#i had to write an essay about this dream for eng and i lost loads of marks for it so was pissed about dreams

[lostinbooks14]

Times in the Wilderness

Sleep? Bad Idea

A scream pierced through the still night air, and he wasn't sure if it was him or someone else, but he stumbled off his bed and slammed the door open and ran down the corridor, waving a chicken nugget in the air.

"Josh, hey Josh, where are you? They've got chicken nuggets today! C'mon bro! I brought you one in case they run out by the time we get back."

It was his strangely high pitched voice that made him realise he was in a dream.

No way was he going to go in that room, with its laughter and inside jokes that had turned into glassy eyes and vomit because he wasn't good enough to realise Josh was hurting.

So he burst through another door, really, he should've known better.

There was more screaming and crying, the walls turning into metal bars and the ground turning to cold stone as he fell on his knees and clutched another body.

Another life. The fifth person who's blood was on his hands.

He dropped her body in a way he never would've in real life, but his mind was screaming get out, get out, get out, over and over again as he dodged cars and motorbikes going way over the speed limit as he tried to reach the other side.

The road wouldn't stop. He could see the opposite sidewalk and a familiar super marker a few meters ahead, but he'd been weaving and dodging for what was surely hours, so why wasn't he on the other side?

Oh. Right. Dream. He almost forgot.

The thought seemed to stop everything. He finally reached the sidewalk and turned around, panting.

The cars were gone. Replaced by a zebra crossing. The traffic lights on either side of the road showed a glowing green cartoon man. He saw the two kids on the other side. A nine year old blonde girl and her six year old blonde brother. He shouldn't have left them alone.

The girl ran forward, boy close at her heels, but just as the girl climbed onto the sidewalk, his shoelaces came untied, the light turned red, and he tripped.

He knew what would happen before it did, so he dodged the girl's hug and ran forward, knowing it was a dream, but still hoping everything could change.

He collided with the car, heard screaming that sounded just like his own, and then he fell off the table.

The gears and wires of his beautiful machine was spread around him, broken.

He looked up.

At the machine shop.

Somehow, this was still his worst memory, simply because, if it wasn't for that night, none of the other horrible things would've happened.

"Mama?"

Tap tap tap tap tap

The flames licked up the sides of the building, the heat unbearably hot and the smoke unbearably suffocating. He was fire proof, so neither of those could happen.

"Leo! Leo!" Thump. Thump. Thump. "You have to calm down, mijo. Can you hear me?" Something hit the door. Bang. "Everything will be okay! My phone's in my jacket, mijo." Bang. Cough. Bang. "Call 911, ok? 911." Cough. Cough.

His hands fumbled in the pockets of his mom's too-big army jacket. Sobs and whimpers escaping his lips as hot tears poured down his face.

He pulled out the phone.

"Mama...it won't open...it's de- black..." He was speaking with a strange numbness, as if he already knew that she wasn't going to make it out of this. As if he already knew that this time, his little accident, as Mama calls it- used to call it- was fatal.

Everything was quiet for a second, then the coughing started again.

"It's okay," she croaked. "Mijo, mij-" She started coughing violently. And then he heard the tapping.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I love you.

"Think of this night when they ask you to defy me, diablo." The blow torch got closer, the closed eyes opening and earthy smell being replaced by the smell of tacos and smoke. And he was screaming, screaming, screaming.

And then he woke up.