Gary Brandt brings his interdimensional tale from The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com into the harsh realities of middle school, where Ella discovers that bringing a telepathic entity to class comes with unexpected revelations.
During a boring history lecture about wars and empires, Helana offers her dimensional perspective on humanity's 'Epoch of Empire'—explaining how civilizations rise through greed, plunder resources, then collapse only to repeat the cycle.
She teaches Ella te ...
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A cold, drizzly Monday morning greets Ella as she steps onto the school grounds, her sneakers squelching on the wet pavement. The air smells of rain and damp grass, and she pulls her jacket tighter, already dreading the day.
Helana’s voice hums in her mind, bright and curious. “This is fun! So many vibrant, energetic young beings here.” “Ugh,” Ella groans, her breath fogging in the chill. “First period is history, and it’s the worst. So boring—just one war after another, all over the planet.”
Helana’s tone shifts, thoughtful. “We call that the Epoch of Empire in my studies. Your world is in that phase now, nearing its end, hopefully. Empires rise, thrive, then collapse under their own greed, rebuilding from the ashes only to repeat the cycle. They fuel prosperity, then plunder their neighbors’ resources until everything’s depleted. It’s painful but necessary—a lesson for those who survive.”
Ella shakes her head, dodging a puddle. “That’s not what my textbook says. It’s all about winners and losers, how the good guys beat the bad guys, and how we’re the best, the saviors of humanity. It’s all nonsense, if you ask me.”
“History, whether personal or planetary, is messy,” Helana replies. “Sorting fact from fiction, truth from politics, honesty from denial—it’s a tangle. But real history is the story of your becoming. To move forward, you need an honest reckoning of where you’ve been.” Ella snorts, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Cool, I’ll put that in my term paper and see what grade I get. Gotta be quiet now—class is starting. Talk to you at recess.”
“You don’t need to speak aloud,” Helana says, her voice tinged with amusement. “Just think to me.” “Think to you?” Ella focuses, directing her thoughts. Am I telepathic too? “You are when you’re with me,” Helana replies, and though Ella can’t see it, she senses a smile in the words. Wow, it worked! Ella thinks, excitement bubbling. But my thoughts are all jumbled before I say them. Won’t that be confusing?
“It’s no different from speaking,” Helana explains. “Let your thoughts coalesce, then send the final one—like hitting ‘send’ on your phone. I can teach you more, like sending images or full data streams, but that takes practice.” That’d be awesome with my whole crew, Ella thinks. “With practice… maybe,” Helana says. No offense, but I gotta take notes on this dumb lecture. More telepathy at break. The morning drags through history class, the teacher’s monotone voice droning on about battles and treaties. Ella scribbles notes, her mind half on Helana’s words, half on the clock ticking toward lunch.
At lunch, the girls claim their usual table in the cafeteria, a corner spot by a window streaked with rain. The room buzzes with chatter, trays clattering, and the sharp stares of other students. Middle school is a battlefield of cliques—jocks, nerds, theater kids, and more, each group vying for status. Ella’s crew doesn’t play the game, which earns them the label of “stuck-up bitches” from the less forgiving. The social hierarchy is brutal, and they’ve learned to navigate it with a mix of defiance and indifference.
“What do you think of our school?” Eileen asks Helana, popping a fry into her mouth. “We like it sometimes, but mostly it sucks.” “It’s fascinating,” Helana’s voice hums in their minds. “Very different from my school. As telepaths, we don’t use books. Our teachers send direct data streams—downloads that happen in seconds. But there’s debate about whether slow learning, like yours, helps us process knowledge better. It’s like your classes where you watch a movie, then discuss it. We get the download first, then talk as it sinks in.” “I wish I could download a subject in seconds,” Ella says, grinning. “I’d nap through the assimilation part.”
“There are bugs here,” Helana says abruptly. “Eww, where?” Roxana freezes, eyeing her sandwich. “On my food?” “I’m sorry—I mean attachments,” Helana corrects. “Extra-dimensional entities that feed on emotional energy, like mosquitoes with blood. They’re invisible to you, but I see them. Some students are infested. They’re… unpleasant.” Roxana’s eyes widen. “Where do they come from? Are they dangerous? Demons? Can they be exorcised?”
“They’re drawn to your dimension’s rich emotional energy,” Helana explains. “They’re not demons—demons have evil intent. These are just hungry, opportunistic. But like parasites, they can be harmful.” “Can they kill you?” Ella asks, her scientific curiosity piqued. “Indirectly,” Helana says. “They feed on emotions and can plant thoughts to amplify them—fear of death to spark panic, or urges for risky behavior like speeding or standing too close to a cliff. Some push intoxication, encouraging drinking or drugs. For kids your age, they love the rush of falling in love or reckless romance. Those can lead to danger, even death.”
“Is there bug spray for them?” Eileen asks, her face serious. “Can we squash them like roaches?” “Killing them isn’t wise,” Helana says. “They’re primitive but have a purpose in the universe—just not here. Destruction would taint us with ill intent, weakening our power. Instead, we can make their ‘food’ unpalatable, so they leave.” “How?” Ella asks. “It’s a mix of visualization and the strongest healing force: love and forgiveness,” Helana says. “These bugs are somewhat telepathic. I’ll guide you to the infested students. Visualize a golden healing light around them, send thoughts of love and forgiveness, and let go of judgment, no matter how unlikable they seem. That calms their emotions, starving the bugs.”
“Seriously?” Ella scoffs. “If we do that here, we’re social roadkill. Kids will think we’re freaks.” “I’ll do it,” Roxana says, standing. “They already think we’re weird. Just follow me and back me up. I’ll pray for them too.” The girls weave through the cafeteria, pausing near students Helana identifies. Roxana closes her eyes briefly, murmuring a prayer, while Ella and Eileen trail behind, trying to project golden light and love without looking too obvious. The room grows quieter, students staring as the trio moves with purpose. To the onlookers, it’s bizarre, like some witchy ritual.
“Did it work?” Eileen whispers, dodging glares. “Everyone’s staring.” “It worked,” Helana says, her voice warm with approval. “The entities detached and fled fast. Roxana, you’re a powerful force. I’m impressed.”
As they clear their trays, two girls approach—members of the self-proclaimed Sisters of Darkness, known for their black lipstick and gothic flair, though today they’re stuck in school uniforms. They speak in eerie unison, their eyes sharp. “We saw what you did. You’re no longer the stuck-up-bitch crew. You’re the stuck-up-witch crew. Be careful. We know who you are. We know what you are.” The words hang heavy, a veiled threat. Ella’s stomach twists. “I was afraid of this,” she says, her voice low. “We need to be more careful. This could get ugly.”
Later, in the quiet of her room, Ella opens her diary, the day’s events swirling in her mind.
Dear Diary,
Today was weird—super weird, but also kind of amazing.
I took Helana to school, and she saw these spiritual bugs crawling all over some kids, sucking their emotional energy like mosquitoes. She showed us how to chase them away—Roxana mostly, with her prayers and this golden-light visualization thing. It worked, but now everyone thinks we’re witches. We can’t do that again, not in public.
I like Helana more every day. It’s nice having someone to talk to when I’m alone in my room—except now I’m not alone. I hope Eileen and Roxana don’t get jealous. She’s their friend too.
I’ll tell you more later. Gonna hang with my new friend now. Goodnight, Diary.
In *Chapter 3: “History Class”*, Gary Brandt takes the everyday dread of Monday morning school and supercharges it with *telepathy*, *invisible emotional parasites*, and *genuine middle school social warfare*. What might’ve been just another dull school scene becomes one of the most imaginative chapters yet — blending real adolescent anxiety with interdimensional discovery in ways that are both funny and profound.
--- ## 📖 Story Arc SummaryThis episode opens on a cold, rainy school morning. Ella trudges through the wet ground, dragging her feet toward first period — history class. As her teacher drones on about wars and empires, Helana, the interdimensional telepathic entity stuck in a lamp, provides a *radically different perspective* on human history. Instead of sanitized textbook propaganda, Helana explains the *“Epoch of Empire”* — how civilizations rise through greed and collapse, repeating the cycle, a view far more realistic and somber than anything Ella’s syllabus offers.
But things escalate even more after lunch. Helana reveals that *extra-dimensional beings* — essentially emotional “parasites” attracted by human intensity — infest some students. These invisible creatures feed off emotional energy and can even amplify dangerous impulses. Instead of gross cafeteria food poisoning, the girls face *interdimensional emotional vampires*.
Roxana courageously leads a bizarre cafeteria ritual using prayer and golden light visualization to starve these entities through love and forgiveness — an act that works but brands the group as the new *“stuck-up-witch crew”*, setting up dramatic social tension.
The chapter closes with a diary entry from Ella, revealing her excitement about Helana and her worry that her friends might someday feel left out.
--- ## 💬 Favorite Lines“History, whether personal or planetary, is messy … real history is the story of your becoming.”
Helana’s explanation of history gave me chills — it felt like a deeper truth hidden behind every classroom lecture.
“You don’t need to speak aloud. Just think to me.”
This moment — when Ella first experiences telepathy — is so surreal and exciting. It’s as if *every introvert’s dream* just came true!
“You’re no longer the stuck-up-bitch crew. You’re the stuck-up-witch crew.”
Honestly iconic. Middle school threats never sounded so ominous — or so poetic.
--- ## 😲 Unsuspected Plot TwistsOne of the coolest things about this chapter is how it mirrors *real teenage insecurities and social hierarchies* while layering in supernatural danger. The lunchroom scene — that chaotic mix of cliques, social judgment, and awkwardness — felt painfully accurate to anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider.
Roxana’s willingness to stand up publicly — even if it means being seen as weird — was heart-pounding. It made me cheer for her courage, but also wince at how brave you need to be just to *be kind* sometimes.
Ella’s diary entry was especially touching — her excitement about Helana tempered with real fear of hurting her friends’ feelings. It’s such a genuine reflection of *teenage emotional complexity* that it made me *felt seen* in a way few stories do.
--- ## 🎯 Final Verdict*History Class* is a brilliant mix of everyday school life and cosmic mystery. Gary Brandt turns the dull routine of a classroom on its head and invites readers to question not just history textbooks, but *emotional energy, telepathy, and what it means to care for others at any cost*.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — This chapter made me laugh, gasp, and actually *think* about the world in a new way. I’m beyond excited to see where the series goes next.
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