Tales of Gloomsdale #3: Awake at Sunrise

Chapter Eight

I froze in place, staring out the window as the last stars dwindled away. Then I heard another familiar voice.

"Jason, there you are! So you decided to sleep with Dawn like a baby?"

I turned from the window. My relief returned as I saw Jake enter the room.

"What are you doing here?" Jason demanded.

"I woke up early, and then I couldn't get back to sleep," Jake explained. "Then I remembered..."

Relief flooded through me. It was almost morning. We could all wait here until the sun rose and the knocking went away. Until the Dreamtaker left.

Then I scolded myself for being an idiot. There was no Dreamtaker. It was just a stupid story made up by somebody's overactive imagination. And even if there was, the knocking hadn't sounded like that.

"Uh, Jake? Can I ask you something?" I interrupted the twins' bickering. "Were you knocking at the door just now?"

"Oh, yeah! Were you?" Jason demanded.

"Uh, no," Jake said. "I thought you were asleep. I just opened the door." I felt my spirits sink slightly, but I tried not to be too disappointed. "And now I'm going to head out."

"What?" My jaw dropped.

"Didn't you hear anything I said?" Jake rolled his eyes. "I left my Gameboy downstairs—"

"Dropped it while chasing me," Jason muttered. "And I'm not joining you, no matter what you say!"

"Fine, you wimp. I'll get it myself," Jake declared.

I grabbed his arm as he stepped towards the door. "No! You can't!" He stared at me. "I mean... why now? It's so early. Can't you get it later?"

"I'll be bored out of my mind," Jake insisted. "Even annoying you two gets old after a while. Come on, it won't take long. I'll be back before you know it, even if Jason's too much of a coward to join me—"

"No!" I protested desperately. "What if you get lost?"

"Didn't you hear the knocks just now?" Jason added.

"What knocks?" Jake demanded.

Jason and I exchanged looks. "Somebody was knocking at the door," Jason explained.

"I don't hear anything," Jake quipped.

We all went silent for a moment as I listened carefully. Sure enough, I didn't hear anything aside from the birds beginning to chirp outside. The knocking had disappeared completely.

"Well, whoever it is, they're gone now," Jake said. I could tell he didn't believe us. "If I run into them, I'll be sure to ask why they were knocking."

"Don't do it, Jake," I pleaded, grabbing his arm. "Something terrible could happen."

He pulled away. "If you're too much of a coward, that's fine. I'll go by myself. Are you sure you don't want to come with me, Jace?"

"Of course not!" Jason protested.

"I knew you were a baby," Jake taunted. "I can't believe we're the same age. You couldn't even go to sleep in the same room as me."

"Don't listen to him," I insisted, wrapping my arms around Jason. "Leaving is a terrible decision. There really is someone there!"

"Stop trying to freak me out," Jake scoffed. "I can tell you both made it up to scare me. Well, it's not going to work!"

Jason and I tried to protest, but it was too late. Jake had already shot across the room like a bullet, flung open the door, and flown out.

Jason leapt after his twin, but Jake had slammed the door behind him. I shot out of bed as Jason tugged at the handle.