The Return of Mrs.Whatsit
It was a dark and stormy night.
“I can’t do this!” Phoebe exclaimed to her teacher.
“Why so? You haven’t read more than the first page!”
The teacher peered sternly at Phoebe over her spectacles. “Any book starting with such a melodramatic sentence as, “it was a dark and stormy night,” cannot be worth reading!” Phoebe stamped her foot stubbornly on the classroom floor, the Mrs. Hatwist standing over Phoebe.
The teacher peered sternly at Phoebe over her spectacles. “Any book starting with such a melodramatic sentence as, “it was a dark and stormy night,” cannot be worth reading!” Phoebe stamped her foot stubbornly on the classroom floor, the Mrs. Hatwist standing over Phoebe.
“A Wrinkle in Time is one of the most incredible books… I will assure you. Personally, Mrs. Whatsit is my favorite character. Plus, you may find that you have something in common with Meg.” Mrs. Hatwist’s eyes glimmered as she inspected Phoebe head to foot.
Phoebe had scraggly, greasy, dull hair that hung over her enormous glasses. She was lanky in stature, and pimples covered her face.
“Meg better be awkward and insecure then! Otherwise she is nothing like me!” Phoebe exclaimed passionately.
Mrs. Hatwist smiled softly and placed the book back in Phoebe’s hands. “I think you may find reading this book....very interesting…”
With that, Mrs. Hatwist left Phoebe all alone with the book. With a sigh, Phoebe plopped into her seat, and hesitantly opened her book.
“Goodbye class!” Mrs. Hatwist opened the classroom door and students poured into the hallway rowdily.
“Huh?” Phoebe cried with a start. “Where did everyone go? What!”
Mrs. Hatwist smiled at Phoebe. “You were immersed in reading! Look! You devoured the whole book!”
“Well…” Phoebe admitted sheepishly, “I guess you were right about A Wrinkle in Time. I don’t get it though!”
“What?” Mrs. Hatwist questioned.
“That IT is still in the universe! That IT still has earth in IT’s dark tendrils! That IT could still destroy the universe! Meg’s universe” Phoebe yelled, becoming out of breath after her powerful exclamation.
“And your universe too.” Mrs. Hatwist murmured.
“What!” Phoebe cried.
“Phoebe, IT is real, and not just in Meg’s universe. We need warriors like Meg, Charles Wallace, Mr. Murry, and Calvin. Sadly, they passed away a long time ago, and IT is still out there.”
There was no response from Phoebe, only a long, drawn out gasp.
“We believe that you can fight the darkness, and end the shadowy reign of IT.” Mrs. Hatwist explained.
“Who are you then? Who is we?” Phoebe finally found her words long enough to question Mrs. Hatwist.
“I am Mrs.Whatsit. I chose to be in the form of a teacher to seek out young ones to be warriors. I had fun coming up with my name, rearranging the letters of Mrs.Whatsit to form Mrs.Hatwist.”
“Wha….What!” The information was too much for Phoebe to process.
“So dear, aren’t you ready to journey? To tesser?” Mrs Whatsit reached out her arm to Phoebe, as phoebe took it reluctantly.
“I guess.” Phoebe sighed in an overwhelmed sounding voice.
“Then let’s tesser!” Mrs.Whatsit exclaimed. Desks became nothing as the room rippled around the pair until time swallowed them whole.
