The Unwanted

Chapter 6 - Dream

Chapter 6- Dream

As I slowly opened my eyes, I stared at the blank white roof above me and tried to recall where I was and what had happened. I stared blankly at the mesmerising white canvas ceiling, my mind full of emptiness.

Just as I regained my steady heartbeat by breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, I could hear a continual tap against the floor and my pulse rate shot up, upon realising the origin of the sound. While I desperately tried to sit up, I saw a man peering at me and tapping his foot. I stood up almost too quick, sending a sharp agonising pain to my head while getting up.

Admiral Todd stood towering over me. He was in his usual attire of a large long-sleeved black jacket, brown chino trousers, a pair of thick black gloves and on his feet, sturdy brown military boots. At this moment I could tell he wasn't acting as an admiral anymore, now he was Principal Todd.

"What's going on with you?" He asked, "You know you are only here on a scholarship, yet I hear you're having issues in the classroom and now in sports. Then I hear you're having troubles with my son, getting knocked out by a snowball."

Everything began to process in my mind. After I had avoided the snowball, I must have collapsed, probably due to the exhaustion from running the race. The people around me assumed it was due to the snowball.

"My son is getting dealt with, but I need to warn you, you're walking on thin ice. If something doesn't change soon, I'm going to have no choice but to pull your scholarship and unfortunately for you, you're not as financially secure as the rest of us," he said, "so that would mean dropping out."

I already knew my situation, I didn't need him to remind me. I looked around the room and noticed, he had a lot of expensive luxury goods ranging from a cappuccino machine to what seemed to be a very expensive bottle of cologne named "Clive: Scent of the ocean" placed on his desk. How can anyone afford stuff like this on a principal salary?

"What do you have to say for yourself?" he bellowed.

"It wasn't the snowball" I replied with a smile. The confused look on his face informed me he obviously needed more information, "James was just trying to scare me, the snowball missed, I collapsed from exhaustion, not the snowball."

Why was I helping James? Even though I dodged it, he was trying to hit me. But fortunately for him, he didn't. I couldn't let him get punished for a crime he didn't commit.

"Well whatever the case, you shouldn't be giving him reasons to throw them at you," he elaborated, "He only targeted you, probably because he viewed you as the easiest prey. The only way to fix that is to get your sports and academic life on track. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," I said reluctantly.

"You have a volleyball trial in a week and a math test in 3 days" he continued, "You are going to have to make it onto the volleyball team and ace your math test if you want to secure your position in our school. I can't help you with the volleyball but as for the math test. I have contacted your parents who have agreed for you to come to my house so you can have extra lessons there."

"Your house?!" I asked, puzzled.

"Yes, we start today. Here is the address. Eight o'clock don't be late," He said dismissing me as stretched out his hand to give me a piece of paper.

I slowly walked back to my dorm room contemplating everything that had just happened as I slowly flipped the piece of white paper around. It was his business card with his address written on it:

Joshua Todd:

Principal, Coach, Math Tutor:

'16B Strathallan Street'

As I opened my room door, I was almost thrown back by the overwhelming wall of stench emitting from the two-day-old pot noodles rotting in my sink. I pushed my way through and manoeuvred through the piles of pizza boxes. I starred at the stack of papers and files that seemed to tower over me and the old dictionaries that lacked the words 'E-mail' and 'projector' wide open on my desk. I tucked and rolled to my bed to avoid the scattered mines of my clothes that laid on my floor, I took shelter under my thick embracing duvet and tried to relax and remember what had just happened today. It had been a long day. First the chemistry question, then the 15km run and now a lesson from my principal. But none of that compared to that state of slowed down time. I tried recalling what had happened, but it felt like trying to recall a dream, the harder I tried to remember the less detail I could recall.

Was the state of slowed down time real? Or was it just an illusion?

As I laid there and the hours of the world continued to roll by, my consciousness began to melt away and my mind began to go into free fall. I began swirling with the beautiful chaos of a new dream.

I stood in the middle of a vast ocean with amazing, light blue water. Small yellow bolts of lightning struck the water around me. My hands were cupped with water moving softly around them, caressing coolly and calmly. I watched it drip as it slipped through my finger. They fell as though they are being snatched by gravity to the deep sea below, each drop echoing around me.

As the last drop fell, I began to feel the pull of gravity. It pulled my whole body under water. I held my breath for as long as I could. My arms and legs kicked out desperately as I tried to swim to the surface. The light blue water swirled around me, trapping me, keeping me from the oxygen I needed. My entire body was throbbing, my lungs felt as though they were about to explode.

I kept fighting but slowly, I began to lose. I had to take a breath. So, I did. For some reason, it didn't hurt like I thought it would. I wasn't scared anymore, it was almost peaceful. I began to fall. It continued pulling me deeper, and deeper, and deeper! I didn't want to die like this, but it was too hard to try to fight, so I simply let the darkness take over me.

What will become of me now?

After what felt like days, I stopped thinking about it.

Or

Maybe I forgot how to think at all.

I saw nothing, I heard nothing, I felt nothing. Here I could stay all day. No worries or doubt but .... also, no happiness or joy.

Is this heaven? Or is this hell?

My dream was suddenly interrupted by a knock at my door as I awoke panting drenched in sweat. I felt my crusty eyes flutter open. As I stumbled over to my door. The metal knob caused a cold feeling to spread throughout my hand. The hinges groaned so loudly it erupted through the corridor. Behind the door, a face of light chestnut brown looked down at me and smiled.

Anthony Halifax stood at my door spinning a volleyball in his hand.

"You busy?" he asked with his usual warm smile.