BeepBeepBeep! BeepBeepBeep! Opening my eyes in shock, it took a moment before my brain could understand what it was seeing. I was laying down in my bed on my back, looking up at my ceiling. Blinking my eyes in confusion, I remembered how vividly I had dreamed of blackness, and then a bright light. Then. . . I dreamed of a person?
No, I thought. There were two people. But I can't remember their names, or what they looked like. . . I could already feel the memory of the dream slipping out of my grasp, and I sighed in quiet frustration. It's very rare for me to remember any dreams I have, and this has never really bothered me before.
However, something about this dream felt different. Like it was important. . . My phone was still beeping at me to get up and get ready for school, so I threw the sheet off of myself and groggily sat up in my bed, reaching for my phone. Silencing the alarm, I ran a hand over my face, trying to clear away my sleepiness.
Looking at the time on my phone, I saw that some apps had updated while my phone had been charging as I slept. Clearing the notifications without reading them, I saw the digital clock face telling me that it was 07:00. Standing up and heading towards my bathroom, I passed by my open window, where rays of early morning sunshine were just beginning to shine through.
Closing the bathroom door behind me, I turned on the hot water knob for the small shower. It was just big enough for me to stand in one spot and get hit by water, but I didn't mind the small space. The entire bathroom was pretty small, actually. To the right of the box that was my shower with a set of sliding opaque glass doors, was the small porcelain sink. The sink was set into a wooden box, with cabinet doors underneath the sink basin. The white porcelain toilet was on the right of the sink, which was pretty much just an average toilet. No need to go into depth on describing it.
These three accessories to my bathroom were separated by about a foot of space, but I kinda liked the utilitarian vibe it gave off. This was a place of efficiency, nothing more. Sighing as I tried to occupy my mind while waiting for the water to heat up, I grabbed a pair of clothes from the cabinet that was set into the wall behind me, across from the sink. I kept all of my clothes in here, with my shirts and jeans being hung by hangers on a pole that ran along the top of the cabinet.
Picking out a soft white cotton T-shirt, a pair of jeans identical to the ones I wore yesterday, white ankle high socks, and a pair of black and grey plaid boxers, I lay them down on the side of the sink without putting them in the basin.
Slipping a hand inside the shower, I felt that the water was now pleasantly warm, and wasted no time in undressing and stepping inside. Sighing in pleasure, I closed my eyes to enjoy this moment before I had to leave for school later.
Rushing downstairs after I had finished my shower, dressed, and brushed my teeth, I had my bag hanging by one strap on my right shoulder. I had put my grey hoodie on before leaving my bedroom, and I was now dressed and ready for school. The only thing I had left to do was eat breakfast, and then I would grab my bike and leave.
My dad was in his usual spot on the couch, watching the news. He raised a hand to wave at me, and I returned the gesture. Going into the kitchen, I filled a bowl with cereal and some milk, grabbed an orange, and filled my glass with water. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was only 7:20. Right on time, I thought.
As I ate in my usual silence, I was surprised to see my dad come into the kitchen. He was dressed in the same attire as yesterday for work, and he raised an eyebrow at me as we stared at each other. I wordlessly did the same, and for a few seconds we were engaged in a silent staring contest. Then he crossed his eyes and I almost spit out my cereal by laughing.
"Haha, you okay?" he laughed as I struggled to breathe past the cereal I had sucked down my throat. I nodded to him as I drained my glass of water in an attempt to wash it down my throat. "I just wanted to let you know that there's a good chance we'll get some rain this morning, so you might want to leave a little early, okay? If it starts raining at school they'll let you inside, so just be sure to get there before it starts raining, okay?"
YOU ARE READING
The Marked
FantasíaJames is beginning his first year of high school as a freshman, and his anxiety is high. New teachers, school bullies, and the start of his teenage years aren't all he has to worry about, however. He starts to have strange dreams, in which he learn...
