Francesca's Dream

Nightmares

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining through Francesca's bedroom window. She could smell the bacon and eggs her mother was cooking in the kitchen. Her room with its pale yellow and white walls, and zebra print bed; it was just glorious. Everything was how it should have been.Francesca rolled out of bed and went down stairs for breakfast. Her mother was at the stove, humming with her back facing Francesca. Her father sat at the kitchen table, reading the paper; the paper covered his face from view. "Morning sweetheart." her father asked. "Morning." Francesca said cheerfully, taking a seat the the kitchen island.She stared down at her hands in her lap; her mother set a plate in front of her.

Francesca looked up and her mother and screamed in horror. Blood covered the front of her mother's clothing; her eyes were black and soulless. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Her father said lowering his paper; he was covered in blood and shared the same soulless eyes. Francesca screamed again, she ran from the kitchen to the front door.

Her parents were making there way after her in their zombie like state.Francesca threw open the front door; Eric was standing in the doorway. Francesca's eyes grew wide in horror; "So are you enjoying my little present?" he said in a smooth calming tone. "Oh don't worry about your parents, you'll be joining them here shortly ." He slapped Francesca hard across the face, Francesca fell to the ground.

She could hear her zombified parents coming closer and closer; suddenly cold, dead hands caught around her arms. Francesca let out a blood curtling scream; they were dragging her into the kitchen. She kicked and thrashed out; something had caught pinned down her shoulders. They were violently shaking her. She began going in and out of this world, her vision going from light to dark.

Aira sat straddling Francesca,hands on her shoulders desperately trying to wake her. "Francesca!, Francesca, wake up!" He said in a shouting whisper. She let go of the dream, her eyes flew wide open, letting out a gasp. Aira stopped shaking her, hands stilling on her shoulders. Francesca looked up at Aira through panic stricken eyes; she threw arms around Aira. She began to quietly cry. Aira taken back a bit, slowly wrapped his arms around Francesca. "My parents... they hurt them..." Francesca said in between sobbs."Its ok Francesca, your parents are fine. Your ok, calm down..." Aira said sounding, soothing yet optimistic.

Tears soaked the collar of his night shirt; Aria looked up at the wall where a clock hung above one of the bunkhouse doors. The clock read three O-seven in the morning. The guards would be here in a few hours to wake them for work. "It's okay, lets try and get some sleep."Aira said letting go of her. Francesca held on tighter,"Please stay with me." She breathed into his shirt collar.Aira slid off of Francesca's lap, he lifted the blanket out from under him. He shifted underneath them, laying next to the wall.

Francesca laid her head on Aira's chest,"Aira, can I ask you a question?" She asked in a sleepy voice. "Sure." He replied. "Do you get nightmares being here, in this camp I mean." She asked. Aira took a breath, "Every night, now try and get some sleep." Aira said looking up at the boards of the other bed above his head. Francesca closed her eyes and silently fell asleep. Aira still laid there just staring up at the boards.

The blinding lights came on, "Everyone up!" a hoarse voice rang out. "Inspections today!" Francesca and Aria began to stir. Inspections? Francesca thought to herself. Helena jump from the the bed as the guards left the the bunk house. Helena lifted the thin blanket covered Francesca and Aria; "Lift your shirt." She commanded. "What?" Francesca looked at her in puzzlement. Helena grabbed at Francesca's shirt and lifted it up exposing her back. Just as she had expected, it was still in ribbons. Francesca suddenly realized why Helena wanted her to lift her shirt; if she appeared too injured she would be deemed unneeded and would be killed.

She started to panic, "What does it look like!" Francesca asked half shouting. Helena lowered Francesca's shirt,"It looks better ,but still is in ribbons." "Will I pass." Francesca asked biting back a scream. Aira seeing the concern on Francesca's face Aira spoke up; "As long as you do what they say and do your best you will be fine." Aira's words meant nothing to her; she knew she was going to not pass, one look at her back and it would be over. "Everyone out!" the guards voice rang out again.Francesca threw off what remained of the thin blanket, slipped on her shoes and walked out of the bunk house; leaving Helena and Aira behind.

Lines were already forming out side. Boys to the right, girls to the left. Francesca got in line, soon after Helena appeared behind her. Once it seemed that everyone was accounted for, a group of three men walked out from around another bunk house ,and sat down at a small table. One of the men nodded at an officer; " Strip down!" The officer shouted. Everyone in both lines began to take off their clothes. "This inspection will determine your future here at camp. You will complete a set of physical tasks, depending on how you depends on where you stay in camp." The officer said. "Your tasks are 100 meter dash, push ups and pull ups." "Groups of five will go at a time, you may begin." The officer said.

Officers at the front of the lines began to pull groups of five; first boys than girls. Helena huddled next to Francesca; this had been Helena's third inspection. She had known friends from her village that had not passed the inspections, no one knew what they did with those who didn't pass. Helena was not about to find out either.

The line was beginning to grow shorter and shorter, soon both of the girls would be "inspected". Aira was a ways in front of them in the opposing line; a guard pulled him into a group, they began to run.Aira run with every ounce of energy he had, he finished the run at the front of the group. He quickly threw himself on the muddy ground and began doing several push ups; a guard standing above him told him to stop and continue on the course. Aira lifted himself and ran to the pull up bar; he lifted himself up, straining the muscles in his arms, they began to burn. Aira did a few pull up and let go of the bar, landing in the mud. He passed the table of men scribbling things on paper, and threw his clothes back on.

As Helena and Francesca were about to undergo inspection, a fourth man came out and replaced one of the inspectors. He had on an officer's uniform and short blonde hair, it took a moment for Francesca to realize it, it was Eric.A million things began to run in her mind.

Suddenly Helena shook Francesca's arm addressing that it was now their turn to run. Helena and Francesca took off like a flash, Francesca followed close to Helena's heels. She ran arms swinging with each step; the edges of her back began to pull tight. But, she continued to run. When the pair ended the running portion of the test they threw themselves to the muddy ground and began the push up section of the inspection. Francesca did as many as she could and then moved on; Helena stayed there doing a few more.

Francesca stopped and the foot of the pull up bars; she could already feel a small trickle of blood running down her back. She jumped up and grabbed the bar, she lifted herself up with every ounce of energy she had left. She pulled herself up feeling the immense strain in her back.

It happened so suddenly that the only reaction she had was a cry of extreme pain. The mark on her back that were beginning to heal ripped open. Warm blood began to flow in waves down her spine. Francesca gripped tighter on the bar and continued to pull herself up and down. crying out in pain with each lift.Helena, Aria, Eric and the rest of the courtyard stood amazed; how was it that someone so small and so badly wounded would continue on.

Suddenly a pair of arms caught around Francesca's torso and pulled her down. Francesca cried out in pair as her back touched her holders chest. The pain was so immense that she passed out.