you all right?” Her voice was full of alarm.
I bolted up in bed at the sound of her voice, gasping for breath. “Yes, Mom. I’m okay. Just another nightmare. I’m sorry.”
“Another nightmare?” she asked, leaning over me and pushing my sweaty hair from my forehead. “Is there something that’s bothering you? You’ve never had a problem with nightmares before.”
I sighed and glanced at the window, half expecting to see a large, hairy monster peering in at me. Thank goodness all I saw was the dark night sky. “I know,” I said with a huff as I fixed my gaze back on my mom. “Nothing’s bothering me, Mom. At least nothing that I’m aware of. I’m sorry I woke you. Please go back to bed. I’ll be fine, really.”
She hesitated for a moment, and she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before she finally left my room, shutting the door behind her.
I laid back down and pulled the covers up to my chin. I sighed and tried to let my mind go blank, but it was no use. I kept seeing the images from the dream like a movie playing in my head. At this rate I’d never get back to sleep.
The next thing I was aware of was the morning sun shining brightly through my bedroom window.
I sat up and stretched. Suddenly, my alarm clock sounded, sending me jumping out of my skin. I sighed in relief then laughed. “Settle down, Shae, for cryin’ out loud. It’s just your stupid alarm clock telling you to get up and get ready for another lousy day at school.”
I threw my covers off and set my feet on the cold, wooden floor. I stood and realized my body felt stiff and sore, but from what I couldn’t recall. I took a step and stumbled over my tennis shoe.
“Stupid converse,” I mumbled, kicking it across the room.
Then something caught my full attention. I peered down and gasped as I reached for the torn fabric. The bottom of my nightshirt was ripped and hanging in a ribbon past my knees.
Panic rushed into my very veins. I turned around and my eyes scanned my room—nothing—no one! I ran to my window and peered out into the forest—nothing! What was I going to do? Was I going crazy? No—I wasn’t. I was out in that forest last night and something had a hold of me, but what? And why can’t I remember? I sat down on my bed, exasperated, and cried.
Chapter Three
Shae
I walked through my day in a daze. Not even the chiding from Karen and Darcy had the power to get a rise out of me. I wasn’t sure what was happening anymore. Maybe I was going crazy. Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself walking through the schoolyard and straight toward the nearby forest. It was as if my feet had a mind of their own, just like in my dream. I held my breath as I stepped in, expecting some kind of catastrophe. Well, I was still alive. Nothing jumped out at me at least. I stepped a little further. Still nothing happened. I sighed in relief. “See, Shae, you’re not crazy after all,” I said to myself.
“Are you lost?”
I jumped and spun around to face the voice. There, before me, stood a boy. A beautiful boy! Was this another dream?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” the beautiful boy assured me.
“Are you real?” I asked like an idiot.
“Pardon me?” he replied, raising his eyebrows in question.
I shook my head and tried again. “I mean, are-are you really here?”
He laughed softly.
I
I bolted up in bed at the sound of her voice, gasping for breath. “Yes, Mom. I’m okay. Just another nightmare. I’m sorry.”
“Another nightmare?” she asked, leaning over me and pushing my sweaty hair from my forehead. “Is there something that’s bothering you? You’ve never had a problem with nightmares before.”
I sighed and glanced at the window, half expecting to see a large, hairy monster peering in at me. Thank goodness all I saw was the dark night sky. “I know,” I said with a huff as I fixed my gaze back on my mom. “Nothing’s bothering me, Mom. At least nothing that I’m aware of. I’m sorry I woke you. Please go back to bed. I’ll be fine, really.”
She hesitated for a moment, and she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before she finally left my room, shutting the door behind her.
I laid back down and pulled the covers up to my chin. I sighed and tried to let my mind go blank, but it was no use. I kept seeing the images from the dream like a movie playing in my head. At this rate I’d never get back to sleep.
The next thing I was aware of was the morning sun shining brightly through my bedroom window.
I sat up and stretched. Suddenly, my alarm clock sounded, sending me jumping out of my skin. I sighed in relief then laughed. “Settle down, Shae, for cryin’ out loud. It’s just your stupid alarm clock telling you to get up and get ready for another lousy day at school.”
I threw my covers off and set my feet on the cold, wooden floor. I stood and realized my body felt stiff and sore, but from what I couldn’t recall. I took a step and stumbled over my tennis shoe.
“Stupid converse,” I mumbled, kicking it across the room.
Then something caught my full attention. I peered down and gasped as I reached for the torn fabric. The bottom of my nightshirt was ripped and hanging in a ribbon past my knees.
Panic rushed into my very veins. I turned around and my eyes scanned my room—nothing—no one! I ran to my window and peered out into the forest—nothing! What was I going to do? Was I going crazy? No—I wasn’t. I was out in that forest last night and something had a hold of me, but what? And why can’t I remember? I sat down on my bed, exasperated, and cried.
Chapter Three
Shae
I walked through my day in a daze. Not even the chiding from Karen and Darcy had the power to get a rise out of me. I wasn’t sure what was happening anymore. Maybe I was going crazy. Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself walking through the schoolyard and straight toward the nearby forest. It was as if my feet had a mind of their own, just like in my dream. I held my breath as I stepped in, expecting some kind of catastrophe. Well, I was still alive. Nothing jumped out at me at least. I stepped a little further. Still nothing happened. I sighed in relief. “See, Shae, you’re not crazy after all,” I said to myself.
“Are you lost?”
I jumped and spun around to face the voice. There, before me, stood a boy. A beautiful boy! Was this another dream?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” the beautiful boy assured me.
“Are you real?” I asked like an idiot.
“Pardon me?” he replied, raising his eyebrows in question.
I shook my head and tried again. “I mean, are-are you really here?”
He laughed softly.
I
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