Searching for Sophia

"I'm just a soldier, trying to survive just one more day"

-Leon-

**Dream**

I'm running. I have to get as far as possible from reality. Yet, it continues to persue me, thrashing its way through the thick forestation surrounding us. The branches pull at my legs and scratch my arms, trying desperately to let reality prevail. The tree's whisper the same words to me, their leaves brushing their caresses softly across my cheeks.

"Anger. Hatred. Lies. Betrayal. Fear. Sorrow. Reality."

Suddenly the forest begins to collapse around me.

"What have you done Leon?"

"Who's there? Help me, it's killing me. Reality is trying to kill me!" I screamed, desperately peering through the eerily elegantly falling debris. Finally, I made out the silhouette of a girl, her dress fluttering slightly, the debris fell around her.

"What are you doing?" I screamed. "You'll die if you just stand there!"

"What have you done. Leon. Leon. Leon..."

**End of Dream**

"LEON!"

"Help!" I gasped, sitting bolt upright.  

"Leon darling, it's mum you were just having a bad dream. You scared the life out of me! Are you alright sweetheart?" I turned to see my mother peering through my door, worry furrowed in her brow. I fell back to my sweat-drenched sheets, exhaling a long sigh of relief. 

"Just a dream." I murmured.  

"Of course it was, silly. Time to get up now, dad says to wish you luck, he had to pop off early this morning and was sad he didn't have time to see you." 

"Of course." I sighed sarcastically, running a hand through my already tousled, dirt blonde hair. 

"Don't be so spoilt, Leon. You know that if it wasn't for all your father's hard work..." 

"...We wouldn't have a nice house and all our things, so we should be grateful. Yeah, yeah, I know. Shouldn't you be leaving for work or something, Mum?" I muttered with heavy sarcasm. 

"Alright, alright I'm going, less of the cheek please. Good luck with your first day at Hillsworth High." She blew me a kiss, before closing my door behind her. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair again. First day of a new school. Fantastic.  

I looked down to see my sheets awkwardly tangled around my tall frame. I reluctantly unattached myself (literally) from my bed, and shuffled sleepily towards the bathroom

The grey rain, was a sharp reminder of London. Britian's famously dull drizzle certainly did not forget about North London, and obviously matters were similar for Edinburgh. A brief wave of homesickness passed through me, but I was soon distracted by Edinburgh's famous mount Arthur's seat, which not once had failed to outstand me, even after a week of living here. The idea that something so vastly mysterious can somehow be so beautiful, attracted me greatly.

I turned the corner to see the bus stop across the road from me. There were about five people lolling around it in a bored fashion. I took a deep breath. This is the part when I go from being Leon Hemming, the insecure rich guy from North London, who can't establish a true understanding of life and can be lost in a book for hours on end, to Leon Hemming, the popular and good looking rich player from North London who uses bullying and violence as a weapon to become higher up the social scale. 

I sauntered over to the bus stop, my hands buried deep inside my pockets - trying to obtain as much confidence that I could muster. I leant against the post holding the bus sign on, trying to sustain my careless expression.