Chapter 1 The Dream
I look down at a beautiful girl as she lays peacefully asleep on her bed. She moans softly and rolls to her side. She cuddles up to her pillow. It's cute! I kinda wanna go cuddle up next to her...
But, who is she? And why am I here? I can't seem to move closer to her, so I just stand here and watch her like a creep. Nobody will ever know!
She really is beautiful...
Suddenly she startles awake at the loud cracking of wood in a fire. Snaps and pops seem to engulf us on all sides. Heat from everywhere starts to surround us, and I start to sweat. The salt stings my eyes. My throat goes dry and tight.
I'm freaking out, and I still can't move, but my focus is on the girl. She looks like she is literally scared to death!
Her blond, disheveled curls hangs down to her waist; her startling blue eyes are petrified. As an afterthought, I notice how the nightgown matches her eyes perfectly. If this was any other situation I'd love to just look at her, but I'm not that much of a creep!
Smoke starts to envelope her and she coughs. I wish I could get her out of here, but my feet are still stuck to the bloody floor! The smell of smoke fills my lungs, and I start to choke, too.
She starts crying from the smoke in her eyes. The heavy smoke stings my eyes, and they start to water. I can't see clearly. Everything is cloudy and all I can see are dark shadows and vague shapes.
My breathing becomes labored and I can't seem to speak. My throat burns with the thick smoke. It's making my head dizzy. I want to get on my hands and knees, but my body is completely frozen.
She throws back her covers and makes a mad dash to the door and tries to pull it open... But she pulls back almost instantly, and I smell the burned flesh of her hands. She looked down at her blistered hands. She screamed out in pain, and like a switch being flicked, my body unlocked.
I try to kick the door open, but it seems to be blocked from the outside. Who locks people in their rooms and sets them on fire? Seriously, what the heck were they thinking?
I try to get her attention. I yell and wave my arms at her, but for some reason, she doesn't seem to notice me. It's like I'm a ghost or something...
"Help!" She cries out.
I want to! Believe me, I really want to help her!
"What do I do?" I choke out to her.
She coughs again. Tears are streaking down her face and I want to help her... But how?
I think I am going to cry! I feel this odd connection to this girl and I feel like I am gonna lose her. I don't even know her, but still! I don't want to watch her burn alive... I don't want to see her die. I couldn't handle that!
"Somebody let me out of here!" she shouts.
Her voice is rough, and she begins coughing uncontrollably.
"Let me out! Please! Let me out," she begs. Tears are streaming down her face, causing streaks through the dirt and smoke on her red cheeks.
Then she turns right to me and my breath catches in my chest. She can see me!
"Jason! Help me!" she cries.
I startle awake.
Sweat is dripping down my body and my lungs still burn like they are full of smoke. I try to get my heart to stop pounding and my breathing under control.
I stare over at my door where the girl had just been standing. It felt so real! The smell of the smoke; the popping of the wood; the burning heat...
What the hell was that?
