The Real Me

Chapter five: Once upon a nightmare

Connor's POV

I woke up with a start.

My heart pounding against my chest and body drenched in sweat. I try to control my short ragged breaths and uncontrollable shaking.

My whole body was trembling from the dream.

The burning sensation could still be felt on my skin.

My arms and legs still tingling. The images of Ryder standing in the midst of the fire, controlling the flames to engulf me, keeps replaying.

I frantically look around Blake's house for any signs of the blazing flames, nothing was damaged.

There were no broken glass to be found. No sharp wooden boards poking up.

No ashes. No flames. No Ryder.

Everything looks unfazed.

"You okay there man?" Blake asked.

"Umm yeah, just a bad dream."

"Really? Last time I had a bad dream, my crazy bitch of an ex was barbecuing me over an open flame surrounded by tiny fluffy bunnies."

I stare at him with a questioning look.

"Well anyway, that must've been some nightmare you were having. You wouldn't stop whinning. I would've woken you up but last time I did that, I ended up with a big black eye for a week." He chuckles.

I blinked a few times, waking myself up, rubbing my eyes hard, until I could see little black dots floating in the air.

I look around the room, making sure that it really was just a dream as well as pinching my still tingling arm.

I touch my arm where I remember the shards of glass dug in the dream. I look down at my hands, nothing.

No scratches, no burns, no blood.

It was just a dream. A nightmare.

But it felt so real. So vivid.

"I was planning on meeting up with Ryder, did you wanna come?" He asked, still not looking away from the game he was playing.

What the fuck did I just dream about? No way in hell would Ryder have the power within himself to do that.

To just stand there and watch me burn.

To watch me die.

He's my best friend, we grew up together. He was like a brother. My second in command. My family.

I trust him.

"Hellooooo?? Earth to Connor." Blake's left hand waving up down in front of my confused face, while his right on the controller.

"Huh?"

"I was asking you if you wanted to come hang with us."

"Oh, yeah sure. I'm down, what time?"

"Probably around after lunch. Depending on what time Ryder calls me down."

"Yeah, alright then." I nod, scratching the back of my head expecting to feel the open gash from the dream.

"Meet us down at the dirt tracks. Ryder just got a new bike and he wanted to test it out." He continued, focusing on the game again.

"Sure, sounds good."

I get up from the couch, folding the blanket neatly and placing it on the coffee table.

"There should be some bread left on the counter if you wanted to eat."