Six (Countdown book 1)

Chapter 9

I knew I was dreaming, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. I used to have really bad nightmares when I was a kid, but this one was different. It started off quite nice. I was sat at home, with my mum and dad, eating a Sunday roast and watching a film, like we always did on Sundays.

"Eli, we've got to go." my dad said suddenly. I turned towards him. His eyes had turned icy blue, just like Tony's. 

"What?" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I felt my heartbeat quicken

"Come with me, Eli." my dad continued, and his features slowly changed, and suddenly Tony was sat in front of me. "We've got to take you somewhere safe." 

"No!" I stumbled backwards as Tony stood up. "I don't want to go with you! You're a traitor! Mum, help me!" 

My mum stared at me, crying. "I'm sorry, Eli, but you have to go." Tony walked closer to me, and picked me up by my arm. 

"Come on, kid. Ben and Wyatt are waiting. You don't want to upset them, do you?" 

I could hear my pulse roaring in my ears, and my heart was thumping like a rabbit's foot. "NO!" I shouted. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I struggled, and hit him with my arms and legs as he dragged me towards the door. 

"Mum! PLEASE!" I yelled, feeling tears springing to my eyes. "Help me! He's a tratior! He's-" I was dragged oput of the front door, and felt my head thump all too realistically on the front step. 

"I'm not the traitor, kid." Tony told me, but his eyes stared so coldly at me that I thought I'd freeze on the spot. "You're not smart enough to figure out who the real traitor is." He dragged me down the driveway, towards the street. I saw Scarlett and Mackenzie walking up the road towards us. 

"Scarlett!" I shouted. "Help me! It's Tony, he's the traitor!" 

"I know he's the traitor, silly." Scarlett said, smiling. "But he's like a brother to me. I wouldn't side with you over him." 

"Mackenzie. Please." I begged, my head hurting from where I'd hit it on the step. 

"Why would I save you?" she asked me, frowning. "You almost got me killed, remember." 

"No!" I said disbelievingly. "I saved you!" 

"I didn't need your help." Mackenzie said, glaring at me. "You're just the idiot who thought he'd be the hero..." My eyesight was going fuzzy, and when I looked up the front garden path, I noticed that my mum was stood at the door, waving me off, and I saw the thick trail of blood I'd left behind me. I knew that'd never happen in reality, but I was dreaming. Anything could happen.

Tony leaned over, and stared at me, laughing. "Hey look, the kid's crying. I think we hurt his feelings." His cold blue eyes seemed to stare straight through me. 

Mackenzie and Scarlett started laughing as well. "Aw, the poor kid." Scarlett said, grinning. "I think he's going to cry to his mummy." 

I gasped, my head now feeling as though it were on fire. I could bearly see, and I could hear a ringing in my ears. "Look, he wet himself!" Mackenzie said, laughing harder. The other two joined in. 

"P-please." I mumbled. "I- my head..." 

"The kid's hurt himself." Tony said, leaning in closer to glare down at me again. "Too bad." 

I awoke with a jolt, my bed drenched in sweat. "Hey, kid." Tony was standing over me. I freaked out and kicked him hard in the shins. "Ow! What was that for?" 

"Sorry." I mumbled. "I was having a-" 

"Nightmare." Tony finished, clutching his bruised leg. "I know, you kept shouting out and kicking the covers around. Wyatt sent me up here after breakfast to see why you weren't up yet. So you need to get up now, before you miss any more of Mythology."