When I Awakened

Car Ride

    I look at my brother, whose eyes are still on the road. He looks tired. We have been driving all day and I don't know when we are going to stop. I don't think he does, either.

   I look back at Elijah. He is sleeping. I smile, refusing to release his hand. I think about the one kiss we had in the dark, in my "life." I just wish it was real. Elijah's hand grips tighter around my fingers. He must be having a bad dream. I squeeze his hand back, and he opens his eyes. 

   "Skylar?" he asks, looking up at me confused.

   "Yeah?" I question.

   He smiles. I can feel butterflies flying in my stomach, and my head is spinning. 

   "Aww, looks like my little sister is in love," my brother teases. 

   I stick my tongue out, and he laughs. 

   "Elijah, remember that time in our "life" when you were taking out the trash, and I came out to talk to you?" I ask.

   He laughs and seems to be glowing.

   "Yeah, I remember," he replies hesitantly. 

   "I wish it were real," I admit.

   "Me, too," he admits back.

   Austin looks at me confused, then he just shakes his head. 

   "Skylar, remember that time we ran away?" he adds.

   "Yeah. I was upset, and you were trying to get out of some drama. We both ran into the woods, and slept by the trees," I laugh. "Remember when we both came back in the morning?"

   We both laugh, and Austin keeps his eyes on the road. 

   "Sounds like your 'lives' were linked," Austin points out.

   Both me and Elijah look at him with confused faces.

   "What do you mean? Wasn't everyone linked?" I asked.

   "No. Think about it. If everyone was linked, children in your dream that died at a young age, and were linked, would wake up. The government didn't want that, so they did not link anyone. I don't know what happened with you two," Austin explains.

   "Why did the military do this?" I question.

   "I don't know," he answers. "All I know is that they wanted control of everything around them. Maybe this was their compromise."

   "Remember that time when the guy," I pause, "Oh, right, you weren't there." 

   Elijah looks at me confused.

   "No, tell me the story," he pleads.

   "Ok..." I pause, "so we were in school, and some guy came in with a mallet. He rages into my classroom, and I told him off. He started crying in the classroom! It was crazy. It was like I had superpowers."

   Austin starts laughing. 

   "I doubt that happened, Skylar," he mocks.

   "It did happen. I promise," I convince.

   "I do recall that happening in my school," Elijah says.

   I look at my brother and smirk. I start to chuckle and the laughter seems to grow throughout the car. Elijah joined me, and then Austin chimed in. 

   "What do you miss from your 'life' Elijah?" I ask.

   "My dog," he answers after a moment of thinking.