She was running, running for her life. The rough branches whipped at her face, as if trying to stop her. The wind howled for her blood and the evergreen trees seemed to sway in agreement with it. In her hands she held a long crudely formed stick on which was perched a skull. It emitted a soft ruby glow from its hauntingly empty eye sockets. This was the only thing she had to light her way through the dark treacherous woods. Her face and hands were terribly scratched and her breathing ragged. The bitter cold nipped at her and she almost came crashing down, her two long braids whipping about her. For a terrible moment she feared her pursuer would catch her. The skull she had stolen was the only light around for a great distance, but the one who chased her would have no trouble finding her and she could not think of the fate she would have if caught for taking the skull. She heard a great commotion behind her, branches snapping and the wind becoming even more fierce, and turned around dreading what she might see...
Vanessa awoke from her dream in a cold sweat. The girl's sheets were twisted and tossed asunder as if she had to escape her nightmare through thrashing about. Sitting up Vanessa glanced at the digital clock on the small nightstand next to her bed. 4:30 a. m.
"Damn! Damn!" She cursed through clenched teeth. Another night of sleep lost. She fell back on to the bed with a loud thump. Vanessa could not seem to get any rest these days. The strange shadows that were cast in her room at night prevented her from falling asleep until she couldn't keep her eyes open. Then the horrible dreams woke her up in the wee hours of the morning. Vanessa reached up and switched on the reading light above her bed when her cat Nimue crept in. Nimue was purring away like a small motor.
"Hey, Nimue. Couldn't sleep either?" In response the silver tabby crept onto the bed and rubbed her cheek against Vanessa' s knee. Vanessa laughed.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe I should follow your example and take cat naps during the day. Then I might actually get some sleep." Nimue settled herself on Vanessa' s lap and seemed determined to stay there.
"Sorry Mue. While I'm up I should study. I have a feeling that Mr. Rogers is going to make us do a lab today in science and those things make me nervous since we don't have a lot of time to complete them." After lifting the protesting feline off her Vanessa makes an attempt to memorize the different types of vascular plants. Giving up after aboat half an hour she tries to get some rest. But she cannot stop thinking about the reoccurring dream of running through the strange forest while carrying a glowing skull.
…
"Well it looks like someone stayed up late last night." Said Vanessa' s mother disapprovingly.
"Humph."
"You're going to have to stop doing that or your grades will drop." Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Mom, just because I don't get enough shut-eye every once and a while means I'll stop getting straight A's." Then Vanessa' s younger sister came bounding in.
" 'Morning Mommy!" Said Lisa before proceeding to pour herself a huge bowl of cereal that was very out proportion with her small size.
"Besides," said Vanessa while shoveling a spoon of yogurt into her mouth "We can't all be morning people like Miss Energizer Bunny over there." Lisa stuck put her tongue at Vanessa.
"You're just jealous."
"Of what? A practically illiterate eleven year old whose is failing the fifth grade? I think not."
"Well at least I know how to have to fun. You're a lonely sourpuss who has no friends and spends all her time with books." Lisa smirked when Vanessa slammed her spoon down on the table.
"You take that back!" Their mother looked up from checking Lisa's homework.
"Stop it! Vanessa you are fourteen years old and should know better." And you Lisa need to spend less time having 'fun' and more on school." Their mother scowled. "Really, it's much too early in the morning for fighting. I swear you girl's are giving me gray hairs."
…
Vanessa opened her locker. The halls of the school were abuzz with the sound of student chatter and clanging metal
"It's so strange. I have this dream every night and each time it gets more real. Cecelia, I'm getting seriously freaked out. You got any ideas about this?" Cecelia, Vanessa's best friend just shook her head.
"Hey, I am even more in the dark than you are. The worst dreams I've ever had is being in an airplane crash. Besides you've always had vivid dreams."
"Well at least I have other stuff to worry about. I have honors math next." Said Vanessa as reached for her textbooks and made a face.
"Mrs. Hawkins gives a lot of homework. It always stresses me our."
"I don't get why you're so focused on school. Sure you're an over achiever, but you get so worked up over these things. You have grades people would kill for." Cecelia tucked her binder under her arm and waited for an answer.
"It's all I have, Cecelia. I'm not musical like you, or athletic. If I don't do well in school I'm nothing." Cecelia gave her look that said "a little over the top".
"That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. You have you stories. I can't believe you can imagine such things. A girl forever wandering a maze. The lady of the mists and the child who killed them both to destroy the lady. I can't think of things like that!" Vanessa snorted at that.
"And look where that got me! The guidance counselors office."
Cecelia shrugged.
"I think you should write more. I love reading your work."
"Maybe I'll write aboat that dream."
"Do want you want." And with that Cecelia walked down the hall. Vanessa started to follow her but was struck by sudden dizziness. She staggered and nearly fell. Only then did she realized that the long hallway was completely deserted. She wobbled to the bathroom and leaned against the sink counter. A long mirror stretched in front of her. In it Vanessa could see her features perfectly. Dark blond hair in short cut that reached only to her chin. Her grey-green eyes were too slightly small for her extremely round face. Bushy brown eyebrows gave her a serious look and the dark circles under her eyes stood out against her permanently ruddy skin. Vanessa's broad shoulders slouched as another wave of nausea hit her. Flashes of green and brown danced in front of her eyes.
"What is happening to me?" Asked Vanessa in horror as she seemed to fade. Her body became more and more transparent. No one heard her scream when she finally disappeared.