The Dream Crashers ✓

13 - The Mystery Continues

"That girl is straight up batshit crazy," Luke said, shaking his head. "She looked a little too happy killing those birds."

"Mara is harmless. Well, mostly harmless. If you don't get on her bad side."

"She needs professional help."

I couldn't help but laugh. Luke was so familiar and so safe. Laughing with him felt like the only constant in my world that felt like it was constantly turning upside down. I let my head fall casually onto his shoulder and shut my eyes. "I can't wait for this school year to be over. I feel so tired all the time."

"It's already Wednesday night. Only two more days until the weekend," Luke said helpfully.

"Two days is so long," I mumbled. 

Luke stifled a yawn. "Now you're making me tired."

"Then be quiet and sleep. No one's stopping you," I muttered.

His shoulder was too comfortable. Before I knew it, I felt myself drifting off.

---

This shouldn't be happening.

My body felt warm as it started emitting a bright glow, preparing me for crashing into another dream. My previous lessons with AJ taught me how to control when I transported, so I was surprised to find myself being pulled into another dream. I tried to reign in my panic and ground myself to my dream, but I was fading out.

I was overcome with a jittering sensation as the warmth flowed throughout my limbs. Everything around me vanished,  and I felt the familiar pull of leaving my dream. Suddenly my feet came into contact with the ground as I landed in another place.

Every dream I've visited has been a mini-adventure, every experience remarkably different. I've visited dreams that were beautiful and tragic and terrifying, but I've always felt very detached from them, like I was just an observer. This one was different though. Even though I could still feel that I was a visitor in this dream, it seemed so achingly familiar, it could've been mine.

But it wasn't.

As I looked around, I realized that the sleeper behind this dream seriously lacked imagination.

The sky was a navy blue and sprinkled with stars. The ground was covered with unruly grass, dotted with trees and brush. And that was it.

"Hello?" I called out. "Is anyone there?"

I hadn't been expecting a response. But then I heard—

"Rory?"

My eyes widened in surprise as I looked for the owner of the voice. "Luke?! Is that you?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

I watched as he limberly swung himself down from a tree branch. He was dressed in the same clothes as he was wearing when he fell asleep on my couch.

"So this is what you dream about," I said, looking around again. "For someone who is so interesting, your dream sure is boring as hell."

"What? Wait, why are you here?"

"Unhappy to see me?"

"Not at all, but you should probably go. Lucy is coming soon. We always meet here," he said, smiling boyishly.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You dream about her too? Jesus Christ, Luke. You have a problem. I still don't get what you see in her. Besides this afternoon, you've never even spoken to the girl."