House of Anubis: Sibuna Descending

1. A Long Journey

Ian shot straight up in his bed. Ever since he had hit the bed, the same nightmare occurred to him. It was a never-ending cycle. He never had this many repeats of one dream. Was this normal? Later in the morning, Ian would be moving to a new school. A boarding school, out of his home city. That would mean he couldn't visit home whenever he wanted to, and the staff would be stricter than in normal high schools. Ian sighed and fell back on his back.

The nightmares all involved starting at the new school, yet always ended with a strange vibrating feeling and a six legged silhouette in front of a red sun. It was too vague for Ian to remember the exact details of the scene.

Soon, voices were heard from the corridor beyond Ian's bedroom door. He had slept very little, yet now it was time for him to get out of bed.

Knock knock knock.

"Ian," Ian's mother called from right behind the door. "Ian, get up."

"Yeah, I'm awake," Ian responded, shoving the sheets off of himself. His Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book fell down onto the floor — he was reading it during the night in an attempt to calm himself to sleep.

Ian was the last downstairs to the table. His two younger brothers were seated at the table, eating cereal. The kitchen and dining room had no barrier between them, being part of one large room. The dining table itself was made of wood, having a grey, spotted tablecloth covering it.

"You got everything packed?" Ian's father asked from the stove.

"Yeah," Ian replied, walking to the table after filling his bowl with cereal and milk.

"I'm gonna miss you, Ian," the youngest brother — Liam — admitted sweetly.

"Bro," Mason — the second oldest — said, tapping Liam's shoulder. "You're twelve."

"Can't I still miss my brother?" Liam asked rhetorically. "Jeez."

"Right," the mother said, coming to stand between Mason and Ian. "Ian, have you packed your deodorant?"

"Yeah," Ian answered.

"And your underpants?"

"Lol," Mason spoke, trying not to laugh.

"Don't laugh," Ian's mother scolded Mason. "You expect him to walk without underwear on? You still wear underwear, don't you?"

"Yeah," Mason answered, shrugging. "But it's jus—"

"Then let me get back to it."

It was difficult for Ian to say goodbye. He usually wasn't always upset about leaving to go on a trip, but this was not like any ordinary trip. He would be gone for months. He had never spent over four days away from home, and the thought left a sickening feeling deep in his stomach.

"Okay," Ian's mother sighed after instructing Ian on what to do once he gets off he train. "Aww, I love you." The mother and son embraced tightly on the platform in the train station, almost unwilling to let go. "Don't forget us, yeah?" They both laughed. "And text me. Call. Facetime. Whatever. Stay in contact with us, okay?"

"Okay," Ian said back. "Love you, mum."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

The moment the train started, Ian felt distant from his family. He wasn't used to getting trains by himself, so this was a new experience. His parents both had a long day of work, so there was no other option. His mother waved at him, and he returned the wave through the window until the train moved away from the platform. Now he really was distant.

The trees whizzing past all kept Ian's mind off starting at this new school, but the thoughts would slowly creep back. Why did he have to get into so many fights at his old school? He had lots of friends, and classes would be fun and silly. There was no doubt in Ian's mind about this new school being a no-fun zone. It would just be reading and writing, and either speaking when spoken to by the teacher or raising your hand until the teacher permits you to speak.