Nightmares

Chambers

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEE.......

Those are the last things I hear from my mums room in the hospital, followed by crying, wailing and the clanking and shuttering noises of her death bed being moved, I didn't understand what all this meant because I was only 5 years old. Here I am, 10 years later regretting everything I didn't do, regretting all the faces of people I didn't punch, all those people are dead.

There he is standing in front of me, Jacob Page. he's threatening to hurt me but I don't care at this point it wouldn't be my main focus anyway. After all i've Been through, what's a big punch in the face? "Wait sorry what were you saying? Something about my face being punched or kicked? It was kicked wasn't it" I don't know why I said that but now I know what will follow: embarrassment. "that's it your dead" he says, he's so weird because a normal person would say that angrily and loudly but not him he says it like an everyday statement. His fist is quickly coming towards my face then-  BANG!!!     Oh no. It's the fifth time this year, all the lights start flickering, alarms start going off  "all student please return to your classrooms and start the shooting procedure"  the shooting procedure, another school shooting, another time I might die... another blurry dream.

It's all over and I don't remember anything at all every time there's a school shooting the same thing happens: we all end up back at home in our beds and life goes on like someone didn't just potentially die. "Students take your seats I have a serious announcement..." we all wait until she says something and finally she does "put your hands up if you turned fifteen in the last five months" I raise my hand along with 3 other people "those who have raised their hands just head out of the classroom and wait at the door and someone will come and get you shortly"

It's been 10 minutes and 4 men wearing white hazmat suits approach us "hello kids, since you are the right age for our testing we have come to collect you for the dream chambers!" He says this in a cheery and happy voice but us four 'kids' exchanged uncomfortable looks as though we are thinking the same thing: run. We don't run but we're about to so I ask "what do you mean by 'testing' and what are the dream chambers?" All us 4 look worried but we try not to show it. "haha kids and their funny questions, come along and we'll take you there" he sounds too cheery for someone I just met. "no, we're not coming until you answer kyah's question" it was Jacob, I hadn't realised it was him until he said that. "No need for questions, now come" he says that with a more irritated tone in his voice. We exchange the same knowing looks and finally, we ran.

I have to ask, him, ask what the dream chambers are not that I though he would know but it's always good to ask in case anyone does. "Jacob, I have two questions." I say almost out of breath from running. "Go ahead but make it quick." He says sounding unusually annoyed "1. Do you know what the dream chambers are and 2. Why did you back me up? I thought you hated me?" I ask, beyond confused. "All our lives could be potentially in danger, I would have backed anyone up" "good" I reply. Then we hear it, a noise that none of us will forget, the thing that traumatised us by things that never happened  and stalked by things that watch our thoughts...