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chapter one the here and now
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Lately, Kenny has been having these spine-tingling moments where she wakes up suddenly with a chill and can't move. Any attempt to pull the blanket up around her is unlikely as her arms are pressed to her sides. The same series of events follow each time: the panic sets it, the pressure in her chest intensifies, her screams are silenced, a large, boney body hovers in the corner of the room, rocking on its feet, and her eyes shift upwards until her fingers wiggle, and she's fine once again. A simple blink and her salt lamp is on, there's a kink in her neck, and the entire event is forgotten just like that. It was just a nightmare, after all. Nothing to worry about...right?
But, sometimes, she thinks she can see it, like out of the corner of her eye when she's sitting around doing nothing. In class, on her couch, riding her bike. Sometimes she really does think it has to be real. She remembers this thing John Lennon said about dreams and nightmares being as real as the here and now...that maybe this is her brain telling her something. But what is it telling her? She's certain she was conscious during each event, fully present, just completely immobile, and then as soon as she wiggles her fingers, it's all gone. Just a nightmare. Her memory basically wipes and starts over. Clean slate or something.
"Helloo? Earth to Kenny."
Kenny blinks with a short shake of the head. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I was saying that muffins are two-for-one on Monday at the bakery, but clearly you don't appreciate the deliciousness of a fresh blueberry muffin as much as I do," her friend says. Colie Arthur sits cross-legged on Kenny's bed, her phone clasped between both of her hands as she scrolls carelessly through it. Her curled blonde hair is messily shoved back by a blue headband and her grey hoodie is loosely pulled over her head.
Kenny, on the other hand, is sprawled out at the foot of the bed staring at the ceiling. Her phone lies somewhere near her nightstand; she can't recall where she last set it down. She does this often, really. It'll pop up eventually whenever she receives a text. She doesn't mind either way; her eyes are watching the ceiling fan spin rapidly above her. "I don't eat breakfast," she replies. "You know that. Gives me a stomach ache."
"Yes, but lunch, hello!" Colie bounces on the bed, dropping her phone beside her face-down. "Apparently they're serving chicken patties, and we didn't survive that last time."
Kenny groans. "Don't remind me. I almost called my dad to pick me up."
Colie frowns. "I did call my dad."
"Gross," Kenny says with the scrunch of her nose.
Colie lets out a laugh and falls back onto the bed with outstretched arms. It's silent between the two for a moment before her phone dings loudly, and Colie reaches for it beside her. Kenny closes her eyes and sighs.
