hands. "If I did I wouldn't have asked you." She said in childish irritation. Jess stared down at the phone in confusion. "What's this May Belle?" May Belle's head tilted a bit to the side and she crossed her arms. "It's the phone Jess. Are you sick?" Jess attempted to roll his eyes but he was still caught up in the grasp of his nightmare. "I mean, why are you giving it to me?" "Oh." May Belle suddenly grinned. "Your girlfriend wants to talk to you." "She's not my girlfriend," Jess said automatically as his sister skipped and giggled her way out of the room. Jess shook his head and lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello?" "Hey, Jess. This is Ms. Edmunds. Listen, I know it's a Saturday but I was supposed to take my nephews to the City to see the museums today and my sister cancelled last minute, so I was wondering if maybe you would like to come along instead." Jess was frozen. What did she just say? His head jerked to where his calendar was pinned, almost hidden under his drawings, along his bed side wall. Was that really the date? But it couldn't be…today was the day that Leslie died. Didn't all of this already happen? "Hello? Jess? Are you there?" And then it hit him. It was a dream. Or a premonition. Or maybe even a second chance. What ever it was he knew exactly what he had to do. "I'm sorry Ms. Edmunds but I have to go!" "Jess?" Jess didn't give the call another thought as he switched off the phone and tossed it onto his blankets.