Sometimes Dreams Do Come True

It was late in the night when Lexi woke up crying, drenched in tears and sweat from thrashing around so much. She had had an awful dream, the monster was coming to get her and take her away forever. This was no ordinary monster either, it didn't hide in the closet or under the bed. It was real, and he scared Lexi every night. Coming into her dreams, trying to take her away, with no one to save her.

Although Lexi was in high school now and knew that "The Monster," as she always called him and always would, was locked in prison, it certainly didn't help to know that in a year he would be released. His face, with the awful disgusting wart on his left cheek, with his sunken eyes and bushy unibrow, haunted her dreams every night. Each night she would try to concentrate on anything but The Monster, but each night The Monster would haunt her.

When Lexi was in sixth grade, she joined the band. She decided to join the band because she had always loved music and she had heard about how much fun they had together. She decided on the clarinet to be the instrument she would play because she and her grandma loved to listen to Kenny G & Benny Goodman play jazz clarinet.

Once Lexi joined the band and music became part of her life she noticed that whenever something bad happened to someone in the band everyone knew and everyone helped to make things better. The more Lexi thought about it the more she began to realize that maybe the band could help her conquer her fear of "The Monster."

That night before Lexi went to sleep she was thinking about the band and how wonderful it was, how much the music calmed everyone, or made them excited, and how it made everyone feel like they were a part of something special, something meaningful. She thought about how she loved being a part of it and how glad she was that she had this built in family. "That's what band is after all," she thought, "is one big family. Everyone cares about one another and everyone is there for each other. Sure sometimes we fight, but so do families." While she slept she dreamed about "The Monster" again, but this time, before he was able to get close to her, the band walked up, instruments and all, and started playing a song. "The Monster" was so shocked by this display of protection and caring for one another that he himself had never experienced he left Lexi alone for two whole weeks.

After awhile though, when Lexi stopped worrying about "The Monster" he came back, and seemed more powerful than ever. That night, Lexi hadn't put her guard up because she no longer felt the need to, but around midnight "The Monster" came to visit. This time he had a message for Lexi, "I am coming to find you and you can no longer escape." Lexi woke up, shivering and crying again, the first time in two weeks. "He's after me," she thought, "There is nothing I can do to get away."

That's where she was wrong however, because no matter how scared or alone or in danger she felt, the band would always be with her. All she would ever have to do would be to think about them and they would appear by her side instantaneously. They would do that for anyone, not just Lexi, but they all knew that right now Lexi needed them more than anyone else. They wouldn't let anyone harm Lexi.

That morning on the news it said that a prisoner had escaped from a prison, and when they showed the picture of the man to look out for it was none other than "The Monster" with the wart on his left cheek, sunken eye's, and his bushy unibrow, there he was, escaped from prison, and out to get Lexi. She didn't want to leave the house, but because her mom had to go to work and her dad was away on buisiness, no one would be home to take care of her if she faked sick. She realized that staying home would put her in perhaps a more vulnerable position than going to school would. So she went.

When she got to school, no matter where she went, she always made sure that there was one band kid with her at all times, so that they could protect her from "The Monster." Although everyone assured her she would be okay with all the teachers around Lexi was still afraid. It was then that the intercom said, "Doris Locken to the office please, Doris Locken to the office." That meant that there was an intruder in the building and that everyone should go into a classroom and lock the doors.

Lexi and her friends were eating lunch, but they quick jumped up and ran to the band room, where they thought they would be safest. Just as they got there the director was locking the doors. Everyone became completely quiet and backed as far away from the doors as possible. Unfortunately, "The Monster" seemed to know exactly where they were. He was the kind of kid who just hated how wonderful the band was, and knew exactly where the band room was. After being in prison for almost seven years he had become a fairly strong man and was able to break down the door.

Luckily for everyone, he had come unarmed, so he didn’t start to shoot them all at once or anything. He did however try to break through the humongous blockade they had created between him and Lexi, with her in the corner, up against an open locker she could hide in if need be. They all knew how terribly horrified “The Monster” made Lexi, and they knew that they had to protect her. He started yelling that he would kill them all if they didn’t let him near Lexi, but seeing as how he was unarmed it was an empty threat.

Just then the director stepped out from behind a row of band kids and said, “Listen here Evert Green,” that being “The Monsters” real name, “You WILL NOT lay a SINGLE finger on ANY ONE of my children. If you want them you will have to take me first.” “No,” everyone cried at once. While no one wanted to get hurt by Evert Green, they also knew that the only way to get rid of him was to get closer to him and take him down.

As though propelled by some unseen force, the band advances as one toward Evert Green. They start to separate into sections, the drum line, being fairly tough, perhaps the toughest of all, goes to the front, staring straight ahead with a look that plainly says “Don’t mess with us.” The band blockaded around Evert Green, while Lexi stayed behind them all. Soon they were all so close he couldn’t get out if he tried. They heard the sirens of the police cars pulling up, but knew they had to stay on him.

After Evert Green had been taken away by the police and locked in high security prison with three years tacked on for his escape, there was a press conference with the police. The police department gave the band a medal of honor to let them know how brave it was of them to confront Evert Green without police around. The kids just shrugged and said it was for family.

Lexi felt safe again, knowing that “The Monster” was locked up and couldn’t get to her again. And even if he did, she knew that her heroes would still come to her rescue. From that day forth it was know that the band, both directors and students, would help each other, no matter what the problem was, they were there for each other.