Unattainable

Chapter 14 Dreams

I was walking down the deserted halls at school towards the doors, only I was being held back by a force of some sort, leaving me in a surreal state.

Although I felt myself moving towards the light that slipped through the adjacent door, I was hardly moving at all: I was stuck in a cycle.

Suddenly the bell went off and faceless figures exited the classrooms and floated into the hallway, but none of them stopped, rather with every numb body that passed me, they all shoved me from side to side.

Stand up.

Someone knocked my books from my hands.

Pick them up.

I bent down slowly to pick them up when. Felt pressure in my back. Someone had pushed me and I fell to the ground.

Get up and hit them back.

I tried to stand but for some reason, I could not muster the strength to stand on my feet.

Someone please.

I looked down at my knees, as I lay there unable to move, and saw they were scratched and bleeding. The sting hurt my skin and made my eyes water.

Don't cry.

I stretched out my hand to the bodies that continued to walk by me, but not one paused to offer any assistance, rather they smacked my hand out of the way.

Except one.

It was Shawn.

I watched as he paused at the end of the hallway and his hands fell to his sides. He stood just staring at me blankly through emotionless eyes.

Or perhaps maybe they were filled with an emotion only one I did not want to grow a costumes to seeing cloud them.

He inched sellout towards me as I felt my voice forming words.

"Shawn, down here! Help me...please."

The boy who seemed to always be able to wear his heart on his sleeve around me, suddenly seemed shut off and distanced as he approached me.

I slowly lifted my hands towards him, silently asking him to take it, to pick me up, to listen like he had promised.

"Shawn."

He was now row seeing over me as he reached for my hand slowly. I watched as his fingers started towards mine, brushing my trembling hand.

But then, rather abrubtly, they pulled away.

"I can't carry the two of us."

And he pushed my hand away.

And he left me I'm the hall.

****

I sat up in a cold sweat panting frantically.

"No, no, this won't happen it cant." I reached across the bed to my dresser for my phone and turned it on to see a text from shawn.

Good morning beautiful. Is it alright if I call you that? I hope you're feeling up to see me today. I'm looking forward to seeing you again.

I shook my head and smiled. Dreams don't mean anything.

I looked at the time: 12:30 pm.

You call me that in public and I'll murder you ;) Yes I slept well and I can't wait to see you too.

I put down my phone and stood out of bed.

I tried to push the dream to the back of my head as I let my hair fall loose and I slipped into the hallway.

"Astrid!" My mom.

I walked down the hallway slowly to see my mom at the door slipping into her coat.

"Goodmorning." I rubbed my eyes as I looked down the stairs at her.

"I'm going to Toronto today with your brother to visit Aunt Sarah," my brother bounced out the door without so much as a hello. "Dads at work so you'll be home today. Go out or whatever with Taryn just be back around six okay?"

She didn't even have any suspicious about my whereabouts?

Play it cool.

"Okay, I'm going to get dressed," I turned slowly, "tell Auntie I say hey!" I called as I rushed down the hall as she shut the door and I heard the car start up.

I slipped into the bathroom and turned the tap to cold and splashed my face, waking me up and bringing me out of this trance I now found myself stuck in.

I made eye contact with the frightened figure in the mirror.

"Dreams don't mean anything," I reassured her. "Nothing at all."