Dawn of the Dreamer (Dreamer Trilogy, Book One)

Chapter One

An overwhelming fear seeped beneath my skin, forcing itself deep into my bones. My eyes adjusted slowly and my heart beat wildly in my chest, prompting me to crouch and melt into the branches and thick bush around me. With a sudden flash, lightning stung the black of the night and lit up the area around me, revealing silhouettes of large silver-barked trees and masses of low bushes. To my right, I could sense something creeping almost silently through the trees, and fear sunk heavier in my chest.

Should I run or try to stay hidden among the leaves and twigs?

Crack!

Shock sprinted through my body but I stood dead still, straining to hear my pursuer through the rush of wind in the trees that bent and moaned in protest. A hint of shadow towards my right sent a surge of adrenalin through my veins, willing me to run.

Bounding up from my crouched position, I ran through the trees and shrubs that pulled at my clothes and tore at my skin as though they'd grown claws just to hold me back. The stinging cold of the rain burned my face and chilled me to the bone, but still I kept running. I could hear it behind me, so close I could feel its hot, heavy breath. Fear slowed my stride, and my legs betrayed me by buckling as my bare feet hit the soft muddy ground beneath me. My mind willed them to keep moving, but they couldn't, or wouldn't. Landing on the ground, I rolled onto my back in the mud.

A giant brown bear stood over me, the heat of its breath burning my frozen face, wet from a mixture of rain and tears. Its gleaming fur shone slick with rain. Lightning struck again, and it looked even larger than it had first appeared. The bear reared up onto its hind legs with ease and let out an almighty roar, filling my nose with the hot smell of rotting meat as its breath passed its yellowed teeth before lunging at me, jaws open wide and claws bared ...

***

My eyes sprung open, darting around the room trying to remember where I was. To my left lay three people: a girl in her mid-twenties, an older man, and a young boy. They were still fast asleep, tucked into their crisp white beds. To my right was another girl who had awoken from a terrible nightmare herself. We both looked around the room, dazed, while our heart rates returned to a normal beat. Our eyes met with a silent understanding, realising where we were. I recognised the clean white walls, shiny grey vinyl floor, monitors, computers, and the sterile scent of a hospital. I was in a Sleep Room.

'Must have been a rough night, Amelia.' I hadn't noticed he was in the room. His friendly voice was welcome after my terrifying dream.

'How did you guess?' I asked Nurse Cameron with a sarcastic tone.

He looked up at the computer screen mounted above my head. He was dressed the same as the rest of the nurses I'd observed since being involved in the program. Where they were stern and uncaring, his smile was compassionate and real, and there was a kindness and warmth in his charming blue eyes, framed by a perfect curtain of thick black eyelashes. Cameron explained my results displayed on the screen, which I never completely understood. I did know, however, that the red lines spiking up and down indicated another terrible night's sleep.

My blank expression caught his attention, and he stopped talking, his mouth amusedly twisted to one side. 'Fingers crossed, it won't be much longer, and you'll be getting a good night's sleep like everybody else.'

'Fingers crossed.' I rose from the bed and slid on my shoes.

He handed me my locker key. 'See you again in three days?'

'Of course, Nurse Cameron, wouldn't miss it for the world.'

'Just call me Cameron. Cam would be even better,' he pleaded.