Plagued

FOUR

<Image is the outfit worn later in the chapter>

My eyes had burst open in a panic, searching around the dark room.

My heart had been pounding in my chest, and my breathing was uneven.

I turned over to pull the chain on my light.

My room lit up, and I could finally regain my composure.

What had happened?

I... I thought I was...

Was it a dream?

It felt very real though.

I took my phone from the nightstand.

It showed the time, 4 o'clock in the morning. After opening my texting app, I saw no sign of my meeting with Sam and Mike...

I guessed it was a dream after all.

BOOM

Thunder rolled in the night sky, and I could tell that there is a storm; just like in my nightmare.

I laid my head down and tried to rest until the morning, or at least after sunrise

...

I was alerted awake by my alarm, nine o'clock.

I guess I need to wake up.

Groggily, I pull the covers off me and slide out of bed.

Sunday mornings are always so boring.

At least I get the mornings to myself.

I didn't bother with getting dressed quite yet, I had no plans on going out so there wasn't really any point in it.

After a short trip to the kitchen, I located the refrigerator. 

"Now, what was I in the mood for today?"  

The only real thing that peaked my interests was the frozen box of waffles.

I took two blueberry waffles out of the freezer and placed them in the toaster.

We didn't seem to have much in the way of food, we would be due for some grocery shopping.

I usually went with Mom so that we can 'bond.'

I've never spent much time with my family, not because I was ungrateful or anything- but because of how they hounded me.

I graduated high school at the top of my class, yet they still found some way to constantly criticize me for my education. I've applied to countless colleges and universities, but none seemed to want me.

That is why I needed those volunteer hours. To get into the university that I wanted, I needed to complete two-hundred hours of volunteering.

It was kind of ridiculous, but I guess it makes sense, it shows you have a have a good work ethic.

Even so, I was starting to have second thoughts about this whole post-secondary thing.

I had tried to get a job, but the only ones I seemed to manage well were the ones without teamwork; I'm not a very good team player.

My waffles popped, and I took out the syrup while waiting for them to cool.

I hadn't had waffles in a long time...

My thoughts were interrupted by the front door opening.

"Hello?"

I called out.