I was dreaming one of the best dreams I’ve ever had. I was flying over a mountain, in some exotic land. I flew down and found a castle perched on a peak. I stepped through the gates and saw all sorts of wondrous things, met strange and fascinating people. Alas, all memory of the dream begins to fade away as soon as I wake up, but I still know that it was good.

My eyes hover open slowly. I roll onto my back and stretch out my arms over my head. It takes me a moment to notice the golden chandelier above me, and I realize the ceiling is not my apartment's ceiling. I freeze, dumbfounded. Did I sleep over somewhere last night? Then I see my sleeve out of the corner of my eye. I gasp and look down. I'm clad in some frilly dress that I've never seen before in my life!

I roll out of the bed and step onto the floor. Hardwood. It's freezing against my bare feet. Panic begins to grip me as my eyes dart around the room. It's large and fancy. More extravagant than any place I've been in before.

How on earth did I get here? My mind scrambles to recall the previous day. Last night I was...last night....

I can't remember a thing about last night. Or the day before. What's happened to me?

My heart starts to pound. I gulp and put a palm to my head, trying to calm myself. My name is Joanna Collins. I live in apartment 238 on Rice Avenue. I'm a typist at the New Valley Post. I have not gone mad. There is an explanation for this and I will get to it.

I shake my head and look around the room again. There are no windows. Only the dim flickering lights of the chandelier allow me to see at all. The walls are a dull green. A massive wardrobe stands to one side of me. On the other is a door. The only door. I rush to it and grasp the shiny knob. It's locked.

"Hello?!" I shout. I pound the door, jerk the knob. Tears begin welling up in my eyes. Smothering fear fills my chest. I scream out again, desperately.

"Bah, enough of that racket!" yells a voice behind me.

I spin around, my heels banging against the bottom of the door. I don't see anyone, but now I'm too startled to speak. My legs shake and I feel like I'm about to collapse.

"In here," the voice says, and a knocking comes from within the wardrobe.

I take a few uneasy steps forward and place my hand on the wardrobe's handle. I take in a breath and open it slowly.

Inside I can see nothing at first but some dusty clothes. Beautiful outfits that I would have admired any other time. Then a rustling comes from the very back, behind the row of clothes. A pair of hands emerges between two dresses. Small hands. Even in the low light they look a bit...off. The hands pull the dresses apart and a face is revealed. My eyes go wide, and my head feels light. This has to still be a dream. It couldn't be real. None of this could be real.

The thing in wardrobe peeking out at me is a doll. A wooden doll with a mouth like a nutcracker. "Hello, Joanna," it says. "I've been waiting for you."

My trembling legs at last give out, and I faint.