Dream catcher
Clara
It was cold, the mist made the air wet and as my skin grew damp I began to shiver. This was unlike any of the dreams I have had before. I can feel it. it was weird and i didn't like it. The air was heavy with mist and gave off an earthy wet-dirt smell. I had my eyes shut and i wasn't going to open them again, i was too darn scared of seeing something move in the shadows of the twisted trees... this seemed like the beginning of a very scary dream and I did not want to be a part of it. I tightened my eyelids; it’s just a dream Clara. Close your eyes and count to ten. Then, when you open them again it will be all gone. I counted to thirty. I opened my eyes, but nothing had gotten less scary or went away. Actually, it looked a bit darker. Nice...
A twig snapped behind me and I spun around to see nothing but a small tree. Ugh! I hate these dreams; I just know something’s going to jump out at me. I heard a rustle of leaves behind me and I turned to catch a glimpse of silver fur darting through the ferns. My heartbeat quickened enough that I could feel it in my throat, it was almost like choking. I turned away only to find a little girl was at my side. I jumped back a little from start. She looked up at me with big grey eyes; she had to be no more than six. She was small and had skin pale as the moon. Held in her hand was one large deep purple bloom that almost looked like a lily save the sharp red barbs popping from out the top. i sighed in relief.
"shoot, you really scared me."
she just looked at me, her eyes seemed to shine like a cat when you point a flashlight at its face. she looked behind me and hissed, i turned around but there wasn't anything there. i looked back to where she was but she was gone, and the flower had taken root at my feet. it was really pretty, it almost looked... sparkly in a way... a sharp pain snapped me back and i felt heavy, like i had slept for a long time. i looked at where the pain was coming from, in my hand. i realized i had gotten down and tried to touch the flower, and instead got stabbed with the barbs. it was painful, and it seemed to have almost a burn to it...
poison! i ripped the sharp barbs out of my hand and threw them, but not without scraping and poisoning my other hand. i screamed as the wondes turned black before my eyes ans than it began to grow. my fingers curled up against my will and than my whole hand turned black, than the other one. i backed up and hit something... tall... and furry. i turned slowly to see a black bear towering over me. it growled and slammed down onto all fours knocking me down. i flipped over and ran on all fours fast, i didn't even take the time to get up. i heard it panting behind me, keeping pace. i ran faster, the wind whipping in my face. it snapped at me and than with a tear i heard my night gown rip away. i felt exposed, but that wasn't enough to make me stop. up ahead there was a river, i figured if i could jump it the bear would stop chasing me.
i got to the edge and jumped and landed gracefully on all fours on the other side. it was a good twenty feet but this was dream logic right? i snorted and stared across the river at the bear. it sniffed the water than looked at me before sauntering away.
"yea that's right bear you better run, because if you came over here you know... um... i would so own you!" i yelled after it. "heheh."
i looked down into the murky water, maby there was e reason it didn't want to swim it. i caught a glimpse of my reflection in the water with the full moon behind me as my light. i tilted my head in confusion, this couldn't be right. but the figure in the water mimicked me perfectly. i turned but there was nothing there. i looked back down at the water but it was still there. what was reflect in the water was a black jungle cat, and a little one at that. i at least knew that if this was going to be any dream of mine i would at least be a big cat, but this thing was a shrimp. i looked at my hands which where covered in fur and shaped like cats paws. i sighed. go figure, only i would have this crazy of a dream. i shrugged and laid down next to the river staring into it, and just before i fell asleep i could have sworn i saw a flash of gold reflect on the water.
As I awoke in my room I realized it was still dark out. I looked to my alarm clock. The little red numbers blinked 5:30 in the am. my body was covered in sweat and my cloths stuck to every inch of my body, and on top of that i couldn't stop thinking about that strange dream. It was like a scary movie a just can’t stop thinking about, and I swear I could still feel the burn of the flowers poison in my body. I shivered; this seemed like a good excuse to take a shower.
The hot water warmed my skin and made the room steamy, it reminded me of my dream and than I was cold all over again. There was a squeaking, like the twisting of a very rusty handle close by... oh shit! I jumped back from the water just as the hot turned off, the room got cold fast.
"TREAVOR! I’m going to kill you!" I wrapped up in towel and ran down the hall, back scrub in hand. I figured it would make for a good weapon. I stomped all the way down the hall. Aha! I found him, my evil little brother was "sleeping" ever so innocently on the couch. I hiked up my towel and stomped over to him, make-shift club held high. He turned over groggily, took in the sight of me, and burst out laughing, "You look like grandmamma!" and with that a whole new round of snorty laughter. I had to laugh too, he was the only other person i knew who snorted like me when they laugh. i laughed with him for a while before i remembered the shower and hit him with the scrubby.
He rubbed his arm where I got him and sniffed, "what did I do?" he looked sincere until he snatched the scrubby and swung it at me, and then it was on.
There was a creaking from the stairway door and than a flood of light as mother rubbed the sleep from her eyes. My slipper-clad foot was on Trevor’s face wile I tugged on the washing side of the scrubby. Trevor’s face paled and was distracted for the moment, I took it, I snatched the scrubby and hit him in the shoulder, hard. Mom yawned, she new why I would me angry with him, he had a knack for playing cruel pranks on me. mother was a small woman, only five feet tall, it looked like if you squeezed her too hard she would break. i wish that she would act like it though because when she was angry everyone ran, and Trevor looked like he wanted to run.
"Clare, what is it now?"
I pointed accusingly at Trevor, "he turned the hot water off while I was in the shower!"
"I did not!" Trevor wined.
Yes you did you little jerk, and mom knows it! I just glared at him.
"No video games for a month," and it was done. She had got him right where it hurts; I swear sometimes he only cares about his games, TV, and his stupid turtle. And with that she went to his dresser where he stashed his hand-held.
"But I really didn’t do anything, honest!"
Mom just kept digging through the top drawer, pulling out things along the way; my diary, jerk, a sports magazine, candy wrappers with chocolate smeared on the inside, and at last, his psp. I let the most wicked smile I could come up with spread across my face; he would so be apologizing for the next week.
"But mom I really didn’t do anything!" he said, reaching for his psp. But she held it fast, and soon he gave up and just pouted. I grabbed my diary off the ground.
"Mom he had my diary again!"
"Oh yea!" he said, perking up. He came to me and snatched the book from my hands faster than I could hold it above his head. "I almost forgot," flipping through the pages until at last he came to what he was looking for. He cleared his throat and with an exaggerated girl voice - which was not far off his normal voice, he read one of my entries, "Dear diary, today I almost kissed Johnny," he said rolling his eyes.
My face got hot and I tried to grab for my diary but he ran around the couch with it, reading on, "everything was perfect I don’t understand why I couldn’t do it, it was practically magic." my face was burning with a blush and this had mom interested now.
"You kissed your boyfriend sweaty? Your first kiss! Aw that so sweet, why didn’t you talk to me?" her lower lip jutted out as she pouted, feeling left out, no dought. Trevor just snickered, and I snatched my diary back, tucking it under my arm.
"'almost' kissed," I said defensively. This was so like mother to make everything about her; it was like the world wasn’t right without someone feeling sorry because of her. "And I had my 'first' kiss in like, second grade, mom." I crossed my arms.
"Honey, getting kissed on the cheek in second grade does not count as your first kiss."
"Well it was a kiss wasn’t it?" I started to blush again. Only when I started to shiver did I realize how cold I was, the living room was cold and I had wet hair. Not to mention the only thing I was wearing besides slippers was my underwear and a towel.
"go get dressed it’s time for school," my mother said, finally taking in the sight of me. I ran up the stairs, fuming again. I was having a horrible day and the sun wasn’t even up yet.
School... I hate school; there are too many rooms and nobody to tell me which one to be in without treating me like some kind of idiot. Plus, it was cold. Or maybe that was just me, I have a tendency of thinking everything is cold. I have poor blood circulation and I get cold fast, or at least that’s the explanation the doctor gave me. Either way I had goose-pimples by math, I was just eager to get out because lunch was right after and lunch was the only time of day i got to see--
"Oh god the train wreck is here," Michelle looked at me with disgust as I entered the room. She was one of Katie’s "besties" as she called it, but that didn’t mean I had to be nice to her, I don’t even know why Katie likes her. We had only one class together and she acted like it was the end of the world every time.
"I feel bad for her..."
"Why the hell would you feel bad for me?" I gave her a hard glare; I figured this would be another cruel "your face" joke.
"Bitch I didn’t say shit," and with that she flipped her hair and planted her chubby butt in the chair. She was a short and kind of stubby girl with bleached blond hair and a black "peekaboo" under it.
"Bet she wouldn’t be so stuck up if she knew what was going on..."
"Alright that time I know I heard you!" the room got silent.
"And again, I. did. Not. Say. Shit." she fixed me with a haughty stair. "Crazy bitch."
I was looking right at her and I did not see her mouth that time. It was like she was speaking, but not through her mouth. I giggled at that thought; she always did talk out her ass. But everyone else was staring at me like I really was crazy. They hadn’t heard her talk either. Maybe I am nuts...
I was just getting my tray in the lunch line when I saw him. John, I call him Johnny. He was my on and off again boyfriend. Mainly because I wasn’t a very lovey dovey person to start with. He was standing across the cafeteria talking to Katie, my best friend.
She said something pointing in my direction and he looked at me and smiled. My face got hot with a new blush, the morning completely forgotten. This was practically the whole reason I still showed up to school aside from my friends, there was Johnny.
"I hope this doesn’t take too long I know how Kat gets..."
"What about Katie?" I said confused.
"What?!" he turned a quick glare at Katie. "I didn’t say anything."
"Huh," I sighed "oh well I guess it’s just a day for me to be crazy..."
"I don’t think you’re crazy," he said, smiling again. "I think your downright insane."
"I’m serious; I have been thinking people are talking to me when they’re not."
"That’s nice..." he was distracted, looking out the windows behind me.
I waved my hand in from of his face until he looked at me, "so... can you come over for a movie? I finally got my mom to say yes...?"
"No I can’t..." he said finally.”I’m meeting Kat tonight..."
"Where are you going with Katie?"
"Nowhere!" he gave me a wide grin. "Kat probably told her..."
I kept my mouth shut. I had been looking right at him when he said, well thought he said, that last part, but his lips never moved.
"I’m going to go to the nurse," I said, frowning now.
The nurse had sent me home with a favor of 103° and said I should probably see a doctor. I felt fine, that wasn’t the problem, no. I was hallucinating, and the entire way home I thought my mom was chattering away about how "inconvenient" it was that I had a fever "today of all days" and about "positively irritable" people at work. But every time I looked, she wasn’t talking at all. And now, as I lay on my bed I cover my ears, but the sound still comes. I could hear the old lady next door babbling about her "babies" even though I knew she only had cats. I could hear Tabitha, a five year old girl from the other next door having hysterics about the monster from her closet, and on top of it I could still hear my mom going off about those "inconsiderate" and "impossible" people at her work. The sound was almost unbearable; it was like turning on three talk shows at once. I flipped over and screamed into my pillow, "ENOUGH!" and then it was silent at last. Well, that was easy enough...
I awoke in the middle of the night covered in sweat again. I could not remember my dream but I was positive it was something about running. My covers where in a heap on the floor but surprisingly I was not cold. For once. I thought to myself. My PJ's where plastered to my body and I didn’t feel like changing so I just pealed them off and threw them across the room. What was even more surprising was that I felt better to be in just my bra and girl-boxers, it was enough that I fell asleep again fast.
I was back in the forest, but this time it was not cold. There was no fog, and little fire bugs floated around me blinking in uneven patterns. It was pretty, and I almost couldn’t believe it was the same place, but the small tree was still at the center of the small clearing. A few of the fire bugs looked almost like they were perched on the branches, lighting up the little tree. I stepped forward enough to get a good look at one of the little bugs, but these where not bugs. They were just lights. Floating lights... nice, dream logic, I forgot. I touched one of the lights and then they where all upon me. Soon every inch of bare skin was covered in gold light. The little things felt warm. One of them grew into a small glowing girl. She was small enough to perch directly on my arm, and she was as warm as the rest of the lights but despite looking light she was actually kind of heavy there. She hugged my arm. "Ssssso muchssssss power," she sounded like she had a snake tongue but her voice was sweet and cloying. It made me sleepy. Soon all of the little specs grew into more little, floating, glowing people. They all put their hands on me, and when they touched me there skin grew brighter.
A feeling rushed through my body; it was similar to dropping off cloths that had weighed my body down. And then I was on all fours again. My body felt light a fast. The things looked at me in this new form and hissed at me, bearing sharp pointed teeth. it scared me and I ran, and I ran throughout the entire forest. I went from my clearing to the river and ran along side it, and everywhere I looked there were more little lights which I knew now to be scary faerie things. The river was about seven feet across here and I backed up to jump it. I darted forward and just when I was about to pounce there was a wolf i hadn't seen in front of me drinking the water. I dug my claws into the dirt to try and stop myself but it was too late. I crashed into it and we both went tumbling into the water. The water made my fur thicken and my skin itch. I didn’t like it at all. I jumped out of the water and shook, flinging water all around me. The wolf soon followed suit. It looked at me, into my eyes. As if it could see right through me. Its eyes where a deep brown, like clear water over brown sand. I looked away, feeling embarrassed for some reason. I wanted to disappear. And with that, I woke up.
the next morning i felt fine, i arched my back and stretched. no, i felt better than fine, i was perfect! i jumped off the bed landing on my feet right in front of my brother. his eyes widened.
"i knew she had superpowers!"
i spotted my diary under his arm, "you come to mock my diary hiding skills?" i said pointing.
"no, i came to return it." he looked at his feet, "mom made me."
aha, i knew what else mom would have told him to do, "and?"
"msrry," he mumbled.
i put my hand to my ear, "hmm? i didn't quite catch that."
"I'm sorry okay?!" he threw my diary at me and it hit me hard in the chest. i coughed and he ran out of the room fast.
mom walked in a few seconds later, she sat on the bed and crossed her legs. she looked small there, almost out of place. as if the room was bigger than it should be around her. she looked up at me with big clear green eyes, they where the same colour as mine.
"so, how did that go?"
"well," i struggled not to cough and my voice broke.
"i can see that," she laughed.
i plopped down on the bed next to her, throwing my arms above my head. "what are we going to do with him?"
she laid back, "i thought you would be able to tell me."
i propped my self up on one arm and looked at her again, "mom, what was dad really like?"
she sighed, as if the question had been asked too many times. which it had. she looked off into space for a while before answering. than she touched my face. "he was allot like you, and your brother are. quick to pounce at the first thing that came up, courageous, and trustworthy. he was kind and very argumental." she gave me a nuggy, "he also had a very thick scull to go along with it." our dad had died in the war almost a month ago but Treavor and i had never really seen him but for a few days a year. it was like ha avoided us our whole life, going from army to navy to seals when it was convenient.
she reached behind her, taking Treavor's psp out of her pocket, she dropped it on the bed in front of me.
"wha-"
she put her finger up to shush me. "find something to do with that. I'm tired of holding all the strings on his punishments."
i smiled with giddy excitement, snatching the game and kicking my legs. ooh this is going to be fun!
mother got up and looked at me shaking her head, "I'm already regretting this..."
Chapter 2
a struggle day
on Wednesday i woke up to snow. and because mom hated snow like it was the devil, she didn't feel like driving in it. yay no school today! i smiled as i put on my coat, it was a plaid red thing that nearly touched the floor, a girl had given it to me when i was ten because i looked cold. and now since i was fifteen, it was just a bit worn down. i shoved my feet into my two huge boots. i could practically jump in them. our dad had given them to me before he joined the army again last year. they where almost three sizes too big but i liked to wear them to have something of his. i looked at myself in the mirror. the coat when zipped up hid my whole body, not to mention the sleeves went past my hands by about six inches. but i loved it. i smiled and started for the door. this is my lucky week.
Treavor bumped into me running to the closet. he picked things up and threw them into the hall looking for something. he looked frantic. i leaned up against the door and smirked at him. it was so funny to watch him, he probably lost his pet turtle Poppy again. the thing was as old as i was mom had told us. she wanted me to take it but i don't like animals, and animals don't like me. i was the only kid in third grade who actually got "attacked" by the class pet guinny pig. i swear it thought i was food. i turned back to the door and grabbed the handle trying not to make noise. treavor turned around and looked at me and jumped in front of the door.
"where are you going?"
"the island of nun-ya," i said rolling my eyes.
"huh?"
i pushed him away from the door, "nun-ya beeswax."
i was planning on taking a walk and maby going to my friends Christian and Adams house. i also knew for a fact that treavor had a crush on there little sister and that was one embarrassment i was not going to live through today. i walked out the door.
"wait i want to go with y--" i slammed the door before he could finish.
this was McGreagor Minnesota, the place i lived. i have lived here my whole life in a big ugly brown house next to Big Sandy a big dirty lake, which was about thirty feet away from our house. i guess you could say we had "lake front property" but the land in between our house and the lake was like a safety hazard, it was a steep decline all the way down. i smelled the air. here it always smelled like leaf fires even in the winter because my mom burned them close to the house so that the smoke actually stained the side with a long black streak. it made the house just that much more ugly.
i trudged through the deep snow, apparently it had snowed all night and now there was two feet of snow on the ground everywhere. that wasn't enough to cancel school though because well this was McGreagor, we got snow like this all winter. if we got a day off every time the snow plow was late we wouldn't have school at all. it was basically the parents decision when we didn't have to go, and since i was within the standard two mile range for the bus route that meant me today.
My friends Christian and Adom where brothers that lived about a mile away down the road to school, but they where home-schooled and i knew they would be home, or at the gym practicing lacrosse or something. i have known them since before i could remember and when ever i got mad it always made me feel better to go over there and watch them try to best each other doing skate board tricks.
