Chapter 1
I awoke to a terrible pain in my left arm, both arms were tied behind my back. I was being dragged through the woods by two men on horses. I heard noise ahead. It was villagers. Not all of them maybe fifty at the most. Then it hit me. I was going to burn. “Wait!,” I yelled. “You’re making a mistake. I’m not a witch!” I screamed. Silence all around, I heard nothing. No one would speak. We came into a small clearing in the woods. There was a large wooden stake with wood and hay piled around. The two men climbed down off of the horses and lead me to the stake. I was going to burn, and I knew it. They tied my arms around the stake and walked away. “Please I’m not a witch. Let me go!” I begged. Silently two other men with torches approached. They lit the hay on fire, and joined in the rest of the small crowd. I was going to die. No matter how I pleaded or begged. I was going to burn tonight. I felt something snap. The ropes that bound my hands fell to the ground. I didn’t stop and think. I just ran. I ran as fast as I could in to the woods. I didn’t stop until I couldn’t hear any one behind me. I got to the river and sat down for a second or two, while I processed what just happened. I looked at me arms and feet. My wrists were red and sore from being yanked through the woods, since I was bare foot needless to say my feet were scratched, cut, and eww really dirty. I stepped into the water to wash them off. The water felt soothing. I went a little further into the water, felt my muscles relax. Then suddenly he appeared out of nowhere. I couldn’t see his face, he had white light all around him. It was so beautiful. He held his hand out to me and spoke. “Why are you running from me? You are mine. I love you. You don’t have to be afraid of me.” He said. He sounded sad, like he had lost something or someone. I couldn’t speak. I was in total shock. The alarm clock scared me so bad I nearly feel out of bed. “Aww man! Not again.” I thought to myself. I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed to shut off the alarm. In a fog I walked to my closet and grabbed a pair of my favorite jeans and I couldn’t decide what shirt to wear so I just grabbed a tee-shirt. I took a long hot shower to shake off the dream. I went through my every day routine.
I threw my clothes on, decided to just be comfy today, so I pulled my hair back and put on as little makeup as possible. I grabbed a muffin and headed out the door. Blake was there waiting on me in his truck already.He was alway there before I finished gatting ready. I was starting to think that my blue Jetta Dad got me for my 17th birthday was in the drive way just for show since Blake started insisting on driving me to school every day this year. “Didn’t feel like primping today I see.” Blake was always ragging on how long I took to get ready in the mornings. “Ha-ha, very funny. I’m just tired that’s all.” It was the best I could come up with. “You had the nightmare again huh?’ Blake asked. “Yeah, but was different this time.” This dream changed over the past year. When it first started I didn’t escape. Two months ago the man I saw on the water wouldn’t speak, he would be crying. “How has it changed?’ he asked. “The man on the water spoke this time. He asked me why I was afraid of him. He said he loved me and that I am his.” I wouldn’t admit it but I was scared. “Wow, you need to see a shrink!” he replied. “That is so sensitive Blake.” I was getting little annoyed. We rode the reat of the why to school in silence. I didn’t talk to Blake the whole way to school. I was kind of mad at him. ,I should have been mad at him. I mean after all it’s not like he knew why I was this way.I hid it the best I could. I put on this brave face every day, pretending that the past never happened. I wish I could erase it, but the truth was I couldn’t. Blake didn’t know the internal battle that waged inside me day in and day out. “Why not just tell him or someone about it?” I thought. But I couldn’t. So I just put on a grin and tried the make it through. Blake was my best friend he knew me and he knew I would get over it, sort of.
We arrived at school and he gave me a brief side hug as he always did then went to hang out with his skater buddies. I went to talk to Sara. Next to Blake she was one of the closest friends I had. But Blake and I have hung out since forever. The day went by in a total blur. The final bell rang and all I could think about was getting home. “Rachel! Hey aren’t you going to stay for cheerleading?” asked Clair a girl on the cheerleading squad. We knew each other and were friends but not like best friends or anything. “Sorry Clair but I’m not feeling well. I need to go home.” “Ok then see you Monday. Try to feel better.” She answered. I bolted. I climbed in Blake's truck . “You look like you’re going to cry.” I didn’t understand what he was implying but just then I felt it coming and could not stop it. I burst into tears, baling my eyes out. “Did someone upset you? Was it that bad?” he asked. Between sobs I managed to say. “I’mm..Okkayy. It’s…jjust a ppanic attack.” His eyes got a little wide. I’ve never had a panic attack in front of one of my friends before. I was mortified. I had stared to calm down some when he asked “Are you going to be ok?” “I’m fine just a little shaky still but ok.” I took a deep breath and wiped my face. “Does this happen a lot? I’ve never seen it happen before.” “Yeah I’ve just hid it better before. Guess you think I’m a big baby now huh?” Great something else for him to tease me about. “Actually no. My dad is a counselor and I’ve learned from him that if you bottle stuff up never releasing it the smallest thing can make those emotions spill over.” Wow. For once he made sense. I knew he had a point but I’ve survived the past year this way why mess it up? “I never knew your dad was a counselor.” I answered. “Well he isn’t licensed or anything. He studied some phycology mostly he just listens and tries to help people.” This was part of the reason I liked hanging out with Blake I felt totaly at ease I could be myself....Most of the time. He was easy to talk to and hard to stay mad at.
