So I had a weird dream that night. I dreamed of fire. Lots of it. But not just fire; no, there was smoke, and there was ice, and there was wind. It was horrible. But the worst part was the screams. People were screaming and I couldn't do anything to help them. I turned around in my dream and Tia was there, crying as flames licked at her toes. She was tied up.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why won't you let me go?" she asked. I opened my mouth to answer. It wasn't my voice that came out.
"Because I'm the only one who can. And you can't stop me. No one can!"
The voice was harsh and guttural. It spoke with rasping overtones, but at the same time, there was a cadence to it that was almost lovely, almost mesmerizing. I woke up instantly.
"What's the matter?" Tia asked. She was lying on the other end of the couch, and as soon as she heard me, she woke.
So I told her the dream. She laughed at the end.
"Sorry pal, but there's no way that you could ever light me on fire. Remember, I practice martial arts, I'll hurt you over and over before you even get a finger on me."
I stared at her, then "You're so hot when you're threatening," I mused. She laughed.
"Stop flirting and get ready for school," she said. "After all, you need an education to light an entire city on fire."
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//Tia here. I have no idea why I'm telling the story from here, but it's probably important that I do. Anyhow, so after breakfast, we started walking together towards school. It really didn't feel any different from a normal morning. It's what happened next that shook me up. A car drove by us really quickly. I commented on the colour, saying it was an ugly lime green. But my favourite guy friend wasn't there.
"Tia!" he yelled as he was pulled away by the driver.
I started running after the car. But I didn't make it in time. I had taken about 20 running steps when a Mustang came and swiped me. I hit the ground and rolled.
"Please don't let me die, please don't let me die," I prayed over and over as my vision went blurry..//
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The guys who grabbed me had slammed me into the back of their car. I twisted around.
"What about my friend? Who are you guys?"
Just then, a scream rang through the air. Tia.
I began struggling even more then, but one of the guys planted a sock in my mouth and put a gun to my head.
"Shaddup, kid, or I swear we'll kill you! Dammit, no one said this James guy would be such a hassle!"
Suddenly it dawned on me. These guys wanted my brother. I furiously worked the sock out of my mouth and said, "I'm not James! I'm his brother!"
BANG.
Crazy Thug #1 pulled the trigger, but another car came and side-swept us.
"Crap," the driver growled. "They found us!"
"What do we do" asked Thug #1, "kill the kid?"
"No. We need him alive and healthy for the people to interrog- NO!!!!!!!!"
It was the last thing I heard for a while.
When I woke up, I was stunned.
"Where am I?"
"You're at Mission Headquarters of the Magnificent Astronomical Training/Reconnaissance and Investigative Experimental Agents."
"Uh...you mean MATRIX? That's what you're called?"
"Smart kid, most people don't pick up on that. But that's not what matters right now. You see, we have a little problem. Your brother has been captured by forces that have been around for centuries. I'd rather not reveal their names right now, but you've heard of them. They specialize in children's toys, movies and fantasy items."
"Hold up, so like Disney?" I asked.
"Well...yes. Exactly. It's Disney."
"Why don't you step out of the shadows so I can see you?" I challenged.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" the voice asked.
"Obviously yes." I countered. So imagine my disbelief when Ms. Greene walked out.
