Ashes in the wind

1. I scream as loud as I can

I turn around and see a twisted grin on his face. "I will get the stone; you can't run forever!" he shouts after me angrily. I try to get away, but hit a dead end and spin around. He steps out of the shadows, right in front of me. I scream as loud as I can, my small voice echoing through the empty alley.

I jolt awake, panting and thrashing. My whole body is covered in a layer of sweat. For a moment, I can't breathe. It didn't feel like any ordinary nightmare...it felt more real. More intense. I sit up and switch my lamp on. Slowly, my breath returns to normal. I stumble into the bathroom and splash some cold water onto my face before crawling back into bed. I drift back to sleep for what feels like minutes before my alarm buzzes.

I force myself out of bed, pull on my uniform and walk downstairs. I toss a muesli bar, popcorn, a sandwich and an apple into my school bag before eating a quick bowl of cereal. I grab my bag and phone and say goodbye to my mum before going outside. My bus is coming up my street as I am putting on my shoes.

"Good morning, Elara," said my bus driver cheerfully. I shoot him a smile before sitting down on the last empty seat. When the bus arrives at school, I spot my friends, Jade and Aaron and jog over. We walk to maths together.

"I'm not excited for this test." Jade sighs.

"We have a test?" I reply, my stomach dropping. I had not studied at all.