My mum did not wake up during the night, and she was a light sleeper, so I thought, maybe the whole episode was a dream. So I went downstairs to make breakfast, and wondered idly whether someone from the second dimension could eat three dimensional food. Would they explode if they did? As I was putting some bread in the toaster, my mum entered the kitchen.
'You don't know anyone called Petal, do you? I'm getting a lot of calls from people who think I am her.'
'Petal?' I said shakily, and my heart sank. So, it wasn't a dream after all.
'No, I don't know anyone called that,' I said.
'I've been awake since 8, and already, 3 people have rung me up and called me Petal. When I say it is the wrong number, they have all said, 'but this is the number she's always had, and it sounds exactly like her!''
'Well,' I gulped. 'Something very strange happened last night, and it might be what that's to do with.'
As I spoke, Kirsty walked into the room on her cardboard cut out like, completely flat and papery legs. 'Oh, hi,' she said. 'Are you...'
My mum stared and opened her mouth. The only thing she could think to say was, 'Hello. What's your name? And...Why do you look like that?'
'I'm Kirsty,' Kirsty said nervously. 'I'm trying to get back to the second dimension.'
'You look just like Rachael except two dimensional,' my mum gasped. Poor Kirsty, everyone was viewing her as some sort of monster.
'Kirsty's mum is called Petal, and your numbers have got swapped between the dimensions,' I said.
When Kirsty went to the bathroom, my mum had another text from one of Petal's friends. She whispered, 'Who is she, and who is Petal? How on earth could this happen?'
We both laughed, I could barely hold it together.
'I think it could have happened in Wattpad.' My mum looked at me like I was crazy.
'What do you mean? How could this have anything to do with Wattpad?'
'I don't know, but I think it had to do with someone called ThePortalMaster,' I whispered. My mum looked even more alarmed.
'Look, I don't want to get any more calls for this Petal person. I don't know what you've done, but you need to sort this out.' My mum's voice was very irritated, but them she started laughing. Then, Kirsty came back into the room on completely flat legs.
'Sorry, we weren't laughing at you, we're laughing at the situation,' I explained to her, feeling terrible at the sight of the anxious, self conscious Kirsty.
'Well, Kirsty,' my mum said in a hesitating voice. 'Can I get you anything to drink or eat?'
'Maybe I can have something to drink, but I can't eat any three dimensional food, it would be too risky.' My mum opened her mouth to protest and then stared at Kirsty's flat frame.
'Well. I'll just have to think what you can eat then. But you must have some water. Or, how about some coffee?' That was always what my mum said to people.
'Thanks very much,' Kirsty said. My mum poured her some coffee and she struggled to pick up the three dimensional handle. I felt so sorry for her. 'I'm so sorry guys. I know this is really weird.'
Just then, Kirsty got a call on her mobile. She answered the stiff, flat device.
'Dad?' she said. 'Please don't worry -'
'Hi, Rach,' my dad said to Kirsty. 'Look, I'm getting some odd calls on my phone from a guy who keeps calling me Cucumber. Do you know anything about this?'
My mum burst out laughing, and I felt so sorry for Kirsty. But then my own phone rang and a woman spoke in my mum's voice. 'Hi, Kirsty. Where are you? I thought you were going to come round and help me with my garden today?'
I handed my phone to Kirsty, taking her phone from her to speak to my own dad. I felt bad for my reaction but the situation was too weird to do anything else but laugh, I couldn't speak and hung up, sending him an apologetic text. Eventually, Kirsty handed my phone to my mum.
'Is your name Petal?' my mum said to the woman with the same voice as her.
'Yes, it is. Why? You sound exactly like me.'
'Your daughter Kirsty's here. I think I'm a distorted 3 dimensional version of you. Somehow she's got trapped in this dimension, and we're receiving each other's phone calls.'
'What are you talking about?' Petal said in alarm.
'I don't actually know. Look, do you want to speak to her,' my mum said, equally alarmed.
While my mum, Petal and Kirsty were talking, I went out for a walk, as I couldn't handle what was going on. Despite the strangeness of it all, I found myself drawn to Wattpad, to see if there were any more comments on my book.
ThePortalMaster had read the first 2 chapters. A tingle of fear shot through my spine as I viewed the notification. But his comment was positive.
'What an excellent start!' he had written. 'Your characters are so three dimensional. I feel completely invested in the story. I can't wait to see what happens next.'
He hadn't written me a horrible comment. I didn't react or reply. I decided to send him a DM, but turned back to the house so I could get Kirsty's opinion on what to say.
'I'm still getting calls that are meant for Petal!' my mum yelled as I walked in the door. Kirsty was looking slightly more reassured since speaking to Petal.
'Kirsty. ThePortalMaster has been commenting on my story. I want to send him a DM and ask what he thinks he's doing. But I thought I'd better do it with you there.' I said.
'Yeah, do it, I'm worried that I won't get back in time for work tomorrow,' she said.
'What do you do?' I said.
'I'm a copywriter.' Now this felt even more ominous.
'What's the company's name?' I said.
'It's called Tech Direct, it's a company that writes promotional blurbs for computer equipment, I've been working there for 4 years,' she said.
I staggered and put my hand on the kitchen counter, panic running through me as I hoped Kirsty was good at her job. This could be a total disaster, if our work accounts got mixed up between the dimensions as well. Nobody would understand at all. I might end up getting fired.
'I also work for that company, but I've worked there for 7 years,' I stammered.
I sent ThePortalMaster a message on Wattpad. I decided to be polite. Maybe it was just a mistake, although with a username like that, I doubted it. If I was polite, I could persuade him to get Kirsty back home. Or talk him out of doing anything even crazier.
'Hi there. I think your critical comment could have sent someone from the second to the third dimension by mistake. I am sure you were trying to help with her writing, but it's done strange things, including mixing up our numbers so that calls to us and our parents are going to the wrong dimension. Would you please be able to sort this out?'
To my surprise, he replied. 'The second dimension? I don't know what you're talking about. Other dimensions don't exist. Were you referring to my comments about 2 dimensional characters? Because too many books on Wattpad have those.'
'Well, last night I met someone who is two dimensional, and in our dimension, I'm fairly sure this should not happen,' I said. I wasn't convinced that the guy didn't know what I was talking about at all.
I had a feeling he knew exactly what he had done. Whatever that was.
'You've lost me,' he replied.
'Well then. How come this girl Kirsty looks exactly like me except she's two dimensional, and she has the same phone number. My mum is now getting calls that are intended for her mum. Understandably we're all very alarmed.'
Knowing the risk I was putting myself in, but being too annoyed at being lied to, I added as a further comment, 'Your username is ThePortalMaster, you're clearly into portals, how am I supposed to think you had nothing to do with this?'
'What did you say?' Kirsty asked, and I showed her the message.
'Oh no, I hope you don't get sent to my dimension. I think it would be pretty difficult for you.'
'Well, if that happens, I'll deal with it, I've been through worse.' I sounded arrogant. As soon as I said it, I felt stupid.
In fact, I knew this was the biggest mistake of my life.
A notification came through on my phone.
'I thought from your writing, that you were a thoughtful, considerate person, but it seems not. You are totally 2 dimensional!'
Part 2 - 1500 Words