Ans: The Lucid Dreamers

I've Woken

My clenched fists started pounding the door's chilling surface as my love erupted with power,"Where is she!" I would not stop making noise until this infernal door was opened, even if that meant I would need to tear it off its rusted hinges.

Then my mind split. My cracked and bleeding hands covered my head as I clenched my teeth against the pain. My mind had just pieced itself together, now it was shattering into oblivion.

"I never thought I would have to do this to you, but if you don't stop I'll make you feel more pain than you ever imagined." A ruff voice greeted me from the opposite side of the door as a momentary peace greeted my head.

I dropped my fists to my side but still clamped them in fury turning my knuckles white. "What did you do with her?" I pronounced each word with a new fury I found from deep within.

"Oh, I didn't do anything with her." The voice had changed to a... calm voice. "She left on her own."

"Then why was she in here for so long covering the walls with blood?" I mentally pulled back the words as I realized how much knowledge I was giving away.

"Yes, your dream. Well I have to say that one is probably my least favorite. I would instead prefer the willow tree one, that one was at least pretty."

"How do you know about my dreams? Who are you?" I jumped to the door and placed my hands on it trying to find a spot in the door where I could see him. Then my mind split again.

"Obviously you've figured out about my chip, so why would you question why I know? Also your mother has gone back home for the day, she decided she didn't want to act with you again." I was still clinging on to my own head as if it would fall off by the time he finished his wicked thoughts.

"So..." I tried to pull myself to speak even with the pain,"it was all fake? Yo..you implanted dreams in my head?"

"Precisely. It was all planed, just incase you ever decided to leave your family. And of course your little rambunctious self did." I stared at the wavering floor as I began to comprehend everything. My dreams were fake, my real family didn't want me, and all the things I thought I didn't know about didn't even exist.

"I g.. ge.. ge" then my mind was picked back together by his dream inducing chip. "I get it. I'll go back to them." Then the door opened in front of my eyes and he was already gone. I wandered back to the bushes where everyone stayed.

"Ans, what happened?" Verie was clearly disturbed when she noticed my bleeding hands.

"There's no mystery Verie, put all the sleepers back." I continued to walk on.

"But Ans? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to my family."

"But your family is back there." Her voice continued to raise in surprise as I continued to leave her. "And we can't just put all of them back to sleep!"

I whipped around to face her,"Then you deal with them!" I indicated to the one still laying motionless in her arms.

"Ans.."

"No!" I sprinted away, this time I knew Verie couldn't follow me. That girl would way her down. Without noticing my movements I opened my eyes to find the train station, the one I had entered the city on. Passengers started to empty from the carts as lot screens overhead flashed my small town's name. I longed to stay here, out of the shadows my parent's had cast for my alternate life. But an awakening surged through my body.

The Lucid Labs sleepers weren't the only ones to awaken, I too saw the world for the first time. This world is an endless forest, branches forever obscuring the future. If only I could be taken away from this place the sinister had created, but they have already changed my heart.

"I won't go on like this." The train doors swung closed.

They swallowed me with them.