Frozen Sun

I' m running. My lungs are burning, but I know that I cannot stop. I've come too far to stop now. I'd been running for what seemed like hours, but I knew it had only been minuets. The burning trees behind me seemed to only mock me, the flames cackling and telling me that I would never make it. But I continued to run anyways. I was too stubborn to simply give up now. The trees ahead, the ones that weren't burnt to a crisp, were beginning to thin out, the forest becoming thinner and thinner. I knew what lied ahead of me. I had done this millions of times, each time becoming harder and harder. Just as I'd suspected, the trees seemed to disappear from view as I came face to face with my death. The large cliffside in front of me seemed to reach all the way to the sky. I turned around, only to be nearly blinded by the scorching fire that seemed to consume the trees until there was only a charred, black skeleton in its place. The flames licked its way up the trees and onto the ones closer to me. The smoke was making me double over in a coughing fit, all the while the fire seemed to crawl its way closer and closer to me until I was backed up against the cliff. I waited for the fire to reach my skin, to consume me in flames.  

The pain never came. 

I felt warmth, but it wasn't scorching hot. Instead, it was as though I was wrapped tight in a warm blanket, sitting by a fire place. I wasn't scared either. I actually felt safe, like I was at home and not in the woods burning to death. I opened my eyes to see what was causing such an amazing feeling and why I wasn't burnt to a crisp. Only, when I opened my eyes, I was met with a loud, high pitched wail. No, not a wail, a beeping sort of sound.

*****

My alarm clock was what had awoken me. I groaned at myself for not knowing that it was all a dream. I clambered out of bed, adjusting to the darkness that surrounded me. I switched on the light and started my morning routine. After getting dressed, I went to brush my teeth when I realized how awful I looked.  

My orange/red hair was a disaster, sticking out in every direction. I had dark circles under my eyes, making me look like I'd not slept for weeks. Then there was the basic things that made me look terrible, like my too square jaw, my thick lips, and my awfully pale skin, topped off with a sprinkle of with freckles. No matter how often I tanned, the paleness would return within a couple of days.

After I spent five minuets trying to make my hair look presentable,I brushed my teeth, had a small breakfast (all I had time for was a piece of toast) and walked down to the bus stop. All the way there I was trying to figure out why my dream had been so different. All of my dreams began the same way, me running for my life from the fire. I'd always ended up in the same place, by the cliff, surrounded by fire. But this ending was different. I was usually burnt to death, waking up in a cold sweat. What I couldn't fathom was why I had felt such peace. Had the fire somehow died down? Was I in too much pain to feel anything? Or was I simply awake in bed, not wanting to open my eyes? What ever the reason, I would have to figure it out on my own. I have never told anyone about my dreams. Not my parents or any of my friends. I would tell my dad, but (coincidentally) he had died in a fire, trying to save a family from the burning house. Me and my mom haven't really had a lot of bonding time, what with her being the sheriff. As for my friends, well, I just don't have any. I used to have some, before my dad died. After his death, my mom had me focus on schoolwork more than anything. That, and I figured no one wanted to talk to a depressed girl. So, in the end, I never really had a lot of people to talk to.

I was nocked out of my thoughts by my only friend, Jessica, who sat in the bus seat right next to me. 

"Jeez, Alex, you look tired." she said. 

Jessica Quinn was one of the prettiest girls I knew. She had long, hip length blonde hair, with brown highlights underneath. She was at least two inches taller than me, standing at a good five foot seven. She had large, innocent looking blue eyes framed by thick dark lashes. Her bottom lip was thicker than the top one, making her always look like she's pouting. She had a pretty, heart shaped face with an always evident blush on her cheeks. It was no wonder she was captain of the cheer squad.