Prisoner

The Dream

Chapter 3

The dream was fleeting, leaving me to wonder wether I had imagined it or not.

I was standing in a steamy cafe, all warm colours and thick air. The brick wall opened up around the one window, which gave a glimpse of the streetlights and shadowy figures loitering outside. It was dark, probably late at night. Few people were about at this hour, leaving the city outside deserted and chilly.

I tried taking a step forward, wanting to find something to give me a clue about what I was doing here, of all places. I didn't move. It felt as though my feet had sunken into the floor, pinning me to this one spot. Looking down, I saw nothing. A wave of panic crashed over me as I realized I saw none of my body. After a second, I forced myself to take deep, calming breaths. It was just a dream.

Giving up on movement, I looked around, my eyes raking the scene. Above the counter, a faded sign sat, printed in obnoxious block letters and surrounded in dusty lightbulbs. I squinted, trying to see past the frazzled looking man in front of me, ordering coffee. His largeness cut off nearly half of the sign, leaving me with only four letters; RKED. Before I could read the sign as the man trudged off, a movement in the corner of the empty coffee shop caught my eye.

A boy, probably my age, sat at a corner booth, a mug of steaming coffee in front of him. Opposite sat a glass of water, as if he was expecting someone. He looked bored, his head resting on his hand. He had dark hair, mussed as if he'd rolled out of bed only moments before. His eyes were a glassy green, the colour of a forest on a bright day.

"Are you sure this is working, Elon?" He muttered. He sighed, tilting his head to the side as if listening to someone.

"Oh," he perked up, a slight grin on his features. His eyes casually roamed the shop, searching for something invisible to me. They stopped at where my shoulder would have been. His eyes went vague for a second.

Then the locked on my own.

"There you are," he smiled, giving me a small wave.

Suddenly I was thrown forward, my ribs connecting with something solid. I opened my eyes, gasping in pain and surprise.

Krista was yelling at the driver in front of us, fists waving, hair falling in messy, hassled tendrils. She glanced over, seeming to remember that I was in the car with her.

"God, I'm sorry, Ren. Are you okay?" She asked, eyeing me with motherly concern.

"Yeah, fine," I managed, quickly nodding my head. I blinked in the light, doing a double take at the scene outside. Where there had once been open fields and farmland was now replaced with concrete, metal, and glass. I sucked in a breath of awe.

"How long was I out?" I asked, my mouth slightly open. My eyes were glued to the window, wanting to drink it all in at once.

Out? You have been inside the vehicle the whole time, Silas answered. I rolled my eyes; he'd never quite understood the concept of idioms. I turned to Krista, hoping she would supply me with a more accurate answer.

"A long time," Krista confirmed helpfully. She grinned sheepishly.

"You looked tired, so I thought I'd just let you rest," she said apologetically. I nodded, stretching my arms above my head, trying to work out the kink in my neck.

"Thank you," I said gratefully. She smiled as we sped up again, becoming a part of the chaos.

"We are..in Toronto?" I said, struggling to figure out where we were. She nodded in confirmation.

"I also got you something to eat," She said, motioning to a paper bag at my feet. I leaned forward, feeling like a child on Christmas morning. I opened the bag, peering inside. Drawing the muffin out gently, I smiled at Krista. She laughed lightly as I began downing the muffin.

As I finished, I glanced at Krista. How long would I be able to stay? It seemed unfair to burden her with me, especially since I couldn't avoid the police forever. If everyone in the world was like Krista, I thought, then it wouldn't be so bad. I knew I was lying to myself, but I gave myself a bit of slack, divulging into my pretending.

"Ren, where are you headed?" She asked. Her voice jolted me out of my head and back into reality. I considered her question, biting my bottom lip.

"I think I'm going to stay in the city," I said, looking out the window once again.

"Me too. I have my job here, so I'll probably live in an apartment nearby," she explained. I nodded, wondering what my real plan would be. I had some money, a sum I had cobbled together over the years. It wouldn't last me a week in the city. But isn't this what it's like to be normal? Having to make ends meet? My resolve hardened. I was going to make this work.

"Ren? Hello?" I heard. I looked up again, having drifted off into my own world for a second time. She asked if you have someone to stay with, Silas said in my mind.

"Yes," I lied through my teeth. My parents lived in Chicago, and I didn't even know if I could even call them that anymore. Just because their daughter didn't perfectly fit in with the other children, they'd deemed me broken, someone in need of fixing. They'd cast me off without a second thought. No, I decided, not parents. They were the people who'd loved me until they hadn't.

Ren, you must pay attention more, Silas chided. She wants to know where you would like to be dropped off.

"Here's fine," I said, snatching up my bag from it's resting place at my feet. Krista pulled over to the curb, raising an eyebrow at the McDonalds.

"You're sure." She deadpanned.

"Yes. Thank you for everything," I replied, opening the door.

"Wait, take this, in case you ever need me." She handed me a scrap of paper with her number on it.

"Good luck, Ren," she smiled, suddenly looking ten years younger.

"Thanks," I repeated, stepping out of the car. Closing the door, I stood back, watching her drive away and rejoin the traffic. She was soon lost within the glint of vehicles. I sighed, looking at the spot where the car had rested.

Then I backed up and took off down the sidewalk, a smile on my face as I let out a whoop.

This was it.

It was time to start living.