Devil's Peak

Chapter 4

The sun was barely rising as Christopher boarded the school bus, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. He spotted Joe sitting near the back, his friendly face like an oasis in a sea of unfamiliarity. As he slid into the seat next to him, images from his wild dream the night before flooded his mind.

"Hey, Joe," Christopher began hesitantly, "is Joe Land always full of giant bees, Clone Troopers, and Leprechauns?"

Joe's eyes widened in shock, and he shifted closer to Christopher, lowering his voice. "You were there? In my dream?"

Christopher nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and trepidation at Joe's reaction. "Yeah, I was. It's something I can do-dream walking."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Joe exclaimed. "I thought I was just imagining you being there. But how do you do it?"

"Truth is, I don't really know," Christopher admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "A couple of nights ago I had a dream where I went to Aumpa and the Aumpamu told me I was the Dreamwalker. Your dream was the first I ever went to. I was in Aumpa and then I thought about you and suddenly I was in your dream."

"Hey, if you're going into dreams tonight, can you visit mine?" Tracyn piped up from the seat behind them, leaning forward with an eager grin. His interest in the supernatural and military games made him curious about Christopher's abilities.

"Sure, I can try," Christopher agreed, wondering what kind of adventures awaited him in Tracyn's dreamscape.

"Ha! You guys actually believe this Dreamwalker nonsense?" Braden sneered from across the aisle, his condescending tone grating on Christopher's nerves. "Why don't you all go back to your fairy tales and leave the real world to the rest of us?"

"Braden, just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's not real," Joe shot back, defending his new friend. "Maybe one day you'll open up your mind and see how amazing the world can be."

"Whatever," Braden scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned away.

Christopher felt a surge of gratitude for Joe's unwavering support. He knew that in this strange new school, having friends like Joe and Tracyn would make all the difference.

As the bus pulled up to Devil's Peak Elementary, Christopher took a deep breath, ready to face the day with newfound confidence. No matter what challenges awaited him, he knew he wouldn't have to face them alone.

Christopher stepped into the high school's bustling courtyard, feeling dwarfed by the older students milling about. He clutched his brother's notebook tightly in his hands, making his way across the campus towards the student-run preschool that Tommy was helping out at.

As he entered the preschool room, Christopher stopped short. A group of young children hung upside down over their naptime mats like sleeping bats, giggling and whispering to each other as they pretended to be asleep. The sight baffled him.

"Hey, Tommy!" Christopher called out, waving the notebook in the air. "I brought that notebook you needed. What's going on here?"

Tommy looked up from where he was supervising the napping children and grinned. "Oh, these little ones like to pretend they're 'Imps' when they nap," he explained, ruffling the hair of a nearby child. "It's their favorite game."

"Interesting," Christopher said thoughtfully, trying to imagine what it would be like to have Imps as imaginary friends. As he handed the notebook to Tommy, a burst of energy caught his attention.