Dreamer

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I lay awake in bed for the second night in a row. School would be hell, but that was the last thing on my mind at the moment. Horrible possibilities flashed through my mind, nightmares even though I was awake. Tormenters breaking into my house, shooting my parents when they got in the way. They ripped me from my bed and dragged me out the door, my parents empty eyes watching me go. I shuddered at the thoughts. There was no way I was going to sleep tonight.

After an hour of laying in the quiet, I got up and paced across my bedroom, the wood floor cool beneath my bare feet. I was cold, the hairs on my arms standing straight up, and the next second I was hot, my skin pink and flushed. Fear coursed through me like poison, invading my every waking thought. How long would it take for them to find me? I walked over to my window and peeked through the blinds. There was only a slight breeze blowing the leaves that still managed to cling to the dead branches of the oak tree in our front yard. My tired eyes turned shadows into Tormenters, hiding, waiting to attack.

Stop it, I told myself. I was being ridiculous. If they knew where I was, they would have kidnapped me by now. Right? Right.

I laid back down on my bed and closed my eyes. Inky blackness swam and squirmed behind my closed lids, transforming into images of Tormenters taking me away and locking me in some dark, abandoned building, torturing me with nightmares until I Turned. I had to sleep; it was the only way to stop my thoughts and control what I saw. I mentally shut myself down, willing my thoughts to slow. The image of my door being smashed in struggled to stay in focus as I drifted off to sleep.

"Reve!" I blinked, a white brightness punching my eyes and making them sting. "Reve? Are you okay?" That voice. I turned my head toward it and realized I was laying on the ground. On a wooden floor.

"Here, let me help you." Two strong hands were behind my shoulders, slowly pushing me up so I was sitting. I blinked, my eyes finally adjusting to the light. Two blue eyes came into focus.

"Ash!" I squealed, and threw my arms around him. "You're here!"

"Of course I'm here," he laughed. "Where else would I be?" We suddenly were both silent. Where else could he be, other than my dreams? Nowhere.

"So," I said, trying to break the silence. "Where exactly are we?"

"I don't know. I was near a creek in the woods, and then suddenly I was here, and you were on the floor." The corners of my lips curled up into a smile. I looked around the room, taking inventory of what was around me; dark wooden floors, a tall wooden door with a shiny knob and a small mat in front of it, a small table with a vase of flowers on it. The room was pretty bare. I pushed myself off the floor and onto my feet.

"We'd better look around then," I said. Ash stood up. Something warm and soft slid into my hand, linking with my fingers. Startled, my head whipped around to face Ash, who had a small grin on his face. I noticed a small dimple on his face and chuckled.

"What?" Ash asked, amused.

"You're kind of adorable," I said. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I wished I could take them back. I blushed furiously, my cheeks flaming.

"And you're kind of beautiful," Ash said. I sucked in a sharp breath and looked up at him. All the laughter was gone from his face; there was something deep and honest in his eyes.

"Ash-" I was interrupted by a loud, sharp knocking on the door. Ash and I sprung apart, startled. I couldn't help but feel a little sad when his fingers slipped from mine.

"Open up!" A loud, gruff voice yelled from the other side of the door.

"I don't know about you, but I have the feeling we shouldn't open the door," Ash said quietly.

"Good idea," I said, my voice hoarse, barely above a whisper. Ash slid his hand back into mine, sending a wave of warmth through me. I sighed quietly. Ash led me through an empty doorway and around a corner. We were in a living room with two large, leather couches and a long wooden coffee table. At the end of the room was a set of stairs.The room had a worn, homey look to it. It was peaceful. Comforting.

"Which way do we go?" I asked quietly. The peace was shattered by the sound of wood cracking, and a loud thud. Then we heard the footsteps.

"Up!" Ash yelled. We took off, still holding hands, up the stairs. I took them two at a time to keep up with Ash's fast pace. Footsteps pounded behind us, thumping nearly as loud as my heart. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck, making me shiver.

We reached the top of the stairs and turned down the corner. There was an open door at the end of the hallway. Ash tore down the hall, nearly yanking my arm from my socket. I struggled to keep up with him. My shaky legs felt useless.

Ash slammed the door behind us. There was a small wooden desk in the room, paired with a small chair. I grabbed the chair and shoved it under the door handle, holding it in one position, like they do in the movies. For a second I forgot the situation and felt pretty bad-ass. Ash's voice snapped me back to the present.

"That's not going to hold them for long. We need to get out of here," he said quickly. He sounded just as freaked out as I felt.

"Where are we supposed to go? We're on the second story! They're going to come in here and- I don't know! Attack us? Kill us? What are we supposed to do?!" Ash grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. That's when I realized how hysterical I was getting, and just how scared I really was.

"Reve, it's okay. Take a deep breath. We're going to get out of this. Besides, this is a dream, right? If we get hurt it's no big deal. It's only a dream."

"No," I said quietly. "If we get hurt in a dream, we really get hurt. And if we die-" My voice caught.

"Stop. Don't think like that. We're going to get out of this. I promise." Looking into his eyes, the eyes that were so sure and steady, I actually believed him. For a second.

"Open this door!" Yelled the voice. He was pounding on the door. I think he may have been kicking it, too. A crack appeared in the door. Then another, and another. They began to grow as the man continued to pound on the wood. He was going to beat it down.

Ash took my hand and led me away from the door. I couldn't take my eyes off the splintering wood though. I couldn't help but think, We're going to die.

A sharp screechy sound flooded my thoughts. I winced and turned around to see Ash pushing open the window.

"What are you doing?" I tried to yell, but my voice came out soft and raspy.

"Getting us out of here," Ash replied. He pulled me closer.

"No, Ash, we can't. We'll die!" I said quickly. Pieces of wood were flying from the door, and through the holes I could see tattered black fabric.

"Could you make something down there? Like a pool of water for us to land in?" Ash asked. I could see worry beginning to seep into his eyes.

"With the way my dreams have been going there will probably be sharks in that water. Or it'll be two inches deep. I can't risk it, Ash,"  I said. I was beginning to panic. I couldn't rely on my abilities that seemed to be malfunctioning every time I slept.

"Then make something that can't become something dangerous. Like a trampoline, or a mattress." That sounded better. I took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's go." Ash took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. His hand felt so smooth and steady in mine. It anchored me. I took another deep breath as I stuck my head out the window. I focused on a trampoline surrounded by squishy pillows and soft, springy mattresses. I hoisted myself out, my short fingernails digging into the windowsill. Ash climbed out after me, and suddenly we were both in the air.

I remember the sound of the door exploding. The fragments hitting the walls, the floor. I remember the trampoline blinking in and out. I remember the ground rushing up to meet me, and collide with my chest. I remember the pain, and then only darkness.