Dreambreaker

Ghosts of the Past

Wes's words lingered in Jayde's mind long after she left the library. Dreams. Freedom. They were ideas that seemed foreign to her, almost laughable. And yet, something about the way Wes spoke about them ignited a spark of hope deep inside her, a flicker of rebellion that she'd never allowed herself to feel before.
Her pulse was still racing as she hurried down the narrow streets toward home, the night's shadows stretching long across the pavement. The curfew bell would toll soon, and she had no intention of being caught outside after that. The Regime was merciless with those who broke curfew. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.But even the cold reality of her situation couldn't completely extinguish the heat that had flared to life inside her. Wes was dangerous, she knew that much. He wasn't just a boy who broke the rules—he was something else, something that could unravel her entire world if she let him. But she couldn't stop thinking about him: his crooked smile, his dark eyes that seemed to see through all the fear and compliance, straight into her soul.Snap out of it, Jayde, she chided herself as she rounded the corner to her street. You can't be thinking about him like this. But her heart didn't seem to care what her head had to say.When she finally reached her house, the dim light from the street lamps cast long shadows over the faded gray facade. It was a small, square building, indistinguishable from the others on the block. The homes were identical, just like their inhabitants, all molded into the perfect form by The Regime. Each family was assigned a place, a purpose, a role in the grand machine. Her family had been no exception.Jayde pushed open the door and stepped inside. The smell of stale air greeted her, mixed with the faint scent of the evening meal her mother had made hours ago. The house was silent. Empty. Except for him.Simon sat in the worn armchair by the window, staring blankly into the distance. His eyes were vacant, unfocused, and for a moment, Jayde thought he hadn't even noticed her come in. But then his head turned, just slightly, his gaze landing on her with a dull, lifeless recognition."Jayde," he murmured, his voice hollow. It was almost mechanical, like he was reading her name off a script, trying to remember how it was supposed to sound."Hey, Simon," she replied softly, dropping her school bag by the door. She wasn't sure why she even bothered. It wasn't like he cared. Not anymore.Simon had once been different. She remembered a time when his eyes had sparkled with laughter, when his smile had been quick and easy, and his presence had filled the house with warmth. Back then, he had been a Dreamer too—someone who believed in more than what The Regime told them. But that was before. Before The Regime got to him. Before they took everything.Now, he was just a shadow of the boy she used to know.He was her older brother, but sometimes Jayde wondered if she even knew him anymore. The Regime had erased him. They hadn't taken him away like they did with others; they hadn't needed to. Instead, they had conditioned him, slowly, insidiously, until there was nothing left of who he used to be. They'd gotten to him through his dreams. Through the very thing that had once made him alive.Simon worked now as a compliance officer for The Regime, a job Jayde knew he never would have chosen for himself. He spent his days monitoring the city's cameras, ensuring that everyone stayed in line, reporting any sign of rebellion, any flicker of imagination. He had become the very thing he once hated—a cog in The Regime's oppressive machine. And the worst part was, he didn't even realize it.Jayde sat on the edge of the couch, watching him for a moment, her chest tight with an ache that she couldn't shake. She wanted to shake him, to scream at him, to make him remember who he used to be. But she knew it wouldn't make a difference."Work today?" she asked, her voice careful, like she was afraid of disturbing the fragile silence between them.Simon blinked, as though it took him a moment to process her words. "Same as usual. Everything's running as it should be."Jayde bit her lip, fighting the urge to snap. As it should be. That was the Regime talking, not her brother. But that was all he had become now—a puppet for their words, their rules, their control.He didn't ask her how her day was. He never did.Instead, he turned back to the window, staring out at the empty streets, his face bathed in the cold glow of the street lamps. It was like he wasn't even there anymore, like his body was just an empty shell, waiting for orders.Jayde's mother was still at her job, working the late shift at the production factory. She would come home exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open long enough to eat dinner before collapsing into bed. Jayde's father? He had been taken by The Regime years ago, during the first purges of Dreamers. He'd refused to comply, refused to take the clarity capsules, and they had made him disappear. No one ever spoke of him again.Jayde was used to the silence by now. But it didn't make it any easier."I'm going to bed," she muttered, standing up and grabbing her bag. She didn't wait for Simon to respond. She knew he wouldn't.---Jayde tossed her bag onto her bedroom floor and flopped down onto her bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling. The day's events swirled around in her mind, a tangled mess of confusion, fear, and something else—something that made her pulse quicken every time she thought of it.Wes.She closed her eyes, remembering the way he had looked at her, the way his voice had whispered in her ear like he knew all the things she had tried so hard to bury. There was something about him that drew her in, something dangerous and thrilling all at once. He was everything she wasn't supposed to want. But she couldn't help it.He made her feel alive in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.You need to be careful, she told herself. This is dangerous. You're getting too close.But the more she tried to push him out of her mind, the more his face appeared, that infuriating smirk, those dark, knowing eyes. He wasn't like Simon. He wasn't beaten down, controlled. He still had fight in him, a fire that burned despite everything The Regime had done to snuff it out.Jayde sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she was on the edge of something—something big. Wes had shown her a glimpse of what lay beyond the rigid walls of her world, and now, she wasn't sure she could go back.But what if it was a mistake? What if she got caught? What if she ended up like her brother, hollowed out and broken by The Regime's control?Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought about it, the tension pulling tighter and tighter until it felt like she couldn't breathe. What if he's the one who breaks you?But then, just as quickly, another thought flickered in her mind—one she hadn't allowed herself to entertain before.What if he's the one who sets you free?