Dropping her backpack onto her bed she immediately takes a shower. Letting the hot water hit her skin she releases the biggest sigh. So grateful to be alone. Finally able to relax.
After her shower she pulls out her binder with all of her syllabuses she has to sign. As she lies down to read yet another syllabus her eyes fight to stay open. Her eyes flutter as they shut and sleep takes over.
Eliza wakes up in the all too familiar park. Feeling groggy, she wipes the sleep from her eyes. Looking around she sits up realizing she may have fallen asleep on the park bench. She starts to think, was she waiting for her friends to show up so they can walk to school together. She scans the park for any sign of her friends, when she makes out a figure in the distance. She can barley see them due to the thick layer of fog covering the ground. She slowly lifts herself off the bench.
"Luna?" She shouts to the person at the other end of the park. She starts to walk towards them. "Mary?" She shouts again. Walking closer she realizes the person turned and is now walking away from her. "Rowan?" She calls once more.
She begins to speed walk to catch up to them. She follows them out of the park and into the dark woods. Climbing over thick tree trunks that are growing sideways and avoiding low hanging tree branches. She see the person walk into an abandoned cabin. She slows her pace to take in the sight. Its very old and deteriorated. There are small holes in the sides, and it looks slightly burnt. Vines have started growing through the holes in the walls.
Finally, she takes a deep breath and approaches the creepy cabin as curiosity is flooding her senses. When she opens the door she sees the hooded person from yesterday.
"Who are you?" silence fills the small room, "What do you want?" still no answer. "Why do you keep following me?" She waits for an answer. She suddenly gets another feeling, one that says this person wants to say something. Something important. "I know you want to say something. So, just say it." She says frustration building. The person starts to lift the hood slowly. She finally is going to know who this person is. A loud bang clashes behind her. She turns so fast, there is nothing behind her. When she turns back the person is gone. She can hear the wind whispering to her 'Be careful Eliza.' Suddenly she jolts awake.
She's faced with her mother standing over her. She is still lying in front of her syllabus. "What? What happened?" She questions irritated that it was just a dream and she isn't going to find out who it is.
"Your friends are here." She steps aside and her three new friends come into view. Luna gives a soft smile, which she returns. She sits up slowly as her mom walks out and her friends walk in. They shut the door behind them. and sit beside her on the bed.
"You alright?" Luna asks.
"I'm fine, why do people keep asking me that?" she says, leaning up against the wall. They all look at her as if she has three heads. "What?" she says.
"Well... it's just, you look as if you haven't slept in ages." Luna says softly.
"We came over because we wanted to talk to you about what you were telling me about earlier." Mary says. Eliza looks at her straight in the eyes. "We are checking in on you because you sounded freaked out earlier." She says, unsure of how to go about this conversation.
"Yea she said you were super paranoid and having strange feelings and also about a weird encounter with principal Harris." Rowan says bluntly. Shocking everyone. She shrugs her shoulders at Mary, as if saying 'we couldn't going in circles forever'.
"Yea and also the person at the park seemed to spook you...and when you came running out of your house in the morning." Luna says.
"I don't know what you guys expect to talk about. I am probably just relaying my stress in a weird way. I did just move to a new town and a new school, and I have no way to contact my old friends." Eliza says, trying to make sense of it all. They all give each other a look again. "Alright guys, just say it." She says frustrated.
"Say what?" Mary says, playing dumb.
"You guys are constantly giving each other looks, like you want to say something but aren't sure if you should." She says leaning her head back against the wall.
"I already told you earlier. You need to trust your gut. No more trying to make sense of things, or trying to rationalize everything. Except things for what they are and then you will get your answers." Mary says. Eliza takes a deep breath, unsure what that is even suppose to mean.
"Has any other weird things happened since school?" Luna asks, crossing her legs. Eliza looks at her not saying anything. Unsure if she should mention the person chasing her home, or the dream situation. In the middle of her mental debate, she gets a feeling that she should tell them. Then, she remembers Mary's advice. So, she takes a deep breath.
"Kind of, you guys remember the creep at the park right?" they all nod, "They chased me home today."
"What?" Rowan asks, sitting up.
"Yea I saw them on my way home and they actually chased me all the way to my door. When I got inside and turned around they were gone. Then..." She trails off. Thinking the dream will make her look stupid.
"Then what?" Mary asks.
"This is probably dumb and just in my head but just now when I was sleeping I had a dream...a very vivid dream. That same person was in it. I woke up in the park and saw them. I followed them into the woods to this cabin. They were about to reveal themselves but then mom woke me up." She says, tucking some hair behind her ear.
"That is intersting." Rowan says, looking at the others.
"Okay, what now?" Eliza asks, in an aggressive tone.
"What do you say, we see if that cabin is actually there?" Rowan says.
"What?" Eliza asks, thinking shes joking.
"Rowan, no." Mary says.
"Come on. This is freaking her out. This person is entering her dreams, we should at least help her figure it out right?" Rowan says, attitude on display.
"No, we can't get involved. It's her journey." Mary says, dismissively.
"I think we should." Luna speaks up. Everyone looks at her.
"What? Luna, no." Mary says. Eliza is just sitting there very confused. Unsure why they are arguing over a dream.
"I think we should help her. She is going to need it." Luna says pleading with Mary. Mary sighs in defeat.
"Fine. We will go into the woods tomorrow after school. We can drop our things off at home and meet at the park." Mary instructs as she stands. Followed by the other two.
"Are you serious? Guys, it was just a dream. I doubt there will actually be a half burnt cabin in the woods by the park." The girls look at each other again before walking out. Eliza sighs sitting on her bed. She looks out the window contemplating how day two in her new town can be this weird. She spots something outside her window so she gets up and opens it. There is a small object laying on the window seal. She isn't sure what it is. She takes a picture to show her friends tomorrow. It it just a bunch of twigs tied together with some vines. There are a couple yellow flowers attached. It looks slightly burnt. She wraps it into some paper and tosses it into the trash.
