Nightmares

Chapter three: Carter

Creeping into the house, I locked the door quietly. Hanging up my jacket, I went to bed, but I still couldn't sleep, so I sighed and pulled out a book. I read quickly, savouring each chapter as I read it, trying to forget about my world whilst I sank into a world of demons and long winter trips. I couldn't get up for another few hours, so I lost myself in a world where dreams were made. I just needed to keep my mind occupied. I couldn't let my mind wander, couldn't let myself think too much.

If I let myself think, then it would only lead to trouble.

I went on my phone to see if any of my friends were up. None. I sighed, picking up my book again, I'd probably finish this book today, I needed to check out the next one. I loved series, loved the way the story changed slightly with each book. Loved how there was always something after the end. The only thing about series was when you finished one, and you had to discover a new world. Leaving behind one you had grown to love so much. My favourite books were always fantasy. Where you could make friends with angels and fight off your demons, and there was always a happy ending at the end.

Where would I be without books? The night would seem so long, so boring without a book to keep me company. I wrote my own stories sometimes, about adventures in the dark and heroes who weren't always heroic and demons who weren't always evil. If I could, I'd fold my world up and keep it between the pages of a book. I'd write the ending so I would always know what was going to happen. But life wasn't as predictable as the books.

If my nightmares were a book, there would be a series. A long, long series. And so I stared at the ceiling at night and blocked out the memories and images that threatened to bloom to life if I closed my eyes. Choices lurked everywhere. Good ones, bad ones, fantasy ones, and dead-real ones. But on nights like these, it feels like my choices are limited. And sometimes it feels like they don't exist at all.

When I finished the book, I sighed and looked through my sketchpad, smiling at all the dragons and nymphs I had drawn there over the years, stopping at my favourite one. It was a picture of the mythical Medusa, her eyes pierced my skin and I shivered, imagining a snake curling around my wrist. Mythical creatures made up my life. All the demons I was fighting seemed like myths sometimes. I couldn't tell what was false and real in my dreams anymore. It had all been shaken up to make dreams and reality merge into one. And when my nightmares were as bad as real life, it was impossible to tell which was which.

~*~

Six am finally rolled around, and I got out of bed, pulling on my uniform, grimacing at a day at school running on only two hours of sleep, but I was used to it. I sighed as I smiled at Mum, whispering a goodbye before stepping out of the house.

"Hey Carter," my mate, Harley, called and I turned around with a smile.

"Damn, you look rough, no sleep last night, huh?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Maybe tomorrow?" He asked with a smile, tilting his head to one side.

I laughed. "Maybe."

We headed to lessons and I tried hard not to fall asleep during my lessons, I could get a pass to see the nurse if I needed to sleep, but I hated being treated with kid gloves. I mumbled my way through form and slept with my eyes open for the remainder of form and first period. During PE, Coach tried to get me to sit out, but I refused.

"Okay, but if you drop out there, you're doing fifty next week." He shrugged.

I just smiled. Fifty? Please. I took off around the track, smiling as I passed people who had probably had a full nights sleep with no effort. Some people just didn't know how lucky they were to fall asleep whenever they pleased. People who napped during lessons always amazed me for example: how could they sleep with that racket going on?

As I ran around the track, I spotted a girl standing off to one side, on her phone, she seemed frustrated at something and I wondered what she was doing to make her so cross. She threw her phone into her bag in frustration and flung her bag against the wall. Uh-oh, crazy alert.

She looked at me and stopped. I smiled at her tentatively, and she smiled back, before turning away, and I could swear I saw the glint of tears in her eyes, but I was too far away to tell for sure. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was so...beautiful. With green eyes that shone with tears and dark-brown hair that fell past her shoulders, curling a little at the bottom.

"Carter? You okay?" Coach's voice brought me back to life.

I set off again, aware I had slowed down, still admiring her piercing green eyes and the way they had seemed to see right into my soul. I thought about the way her eyes had glittered with those tears she had fought to hold back. What demons was she hiding?

~*~

Later, when I got home, Mum was out, and I picked up the note she had left me. Sorry honey, work called, I'll be home for nine. Tea is in the fridge, just heat it up. Mum. x I sighed and went to my room, thinking about the girl with cat-like eyes. She looked mysterious, like she had secrets she wouldn't ever tell anyone.

Didn't we all?

I completed some homework before taking a nap, trying to steal some of the sleep back that I had lost yesterday. For once, nightmares weren't all I saw. I saw a girl with eyes as green as summer grass and hair whipping around her face and doing it's best to hide her eyes and all the reflected thoughts from the world.

But what happens when you find out someone's flaws? Are they still as perfect as they seem from a distance, when you get close enough to see their scars?

Sooo, new chapter. What do you think? This one is a bit of a filler chapter but don't worry. We'll get to the chase soon. So, Carter's first impression of Harper? Do you think she's as crazy as she seems?