Game of Survival [S. S. Book Two]

Thirty-Four

I heard a train whooshing past and heard a voice that sounded remarkably familiar. "Do you see him?"

The train whooshed past again and I fell out of bed. I began gasping for air as my dad ran in. "Ally Cat, what's wrong?"

I met my dad's eyes. "Did you hear that?"

My dad frowned. "I heard you screaming."

My head moved from side to side. "No. It was the sound of a train passing through my room."

"Alyssa, I think you were having a nightmare."

"No, I wasn't. It wasn't a..."

My dad sighed. "Well, there wasn't a train and we haven't had an earthquake, so... It must have been a bad dream."

He kissed the top of my head before walking out of my room and closing the door. "I wasn't asleep."

At school the next day, I found myself waiting by locker 1075 and I didn't know why.

I walked into Mrs. Fleming's class. She handed back our tests and I saw a solid 100% on mine. Malia got a D-. Mrs. Fleming said, "I'm impressed. With most of you. It really speaks to your study habits and your commitment to your own education. Everyone else, see me for extra help."

Lydia and I raised our hands. "Mrs. Fleming, um..."

The teacher shook her head. "I already told you, Lydia, Alyssa, I don't give extra credit for alternate equations based on your own theoretical findings."

I huffed. "Have it your way then."

Malia had her claws out and Lydia and I whispered, "Malia. Claws. Claws, Malia." She put them away with a silent nod of thanks to me and Lydia.

I saw a dark-haired woman in a lab coat with a stethoscope sitting in the empty desk next to me. "Excuse me, who are you? What are you doing here?"

The woman opened her mouth and once again, I heard the trains. Flashing lights filled the room. I covered my ears, and the sound disappeared as quickly as it came. I began gasping for air, but it wasn't a panic attack. I scanned the room to see that no one noticed anything out of the ordinary.

In the hallway after class, I saw the same woman walking near the other end of the hall. I ran towards her and burst through the doors. I didn't see anything, but I heard words that sounded familiar. "You know me. Oh, thank God, you know me. Do you see him? Do you see him? All right, come on, come on!"

I was pulled forward as the words continued. "This way. Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop! This way, this way."

This time, I saw Riders. "What are they?"

"Everywhere! Will you forget me?"

"I won't... I won't!"

"Alyssa, lookout!" Malia yelled as she pulled me back just as tires screeched.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking me over.

I nodded and sighed softly. "I'm fine."

"What were you doing?" She asked with a frown.

"Trying to remember," I told her.

Later in the day, I entered the school basement. "Hello?"

"Over here," Malia said.

I walked over to her voice to see her partially chained to the wall. She met my eyes. "I've got a problem. I'm growling at people in class. I'm clawing at my desk. I tried turning the floor of my bedroom into a coyote den. Do these look familiar to you?" She held up the chains.