Chapter1
I could feel the sweat drip from my neck. Even though the cool autumn air was hitting my face, it wasn't enough; It felt like I was on fire.
The forest trees all around me comforted me as I continued to run, pushing my body to its limits. I dodged low-hanging limbs and tree roots that forced their way free above the ground.
I love running.
Behind me, in the distance, I hear the sound of snapping limbs and the rustle of the forest floor as Drane starts to catch up. That is all I need to push myself even further.
Finally, I see an opening in the forest trees, and I dash as quickly as possible through the opening, leading me out of the forest to a large field. I slow my running and place my hand up and on my head to control my breathing.
It took several minutes for Drane to come through the opening. His sandy blond hair looked darker, drenched in sweat, and his green eyes and masculine features looked extra adorable with the red tint to his face from the over-exertion.
"Beat you again" I say as my smile reaches from ear to ear.
Drane is bent over with his hands on his knees, looking up at me. His facial expression is not amused. "You...." he takes a breath. "Cheated," he says, bowing his head and then deciding just to lay down in the field for a rest.
I took the opportunity to join him, so I walked over to lie beside him, the soft grass tickling my skin as it hit the earth. We lay there in silence, but he looked at me after several minutes. His hand reached up to push a stray hair out of my face. "Ren, It's time to wake up now."
Then my eyes opened, and the familiar scene of my bedroom was all around me. The nightstand lamp illuminated the light lavender walls I painted when I was fourteen and never got around to changing. The Ikea desk in the corner and some clothes scattered around.
No matter how real the forest and Drane feel, it's not; he's not. It's just a dream, some messed-up place my mind created to give me peace.
I sigh and throw the covers off as my phone alarm begins to go off. 5:00 blinks on and off on the screen, partnered with an annoying wailing alarm sound. I quickly reach over and turn it off as I prepare for the day.
