This will likely be the most confusing thing you've ever read. Forgive my horribleness, I've been writing this story for fun and just wanted to share it to see what others thought.

The dreams had become increasingly awkward and senseless lately. She didn't quite get what was happening, although everything was there. How were you supposed to find what you needed when you didn't know what you were looking for? The screams, the pleas for help, the pointless wondering… And then nothing. No one in her dreams had ever come to her aid, which was disturbing.

She always had unnaturally vivid dreams. Laurel, that is. Where some people would get a lucid dream here and there, hers were always articulate and beautiful. What details that may've been muddled to others were quite clear in her mind. Maybe she paid attention, or maybe she was just a little bit better at watching her surroundings than most.

And that in itself made had always given her an awestruck feeling.

But for some reason, her dreams were differing lately. Instead of the picturesque blue skies and perfect green grass, she was getting darkness and death. It was troubling, yes.

But it was also quite the interesting change.

Her lifestyle was no different than it had been. No major life changes, no startling revelations by anyone, no horrible loss to cope with… she was just normal.

And she could deal with that just fine. Up until the odd warning she received from a little girl, Laurel had never once feared for her sanity.

"You need to be careful, L. Tell somebody." She was a cute little blonde, although considerably younger than herself. Maybe seven, she guessed. This of course made her a decade younger, someone Laurel wouldn't know unless she was family—which she wasn't.

And that nickname she used, L. No one called her that, much less a stranger. She was Laurel to friends, although her family tended to use her middle name. Not that it mattered, she was the first person Laurel had met while dreaming in weeks. Things must've been getting better, right?

"No I don't! They'll think I'm crazy," she murmured. The little girl shook her head vehemently in response. "Oh, really now? So you know my family, too?" It was meant to be mocking, although she was shocked when her voice sounded so resigned.

"You think you're so special that you get these dreams, huh?" she gestured around wildly, almost twirling.

"Well, ye—" Fun. She just loved getting cut off by someone in a dream. Nightmare…

Whatever this was anymore.

"You're not. Your daddy may try to put you in a crazy house, but they can't deny it. Everybody in this freaky family is exactly the same. You'd be shocked at the family secrets they keep because no one talks about anything." She had this self-satisfied look on her face, like a child after telling something her parents had said not to.

Which was probably exactly what she'd just done, really.

Laurel raised an eyebrow but broke into a large grin. This girl had spunk, and reminded her of someone that she once knew but couldn't put a name on.

"Okay," she nodded, repeating "okay."

"That's it? No screaming? No telling me I'm a liar? Not even a question?! Gosh, this isn't as fun as I thought it'd be." She began to walk away, probably to go pout alone.

"No, no, I've got a question." Laurel called, causing the little girl to turn quickly. "Who are you and how do you even know this?"

The girl's eyes gleamed. "Can't tell ya. I gotta get going, things to draw and stuff, y'know?"

"Okay…" That was weird.

"Oh, and you should probably wake up now!" She called as she began to run in the other direction. She watched the ponytail bounce until the girl was too far away to see anymore.

Wake up.

She'd been sleeping?

Wake up.

It shouldn't be so difficult to distinguish the two.

Wake up!