Edge of Dreams

7✯

Edge of Dreams

"You're supposed to be writing your name," my father says sternly. I have my tongue stuck out to the side as I continue to draw. "What are you doing?"

I lift my paper proudly and show him. "It's us!" He smiles as he crouches down to my height. "That's me and that's you," I point. "And that's the boat and fishy's. Look and there's the princesses castle."

The picture is of me and my father sat on a boat.

"Oh wow! That's great! How did you know to draw it?"

"We went on the lake remember? Next to the princesses castle," I laugh at him. "Silly Daddy!"

"That was in the storybook I read to you, sweetie," he answers, the smile on his face falters.

"No, we went on the boat. I remember. You were holding the fishy's," I frown at him, but he isn't looking at me. I turn to see my mother leaning against the door. "Mummy look!"

She doesn't smile.

✭✭✭

Two weeks pass of me enduring the horror of this place. In the nights, I don't have any nightmares, and the shock of the tags are hardly felt anymore. During the times I have to be social, I spend them with Stephanie and occasionally Aaron when he joins us, but most of the time I'm with Taylor and her friends.

It's during my second lesson on Monday, that I realise I have become too comfortable with school days. The teachers voice drones on and she is actually starting to make sense.

A loud buzz goes off and a voice filled with authority echoed around the room. "All inhabitants make their way to their allocated rooms." It sounds like it comes from all around me. There's no pinpoint to where it is said from.

Everyone gets out of their seats and makes their way out of the room. Surprisingly, they don't walk out single file like they normally do. They are all rushing away, like it is something they aren't prepared for. Even the teacher in the room can't hide her anxiousness to get out of the room.

I'm not the last person to leave the room, but I do dawdle behind. I don't miss how the teacher across from our room meets up with my own. I focus on hearing their mutters to each other but only succeed in hearing a few words.

"Level 5... help... dreams... killing..."

They make no sense, but I'm sure I can figure it out if I can just think straight. It's when they both walk away to the bottom of the hall that I see it. About five teachers including the two I saw a second ago go into what looks to be an elevator. I slowly start to put the pieces together in my mind, whilst walking towards the elevator. It's a reckless decision, but it could be my only chance to get away. My plan with Sara could fail and then I will be screwed.

A few people are still bustling past me but I ignore them. It is all making sense with what they said before. About level 5... About-

"Avery!" A voice I haven't heard for a while shouts. I spin to see it's Link who has shouted to me. My thoughts are forgotten and I can't remember what trail I was on to. It's unexpected of him to shout me, especially since I didn't know he knew my name and he hasn't paid any attention to me since challenge day.

I furrow my eyebrows at him. What does he want? He just stares at me, even from a little a far his gaze intimidates me. When he doesn't say anything else, I turn back to walk quickly towards the elevator again.

"AVERY STOP!!!" He shouts once again. I don't stop, but I can hear him following me. "AVERY DON'T!!!"

Then I feel something sharp stab into the back of my neck. Like a bee sting, only it knocks me out and I fall forward into the darkness.