3rd Person POV
"Yesterday, I came into possession of another Malivore artifact." Dr Saltzman starts the meeting in the assembly room. It's late at night and the students had been woken up for a meeting. Well, all but Sadie who hadn't been to sleep yet. Students sit around in the chairs and the tables. Sadie sits next to Landon while Raf leans on the table next to Sadie. "It was my hope to find a method of containment before it signaled another monster, but given the emergency meeting I've just called, I'm sure you can guess how well that went."
"Do you see Hope anywhere?" Landon asks Raf
Raf shakes his head no
"But rest assured we are taking every precaution." Dr Saltzman continues. "Sheriff Donovan has been kind enough to open the doors of the Lockwood Mansion to us, so Mr. Williams and Ms. Tig are now in the process of evacuating our students from the lower grades."
"Why don't we just evacuate the damn artifact?" Kaleb asks
"We are much more well-equipped than the world at large to handle the arrival of a monster." Dr Saltzman says. "Once we know what we're dealing with and the problem is contained, then we can reassess what to do with the artifact. If any of you would like to evacuate, please talk to Dorian or Emma. However, exam week will continue as scheduled, wherever you are." Students groan. "I know. I'm sorry. I can't exactly call the state accreditation board and tell them that we're cancelling the exams because of monsters. We'll get through this, I promise. Try and get some rest, okay? Good night."
Students start walking out
Landon stands up
"You coming?" He asks Sadie
"Yeah." Sadie answers, getting up
Sadie, Landon, and Raf walk down the halls
"Hope's M.I.A." Landon says, looking around
"Yeah, she's probably suiting up in her battle armor." Raf says through a yawn. "Girl's basically Wonder Woman."
Landon lets out a laugh
"Either that or she's realized she's made a mistake bringing me back here 'cause where I go, danger follows." Landon says
"My God." Raf groans. "Come on, bro. Now, this one's not on you."
"I mean, her being distant today has got to have something to do with us waking up in a field with amnesia yesterday, right?" Landon says
"Look, until one of you can remembers how you guys got there, I just... I-I just wouldn't think about it." Raf says. "Look, you're here. Think about the good things in your life instead of getting caught up in the bad for once, bro."
"Yeah." Landon says
"Uh, I'm gonna grab my bags and hit the library." Raf says
"Okay." Landon answers
"I'll see you at breakfast in the morning?" Raf asks
"Yeah, see you at breakfast." Landon says
Raf starts walking away
"Hey, Lan, I'm glad you're back." Raf tells him
Landon turns to Sadie
"Yes?" Sadie asks
"Do you know anything?" Landon asks
"About?" Sadie asks
"The whole, us waking up in a field thing?" Landon says. "Was just talking about it 30 seconds ago. Ring a bell?"
"I only know what Hope told me." Sadie tells him
"So you know why she's MIA?" Landon asks
"I never said that." Sadie says. "All I know is what you guys know, which is pretty good considering I've been locked in a cell the past few days."
They stop outside Landon's door
"Good night." Sadie tells him
"Are you actually going to sleep?" Landon asks her
"I got exams in the morning." Sadie says. "Of course I'm not going to sleep."
Sadie walks into her room
***
"Our latest monster is a Night Hag, a malevolent spirit trapped on the astral plane that can only interact with us through dreams." Dr Saltzman says at morning assembly. "In this case, nightmares."
"Oh great." Sadie mutters
"So, like Freddy Krueger?" MG asks
"Well, in the sense that what happens to you in your dreams seems to also happen to you in real life, yes." Dr Saltzman says. "But the good news is we're safe, so long as we stay awake. I've lined up more evacuation shuttles. They should be running all afternoon, so please, for those who don't want to stay and fight, take advantage of them. All right, that's all."
Everyone starts getting up to leave
***
SADIE: As you already know, sleep and I don't get along. So I've been up for a while at this point but I was still doing better than some of the others -- despite being awake longer.
Students have been evacuating all day
Sadie sits in her class, the notebook in front of her open as she doodles
Landon sits in the seat in front of her
He turns around to face her
"I really don't know how you stay awake all the time." Landon tells her
Sadie shrugs
"Practice I guess." Sadie says
"Dracula, as a novel, has only retained relevance in modern times because of our patriarchal culture's obsession with the idea of a privileged, powerful man who does absolutely what he wants with absolute impunity." MG says, starting his presentation
"Although this might be enough to put me to sleep." Sadie jokes in a whisper to Landon
Landon lets out a small laugh before focusing on MG talking
Sadie goes back to her doodles
"Meaning we've spent weeks in this class analyzing the literary value of a character who basically abuses consent in every way possible." MG says
Sadie looks up from her doodles and sees Landon's body slowly start slouching over forward
Sadie taps his shoulder with her pen
"Landon?" Sadie whispers
No response
Then, Landon gasps, jolting in his seat
Sadie gasps
"Because that is what we deserve as... as the student body." MG finishes his project
Landon turns around to face Sadie
"Sarah, what the hell." Landon whispers, showing her his hand
Sadie looks at his hand and it's bloody
***
Raf and Sadie are in the gym
Sadie holds the bag as Raf punches
They were taking turns and both were sweaty from their practicing
"Hey. Have something against the bag?" Hope asks, walking in
"Yeah, I'm almost done here." Raf tells her. "I'll get out your way."
"You know, no, actually, I could use a sparring partner." Hope says. "If I don't punch someone, I'm gonna fall asleep."
"Well, you got Sadie." Raf says
"Sadie isn't allowed to train in sparring." Hope says
"Unfortunately." Sadie says with a shrug
"Yeah. All right." Raf says
Sadie goes over to the side lines to jump rope as she watches the two spar
They start punching
"You're being too gentle." Hope says
"I'm punching you with half my weight." Raf says
"Give me all of it." Hope says
They spar some more
"That's gonna hurt." Raf says
"No, it's not." Hope says
They spar more
"Don't make me take you down." Hope says. "I have no desire to be alpha here."
They spar more
Hope is hit to the ground
"Hope. You good?" Raf asks, checking on her
Hope springs up and starts punching Raf
Hope gets him in a chokehold
He taps out
"Damn, woman." Raf says
"I'm really sorry about all the things that happened to you in your life that made you so good at brawling, but I really needed that just now." Hope says
Raf sits up
"Listen... I don't mean to get in your business, but... be cool with Landon, okay?" Raf says. "I know him, and he's not gonna believe that he's welcome here until he's about to graduate. He's gonna be waiting on the other shoe to drop. And look, if-if you're gonna drop that shoe, all I ask is that you... you be gentle, okay?"
"What makes you think that there's another shoe?" Hope asks
"Where we're from, there's always another shoe." Raf says. "Sometimes it's-it's an actual shoe or... a belt. But you get the point. Look, if you're cooling off on him, fine. But just don't lie to him."
"I'm not cooling off on him." Hope says
"Why have you been avoiding him?" Raf asks
"Because there's a lot going on." Hope says
"It couldn't hurt to be a little more honest about it." Raf says
"I'm being as honest as I can be." Hope says
"Yeah. And somewhere still in that is a lie." Raf says
"You've never lied to protect someone?" Hope asks
"No, Hope. I haven't." Raf says
Raf gets up and leaves
Sadie stops jumping rope, breathing heavily
Hope looks up at her from her spot on the floor
Sadie walks over to her and sits down
"What do you think?" Hope asks
"I think you need to be honest with him." Sadie says. "Or at least as honest as you can be."
"Have you ever lied to protect someone?" Hope asks
"Have you?" Sadie asks her
Both girls knew the answers
"I need a shower." Sadie says, standing up. "Let me know if anything changes."
Hope nods
Sadie leaves
***
"Are you kidding me?" Sadie asks Hope in the gym
Sadie, with her blonde hair wet from her shower, and in her leggings and a hoodie, stands across from Hope
"I'm not going to sleep." Sadie says
"But it's for the mission." Hope says
"So?" Sadie asks. "You've got four other people here who are capable of doing that." She gestures around the room at the boys who are putting sleeping bags on the floor. "I'm not forcing myself into a nightmare. I'm sorry, Hope."
"It's okay, I get it." Hope says. "You're right, it's unfair of me to ask that of you."
Hope looks past Sadie
Sadie turns around and sees Landon there
"Have you talked to him yet?" Sadie asks
"I'm going to." Hope says
Hope walks past Sadie and goes to Landon
Sadie helps Raf set up his bed on the floor
***
The boys are asleep
Hope and Sadie watch Landon, Raf, MG, and Kaleb on the floor
The four squirm and their faces twist
The two girls watch
"What happens if they do it wrong?" Sadie asks
"Then they're stuck in a nightmare with a demon who wants to kill them..." Hope says
The two girls share a look
It's silent for a moment
"You stay here." Hope tells Sadie. "I'm gonna go to the 'hiding place'."
Sadie nods
Hope walks out
A few minutes later, the four boys spring out of their sleep
"Hope?" Landon gasps, rolling over
"Are we alive, dude?" MG asks, sitting up. "Did we win?"
"Hey, is everybody okay?" Raf asks
"You see any dead dream demons laying around?" Kaleb asks
The four stand up, gasping
"I grabbed the monster, like MG said, but I-I don't know if it worked." Landon says. "And where is Hope?"
"She was in my dream, and then, I don't know, she was gone." Raf says
The ceiling starts rumbling and the lights shake above
"What's that?" Kaleb asks
"A fight." Sadie says
"Wait. Wh-What was Hope doing in your dream?" Landon asks Raf
"The usual, just being a badass." Raf says
The demon, along with Hope, shoot into the room
The demon growls
"Pretty much like that." Raf says
MG and Kaleb are about to fight the demon
"Stay back, guys, I got this." Hope says
"Hope." Sadie warns
The demon grabs Hope in a choke hold
Sadie runs forwards and starts hitting the demon
Dr Saltzman runs in
"Hope! Eyes!" Dr Saltzman yells, tossing her an arrow
Hope stands the demon in the eyes
The demon disappears
"Landon was right. Sexy as hell." Kaleb says
***
"So what's the plan now?" Hope's voice asks in the doorway
Sadie turns around from her open window and faces her
"Huh?" Sadie asks
"It's 2 a.m. We weren't able to sleep last night cause of the demon but I heard from Raf and Landon that you've been awake for a few days."
"Oh...yeah." Sadie says. "Sometimes it's better to be extremely tired...then hopefully I won't have nightmares."
"That doesn't sound very healthy." Hope says
"I can't think of anything else to do." Sadie says. "I've basically conditioned myself to small amounts of sleep."
"And tonight?" Hope asks
"Tonight?" Sadie says. "I think I might sleep through my exams." She lets out a laugh
Hope lets out a laugh as well
"I'm sure Dr Saltzman will understand." Hope says
"He better." Sadie says, sitting down in bed and pulling her blankets up. "Cause I'm tired."
"Goodnight." Hope says
"Goodnight." Sadie replies
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Hope you all liked that chapter!!
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BLUE DANCER BOOK 2 will release SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020
Next chapter up NEXT MONDAY
-MC
Stay safe everyone!!