Dark Dreamer

Chapter 8: Break free

"Not much happens without a dream. And for something great to happen, there must be a great dream. Behind every great achievement is a dreamer of great dreams. Much more than a dreamer is required to bring it to reality; but the dream must be there first." 

― Robert K. Greenleaf, Servant As Leader   

"Lea, so how---" Lauren races towards me, but I pretend not to notice her, and slip round the corner into the elevator.

I let the elevator doors close slowly, shutting myself out from my friends, the people who are a second family to me. Suddenly, I am overcome by a massive headache. I scrunch my forehead and press my fingers to my temples, leaning against the cool mirrored wall.

Why did I have to mess it up?

*****

"Leanne. Do you know what you just did?" Heather frowns down at me, while Amethyst continues to stare, open-mouthed, her clipboard slipping from her loosening grasp.

I blink, having absolutely no idea what I'd done. "No... but should I?"

Heather purses up her lips, flipping back her strawberry blonde hair. "It shouldn't have been possible, what you did." 

I started to feel faintly impatient. "You keep on stating that it's impossible... but can you please at least let me know what is?"

The man from conscious lifts his arm and adjusts the red lapel on his collar, nervous. "Heather, this is out of the ordinary, even from your division." 

"I know, and this is what is troubling me." Heather responds, barely acknowledging my question.

"This... this hasn't happened since... you know, him." Amethyst whispers, as if I'm not within hearing range. As is I'm not sitting right in the midst of their little discussion group.

"Look, I don't know what I'd done to offend you, but---" I started to say.

"Technically, you were unconscious, when you did---" The Conscious representative mused.

"Snap out of it, Craig! This is very serious. It's happening all over again!" A woman in a bright yellow dress chastises.

"Well... seeing as she is one of them..." 

"She must not know the whole story." Amethyst tells Heather. "It'll put her at a greater risk. Nor will anyone else know---"

"Shush! All of you!" Unable to withstand the debate going on, Heather gestures for everyone to stop talking. "I'm making all the decisions here." Turning to her crew, she orders, "Go to headquarters. Inform the Elders. We will adjourn this meeting until after lunch. As it is, it's eleven already."

Obediently, they dismissed themselves. Now left alone with the most supreme commander of my division, I gulp. What exactly do they want? What did I do wrong? What will happen?  

Looking at me, Heather forced herself to smile. She's not a natural at smiling. I think she might have been this stressed ever since her childhood dreams. There are rumours flying about Heather. Rumours that make me shiver, as they all come back to me, now that I'm faced with her. Alone.

"Now... we'll have a little talk, Miss Dale." It's been a long time since someone called me by my surname. I cringe. I don't think there is anything wrong with my name... but all my friends seem to think that 'Leanne Dale' is a hilarious name.

"Leadale!" "Annedale---Arendalle, as in Frozen!" "Leannedale!" They think it should be some kind of brand. For the moment, I had no wish for my name to be plastered all over billboards and wrapped around plastic drink bottles. 

The only person who doesn't find my name at all weird, well, is Alex. I know, because he told me so. In fact, everyone knows. When my friends started teasing me, Alex stopped them, saying, "Cut it out, guys. There's nothing funny with her name at all." Then looking at me, he says in a soft voice, "Leanne Dale... that's a beautiful name."

That's when everyone started thinking that he likes me. But, well, I don't really know how I feel about all that. True, he's always been looking after me, but so has Lauren. They're family is really close with my family. They're parents were devastated when I lost mine. 

"Miss Dale." I hear Heather call, and snap out from my thoughts. 

"Really! I've been calling your name for four times, Leanne. We may be the Unconscious, but we do have protocol to follow, where the limits are met."

I blush. "Sorry." 

"Never mind, young lady." Heather straightened, brushing off invisible dust from her magenta dress. "You are coming with me. We shall discuss matters in my office." 

With that, she shooed me out of the room.

*****

Being in the same room with Heather was weird enough, but walking around in the Institution, especially after my Ranking, followed by the supreme commander herself, is torture.

Along the way, I can feel everyone's gaze on me, they're minds wondering what trouble I had possibly gotten myself into. 

I'm not any trouble at all for the Institution.

"Oh, you sure about that?" The voice counters.

Have you appeared at this moment to jeer at me? Because I really don't appreciate it.

"Well... I was thinking more along the lines of... you know. I had to help you---"

Please, do shut up! Can't you see that I'm in enough trouble as it is? Whatever I did, it must be extremely unpleasant... for me.

For once I did not receive an answer, meaning that he agrees with me. How horrifying.

Things couldn't get more worse, but when Ari, Sam, and Chrissy showed up, I knew I had to make a run for it.

*****

In the elevator, I steady myself, trying to even out my breaths, lower the rate of my heartbeat. Breaking free from my 'captor' was hard, especially the part when she'd realize that I'd even had the nerve of disobeying her--- supreme commander of... yeah, I know. 

Somewhere in the elevator, a song is playing from the overhead radio. Some girl singing soprano, something about 'breaking free', and unable to resist something... How... corresponding, I think.

Just when I thought my eardrums would burst from all that high-pitch screaming, the elevator doors open. 

But I only just recalled, in my rush to *ahem* break free, I didn't bother pressing any buttons on the elevator... so that must mean...

The elevator doors open... revealing

the person I really did not want to meet at the moment, but who's the only one who could help me get to the bottom of things...

"Hello, Leanne." say Alex. Without another word, he steps into the elevator and closes the doors.

Hello... once again, thanks for sticking with me (with this book), for so long! Thank you! <3 So... do you feel the suspense? AAHAHAAA!!! :)

And thank you all, for your kind votes... because I have rose up just a little, again! Last time, my rank was #824, now I'm #812!! I know, it's still too little, but I just wanna say thank you!

Do continue to show your support! 

~Tiffany :)