"Help me!"

I am in my classroom as Cecil Jacobs sneaks up behind me and covers my mouth with his hand. The lights go out; I can't see anything. Fear and adrenaline rush through my body.

"Better enjoy this Scout," I recognize that voice, it's Pumpkin. "This is as close as you're going to get to a boy getting anywhere near your nasty mouth!"

"Ewww," Mary says. "Better go wash your hands, Cecil!"

"Never know what kind of colored disease she's got," Elizabeth says in agreement.

What's going on? Are they going to hurt me? Don't they realize what I've been going through? I don't deserve this.

A rush of courage replaces my fear but my adrenaline doubles. I swipe Cecil's hand of my face and push my desk away from me so I can escape. I start to run through the darkness, I run the fastest I've ever ran. I don't care what's in the dark but I know I just got to find a way out.

I find a door and stumble into daylight. I look around to find nobody behind me. A rush of calm comes over me as I pick myself off and walk home. I feel on top of the world, I have conquered them. They have no power over me. I go home the way I always do only to knock into someone. I look up only to find Tom Robinson looking down on me.

"Sorry, Mr. Robinson," I apologize.

"You're okay, Miss Finch," he says picking me up and hugging me.

"Scout," I hear Atticus murmur to me.

"What?" I just now realize I had been dreaming. Atticus is holding me just as Tom had held me in my dream.

"You were screaming, honey. You scared me," he tells me as he sits down on my bed with me still in his arms. I love Atticus' hugs. I feel nothing can hurt me when he holds me.

"I didn't mean to, Atticus. Your cheeks are wet. Did I make you cry? I'm sorry if you cried because of me."

"You really did scare me," I can hear him start to cry again. "I feel so bad for you, honey. I absolutely did not want you to go through all that you have."

"What about Jem?"

"Honey," he turns away from me. For some reason he can't look at me right now. This is never good. "Jem woke up with chest pains. I ran into his room and he told me not to worry that he was going to be with his mother."

"Oh, no," I can't take this. I know what this means. The same family heart disease that killed my mother killed my brother. I know that this is not a bad dream. I know my brother has died.