Dream Simulator {Discontinued}

CHAPTER 1 - A Walk In The Rain

His grip tightened around his heavy book bag that was slung on one shoulder. With every step he took on the cold hard concrete, it felt like it was getting heavier. It felt like the three textbooks he had in there started multiplying into six. Then nine. Then twelve. Even his pencil case and water bottle felt like they weighed ten pounds in total. Walking in the freezing rain didn't help very much either. The Department of Regulating Weather promised that there would be sunny skies and warm temperatures. That didn't seem to be happening any time soon.

The rain soaked his recently pampered hair and each droplet practically turned his pale skin to ice. Archer imagined his long slender arms actually turning into ice, then falling to the ground and shattering to a million tiny pieces. The thought sent a blood curdling shiver through him. Maybe it was the cold. He had considered half an hour into his walk rolling down the sleeves of his freshly ironed dress shirt, but then feared the book bag would slip out of his grip and fall into a muddy puddle. There was no way he would go to school looking like he ran one of those obstacle courses they do annually for Field Day during the hot, summer days.

The thought of gently sunrays kissing his icy skin warmed him up for a millisecond before his daydream dissolved and he was back walking in the endless prairies beside the anti gravity train tracks. The missing sun at eight in the morning made the prairies look like a haunted, barren wasteland even though it had life in it. There were some animals hiding in the colossal fields of wheat, but Archer never saw them. He was walking with fifteen other students, and sometimes they'd shout "Hey! Guys! I found one!", and everyone would look where they were pointing. But by the time everyone had turned their exhausted heads, whatever animal had been there was long gone.

For the most part of the walk, everyone walked in silence. The only noise filling it in was the rain pattering on the concrete path beside the tracks. Every ten minutes or so, an anti gravity train would come racing past them at the speed of light. Archer's group hated this part the most when they walked: the wind that the train would pick up and then practically throw at them, making them numb all over. The only good part to it is the train's dim lights lighting up the field around them, but only hardly. Even after a solid hour of walking, they were still in darkness.

"What idiot decided it would be a jolly good idea to build a school in the middle of nowhere?," a boy muttered.

"Quiet, Micah," a girl warned, her voice hoarse. "You can't talk about the Government that way".

Everyone muttered agreements, which made Micah scowl. Archer had been walking with Micah since September, but this was the first time he's ever heard him talk. And the first time he's ever heard his name. He was pretty sure that he was a freshman, but Archer never kept track anymore. In three more months, he would be done with James Cross High school and go to Aidenson University of Engineering. The good thing was that Aidenson's was right in the city, where he lived. At least he wouldn't have to get up every morning at six and walk across the labyrinth of Eden (his city) to make it out to the prairies at seven thirty and walk to his school until nine twenty.

Archer normally met up with his group at around seven at City Hall, and then walked the rest of the way to school in the empty streets. He could understand Micah's frustration as they walked across the empty roads. It took at most three hours to get to school by foot, and they couldn't use any sort of transportation. Not until the afternoon anyway, when they were allowed to take the anti gravity trains home. It took only an hour and a half to get home which gave them enough time to finish their homework on the train so they wouldn't have to do it at home.

No one was ever allowed to ride the anti gravity trains in the morning; afternoon only. He had heard from his peers that the Government was carrying important cargo on the trains every morning to other cities. No one knows what though, and sometimes, when Archer was bored, he would imagine what the trains were carrying. Maybe boxes full of books and school supplies so that students in the other Cities could use them. Maybe they were carrying disassembled parts to huge hovercrafts. He consciously shook his head in disagreement. That was a childish dream. Everyone knew (or guessed) that the Government was just transporting food.

Anti gravity trains are the only means of transportation that the Government allowed the public to keep. Apparently, in the olden days, too many cars used to cause something called "Global Warming" and it almost put Earth in ruin. Cars are only used for Government Officials during emergencies, and they almost never happen. Maybe once or twice a year, but that's it. No one actually knows what the emergencies are about. The Government always says that kind of information is classified.

The deafening rumble of an approaching anti gravity train makes everyone turn their heads, except for Archer. He was too busy preparing himself for the rush of cold air about to encase him.

"Oh, come on. What the actual f-?". The roar of the train sliding smoothly against the tracks drowned out Micah's colourful swears.

A short girl with curly platinum blonde hair beside him smacked his shoulder as another warning, but she was smiling and obviously enjoying his little spectacle. Archer would have laughed if his lips didn't feel like they would fall off the second he made a sound. The dim light from the train's windows lit up only a small area of the field around them. The light gave them shadows as they marched on in the unbearable cold; they were long, stretching out all the way into the field and beyond. They matched every step and every move their human reflection made. Archer could see that he was slouching, and he forced himself to stand straight and tall.

What was he even whining about? He was brave. He was strong. This walk was absolutely nothing compared to the torture they had to go through during gym class. Just one foot in front of the other. He could do this.

The towering structure of James Cross High school came into view after another dreadful hour and a half. At least, during the last half of their walk, small bits of the pale sun managed to shine through the clouds that were as black as the night. Thanks to the light, they were more careful as to not fall into anymore ditches just as Micah and a girl named Scarlet had (Scarlet had fallen into one once, and Micah had fallen into one three times, which ended up in more profanity and probably some bruises).

Archer wouldn't be surprised if someone in his group went to the Representative Principal to cite Micah. He had broken the rules by bad mouthing the Government and by swearing too much. Profanity has never been allowed in Eden or in any of the cities. You would get a minor should you accidently swear once, but if you swear more than once and on purpose. . .

Distracting his thoughts, he arched his neck back to look at the school towering above him. It was completely made out of marble that never ceased to shine and was six stories high. The structure never ceased to amaze him, and he always dreamed of recreating a building similar to this once he graduated engineering school. A field of lush evergreen grass surrounded the school, but wasn't filled with activity as it normally was. There was nobody playing soccer or hanging out underneath the lone willow tree in their giant groups. There was nobody except for Archer and his group walking on the pathway to the open glass doors.

He checked the grey watch strapped to his numb wrist. It read 9:20 AM in bolded red numbers. They still had ten minutes before school started. Maybe it would be enough time to get a short nap in. . .

The second he had stepped through the open doors and into the crowded corridor, a wave of warmth spread over him, and he let out a small sigh of relief. Every part of him ached and felt like ice that was slowly melting away now. He ran a stiff hand through his drenched hair, probably messing it up more than it already was, and started walking down the crowded hallway.

Whenever someone said hello to him, he said hello back. Whenever someone waved to him, he waved back. Sometimes, he caught girls giving him those eyes that Jessica often gave him when she said that she loved him, and he smiled back (because that's what he felt like doing every time she looked at him like that). His heart skips a beat at the thought of her. He hadn't seen her at all this weekend; she had been too busy with volunteer hours, and he had two tests to prepare for.

But now, he would see her. He slightly picked up his pace, trying to act nonchalant as his excitement took over him. Was she thinking about him too? Did she miss him as much as he did?

The next time another girl gave him dreamy eyes, he grinned at her and waved, making her blush.