Chapter 2: Recognition

Per usual, a Saturday spent with my best friend Drew, is a very tiresome. First we went for donuts and coffee, then on a hike up the Appalcahian trail, followed by a quick swim in the lake nearby, with our day coming to a close in my backyard for a picnic. As I took a bite of my sandwich, Drew started up our conversation from the morning again.

 

"So, are you going to tell me about that dream?"

 

"Why should I?" I said smartly.

 

"Why shouldn't you?" Drew asked, eyebrow cocked.

 

I smirked, ruffling up his jet black hair. Drew wasn't smiling, though. In fact, his face was rather grave, brown eyes intense.

 

"You seemed so shaken up this morning, and I know it wasn't the same. Tell me, Carissa."

 

It was true. The dream wasn't the same. In all of my other nightmares, I would be in danger or come near death, but not once did I die in a dream. Not once did I actually feel the pain surging through my body, or awaken gasping for the air I couldn't take in during my dream. But, this time I did.

 

"I died. In the dream, I died." I told him.

 

"Really? How?" Drew asked, intrigued.

 

"I jumped off of a cliff, and I fell down to the bottom. When I hit the bottom I felt so much pain, and I died. It was scary, Drew."

 

"Hey, it's just a dream, kid." Drew said playfully, punching my arm.

 

"It felt so real, though."

 

"But it wasn't. Don't sweat it." Drew put his arm over my shoulders, and we began walking toward my house.

 

* * *

 

I lay restless that night, Drew on the floor along side my bed, thinking of my dream and hoping not to have one like it again. My shirt was sticking to my skin in the heat of the summer night, with no fresh air to ease my discomfort. I rolled out of bed, careful not wake Drew, and opened a window in my room. I stood by the window letting the cool breeze touch my skin, and peered around the curtains at the full moon, luminating the black sky. I then tip toed my way back to my bed, stepping over the knocked out boy on my floor, and made the millionth attempt at sleeping. It didn't work out so well.

 

"Psst! Drew?" I whispered, tapping his shoulder.

 

"What?" He moaned sleepily.

 

"I can't sleep." I told him.

"Try." Was his response before he fell back into sleep.

 

I did fall asleep, eventually, though it took quite some time. When I awakened again in the dead of night, I found that Drew was no longer lying on the floor. Instead, he had been put in a headlock, which he was attempting to remove himself from. The man whom Drew was struggling with was very tall and looked to be quite muscular, and he held Drew in place with ease. Adrenaline flooded my body and I threw myself out of bed, toward the two figures in my room, ripping Drew from the man's grasp.

 

"Run!" Drew gasped at me. "Run!"

 

We both ran, but the intruder only walked casually toward us. Drew and I made our way quickly to the front of the house, pulling open the front door to find two men blocking our way. I screeched and we both whirled around, charging toward the back door, where we found yet another two men. When I turned around this time, I was greeted two large, burly men who grabbed me and started dragging me toward the door.

 

"Dad!" I screamed. "Dad! Help me!" Now I was screaming for my dad through sobs, hoping he would be able to hear me at the opposite end of the house. "Dad!"

 

Drew screamed too, thrashing about in the arms of his captor, doing everything in his power to free himself. I, however, could hardly move. I was so frozen with shock and fear that I simply cried and screamed with only a few punches and kicks to the men holding me. In an instant I was on the floor having my hands and feet tied together with a metal-like twine that cut into my skin. Drew, on the other hand, was fighting back. The men could hardly get Drew to stop throwing himself at their legs. But, they managed to get him pinned, and once he was down, the man who I had seen in my bedroom stepped toward Drew's worn body. Bam! A boot slammed into Drew's head once, twice, three times. I screamed out his name so loudly I was sure I'd rupture my vocal cords, but when I looked into he face of the man who'd just knocked out my best friend, I gaped at the recognition of my father.