Dragon Scars

Chapter 13

Riley woke up drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It was dark and she couldn't see. Her heart beat fast.

Riley reached o the side of the bed she was lying in, and felt around for a lamp. She felt the cord and followed it to the lamp itself. When Riley switched the light on, her heart dropped.

Riley was in a full sized bed, under a purple quilt. At the end of the bed was a closet, and on the opposite side of the room was a vanity. Riley was still at Dragon Scars.

Riley sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She sat up and checked the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the lamp.

3:47 am.

Riley groaned and put her hand on her forehead as she let her upper body fall back on the mattress. She reached over, turned off the lamp, and rolled over to try to sleep again.

Riley closed her eyes, but immediately opened them when she saw Jen's evil grin behind her eyelids. She rolled over again and switched the lamp back on.

When the light switched on, Riley caught eye of a drawer on the nightstand. She hadn't noticed the drawer before, and she twisted under the covers to open the drawer. Inside the drawer lay a package of honey lemon cough drops, a flashlight, a few sheets of lined paper, and a couple of pens. In the back of the drawer, there was also a small package of batteries. She reached into the drawer and pulled out the flashlight. 

Riley pushed the button on the flashlight and it lit up. She turned off the lamp and pushed off her covers. Riley shivered at the thought of the quilt soaked with water as she stepped onto the floor. The carpet flattened under her feet. She walked up to the door and opened it.

The strong scent of peppermint rushed up her nose. Riley wrinkled her nose in disgust. The smell stung her nostrils. Riley walked through the doorway, closed the door, and quickly tiptoed down the hall. She went through the halls cautiously, not wanting to get caught. Riley wandered the halls, not knowing where she was going. Riley soon found herself face-to-face with the doors to the training room, she grasped the door handle, and pulled hard enough to open the door a portion. Light flooded into Riley's eyes. She drew back, shutting the door slowly in the process. When Riley recovered her eyesight from the sudden light, she leaned forward, opened the door just a crack, and peeked inside, listening carefully.

"No way, not happening!" a boy's voice sounded.

"I told you, if you want to pass, you have to get rid of her," another boy responded.

"I'll get caught! Who even knows what happens when you get caught?!" the first boy responded instantly with fear hidden in his voice.

"Take her to the forest. no one will be able to hear anything. Not even a scream," the second boy replied, "It'll be over before you know it."

"I don't know, it all seems a little... extreme," the first boy said apprehensively.

"Think about it, you don't want to end up like Shane, do you?"

The boy said the name as though there was a horrible taste in his mouth.

"I won't!"

"Fine, do what you want, but don't come to me when she kicks you out of Dragon Scars."

"She isn't going to!"

"Whatever," the boy said quietly.

Footsteps sounded from inside the training room. Riley panicked as they came closer to her position at the door. She turned and sprinted to the corner of the dark hallway, crouching down to make herself less noticeable. The door opened and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Her head ached as questions crammed themselves in her skull.

Who are they? What are they talking about? Why would they do such a thing? Who is Shane?

Only one boy came through the door and left down the hallway as Riley opened her eyes.

"Where is the other boy?" she thought as the door fell shut with a thud, causing her to jump slightly.

No more than a second later, the door burst open and the second boy searched frantically through the dark hallway.

Riley was unable to get a good look at the first boy, but as the second scanned the area, she absorbed each detail. His hair was dark, almost black in color. His eyes, although hard to see in the little light that was provided, matched in color. The boy's masculine build was softened by his soft, curly hair. As she looked closer, Riley finally realized what she soon wished she had not: Th boy was one of Caleb's friends. Riley's heart stopped.

"Am I who they were talking about?" she thought to herself in fear.

The boy dashed down the hall in near silence, and Riley sat still for several minutes later, trying to release the breath stuck in her throat. She coughed as the breath finally escaped her lips.

Riley immediately stood and ran swiftly to her room. Inside, she shut the door as quickly as possible, jumped into bed, and switched off the light. A cold peppermint scent drifted into the room, sending a chill down her spine. Riley squeezed her eyes shut and covered her head beneath the covers.

"Please don't be me. Please don't be me,"  she pleaded to herself. Once she had finally relaxed, Riley fell into a light sleep, only to be awakened by Ariana an hour later.