Dream Station

Chapter 8

"This place is creepy..." Sierra whispered as we walked around another tree. "I swear it's getting darker..."

It was true. The tree tops seemed to be growing-covering up the sun and the sky. Crystal and I stayed silent, but I could tell she was as worried as I was.

"Guys, didn't we just pass this tree? Like five times?" We stopped walking and looked around.

"I think we've been walking in circles," I said. Every tree looked the same, and my friends were glancing nervously around.

"I think we should split up," Crystal suggested. Sierra whipped around.

"WHAT?! No way! I'm not going to walk through this place ALONE!" she yelled. Crystal narrowed her eyes.

"Toughen up Sierra! Think about it! Only one of us has to make it to the lake. If we split up, one of us might find it. We can't get too used to being in a group anyway." I shrugged and nodded.

"Sorry Sierra, but she's right. We could get there faster if we split," I said. Sierra pouted but didn't object. Crystal pointed in one direction.

"I'll go this way," she said,"you guys decide where you want to go. I guess I'll meet you at lake." She waved and disappeared through the trees. Sierra worriedly looked in another direction of never-ending trees.

"I guess I'll go this way. See you there Riley...I hope." And with that, she made her way through the forest, and I was alone.

I suddenly understood Sierra's fear of being alone.

The forest felt as though it was closing in, and the darkness made my heart pound in fear. I began to make my way through the trees, but something wasn't right. I was moving, but I wasn't...moving? I could've sworn I had just walked by this tree. A few more "dream" minutes of walking and it was there again! After what felt like an hour I didn't think I had moved an inch from where I was. Frustration and fear shot through me. This dream was rigged. There couldn't have been any way to finish it. Could there?

Then, an idea sparked in my mind. Something I had seen in a movie once....

I looked all over for something sharp...maybe a rock or something. After a while I found a big pebble-which wasn't much, but it worked. I walked up to the tree that I kept passing and dug the rock through the bark. After about a minute I had successfully carved the shape of a heart into the tree. I kept a firm grip on my stone, and moved on through the forest at a faster pace.

I smirked as I came upon that stupid tree again. My fingers slipped across the bark, looking for a trace of the carving. Nope.

So it WASN'T the same tree!

I pressed my pebble against the bark and created a heart again. Maybe I would find a new way if I found new trees.

I kept walking.

With every step the forest got darker-it scared me. I knew it was a dream, but it felt so REAL. I could feel every branch, every leaf...I could smell it. I began to wonder...if this felt so real-would the nightmare train I saw, feel this real too? Did those horrible nightmares we passed on the train-?

SNAP!

I froze.

My eyes widened and my heart pounded. That twig I heard break...was behind a tree, or a ways off. But it was definitely not me. If it was my friend, wouldn't they say something?

My eyes searched for something, ANYTHING, to hide behind. I dove into a huge bush and ignored the prickly feeling. I heard a snapping sound of a twig again, but closer. I started to breathe hard and tried to calm myself down. I thought there wasn't suppose to be anyone else here! Weren't we the only people?

Well, someone else was here!

I peeked through the dark leaves and made out a figure; someone dressed in black with a freaky black hat on. It shadowed his face and he silently stared around the area. My breath stopped when he stared at the bush I was in. Thankfully he turned away and disappeared into the trees.

It took me some time to gather up the courage to come back out.

The entire rest of the dream I was looking over my shoulder. I never saw him again, but it still freaked me out. Every tree I got to I carved the same shape...while looking over my shoulder. I passed by new trees more and more, and finally I came to a tree that just couldn't have been new. My fingers traced the bark where the heart would've been, and I moved around to the back.

The symbol was clear on the back. The BACK. Was that how it was on every tree? Then I realized what this place was. It was like a giant mirror maze. Every time I got to a tree it was like it flipped me to the other side of the forest. The only way to get through...

Maybe if I walked backwards? It was worth a shot. I began to walk backwards while praying I wouldn't trip over anything. The trees moved past me, and this time the way I was going MUST have been different. The ground seemed like it was starting to clear up, and my feet were making a strange, squishy sound.

"Oof!"

I landed with a splash. A broken branch was in front of me, and I was sitting in a puddle. At least, I thought it was a puddle.

"Riley! You made it!" a voice called. I turned to see a wide lake in front of me, and Sierra was standing at the other side.

"What took you so long?" she called.