Escape From Reality

The Swings

After my mother's death, I stopped being the happy and easygoing person I used to be. I had learned a hard truth. Life was not all rainbows and butterflies .In real life,people can't live forever as much as we want them too. With that,I supposed I stopped imagining things that weren't possible. I couldn't fly. I wasn't a princess. My mother wasn't alive as much as I hoped for her to be. My imagination slowly died.

But now,it was back.I didn't know how much I missed it.It enchanted me,telling me that these things I thought were very much impossible was possible.In my dreams.

It had only been a few minutes.But I already wanted to go back to being a princess.

Unfortunately,it was 7.00am and it was time to go to school.I rummaged through my messy closet,trying to find something to wear.I didn't really want to go back to school,not after what happened last time.That was a total embarrassment.Kids will be gossiping about me the entire day.My face reddened at the thought of facing Layla again.

I grabbed a white lace dress stuffed at the back of my closet. It was a birthday gift from my aunt matilda, who only visited for Christmas and Thanksgiving,which showed in her choice of present.No one in their right mind would buy a dress.That will certainly be a change from my sweaters and jeans I usually donned.Normally I would have never worn it,but I was feeling particularly like a princess today after my dream.Guess it was rubbing off into reality.

"Chloe?"I turned around to see my dad.He was biting his lip,his arms behind his back.Wait, what was Dad doing here?He usually would have left for work by now.Normally,I was alone in the house when I woke up.

"Dad?"I asked,putting down the dress on my bed,"What are you doing here?"

"I got a call from the school yesterday.Saying you ran out in the middle of school."His brown eyes looked at me for an explanation.

Oh yeah. That.

"I guess well-" I stuttered. I didn't want to tell Dad the truth. I looked down,unable to continue.

"Chloe,what happened?"

My dad bent down and took my hands gently.I blinked.He was probably worried about me.I had never gotten in trouble before.He must have had a heart attack when he received the phone call yesterday.

"I don't know."I replied.My mind was racing,"I well just-"

I looked down,unable to continue.

"Chloe tell me the truth.What made you run out of school like that?"His dark eyebrows scrunched together,gazing at me as if I was the only thing that mattered.My heart stopped for a second under the scrutiny of his stare.For a brief moment,for some inexplicable crazy reason,I consider telling him.About Layla and Jacob and everything.I thought about how good to actually tell someone about it.Maybe it will make everything seem less crazy.But then I shook my head.I couldn't.

"I can't."I shook his hands off me roughly.I couldn't tell my dad the truth.

"Chloe."He sighed exasperated,"First I come home to see you hurt and then this.Tell me what is going on!"His voice got higher with each word,and I turned back towards him in frustration.

"I can't."My voice rises to a shriek,warning him to stop prying"Dad,I'm fine!Stop worrying about me."

"The school says you are suspended for a week.You are grounded until you tell me what is going on."With that,my dad turned around and briskly walked out of my room.I rubbed my eyes and felt like crying.I really didn't mean to upset my dad.But I know if I told him the truth,he would freak.He would go all overprotective on me,call the school,report on Layla.His meddling will only worsen things.Plus,I didn't want him to worry about me.He had gone through a lot.

Well,looks like I'm suspended now.And grounded.Thank god I don't have to go to school.I pushed the dress off my bed and jumped onto it.

I just lay there, sulking. I really didn't know what to tell my dad.

I have never been suspended before.It feels a little odd.

The door creaked as my dad opened it.

"I'm going to work now.I expect you to stay at home and reflect on your actions."With that,the door squeaked as it closed.

What? My dad just expected me to stay at home?

Today I felt as if I could run a million miles and still go on.In the past maybe I would have compiled, but today was different. So after a good 15 minutes, I changed into the dress I had pushed onto the floor and climbed carefully down the stairs. I don't know what I would do. But I guess I had to do something. I grabbed my backpack and stuffed my keys into it. Time to go.

I walked out into the real world, where various kids were walking on their way to school.

Kids looked at me or stared at me weirdly,probably because of the incident yesterday.I heard their whispers passing around like wildfire.

I hurried past them,not wanting to be under the scrutiny of their stares.

The park was relatively empty.Everyone was going to school now and adults going to work.I spotted a few people here and there,a mum pushing a stroller and an elderly couple holding hands on a park bench.

I walked over to the playground where there was literally no one except a few toddlers not of school age.It was eerie to see it so empty,since everytime I passed it it was always filled to the brim with happy children.Without a care in the world.

The swings,which were notoriously hard to get,were empty.

Since I had nothing better to do,I plopped down in the leather seat and kicked my legs off the ground.The swings started to swing,higher and higher.

The wind whooshed past my ears,as I pondered about the mysterious situation I was in. My dreams,Jacob, everything. How were they all linked?

Giving the ground a good kick to swing harder, I realised I needed answers.Something was happening. And I didn't know what.

My imagination was somehow unlocked and the lines between dream and reality are starting to blur.

The boy, Jacob, seemed to recognise me in reality. I was too panicked then to realise that,too afraid of ignoring facts. But now,with everything that has been going on, I saw as Jacob said, that there must be a relation. I was too stubborn to see that at first.Too reliable on logic.

But these mysterious dreams don't follow logic. I see that now.

I had to get to the bottom of this case.The monsters,the dreams,I had to find out more.

And I knew just where to start.

I had to find Jacob and get some answers.