The funny thing about insomnia is that you can't go to sleep when you should but since your body needs it you will eventually pass out somewhere. For me it was school. Unfortunately for me it was during a test. I had one of my recurring nightmares. It's of the two soldiers mom killed and the mutant dogs burning. In the dreams, however they aren't evil. The mutant dogs are human, the soldiers are just following orders and they all beg and plead for mercy; they always plead. Then Asher appears beside me saying he'll be right back before walking into darkness. I try to follow him, but something keeps me there and I'm forced to watch the guards and mutant dogs suffer instead of chasing after Asher, yelling after him not to go. I jerk forward when mom's gun finally goes off and find myself on the floor of my classroom. I'm met by stares and a couple of snickers, as I pull myself back into my desk chair. It takes a minute to realize that class is over and we have to hand in our tests. I look down at my test and see that I didn't get past the second question. Slowly, I drudge to the front of the room with my test and place it on the pile, before turning to leave.
"Miss Mellark please stay, for a minute." I turn back to face Mrs. Oberlin. She is looking down disapprovingly at my exam. She shakes her head, probably realizing what the rest of my teachers already discovered; I'm a lost cause.
"You are one of the most creative, talented and intelligent students I have had in this classroom. So how is it that you can go from being class valedictorian and first freshman invited to the Capitol competition in five years, to the person who hands in this?" She lifts up my exam. I look at it and hang my head knowing I can't even begin to defend my lack of work. She lowers the paper and says a little quieter. "When I grade this test you will fall below passing for the quarter. Even if you aced the next few assignments, you would still not pass." I kept looking down, taking in her words. She takes a deep breath and says. "I really don't want to fail you Dahlia. A failing grade in arithmetic will not look good when you apply for healer training." I merely nod, not mentioning the fact that I gave up on that dream. "That is why I'm going to give you a chance to do some extra credit." She takes out a pass, scribbles something down and hands it to me. I immediately see it's a pass to the school shrink. " Finish the last few assignments, go for two sessions with the psychologist and I will count that as enough extra credit for you to pass."
"Thank you." I say immediately, knowing she's giving me a chance to redeem myself. Before I leave she adds.
"Dahlia…talk to someone about what your feeling."
I run my fingers along the lines of lockers as I walk down the hall, thinking about what Mrs. Oberlin said. 'Talk to someone.' Such a simple request, but how can I put into words all that I'm feeling. How can I talk about Asher when I don't even know if he is dead or alive? The slamming of a locker interrupts my thoughts. I look up and realize I automatically walked to Elle's locker. She's standing in front of her locker sorting her books. I quickly move towards her before she can run off.
"Elle" I call. She jumps at her name and quickly turns to me. As soon as she recognizes my face, a mask of anger comes up. "Please." I beg before she turns away. "Is it true? Is he alive?"
She looks into my eyes and lets her school façade fall for a short moment. Past the make-up, new clothes and attitude, my best friend was there looking back at me. She steps closer and opens her mouth to say something but then just as quickly closes her mouth and steps back.
"Ugh! What are you doing talking to this loser?" I immediately cringe at Jane's voice. She sidles up next to me, staring intently at Elle. Elle quickly returns to her mean girl demeanor and replies.
"I wasn't. I was too busy mentally passing judgment to hear anything she said."
Jane, more then pleased at that laughs and adds in a few more jokes at my expense. I let myself zone out to avoid listening. My thoughts wander to Asher. It's been two days since my dad dropped that bomb on me and I still don't know if it's true. That's when a thought occurs to me. There is one person I can always rely on to tell me the truth, but to talk I have to get home. School was once again put on the back burner as I walk away from Jane and Elle in the middle of a particularly funny joke (well funny to them) and out the doors of the school.
I move quickly but not so quickly that I didn't hear footsteps close behind me. Suddenly I am alert and paranoid I am being followed. I take a few quick turns that lead in a circle, half expecting the footsteps to disappear. Instead they grow closer. My heart begins to race as I try to think of a plan. I could try to hide, but they are way too close to slip away. Then I remember my short cut to the bakery! There are enough twists and turns no one could follow me. I subtly pick up my walking pace, but I hear the footsteps pick-up too.
'Screw subtlety,' I think and take-off running. There's a shout from the man behind me.
"Hey! Stop!" At that, I break into a full out sprint and run into a dead end alley. There I climb the fire escape, which allows me to cross over the wall to the other end. I jump down and wiggle through a small hole in another wall that lets me out two blocks south of where I began.
When I finally stand up, my legs and lungs are burning from the sudden effort and I have to catch my breath. The sight of the bakery just across the street calms me a bit and I walk at a more leisurely pace out of the alley. Suddenly a hand grabs me and pulls me away from the street. Terror clinches me as I'm spun around and forced to look at the man who has been following me.
