The Opalescent Sky

Chapter 2 - The Dream

          I opened my eyes, after I had fallen asleep, into the familiar hallway that haunted me a good portion of my life. The floor wasn't as cold as I remembered, it was actually quite warm. As I laid against it, I realized it moved up and down very softly and slowly, like it was breathing. I pressed my ear against the marble floor, and I could hear a faint yet deep, rumbling heartbeat in the ground beneath me. I got up quickly, spooked by what I had just felt and heard. I started to look around. I hadn't been here in a couple years, it felt strange. I had painted some pictures of things I saw from my last visit, but everything here was just so much more astonishing to see rather than remember. I wanted to look, to memorize what I could now that I was older. Maybe I could spot something that indicated why I came here, maybe a clue, or a repressed memory. As those thoughts clouded my mind, I became more confused looking at all the objects and furniture down the hallway before me. It was still creepy, but everything was just strange. There was nothing like anything I had ever seen on Earth in here. 'I doubt this is a place for humans' I thought as I walked passed another shelf full of weird things. My eyes stopped at that same crystal screw-like dagger I saw as a child, but now it really glistened. The dragon seemed to be breathing with the floor, the gems shone more brightly than I remembered, sparkling with every breath it took. And with every breath I took... The dragon I remember as being black opal shone like dark fire, the colored parts of the opal blazing hot like the heat coming from the marble floor. As I got closer to it, the temperature got hotter. Was that my imagination? Can you even have an imagination in a dream? I kept getting closer, my face level with the dragons little tiny head. I had never noticed it's eyes, but they were two little red gem stones, possibly rubies. Have they always been open? I could've sworn I had remembered it being asleep. The feeling started to grow in my gut again, the feeling of overwhelming panic, but I didn't stop this time. It's just a dream, I shouldn't be so afraid of a dream! I reached out to touch the screw-like crystal dagger adorning the little dragon, but when my skin made contact with the object, the dragon reared its tiny head and bit my finger hard, making my whole arm feel like it was on fire that was spreading from the bite. I shook it off my hand, or so I thought. The dagger clattered to the floor, but amazingly, did not break. It landed right at my feet. I stood there shocked for a minute, the fire spreading through my arm and to my torso. The hallway around me started shaking, a bellowing growl echoing through the hall behind me. I hardly moved, I was taken by surprise, but when I was finally able to turn around I saw a large, monstrous creature barreling toward me, much faster than it looked like it could with its size. I turned to run, but my feet felt like they were superglued to the floor! I turned to look at the monster hurtling toward me, only about 20 feet away... 15... 10... He was almost here. I turned and tried to wake myself up, but it wouldn't work this time. Why wouldn't it work?!  I felt like I was mentally stuck in tar. I moved frantically, feeling the breath of the beast on my back, making my shirt moist with its hot bursts of air out of its nostrils. Somehow, the dagger reappeared on the shelf next to me, but I hadn't noticed how or when. I was full-blown panicking now, so I stopped wondering why and just grabbed the dagger I longed to touch since childhood, and stabbed myself in the shoulder to wake myself up.

          It worked.

          I woke up absolutely drenched in sweat, and to my surprise, it wasn't morning yet. I slowly sat up, looking around at the dark room. It was still pitch black outside except for the streetlights. I was feeling the same fiery pain I had in my dream, but this time, the fire was in my shoulder where I had stabbed myself...in the...dream...

          I touched it softly, and winced at the pain. I began to realize I was covered in more than just sweat, smelling the thick, metallic smell that could only be fresh blood. I felt the moisture between my fingers become sticky as it slowly dried, and I realized I was bleeding. Pretty profusely it felt, too. I quietly hurried into thebathroom across the hall, shut the door as quietly as I could behind me, and locked it. I flicked the light on as I approached the mirror, turning my torso so I could see the back of my left shoulder. There was a very messy, jagged hole where I had allegedly stabbed myself with the screw-like knife. There was a small glimmer coming from the hole, so I stuck my finger in to feel what it was, making me tremble and squirm from the discomfort. It was hard, and sharp, but I grabbed it with my forefinger and thumb, and pulled it out. It was the dagger, but much smaller, more like an actual screw now. And the dragon was gone. That's when I noticed that the fire feeling was still spreading through my body, but it wasn't originating from the gaping hole on my shoulder. It felt like it was coming from my heart, pulsating the heat through my unwilling body. I drank some cold water from the sink, but the heat got to the point where the water I drank turned to steam in my mouth. The colder the water came out of the tap, the more my tongue felt like it was searing on a cast-iron skillet. The heat made it to every inch of my body, but made it to my head last. When it did, I got a splitting headache for about 30 seconds, then passed out on the bathroom floor.

          I woke to the sound of steady beeping, but I didn't open my eyes; I laid motionless. I heard my Grandma talking to someone in a low whisper, but my head still hurt, so I didn't care much to really listen. I still tried to make sense of what even happened. Was all of it just a dream? I cracked open one eye, and saw Lewis sitting next to me, snoring next to Dan. Lewis was propped up on Dans shoulder, slightly drooling, but not in a gross way. Dan noticed my very slight movement and could tell I was awake. He didn't say anything, not wanting to wake Lewis, but he grabbed my hand and squeezed lightly, giving me reassurance that things were at least okay. I let my eyes adjust to the light after sleeping for I don't know how long, I started to glance around. It was surely a medical place, but it didn't look like any hospital she had ever seen. The furniture was plush, and extravagantly colored in reds, golds, and peaches, while the window had heavy drapes that looked silky and beautiful. I was still on a bed that could sit up, but it was comfortable, and I didn't feel like I was strapped down like in a normal hospital bed. There was still a small monitor machine next to me, but not like any I had ever seen. I tried squinting at the screen to read the tiny print, but either my eyes were blurry, or I just couldn't recognize any of the characters. There was a lot written there, with numbers, but I couldn't make any of it out. I got so focused on that screen, that by the time I had my eyes fully open and looking around the room again, my Grandma was walking in with what appeared to be the mystery doctor. He wore a vest sweater with a baby blue collared shirt underneath, and while he didn't have the white coat, he had a ...utility belt? Looking closer, it had medical gadgets, vials of things, and little pouches with what appeared to be several different powders. He was definitely NOT a typical doctor. What is this place? I thought to myself. Then he started speaking.

          "Good afternoon, miss Isabella! How are you feeling?" I slowly answered his series of simple medical questions, while my Grandma chatted with the guys. When the doctor finished writing my responses on his clipboard, he merely walked out of the room, but left the door open ajar. "Grandma, what happened?" I asked, looking over at the small group of people next to me. "Well dear, we could ask you the same thing?" she replied with a calm, but gentle tone. "I...I remember..." I started, not really knowing what to say. Do I start with the dream? Do I tell them... anything? "I just remember having a weird dream, and I woke up with this hole in my shoulder." I stated simply. I knew I way oversimplified things, and they deserved better, but I was too exhausted to care. They all stared at me dumbly, until Lewis spoke up."Uhm... Izzy... What hole in your shoulder? You were brought in for a heart attaa-AA" he started, but Dan punched his arm, and whispered something that I didn't catch. Grandma spoke up, looking at me with concern. "Izzy, the physician found what looked like a really bad burn on your shoulder, but no hole. You had what seemed like a heart attack."She turned to the boys, "Could you please give us a moment? I think Mrs. Theraline just baked a pie downstairs, anyways. She's a wonderful baker." They both nodded in agreement and quietly went, talking about the pie as soon as they got into the hall. "Now... What really happened in your dream?"

           I just sat quiet, staring at her. At first I was shocked, but after having lived with this mysterious woman my whole life, it honestly came as no surprise that she knew. I described to her what happened, or, what I thought had happened. Because dreams are just dreams. Right...?

          She didn't say anything for a little while, but she didn't seem shocked. She just seemed sad about it, and especially showed concern when I mentioned the part about the little dragon after I touched it. The doctor came back, and in came the boys with him, so she regained her composure.

           "Well, while it seems you are fine now, I would like to hook this device up to you for a couple of days to monitor your vitals. I am not quite sure what happened, if what happened was in fact, a heart attack. But we will find out soon enough." the doctor said. "With that being said, we must address that burn we found on your shoulder." He paused, not seeming to know how to continue. "Do you... know how you got the burn?" My Grandma answered without pausing to let me respond, "Oh, I think I can guess. But, I think I should take her home now, we have a lot to talk about." He seemed to know what she meant by that, because without saying a word, he left the room and the lady from before came in to discharge me. She hooked up that little device and told me different ways I can hide it discreetly in my clothes for school, then we were able to leave.

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Note from author:
What do you think?
Do you think she just imagined what happened in the dream? 
Do you think she actually had a heart attack?

Let me know your thoughts and opinions <3 

~Dom