Dream

Part 1 - Chapter 1

Running, faster. Panting, harder. Sweating, more. Janie’s eyes flashed open, it was just a dream. She had broken into a cold sweat but it was okay, everything was okay now. Slowly, she breathed, in for two, out for two. The clock’s face read 4am, she put her head back down on the pillow, it was just a dream.

 

Now she woke up again, it was 7am, her alarm was singing, the sweat was gone. She breathed slowly but knew it was back to normal. “It was just a stress dream…” she told herself. Stretching and yawning, Janie Sylvester stood up from her bed and slumped downstairs in her purple cat pyjamas. “Morning sweety!” trilled her mum in that abnormally high-pitched tone of voice that everyone hates. Like a zombie, Janie groaned, sat down at the table and proceeded to pour out cereal into her bowl and milk onto the table. Her mum skipped through into the room, mopped the milk up and left. Mrs Sylvester was being far too nice this morning. He hair was plaited, her makeup done and she was wearing a strange summer dress. She had a job interview.

 

From then on, everything was normal until her mother said, “Janie, hunny, I heard you dreaming last night.” I looked up from my dry cereal.

“You, um… You sure it wasn’t next door?”

Sorrowfully, Mrs Sylvester patted Janie’s head, “Look dear, I know times like this are stressful, and I know you have GCSEs and I know you’re on medication-”

Ah yes, the medication! Janie had been on it for three years since she was 13 and her mum treated it like it was serious. Serious? In fact, it was far from. Sleeping tablets and a preventer inhaler, nothing at all serious but they still made Janie restless and at the same time sleepy. “Look mum, I’m fine, now you go to work okay? I’ve got to go to school.” She stood up from the table, slightly annoyed and walked upstairs to her bedroom, moments later she heard her mum leave the house.

 

After 10 minutes, our heroine’s hair was brushed and put up into two messy buns on either side of her head, mascara and a tiny bit of blush had been applied, and she was dressed in her uniform with her bag packed ready for the oncoming school day. Forgetting about her earlier worries, she skipped down the stairs, slipped on a pair of black flats and exited her house. The walk to the bus stop was long and gave her time to think. I’ve been having this dream on and off for almost two weeks now. Maybe it means something? All the running, and the ongoing forest, I don’t understand it, I’m just going round in circles on the soaked grass. It scares me. Janie looked up at the bus stop, she was by herself again. Maybe she should contemplate the dream some more? No, we can’t have her worrying.

 

Buses and cars drove past, the sun rose higher and Janie was bored. She took out her phone. no texts, no notifications, no missed calls. So the bus arrived, after it had decided fully that Janie had had enough alone time to think. Therefore, it pulled up, doors swinging open, and she stepped in, her bag swinging at her hip as Miriam Michaels beckoned her over. “Hey Miriam! You ready for the French test?” asked Janie, sitting down and smiling.

“Ready? Why Janie dear, I am the queen of French!” They both giggled and began to talk about books and films and fandoms and TV, no mention of Janie’s concern about her dream in sight.

The nine o’clock bell rang and a yawn could be heard escaping Janie’s mouth. Only seven more hours… Then I can go home and sleep! thought Janie, taking out her history textbook and reading about how Genghis Khan attacked China. Finally, the bell rang for the final time that school day and all of Janie’s class rushed out the doors, some eating, some studying, and some just being themselves. That was when Adam Howis walked up to her, his short brown hair slightly curled, he was tall and and slightly sporty, but he was also one of the cleverest and nicest guys in the whole of the school. “Yo! Janes! You ok? Somethin’ seems wrong, I just can’t put my finger on it…” he said, poking her playfully. Janie went slightly red and brushed him away. “Thanks Adam, but I’m fine, just a little preoccupied is all.” he nodded and then turned around, his friends beckoning him over, “Sorry… We have an AV club meeting, I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” He brushed her hair playfully and hurried off to his group of friends.