The Castle of Dreams

Chapter 5 - The Sheep on the Hill

"Baaaaa" A goat bleated. Beckett opened his eyes to find a goat chewing grass inches from his face. "AHH!" Beckett yelled scrambling away from the goat, hitting his back on something hard. Slowly, he looked behind him and saw it was just a rickety old fence. He took a deep breath and leaned his head back on the fence. He was just dreaming. Nothing was wrong. When he woke up everything would go back to normal. The only thing keeping him from waking up was the fact that he already was awake. Rubbing his eyes, and then running his hands through his hair, Beckett got to his feet. Confused as ever he looked around and he saw he was on top of a hill. Glancing around the little area on top of the hill, all Beckett could see were trees. How in the world did he get here? And where exactly was here? Beckett was about to go downhill to find out where he was when he realized that if he left no one would be watching the sheep. He couldn't leave them alone especially during the day, wolves come out and try to eat sheep. Wait a second, Wolves, sheep, a farm, a tall hill with a village below and forest all around. Beckett looked around once more before deciding his instincts were correct. He was in his story. Beckett sat down on the edge of hill lost in thought. He really was the boy who cried wolf, but how and why, for that matter. Where were his friends? The two that were probably closest to him would be Rebecca and Wiley, that is if they are Red and The Wolf, but Beckett had no way of knowing. Besides, he couldn't leave the sheep to die. Beckett was tempted to yell for the villagers and he almost did except he caught himself. If what Beckett remembered was right, the villagers only fell for the trick twice and when there really was a wolf they thought he was kidding. So, what if the Boy before Beckett, if there even was one, used up the two chances of getting the villagers attention?? Beckett decided he was going to try anyways, and just as he opened his mouth to yell someone spoke behind him. "They aren't going to be happy if you fake an attack." Said a girls voice. Beckett turned around confused. Standing behind him was a young girl about the height of Rebecca, but with blonde straight hair and a round pregnant belly. "Is this seat taken?" She asked pointing to the spot next to Beckett. When Beckett didn't answer her, she slowly sat down next to him. The girl looked over at him and saw him staring at her confused. "Are you alright?" She asked. Beckett tried to answer but his voice wouldn't work. So, instead he shook his head. The girl looked at him for a moment and then turned to stare down into the village. "You're the 3rd one this week." She said casually. Beckett tried to process what she meant but he was still confused as to why she just showed up. "Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Sarah, teen pregnancy accident just waiting to happen and oh wait! It already did. And my parents kicked me out and now I live with the baker and help around his shop, I've also been trying to help the Boy's that show up here. What's your story?" Sarah asked. Beckett looked down at his hands, trying to form words. He cleared his throat and tried again to talk. "Uh, I'm Beckett. The last thing I remember was having our weekly sleepover with my friends and then I woke up here. I have no idea why or how I'm here and I'm so confused as to what I'm supposed to do now." Beckett said. Sarah giggled and Beckett looked over at her. "I'm sorry, weekly sleepover? You must really love your friends if you can stand them for a whole night every week." Sarah said.
"I barely go a day without seeing them." Beckett said and Sarah glanced at him. She didn't say anything for a moment, like she was thinking about what it must be like to be that close with someone. "Wow, you're lucky. No one talks to me anymore. That's why I come up and here and talk to the new boys that show up, it gives me someone other than the baker to talk to." Sarah said laying back at staring at the simple white clouds. Beckett couldn't help it anymore he finally asked the question that had been bothering him since Sarah had showed up. "Okay. What do you mean by other boys that showed up?" Beckett asked looking down at her. Sarah sat up and looked Beckett in the eyes. "I have no idea why but every week there's been a new boy that appears up here as the shepherd or whatever it is you are, and he yells wolf twice and everyone comes running but there's no wolf and then the third day there really is a wolf but no one's believes him..and he gets eaten, so do the sheep. But it's like the story resets itself because obviously," Sarah gestured behind her, "The sheep are back and so are you and only a handful of villagers even remember the others. I do which is why I'm trying to help you, I can't stand to see another poor boy get eaten by a wolf. It's terrible." She said. Beckett didn't say anything while he thought about that information. Is that what would happen to him? He couldn't let some furry beast eat him when his friends might have needed his help. "I have to find my friends. Would you by any chance know where I could find them??" Beckett asked. Sarah laid back in the the grass again. "Well, that depends, who are your friends?" She asked. Beckett thought for a moment. Were his friends here too or was he the only one? 'Well, it's worth a try.' He thought to himself as he took a huge deep breath. "Well, There's Peyton, He's probably Peter Pan, Baylee and Casey are probably Belle and Cinderella. Wiley, hah, Wiley's probably a wolf, and then there's Rebecca....." Beckett said trailing off at the mention of Rebecca's name. "Who's Rebecca supposed to be??" Sarah asked. Beckett snapped out of his daze and looked down at Sarah. "Huh?" he asked. Sarah laughed. "OOOOOOHHH. I see, is Rebecca your girlfriend?" Sarah asked. Beckett felt his face heat up. "NO! Rebecca is not my girlfriend..I kinda wish she was, but shes not!!" Beckett said silently hoping Rebecca never found out the way he felt about her. He didn't want to ruin their friendship or make things awkward between the six of them but, Beckett couldn't control his feelings. Sarah nodded slowly. "Oh, it's like that." Sarah said. Beckett blushed again, turning his cheeks even redder than before. He had said that out loud. "Yeah, sadly. Anyways Rebecca is or well..she would be Little Red Riding Hood." Beckett said.
"You've got quite the group of friends there, Bucket." Sarah said. Beckett smiled at the thought of his friends. He didn't even care Sarah had said his name wrong. "I just wish I knew where they were." Beckett said. Sarah thought for a moment. "My best guess would be for you to just stay here until they find you or you find out where they are. It's not safe to be traveling by yourself especially knowing this story with the wolves lurking around you know?" She finally said. Beckett shivered. "Yeah, that makes sense. Okay, I guess I'll stay awhile until they find me or I find them." Beckett agreed mainly because he didn't want to meet a wolf face to face, even though he probably would have to if he just waited anyways. Then Beckett remembered what Casey had asked him the night before, "Would you rather come face to face with a wolf or never talk to us again?" Now Beckett was terrified he may never see his friends again and actually come face to face with a wolf trying to find them. But even if he did come face to face with a wolf he would die trying to find his friends.