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It didn’t make sense why he would carry that with him, if he had no arrows to protect us.

I tried to look at what had made that sound and saw nothing but shadows. I was pulled down again, behind the used to be a couch.

“What are you—”

“Shush, you don’t want to be found by those things out there.”

“There is nothing –”

“I said shush,” he whispered and gave a stern look that lasted only a couple of seconds before he peeked past the couch again.

He took a couple crouching strides toward the door that I’d entered through earlier.

A huge clang echoed through the entire building or what was left of it, and I saw the lead pipe I’d kicked by accident.

Leigh jumped straight up, grabbing my hand in his tight grip. “Run!”

My heart thumped heavily inside my chest as we aimed toward the exit and just as we almost made it I saw it. It was a giant-ass Rottweiler, but it wasn’t a Rottweiler at all. It had the same structure as the rats inside the tunnel.

Leigh pulled his bow in front of him, the one with no string. We were so screwed. Yet he still released an invisible arrow. Loon!

I gasped as golden sand emerged out of thin air, forming a solid golden arrow.

I knew that sand, I’d seen it this afternoon for the first time, only his was much brighter.

The arrow struck the beast in the head and it exploded, falling into a heap of black sand.

Leigh grabbed my arm this time, and shoved me toward the exit as I just stood there in place gawking at the scene before me.

“Move!” He yelled and I ran through the exit. We were outside again, and running through the dark and disgusting smelling streets toward the end. We turned around another corner and found a heap of bricks that used to be a wall, and ducked.

“What was that!”

“Nimgolians. Where there is one, there are bound to be many.”

“Nim what?”

“A shadow hound.”

“Wait, you mean more are coming?” I needed to know.

Leigh grabbed my chin softly. His glasses were resting on the middle of his nose, and I raised my gaze to look at his. “Just calm down, okay. I’ll get us out of here.”

I somehow knew that I could trust him. I mean if he wanted to kill me, he would’ve let demon smoky do the job.

He gazed one more time around the corner, and then he pushed me right up, took my hand in his warm one and ran in the opposite direction down the street.

We ran until we found an old merry-go-round. All the horses had started to lose their paint. The eyes looked scary and I jumped again as lights came on and a very old carousel tune started to play. It was very slow at first, as if it was operated by batteries, but it grew into a stronger tune, one I used to love, but never would ever again.

My heart bounced inside my chest as Leigh darted past the carousel and through another structure. We hid behind something that look like a shell.

The carousel died and everything became so quiet that the only thing I could hear was my own breathing. His was extremely calm and I wished I shared the same confidence as him, but I didn’t. I was beyond scared.

When the shell structure started to move, and lights came on close by, I understood where we were. It was an old theme park, one that hadn’t been visited in years.

We ran again and exited through what once was a gate. By now the entire theme park was alive, letting those Nim-monster things know we were here.

I’d never ran like this before and I was glad for Rollins’ ballet classes.

We finally found another deserted street and Leigh slowed down.

I didn’t like this one bit and kept looking over my shoulder as I tried to keep up with him.

“Why are we stopping?”

“We lost them, don’t worry, I think it’s safe to take you to the Celestial.”

“The what?” I felt like an idiot as nothing made any sense that left his mouth. “First the Nim-things, now Celesians…”

“A Celestial. It’s like a porthole, back to your world.”

“Back to my world?” I couldn’t grasp any of it, even if I wanted to. If this wasn’t my world then what was this.

He handed me the flask again and shoved it in front of me. “Just drink, it does help, believe me.”

I did what he asked without smelling it this time.

It burned again and I handed the flask back to him. Why I took another sip, I didn’t know. I knew how strong that stuff was but it was like I expected something completely different.

Leigh’s eyes still searched everywhere as he walked fast toward the edge of the street.

I pulled the hoody of his jacket over my head to retain more heat.

“So you care to tell me what I am?”

“You are not from your world, Chas. You are what people would refer to as Dream Caster, the kind that can wield dreams.”

I squinted again at him. I knew the term wield, any idiot would know what that meant but putting it together with dream was something that didn’t exist.

“You want to tell me that I’m like a modern day Sandman? Or in my case woman?”

He looked at her through narrow eyes as his eyebrows knitted together. “I’m not familiar with that term. What is a sandman?”

“You know, the guy that throws sand in little kids eyes to make them fall asleep?”

Leigh chuckled softly. “That’s absurd! Why would anybody throw sand in somebody’s eyes to make them sleep? Wouldn’t it burn the shit out of your eyes?”

My entire body felt as if it was inflated, which wasn’t a bad thing as it was doing something else, than being afraid.

“Never mind.”

“Dream Casters, we are responsible for Nomad dreams.”

“Nomad?” I asked again.

“You know, folks that can’t weave dreams.”

“Okay, so I’m a dream weaver, or Caster whatever, yay me.”

“It’s what I said.”

I sighed, I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this guy.

We reached the end of the road and a huge square with a dried up fountain stood heavenly in front of us.

More ruined buildings and half a statue of someone must have been important long ago stood right on the opposite side of the square. I realized that I hadn’t seen one tree in this place, or anything that used to be a tree. “What happened here?”

“Nothing happened here,” he said. “It has always been this way.”

I shook my head. My breathing became heavy again. I had to get out of here, wherever here was. I couldn’t be stuck in this place forever. I had to see my mom again, and I’d even settle for Tim.

Leigh stopped dead in his steps and I walked three steps more and turned around to see what was up. His eyes were gazing everywhere, turning on one spot slowly as he kept his gaze on so many things. I did the same, but saw nothing. Still it creeped me out as I knew things that had the ability to turn into dark dust when golden arrows struck them hid somewhere inside these buildings.

Then just like earlier, it happened again. A dog appeared out of thin air right in front of us, ready to pounce and once again, one of Leigh’s golden dust arrows hit him straight in the head. More came, and I felt as if I was going to throw up with all the adrenaline rushing through my veins. More arrows flew in the air and more monstrous beasts exploded and fell into heaps of black sand right in front of us.

Leigh grabbed me around the waist and pulled me behind him as he killed another shadow beast that was inches away from me with a golden object in his hand. It disappeared just as fast. I tripped over a stone and scraped my knee as Leigh killed another three shadow dogs. I found one inches away from Leigh. “Five o’ clock,” I yelled and just like that, he drew out an invisible sword from his sheath that emerged into a solid blade just as he struck the beast in the chest. Black sand wash over him and he shook it off with a couple of body shakes.

It stopped, but I could feel more were waiting in the dark for the right moment to catch us off guard. I could sense it, could feel the darkness pouring out of this place.

“Chas,” Leigh said without lowering his bow, “are you okay?”

“I’ll live,” But I didn’t know for how long. I didn’t say the last part out loud and felt his hand pulling me up by the arm.

“It’s almost time.”

“Time for what?” I said in a high-pitched voice that I didn’t mean to. I guess my nerves were on their last.

“For you to go back.”

Okay, I remember something like that.
It had to do with the Seletine-something that was some sort of a porthole. I was ready for that.

“In about a minute a light will show itself,” he carried on. “Whatever happens you make sure you get your ass to that light, before it disappears.”

“What will happen if I don’t make it?”

“Then you will be stuck here,” he said in a tone as if it wasn’t a big thing at all.”

“Got it,” I said. “Get my ass to the light before it disappears.” I just have to make it.

He smiled slightly. “And remember, you can always choose.”

“Choose, what?”

He didn’t answer, as he drew back his bow and shoot another arrow at a clouded figure. A bright light appeared on my far left, just like Leigh said it would.

“Go, don’t stop for anything. I have your back.”

“What about you? Will you be okay?”

He chuckled, killed three other beasts in a matter of five seconds and drew back the invisible string. I knew it carried another invisible arrow that will appear as a golden arrow when it mattered. “I’ll be fine. Just go.” He released the arrow and it turned gold right before it hit a dark beast in the shoulder. “Go!” Leigh yelled again.

“Thank you,” I yelled as I ran for dear life. I was after all depending on a light. I prayed it was home, my bed.

From the corners of my eyes, I could see two dogs on both sides were heading straight for me. I wasn’t going to make it, but I had to try. Images of plans formed in my head of how I was going to slip past the dogs and I sprinted like never before. Miss Haly, the athletic teacher at school would’ve been so proud of me. I was finally giving it my all.

The shadow dog pounced straight for me, and I crouched as I waited for its bite or whatever these dogs did. Sand covered my body and I saw a golden arrow glinting inside the sand. It disappeared and I got up and ran again. The other dog was a few paces from me. My legs burned and my lungs felt as if they were on fire. The other shadow figure came in fast and nipped with long sharp claws at my leg. I cried out in pain and watched blood oozed out from four long vertical claw marks that could’ve easily took off my leg. Still, I got up and leapt for the light. The beast followed and exploded as light engulfed us. The pain seared through my entire body and I only realized then that I still had Leigh’s jacket around my shoulders. I jumped up, cold sweat rolled down the side of my face.

I breathed fast and heavy, I looked around and I was back inside of my room on my bed. I was wearing my nighties again, and my hands, they were clean. I felt a bit sweaty but I was clean.

It was just a dream
, the voice in my head said,
but why is my leg still aching?

I pulled down the covers and found four gashes running down my leg. My covers and pj’s were soaked with blood and my leg hurt more than I’d ever thought it could.
How could this be possible?

THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK OFF THE BANDAGES. I’D put on the night before. It was clean, my leg was clean and the marks the shadow hound left were gone.
Did I just imagine that?

I ran back to the kitchen where the front loader held all my bloody linen and found Mom cooking up a storm. I glanced at her and then at the washing machine spinning the bed linen soaked with blood.

Mom followed my gaze and stared at the laundry spinning in the machine too. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” She asked with concern pulling the corners of her eyes.

“I’m fine,” I gasped. I was shocked, felt as if I was busy losing my mind and I turned around walking back to my room. I struggled to shake last night’s events from my thoughts. I could still remember every single thing that happened in that place. Dreams were not like that. You usually only remembered a fragment of what you dreamt about, not everything.

I also knew I wasn’t imagining the blood and the pain I’d been left with when I woke up in bed last night.
I distinctly remembered the blood and the strong iron smell that lingered for hours in my room after I changed the bed linen and cleaned up my wound with whatever was in the first aid kit.

I even struggled to sleep because for some reason I could still smell the blood, imaginative or not, the smell was real.

I got dressed as I thought about Leigh. If he’d gotten away from those shadow dogs I didn’t know, but I hoped that he was okay, and alive. I would really like to see him again and thank him properly for saving my ass.

When I got back to the kitchen a plate of bacon with eggs and toast waited for me at the breakfast nook. Mom didn’t say anything as she read the newspaper with a cup of coffee almost touching her lips.
I took a seat behind my plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. One look at it, or sniff, and my stomach started to turn and I got up, ran to the toilet and puked my lungs out.
Tears lingered in my eyes as I bent over the toilet again. Emotions of fear and shock of last night’s events were turning the inside of my gut in turmoil.
“Honey, what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything.” My mom’s voice came from the door.

Not this time, Mom. “I’m fine.” I couldn’t tell my mother about that dream. She would think I was crazy, even though she had always asked about my dreams, this was different.

I finally came out of the bathroom. “I’ve got to go. I’m going to be late for school.” I picked up my backpack, which was where I left it last night by the door.

“You want me to drive you?”

I looked at my mom, and smiled. “I’m okay, mom. Really. I just got lost yesterday, that’s all.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” Mom came over, gently stroked my face and gave me a kiss on the head. “Be safe, I’ll see you this afternoon and then we can speak about your dream last night.”

I just stared at her.
How did she know?
I shook my head. Mom always wanted to know about my stupid dreams, it was my paranoia that had gotten the best of me.

“Bye,” I said and walked to the bus stop with thoughts of Shadow hounds and the most badass, geek beauty I’d ever met.

ON THE SCHOOL BUS EVERYONE MINDED THEIR
own business. Nobody even glanced my way,
why should they, Chas?
I whispered inside my head. I was sure after today the bus driver would probably never let me on his bus once Clare and the gang told everyone what I’d done yesterday at the lake.

There was no sign of Clare, Ty, Nicole, or any of the guys when I found my locker. Scared of opening it, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Don’t have a heart attack, don’t have a heart attack.
My hand lingered on the lock and I opened it quickly.

Nothing came, no explosion of some sort that would cover me with a liquid stickiness, no booby trap, nothing.

I took out the books for the first three periods and shoved them into my backpack, fast. When I shut the locker door, I jumped as I found Clare leaning against the locker beside mine. I closed my eyes and wanted to tell her to take a hike when she opened her mouth.

“Relax, scared-y pants,” she smiled. “Where were you this morning?”

I frowned. “This morning?”

“Yes, Ty and I went to your home to pick you up, but there was absolutely no answer. Did you take the school bus?” she said with slight confusion on her face as if the school bus was drenched with the plague or some other deadly disease, and started to walk in the direction of our first period.

She stopped and turned around.

“What are you waiting for?”

I closed my eyes and pinched myself. No I was definitely awake. I looked around, waiting for any of the others that might jumped out behind a closed door or something.

“Chas, what is it with you today? You’re acting really weird.” Clare came back and spoke softly as concern was evident on her face.

I’m acting weird?

“I’m fine, I just don’t feel so well. It must be the fusion my mom tried last night,” I lied.

“Fusion? Since when does your mom cook fusion?”

“She’s trying new things.”

Clare laughed and I couldn’t help but to feel as if we’d just picked up where we’d left off four weeks ago before the Ty incident.

I followed her into the Science lab and we split up to join our respective lab partners.

Through the entire class Clare was sending me notes, made faces behind Freddie’s back, which I didn’t like because he was one of my favorite geeks, but I smiled. Something was definitely not right with this picture. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I had my best friend back, even though she’d acted like a complete bitch these past four weeks. If she was willing to forgive and forget everything, then so was I.

The school bell rang and Clare waited for me to pack up. “So when did we start on molecules and mass?”

I looked at her. Science wasn’t Clare’s thing either. She was more of the P.E. Queen. I just giggled.

“I know, it all goes so quickly, right?” I said.

“Way too fast for me.” We split at the end of the corridor. “See you in P.E.,” she yelled and went the other way.

“See you,” I spoke softly.

It was weird, seriously weird and although I wanted to trust it, I couldn’t. I froze as I thought about yesterday. She called me a freak and today she was all best buds with me again. Something was going to happen in P.E., I just knew it.

In P.E. they chose teams again for the volleyball game. One team belonged to Clare, the other Beatrix.

The first name Clare called was mine. Everyone’s eyebrow rose and some even gasped. Clare just shook her head as I moved forward slowly. Beatrix called her first name and it was back and forth until we made up two teams. Then we started playing against one another. I wasn’t good like Clare, but together we made a killing team. It was just like the old times where she would yell in codes that none of the other girls – except me – understood and we won the game by ten to five.

We high-fived each other every time we scored and when the bell rang again it was break.

I wanted to break from her when I saw Ty and Derek.

“This guy is seriously making my blood boil,” Clare said and I just rolled my eyes. He kissed her softly as I walked past.

“Hey, Chas. So did you think about my offer, yet?” Derek asked.

“What offer?” It came out harsh.

“Wow, a snake spat in your milk this morning?”

Clare laughed. “Ignore him Chas.” She grabbed me by the elbow and moved with me to our regular table. “She’s not into Tweedle-dums like you, Derek.”

The guys laughed and took seats around our table.

I huffed and pinched myself as they spoke to one another about another party at Ty’s house. He threw them every time his mom and dad went away on a couple’s retreat. Ty and Clare actually became a couple at one of the parties we were accidentally invited to. Everyone except me was excited, just like the last time.

I pinched myself again. Still awake. I had a really weird feeling and couldn’t help but watch over my shoulder every five seconds.

Nicole walked with her tray to our table and even she acted as if yesterday or the past four weeks never happened. We were like one happy family again.

The entire day it felt as if I was stuck in the twilight zone, but I had to admit, it was one of the best days I’d had in a long time.

When the final bell rang, I walked fast, scared that maybe the entire day was meant to gain back my trust and that a horrible prank would blow up in my face. That Clare had told them to mess with my mind and act like nothing bad had happened and then boom, reveal the unexpected.

She caught up with me at the main door.

“Hey, where are you off too?” She put her arm around my neck and walked with me down the stairs. “Seriously Chas. Speak to me, spit it out. What is it with you today? You’re really starting to freak me out,” she looked worried. Clare wasn’t someone that had a skill for pretending and she definitely sucked in Drama and in school plays.

“Nothing. I just had a bad dream yesterday.”

“About what?”

I sighed. “It doesn’t matter, it was just a stupid dream.” I smiled and hugged her back. “I’m sorry about today. I promise that tomorrow I’ll be myself again.”

“I’m going to hold you to that. You coming with us?” She asked as Ty appeared out of nowhere.”

“Can I give it a miss? My mom is picking me up today. Bonding time,” I lied if they were trying to lure me to the big thing.

“Sure, say hi. And Skype with me tonight. Same time?”

I nodded and ran to the parking area where all the parents were waiting.

“Bye, Chas.” Derek yelled as he was running toward Ty’s pick up. I waved, sort of and walked on again.

WHAT THE HELL?

I pinched myself for the gazillionth time today and still it was just as painful as the first one this morning.

My mom’s SUV was nowhere to be found and I almost changed my mind and ran back to Ty’s truck when I found her climbing out of a Porsche SUV… Did I mention Porsche?

I knew something about today was wrong. There was no way that we could afford that on Tim’s salary.

I walked to the SUV, not knowing how I should act and smile. But Mom didn’t share my enthusiasm and just ordered me with a shaky voice to get into the car.

I did and found two men dressed in white leather. I felt like I was being sucked into a different zone, like in The Matrix. You know, the movie where Keanu Reeves couldn’t be more yummy?

One sat in the front, behind the wheel, and one in the back. Mom climbed into the front after she closed my door.

The guy behind the steering wheel started the engine and I stared at my mother, who just looked out the window. I had no idea who these men were and glanced at the one next to me. He gave me a sweet smile.

When we got to the house, Mom plunged herself down on the couch, without saying a word. The two men stood, neither of them sitting down.

“Can anyone please tell me what is going on? Mom, who are these people?” I didn’t care about manners anymore. This was the last straw and I was freaking out.

“Please, Chastity. Sit down.” The one guy with the blond ponytail that had sat beside me on our way here said. He couldn’t have been more than three years older than me.

“No! I’m not going to sit down. Who are you?”

“My name is Kale. I’m a Seeker and we know what happened yesterday.”

My face went all numb and my mother just looked at me with concern in her eyes.

“You came because I got lost?” I played the dumb card but the look on both their faces told me that they were referring to what happened before I got lost.

“We know, Chastity.” The other one spoke. He was slightly older than his buddy, maybe early thirties, late twenties and had dark, raven black hair with dark brown eyes. It wasn’t Leigh though.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You’re playing that card?” Kale said with a hint of a smile.

I didn’t want to say this in front of my mother. But the look on her face said that they’d already told her.

“She doesn’t even know what you are talking about,” Mom finally said something.