"Hello?" I whisper into the inky darkness."Is anyone there?" It seems like I've been here for hours but I havn't seen or heard anything. I take another step forwards and end up plunging downwards, deep into an unseen danger. "HELP!!!" I scream. "Please someone help me!" All the response I get is an echoing laugh. I start to sob. "Why am I falling?" I cry out to the black void sucking me down.
"Because you failed!" comes the eerie voice that shouts from above. I continue to sob as I tumble towards what I know is my certain death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bell goes off and I wake with a start. Staring at my math assignment I give a huge sigh and stuff it into my bag.
"What are you doing tonight?" my best friend Kate asks.
"Math homework, why?" I respond.
"Didn't you do that last night?" she inquires.
"That was last nights homework assignment, this one is from today." I say annoyed.
"You fell asleep again, didn't you." she comments with a sigh.
"I don't know what's wrong with me, I went to sleep sooooooo early but it doesn't seem to help. I still just pass out randomly." I say, really frustrated.
"Are they bad dreams or good ones?" she asks.
"Hmmmm... let's see, I'm in a dark place and then I fall and this creepy voice tells me I failed and laughs. Oh yeah, and I know I'm gonna die. What do you think?!" I say a little too loudly.
"Sorry, I was just asking," she retorts defensivly.
"No, I'm sorry. I shoudn't have snapped it's just... it's frustrating."
"That's ok, we can hang out later. I got to go, you know how my mom is when I'm late. Talk later?" She asks as she opens her locker.
"Yeah, definitely. Oh, and tell you're mom I say hi!" I shout over the noise of the hallway, while getting slowly shoved towards my own locker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I throw my bag down on the floor and make a dash for the stairs.
"Wait a second honey, where do you think you're going? Family meeting, remember?" my mom calls from below.
"Really?" I moan.
"Yep, don't worry. I have a feeling you'll like the outcome of this one," she hints.
"Highly doubt it," I mumble under my breath as I trudge back down.
Once my sister, dad, and I are all seated my mom makes the announcement.
"We... are going on a family vacation!" She declares with a grin.
"Really! Where?" I question, unable to hide my surprise. I swear my parents are the definition of cheap.
"It's a small ghost town."
"Wait, you are joking... right?" I groan as my mom gives me a weird look and says,
"No... we thought it looked really fun! There's an old mine shaft tour and the hotel we're staying at has been around since the 1850's!"
"Really, mom? Really?" I ask shaking my head. "Was there no other option?"
"It's supposed to be really cool," my mom protests.
"Sure!" I snap back sarcastically. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room trying to forget this conversation by doing math."
I love my life, I think to myself as a storm upstairs. At least it can't get any worse, right?
