The Dream Keeper

Morning After

Riley

Riley sat straight up in her bed. Letting the soft pink colored sheets pool around waist. She moved her violet eyes around her room. The small waterfall gurgled quietly in the corner. The soft blue walls calmed instantly. The nightmare had her sweating bullets of ice cold sweat. Riley felt like she was watched, a pair of eyes following her move. She knew she was paranoid,but she couldn't shake the feeling. Riley looked at her iHome blaring "Marry the Night". 

6:17

Crap" Riley thought. She belonged to an elite dance class that gave 20,000 dollar scholarships to places like Julliard and The Geoffery School of Ballet. Plus her instructor was a an old Russian lady, who didn't mess around with people. Riley walked to her closet and grabbed her black leotard and bright pink spanks.

Her teacher was nice enough to let the girls pick the color of spanks and pointe shoes. Riley's pointe shoes were also bright pink. The other girls chose softer colors like blue or light green where as Riley chose to stand out and be different.

Sitting at her vanity, Riley yanked a brush through her strawberry blonde hair. When her brush hit a knot,Riley pulled harder, to try and solve the problem. Suddenly the brush pulled free, making her hit her head against the table. 

Blackness swallowed her.

"Riley?! Is that you?" a familiar voice asked.

"If you think Riley, is going to save you...think again." another voice said.

The scene shifted to stage.

Riley was dancing gracefully with her partner who looked like her boyfriend Sean. Suddenly she was on the ground bleeding through her white costume.

Then light.

Riley decided after this vision, she would not tell her parents, Justin and Eliza. They had a lot on their  minds. Riley was going to a have a baby sister soon. Plus her parents had tried everything for Riley's nightmare's. Nothing worked. She remembered one time at school the class had to keep a dream journal for a month. When her teacher reviewed journal, she found had found very disturbing things written down. The teacher called her parents, and recommended therapists  for Riley to go to. 

Riley glanced again at her clock. 

6:27 

She'd been passed out for 10 minutes.

Better head downstairs, she thought

Riley left her bedroom and walked towards the staircase with a confidence that she didn't know that she had. Riley passed by family photos and pictures of Riley in her ballet outfits.She paused by the one picture of her the year she played Clara in Nutcracker. Riley played her at 15.

The final picture at the bottom of the stairs was a picture of her mom and dad when they were younger with two people.

Riley always asked who that was.

Her mom would look at the picture with sadness that turned to anger.

"That's me and your dad. The president from a few years ago and don't ever talk to the two others." Eliza warned.

Riley walked into the kitchen where she saw her mom sitting at the counter with her swollen belly. Eliza was ready to burst. Her mom being pregnant at 7 1/2 months was torture for Riley. She once had to get chocolate peanut butter ice cream and pickles in the middle of the night for her mother. The end result of  what happened to the food wasn't really pretty.

"You're up a little later than usual." Riley's mom stated rubbing her belly.

"Yeah, I decided to sleep in a little." Riley lied. "Where's dad?" 

Eliza looked uncomfortable when Riley asked that question. Riley knew something was up. 

"Is he here?" she asked again.

"No. He had to meet some people." Eliza replied.

Riley wondered  if had to do something with the other people in the picture.

"Well, I better get going to the studio.. I love you mom." Riley said as she kissed Eliza's cheek.

"Bye, honey I love you too. Good Luck."

Riley got into her light blue 2003 corolla and pulled out of her driveway. As Riley made her way to the studio she plugged in her iPod. Her teacher,Miss Koff, had really advanced systems for music. They had to bring their own iPod. The teacher had control of what song and the volume of each iPod. But since the headphone would tangle, Miss Koff gave each of the 11 girls an earpiece that served the same purpose. 

Marry the Night came on as Riley drove to the downtown studio.

Riley had auditioned for the lead solo in the song. The beginning was slow and ballad light then turned into passionate and loud. Riley made the studio just in time. Plus her space was open.

Riley grabbed her dance bag and headed inside. As she entered the locker room, Riley saw her best friend Janessa putting her hair up into a slick bun. 

"Hey!" Janessa said.

"Hi" Riley replied.

"There's people watching us today..." Janessa said quietly.

Riley gave her a confused look.

"I think they're college recruiters or something like that." Janessa added on.

Riley tied on her bright pink pointe shoes and grabbed her blue water bottle and headed towards the bar and mirrors to self stretch herself.

Riley just finished loosening her muscles when she heard the door open and Miss Koff's cane against the floor.

"Line up!" the Russian voice said.

Hey guys! Anyway the website won't let me pick a cast for a weird reason... But Riley is played by Alexandra Anna Daddario(Annabeth) anyway love y'alls going to bed yay! 

MrJlover