Stuck in This World

Chapter One: Dreamer

Disclaimer: I wish, I wish upon a star...

Kenshin got up from his bed early in the morning. He turned off the annoying beeping of his alarm clock and stretched. Kenshin was tired of living this life as if he had a purpose. He wanted to end this game of life but something was keeping him to this world. Kenshin knew not what this was but continued his search. Kenshin walked out of his room and into the bathroom. He went and took a quick shower to wake him up. He was done about fifteen minutes later. Kenshin walked out of the bathroom with a towel on his waist and into his room.

He looked himself in the mirror. Kenshin was about 5 foot 6 inches tall. He was pretty short being his age of 17. He had long red hair tied back into a low ponytail and purple/ golden eyes. He had a great build; not stocky or too bulky. Kenshin had two biceps rings on his right arm. He traced the cross- shaped scar on his left cheek delicately with a finger. Kenshin heaved a heavy sigh and walked to his pile of laundry left in the corner.

Kenshin dug deeply into it and came up with a pair of black jeans and a gray tee shirt. He grabbed a pair of clean boxers from his drawer and put them on. He lazily put on the rest of his clothing. After he dressed himself, he walked to the mirror once again and sighed. Kenshin took his wallet as he walked to his door and opened it.

Kenshin's house was much cleaner than his room. He walked down the stairs and to the hall. He grabbed his keys left on the side table by the front door and exited. He walked to his driveway and hopped onto his motorcycle. Kenshin turned the key into the ignition and drove away to school.

Kenshin parked his bike and set off toward the building. There wasn't anybody there of course, because he was always earlier than everyone else. He passed by the front entrance and the teachers allowed him in. Kenshin numbly nodded to each one of them as they greet him good morning.

Though Kenshin rarely pays any attention in class, he is very intelligent and is known throughout the school. All the teachers know that he does more studying than he leads onto. Though his intelligence is known throughout the school, no one knows of his pain and suffering.

Kenshin made his way to his locker and slowly opened it. He bended down and grabbed his things for his first class. Kenshin held the door, wondering if he forgot anything.

"Hey Kenshin!" a loud voice shouted from behind the locker door. Kenshin jumped and shut his locker, revealing the man with the loud voice.

This man had chocolate brown eyes and spiky brown hair. He was the same age as Kenshin though much taller. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and red tee shirt and a red bandana.

"I said 'Hey Kenshin,'" he said.

"Hey Sanosuke. Sorry, I'm a little out of it," Kenshin replied.

"No prob. Late night working?"

"Yeah," Kenshin sighed.

They both walked quietly to their next class, history. When they walked in they saw only a few students. The other students watched as the two took their usual seat in the back. Kenshin put up his book and lay his head on the desk. He started fiddling with his pencil as he lazily studied the pages in the book. Sanosuke just stared at him, confused. The students started filing in as the bell was about to ring. Kenshin didn't even flinch as the bell rang. The teacher walked in seconds later.

"Good morning class," the teacher said as he took his seat.

The students, in unison, replied with "Good morning."

"Now class, if you would all turn to page 132, we can begin our lesson." The students groaned as they opened their book.

Sano turned to the page and looked at Kenshin. Kenshin paid no mind to anything that had happened. He just kept studying the pages. Slowly... very slowly... Kenshin's eyes started to close.

Kenshin was sitting on the ground. It wasn't hard but moist. He took his hand and touch it. It was soil. He turned his head and looked around. It looked like he was in a forest of some type. It didn't seem like it was morning either. He looked up and saw that the moon and stars were out. The moon was full and shining down on him. Kenshin looked at his hands and he held a knife covered in blood. Lying down on the ground next to him was a body.

It was a man with spiky brown hair. He was splattered with blood still slowly leaking out of the wound to the heart. Kenshin looked again to his hands covered by the red sticky liquid. He looked back to the body. Kenshin dropped the knife as he realized that it was Sano.

"No.." Kenshin quietly whispered. "No..no...NNNOOOOO!"

"NNNNOOOOOOO!" Kenshin screamed as he jolted up from his classroom nap.

Everyone turned to look at him strangely, even the teacher.

"Dude, you all right?" Sano asked.

"Sano?" Kenshin whispered. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me. Who else would it be?"

The sound of the teacher clearing his throat interrupted the conversation.

"Mr. Himura? You don't look so fine."

"I don't?" He was mopped with sweat.

"No you don't. Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"I don't know," Kenshin replied.

"Well I think you do." Just then the bell rang. "Himura?" Kenshin turned to look. "Be sure to get to the nurse, you might have a fever."

"Okay..," Kenshin replied as he walked out the door with Sano.

"So..."

"So.. What?"

"So what was all that about back there?" Sano asked curious.

"Nothing," Kenshin replied blandly.

"Nothing? NOTHING? You woke up in class screaming! You call that NOTHING?" Sano exclaimed. A few people looked their way. Sano looked at them and the resumed their previous activity.

"It was nothing. Just another nightmare."

"You call that nothing? You've been having nightmares for the past month!" He started to attract attention again and decided to tone down his voice. "Don't you think that this might be a sign or something?" Sano whispered.

Kenshin didn't answer but continued to walk silently.

"Was it the same nightmare? About you in the forest where you had..k-" Sano choked and couldn't get the words out.

"Yeah..." Kenshin just replied solemnly. Silence passed between them. "Guess I should go see Megumi now."

"Yeah...see you man."

"Yeah.."

They both went their separate ways as they reached a hall. Kenshin going right while Sano went left. Soon the bell rang and all the students scurried to class. Kenshin paused at the staircase. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. Another.

Kenshin hovered over the corpse of his friend Sano. He screamed out into the night only to hear his echoes reply.

Kenshin woke from his sudden doze. He shook his head and decided to make his way down to see the nurse.

Kenshin walked down the steps and took a left and ended up in front of the nurse's office. He walked in slowly and looked around. He saw no one so he took a seat.

Seconds later he again fell asleep.

As his echoes slowly disappeared, hot streams of tears flowed down his cheeks landing on the ground in front of him. Shaken by his own actions, he huddled himself into a small ball and cried silently into his arms.

"Kenshin?" a female voice sounded. Kenshin didn't stir but shivered violently. "Kenshin." The voice again. "Kenshin!" She sounded worried. He wouldn't wake so she decided to shake him. "Kenshin! KENSHIN?" Kenshin awoke.

"Kenshin... are you alright?" a woman with green- black hair asked.

"Yeah..."

"You had me worried for a second. What was that all about anyways?"

"Nothing, Megumi. I was just sleeping." Kenshin replied bluntly.

"Well, it sure didn't look like it," Megumi replied. A few seconds of silence passed. "What are you in here for this time?"

"Oh. I was sent here to have my temperature checked. He believes that I might have a fever," Kenshin said.

"Okay. Just lie down on the bed in the next room," she said as she went into the next room.

"Okay."

Kenshin walked to the next room and lay down on the bed. It was a shame that the bed was so soft. Kenshin just enjoyed the comfort and rested his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, he fell asleep.

Kenshin carefully looked up from his arms and turned to look once again at the corpse. Slowly his gaze turned from the body to the blade shimmering in the moonlight. His eyes rested on it as he sluggishly crawled to the knife. Kenshin stopped and slouched to the ground just inches from the knife. He gripped it with all his might and directed the tip to his chest.

Megumi had just walked in the room holding a thermometer and saw Kenshin trembling. She dropped the thermometer and rushed to his side. She tried with all her effort to wake him but he wouldn't stir, though she didn't give up. It took a while but he finally woke.

She felt his forehead and rested her hand there. His head was freezing. She walked back to the entrance of the room and grabbed the thermometer she dropped. She wiped it off throughly and walked back to Kenshin.

"Now open and stick it under your tongue," she commanded.

He did as she said. Megumi stayed and watched Kenshin to be sure that he wouldn't fall asleep again. Silence filled the room as Kenshin returned to his normal state. Megumi decided that it would be a good time to take out the thermometer and she did. She shook it in the air a few times and looked at it.

"97.6ĚŠ. Looks like your fine but I'm not sending you back to class like this. You look like your dead and you keep falling asleep. My advice is for you to go home and get some sleep," she replied seriously.

Kenshin didn't reply but stared at the ground wide- eyed.

"Okay.. I don't exactly know what your nightmare was about but nightmares are just nightmares. They don't come to life. You must be under a lot of stress to be like this. I'm going to be giving you a pass home and make sure you get your sleep tonight."

She handed him the pass and he walked out.

"Oh.. And Kenshin," Kenshin turned to look at her. "if I were you, I would take that nightmare seriously. They only come as a sign," she said but then burst out laughing.

As he walked down the hall to the exit, teachers looked at him concerned. He ignored their looks and continued walking. Kenshin got to the exit and walked out. He headed to his motorcycle and stood by it when he reached it. Kenshin looked back to the school and saw Sano running out of the building.

"You going home, huh?" Sano said.

"Yeah but how'd you get out of class?"

"I just saw you in the window and asked the teacher if I could be excused."

"Yeah well you better get back to class before the teacher kills you." Kenshin pointed at all the teachers looking out the windows and Sano and him.

All the teachers looked worried for Kenshin because he would never leave school for anything. He knows how important school is, after all he missed his childhood education is still trying to pay off that time of slacking.

"Yeah, so see ya man!" Sano yelled as he started back to the school.

Kenshin got on his motorcycle and headed home.

.:A/N - Sorry guys for the late update. I really have no excuse other than I was too lazy... sorry again! Hope this chapter pays off for the lateness. Anyways.. Thanks for all those who reviewed. Reviews please:.