Visions and Daydreams

♡

      My twin brother, Ashtyn, and I were hiking through the forest late at night. Ashtyn was being annoying, as usual. He was telling me about the weird dreams he's been experiencing lately. He said, in every dream he's had, I was trapped in a bubble like jail while being unconscious. It's kind of creepy to think of myself being in that kind of situation. Even though Ashtyn claims that it's only a dream, I can't help but feel that it may actually happen to me. I know it sounds ridiculous but it's just a strange feeling I get.
 
  Ashtyn was still talking about his dream but I ignored him. I wasn't really interested to listen. Besides, how he explained the dreams made them seem like they belonged in a Disney movie. Then again, Ashtyn seems like he's from a Disney movie. You know, taller than most men, handsome no matter what situation he's in, and being so nice that it almost seems impossible. Ashtyn is just the type of guy most girls look for but never seem to find. Which is why every girl in school pretty much bows down to him. I think they only like him because he's cute, not because he's nice and all. He has caramel brown hair and ocean blue eyes. He's taller than most boys at our school, 6;2, and he's way more muscular than he should be. Which is weird considering he doesn't work out... like at all. Unless you count his occasional hiking.
"Alice," Ashtyn quietly said from in front of me, "Do you have those types of dreams too?"
"Well, sometimes," I replied truthfully, "But not often."
"Hmmm..."
"What? Something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, uhh... no..."
I narrowed my eyes and grabbed his shoulder from behind, "Ashtyn..."
He sighed, "I don't know. I just sense something..." He looked around the area slowly.
I punched him lightly on the arm and chuckled, "If you're trying to spook me, it's not going to work!"
"I'm not joking!" he yelled, "I'm serious!"
I laughed, "Sure you are. Alright Mr. 'I sense something', prove it!"
"Prove it? How?"
"Exactly! There's nothing here besides us and a couple specks of wildlife. Nothing to wor-"
I was cut off by the sound of a twig breaking from behind us. Ashtyn grabbed my arm and ducked us behind a row of bushes that stood nearby. He poked his head up from beyond the bushes tops and slowly, yet silently, scanned our surroundings. I kept my eyes to the ground while Ashtyn held tightly on to my back. He ducked his head back down and pushed me closer to him.
"I don't see anything." he whispered, "Maybe it was a deer or something."
"It better..." I whispered back.
"...stay here. I'll be back."
"What? Why? What are you going to do?"
"Nothing. I'm just going to check it out."
"Are you crazy? We don't know what's out there!"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Stay here."
He left, leaving me in the bushes shadows alone. I waited anxiously as Ashtyn looked around the area. He soon left my sight and I ducked my head deeper into the shadows. Afraid to be seen by whatever was lurking around.

  Ashtyn hadn't returned for almost thirty minutes but I refused to move from my place. From the other side of the bushes, I heard someone's heavy breathing. I poked my head up slightly and saw a guy, who wasn't my brother, placing his right hand on the side of a tree. He was tall, like Ashtyn, and had silky black hair. He wore black jeans that were ripped with black and white high tops. He had a plain black shirt with a leather jacket over it. A black satchel hung around his shoulder. I ducked my head back under the bushes shadows. Who is he? I thought to myself. I heard the guy let out a big huff. I looked through one of the small holes that were created by the bushes mini branches and saw the guy place his satchel on the ground. He bent down and opened it then pulled out a black tablet. He activated it and pressed randomly. Every touch he made, a small bloop sound would follow. I moved back a small ways, stupidly, and accidentally stepped on a twig. The guy jerked his head in my direction and squinted his silver-like eyes. He moved closer to the bushes slowly. I grabbed a nearby fallen tree branch and placed it on my lap gently. The guy peaked his head over the top of the bushes while I closed my eyes and swung the tree branch at him. I heard him groan with loud THUD come after.
"What's the big idea?" the guy moaned while rubbing his head.
I stepped away from the bushes and went to the guys' side, "S-sorry... you scared me..."
"Look who's talking!," he stood up and looked at me, "Who are you?"
"Oh, umm... My name's Alice. And you?"
He hesitated, "...Preston," he locked his arms around one another and crossed them over his chest, "What are you doing out here alone?"
"I'm not alone... My brother's here."
Preston looked around, "I don't see anyone."
"We heard a noise and he went to check it out."
"That's not smart of him," he grabbed my hand, "He left his pretty sister out here all alone." He winked.
"Uhh... okay..." I pulled my hand away from him," Why are you here?"

"I'm... uhh... hunting."
"Hunting? At this hour?"
"I'm more of a night owl than an early bird."
"Alright..."
Preston picked up his satchel and walked off, "Nice meeting you... Alice."

•▪•▪•▪•▪•

  All I really remember after I left. Alice was, I had been hit on the head only about a mile away. When I came to, I saw several crows standing on the tree branches that hung above me. I quickly jumped to me feet and looked around the area. I saw nothing except for a wooden baseball bat at my feet. I picked it up suspiciously and ran my way back to Alice. She was sitting on the mud covered ground leaning against a tree. He eyes were closed while she snored lightly. I felt my face soften and my muscles relax. At least she's safe, I thought to myself. I leaned the baseball bat on the tree and picked Alice up in my arms. Her legs were swung over my right arm and her back leaned on my left. Somehow, I managed to grab the bat as well and placed it lightly on her. I walked my way back home, hoping not to wake Alice and to make it there before our mother did.
    Our home is a small, roomy cottage. It's only a little ways from the woods. A thin stone path leads toward our front cinnamon brown wooden door. On the sides on the door, a sunflower and tulip garden grew. Inside the house, the floor was a cinnamon wood with matching log walls. The kitchen stood on the left with a silver fridge, dishwasher, and oven. Past the kitchen was the family room with a tan couch and a brick fireplace. Above the fireplace, our television hung. On both sides of the couch, night stands stood with lamps and coasters. On the far wall stood three doors. Alice's and my bedroom, the bathroom, and our moms room. The bathroom wasn't much. Just a white toilet with a wooden seat, a white sink and a shower/tub with a forest designed shower curtain. My mother's room was just a queen sized bed with tan bed sheets. Her wooden dresser stood across from the bed and her closet was left of it. Alice and my room had a bunk bed. I had the bottom bunk with green bed sheets while she the top with blue. Our dresser was a couple feet away from the beds while our dresser was across from it.
I placed Alice on my bed while I went to the kitchen to eat a piece of pizza that Alice and I had ordered earlier. I sat on the floor in the family and watched television and a low volume. A couple minutes later, my mother walked through the door wearing her work uniform. She works at a local bar, Joe's, and has been on the night shift for the past couple weeks. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy pony while her eyes sagged. She wore her black work polo that had "Joe's" written in small letters on the left shoulder. Her blue jean leggings were rolled up to below her knees while her feet were bare. Her black converse were in her right hand. Around her left shoulder, her white purse laid.
She looked at me with a confused look and then at her watch, "Why're you still up? It's past 11:30. You have school tomorrow."
"I'm not tired." I responded after swallowing a bite of pizza.
She looked around the room, "Where's Alice?"
I pointed to our bedroom door, "Sleeping."My mother placed her shoes on the floor and her purse on a countertop in the kitchen. She took a seat on the floor next to me before laying her head on my shoulder, "Can you turn little again?"
I chuckled, "As if!"
She smiled, "When your pizza’s done, go to bed. Alright?"
I sighed, "Yeah, okay."
She got up from her spot and made her way to the bathroom. I heard the shower head turn on and my mother's smooth hum.
  I finished my last bites of pizza and made my way to my room. Alice was still asleep peacefully, thankfully. I quietly opened my side of the dresser and picked out a white muscle shirt and a pair of sweatpants then smoothly opened the closet door and entered, trying my hardest to not make any sudden noises while I changed clothes. Eventually, I was properly dressed for bed and threw my earlier clothes in the hamper. I then gently picked up Alice and oddly managed to get her on her bunk. Once she was placed down, she rolled over and held tightly onto her blanket. As I laid down on my bunk after, I stayed awake for a couple minutes before I went to bed. Whatever happened to me in the woods earlier worried me, a lot. Who hit me with a bat randomly? Who else was out there with Alice and I? Are they watching us now...? Questions swarmed around my head unanswered and eventually caused me to fall asleep.