Hey there! I'm in a good mood today- we did the biggest test this year last
week, and I found out the results today, which, to my surprise, weren't too
bad! Well, at least I've got another three years to wait before the dreaded
GCSEs, so I'm not gonna panic too much. ;) Anyhow, thanks for the reviews.
Sabotaged Dreams is gradually progressing, but I assure you, the fun will
start VERY soon! Oh, I'm so excited!
Chapter 12- Pain And Discovery
The glass radiated the heat tenfold, and the students of this particular class were relieved that they soon would be swimming in the pool before them. Some unfortunate students who, because of their awkward body shapes, would not swim, had to instruct and guide their friends instead once the 'Pool Leader' had explained what to do. Randall and Jay edged towards the pool warily, looking deep into its chlorine-filled depths. One by one, each student jumped in, some clumsily, some gracefully, until it came to Randall and Jay.
"Well, here goes!" Jay exclaimed, trying to sound enthusiastic. As he jumped in, everyone made way for a big splash. After getting soaked by Jay, it was Randall's turn. He wasn't a huge fan of jumping in, but admittedly did enjoy a good swim every now and then. He dove in smoothly, his sleek body doing the work, and the world turned blue. The chlorine stung Randall's eyes for a bit, but, knowing that he would have to surface sometime and seeing dozens of feet, legs, tentacles and whatever else was in the water at that time getting out of the water, he swam upwards.
Once he had come up, Randall wiped his eyes and slicked back his fronds, then swam to the edge of the pool to get out. Slinking up the steps, he shivered and went over to Jay, everyone else staring at him bizarrely.
"What's their problem?" he asked Jay in an undertone.
"Sorry I didn't believe you Ran."
"What?" Randall sighed, exasperated, seeing his scales shift back to their normal tone of purple. Whispers of 'freak' and 'weirdo' travelled among the students before the Pool Leader called for their attention, and Randall couldn't help but feel angry at himself and upset at others. Someone nudged him in the elbow.
"If it's any consolation, I think they're the freaky ones for not recognising talent. And you're a good swimmer. They're just jealous." Zephyr smiled, water dripping down her face, then turned away knowing that she shouldn't have said that, no matter how sorry she felt for Randall.
"Wait!" he whispered after her. The Pool Leader was getting agitated and called for silence once more, but Randall didn't care.
"Yeah?" Zephyr whispered back reluctantly.
"Thanks." For a second, a little war went on in Zephyr's brain, and luckily for Randall, the nice, pleasant side won.
"Well...it's true. If they're really interested in weirdoes, they should all put themselves in freak shows and get someone to record it on tape." Randall chuckled at this, and so their conversation continued. Eventually, the Pool Leader got tired of their chit-chat and sent them back to the changing rooms, making them miss half a pool lesson. On the way back, Randall found himself smiling a lot more, even laughing at times, Zephyr doing the same, and when the corridor broke into a fork, one way to the Lady's and another to the Men's, he gave Zephyr a quick wave.
"Thanks."
"What for? Getting us sent out? If my father finds out..."
"No, seriously. I haven't had a laugh like that in a while."
"I can tell."
Randall dried himself off in a good mood, whilst Zephyr, going in the changing rooms, felt herself getting even more depressed. She wasn't meant to be getting too close, and even though she knew that right now they had only just become friends, if they carried on like this, they were going to become a lot more. And what would Cy say? No, forget about that- what would her father say? He'd be outraged, that's for sure. But Randall was so...so...Zephyr couldn't find the word, so instead lied to herself.
"He's no-one. Nothing. I'm just doing my job, and Randall's making it easy for me." Holding back some tears, she gathered her stuff, letting her mind wander. A hand clutched her side, and Zephyr yelped as she was swept back into a dark corner of the changing rooms. Two yellow snake eyes peered over her shoulder, and teeth glinted ferociously. Cy wasn't smiling.
He wrapped his arms around her torso, holding her tight. There was no escape now. Zephyr could feel his breath upon her neck, her feet sliding across the tiled floor, the Lizard-monster's heart too close for comfort. It had a steady beat.
"You promised." Zephyr shook, but didn't find herself to be scared as Cy continued. "You promised that you wouldn't get too close to him."
"And I'm not," she said, surprising herself with her steady tone of voice.
"Yes you are. I saw it in your eyes." Cy suddenly pushed her hard, as though he was suddenly disgusted of her, and she fell to the floor. She lay on the ground panting. She was scared. Looming over her, Cy bared his teeth.
"Well, just to prove to you that I'm serious about killing you if you DO get too close..." His tail rose once more, and the long, sharp red spikes near its tip looked evil. Very evil indeed.
No-one heard Zephyr shrieking and screaming in agony- they were all too busy in their lessons, leading a normal life. But Zephyr did scream, over and over again, as she became familiar with the sight of her own blood.
---------------------------
Everyone had returned back to their rooms except for Xenon. He had decided to wander the corridors of South House for a little while- it helped him to think. And he did have a lot to think about. Whether he believed his sister about Randall, about their relationship...well, he hadn't decided just yet. He needed more proof that she didn't care. And according to some, Zephyr and Randall had been getting quite friendly while swimming that afternoon. Shame he couldn't have been there, but his father had needed him to do some errands, so to speak. Unbeknownst to Xenon though, he was going to get a lot of proof that evening concerning Zephyr and Randall's relationship, and it wasn't necessarily good.
Deciding to return to South House's Form Room to get some much needed sleep, Xenon idly ambled his way back, yawning every so often. Finally, the door came into view. But, weirdly enough, it was already half-open and there were voices coming from inside, one of them he immediately recognised as Zephyr. The others then, according to their high-pitched fake accents, were therefore her pose'. And whatever they were talking about, they certainly were enjoying.
Xenon crawled up to the door soundlessly and peeked in. The fire was blazing, and all of the girls sat in a circle by its side, having a giggle as per usual. Xenon didn't have to strain his ears to hear what they were talking about.
"So we're gonna use the gooey puddings from the cafeteria then?" said one voice.
"Well, unless you can think of something else that sticks to scales..."
"But is that all we're going to do? Cover him with goo?"
"I have an idea..." Zephyr said quietly, trying to catch their attention in a subtle manner. "How about..." The rest wasn't audible- they were speaking in whispers now. After several seconds hunched together, the group burst into laughter.
"That's perfect!" The girls giggled some more.
"I just hope Randall isn't looking forward to the Prom!" Xenon gasped silently and shuffled over away from the door. It was obvious that the girls were planning something, and it was his duty to tell Randall.
----------------------------
The evening was drawing in, and some had gone to bed. Everything seemed so peaceful, tranquil, almost perfect on the seafront, where the only movement was of the Crans, which would slowly crawl out of the salty water and bury themselves deep into the dense sand come night. The moon shone in all its glory, proud to be whole for the first time in twenty-eight days, and only a few sprinklings of clouds were scattered over the night sky, setting the perfect scene.
It was Jay who had suggested to make the best of this evening though, and it had taken a long while to convince his friends that a night time stroll would be a refreshing experience. Randall had been very reluctant at first, as was Carmen, as sleep seemed to be a more important factor than going for a walk, especially after such a tiring swim that morning, (and Carmen had been slightly worried about what the rules and regulations said about leaving the perimeters of Crynferse University after the sun had set) but eventually, after nearly an hour of whining, Jay got what he wanted.
So he, along with Randall and Carmen, had trekked down the mediumly-steep hill that marked the edge of Crynferse and slid down to the beach. They walked and talked, mainly about the myths and tales concerning the beach, aptly named 'Crynferse's Curve', all of which centred on the founder of the university, Sir Albernert Crynferse, and his untimely demise.
Following his murder, the Curve had supposedly been haunted by Albernert's spirit, the reasons of which varied greatly. Most had said that, while Crynferse had been constructing his own private school of higher learning, he had been killed on the site by a loose brick falling from one of the newly-built turrets, and had been crushed by the immense weight suddenly falling from the sky. Therefore, he had haunted the Curve ever since, waiting for the day of his school's completion. But even as this day came and wait, his sprit still lingered. This was because of the way his life's work had been finished- the new architect on board had revised the original designs till the whole building was alien, even though Sir Crynferse's wishes were for his plans to be left untouched. And he would haunt the beach until the university had been pulled down and his own plans followed.
Whether or not these stories were true was a complete mystery, but many usually had a strong opinion, sometimes for, but mostly against. Randall felt himself truly relaxing as he argued his realistic points to Jay and Carmen, mainly because of the feeling he had waited three weeks for- the feeling that, finally, he had settled in and his life may be undisturbed by any major events, but partly because of that little fountain of panic that would erupt every time he thought of laying head to pillow.
His dreams, like Sir Crynferse, seemed to be haunting him, and even though he knew that as he clambered into bed evening after evening, he wouldn't be able to get to sleep, his thoughts tormented him. Weirdly enough, another factor that had been worrying him lately was the idea of NOT getting any sleep. These first few months of being a member of Crynferse were absolutely essential- the classes tough, the Professors strict- and not being able to rest would, and had, affected Randall greatly. And the Prom. What would Zephyr say in a few days time if he turned up to the Prom looking awful; fronds splayed, bags circling his eyes, a lack of intelligent conversation (which would happen anyway as far as Randall's experience girls was concerned) and a scruffy attire? Well, she would be disgraced.
"I'll go with Randall to the Prom. Just as long as he's not looking like this on the night." were her exact words as she replied to Randall's, or rather, Jay's offer about the Prom. Randall pushed these unwanted thoughts out of his mind. He was going to enjoy this evening, and that was that.
The threesome had been jabbering so much that as the cave formations rose before them and the sandy beach ended, they realised how far they had gone and how long they had been talking, much to their surprise. Randall had been silent for a little while anyway- his thoughts and concerns seemed to have engulfed him- and he had tagged behind the other two a little way back. They stopped in their tracks, and Jay called out to Randall, interrupting the song of the waves and the cry of the Mishgulls flapping around on the setting winds.
"Hurry up! Don't be a larry!" Randall jolted, flickering back to life, and increased his pace. As he reached his friends, his pace slowed at the combination of rocks and caves before them.
"Well, come on!" Jay urged Carmen and Randall, beginning to carefully step his way into a large cave.
"I'm sure this is not permitted," mumbled Carmen, afraid that Jay might hear her.
"That's not what I'm worried about." Randall put his hands on his hips, peering into the darkness of the cave. "My question is, if he goes in there, will he find his way out again?" For a second, Carmen and Randall looked at each other, panic flashing across their faces, and then began to manoeuvre themselves around the jutting rocks and to the surprisingly flat surface of the cave floor. Jay had disappeared from sight, so, speeding up their strides, Carmen and Randall stepped into pitch black. Waving her arms about, Carmen grabbed something smooth and warm for support.
"Randall...I p-presume that's you?"
"OW!" Randall grasped Carmen's arm. "Let go of my fronds!"
"Oh! Sorry! My greatest apologies-"
"Yeah, yeah." He took her hand, clasped it tight and making sure that their fingers were securely interlocked, led the way, his reflective green eyes seeing only a few objects. "Jay? Jay, where are you, you stupid IDIOT?!" Randall's voice echoed and bounced off the walls, surrounding them.
"I'm here!" a voice replied, sounding close. "I've found something!" the voice called out again. Randall, Carmen's hand in one and brushing the wall with another two hands, followed the line of the structure of the cave until, a few seconds later, he found an opening and crawled through. His pupil's shrunk, as did Carmen's, and his body was illuminated by a white light. A hole in the ceiling let the moon's reflected rays get to most corners and crevices of this hidden treasure of a cave room, and there, inspecting an empty scream canister, was Jay. And that was when Randall realised them.
Dozens and dozens of them everywhere, all highlighted yellow by the moon, all empty. The whole place was full of these scream canisters. Carmen immediately let her frustration get the better of her and strode up to Jay, steam emitting out of non-existent ears.
"What did you think you were doing, just deserting me and Randall whilst you wandered off without concern?!"
"Err..." Jay was almost lost for words at the sight of the South House Captiness being so abrupt. Her shouts reverberated off the walls, making him even more uneasy as he struggled to find an answer. "I...wanted to explore...?"
"HOW DARE-"Randall literally stepped in between the two of them, his eyes green slits in the semi-lights.
"Stop it." He turned to Carmen. "Calm down, relax. Forget about it. Because what we've found down here's a heck of a lot more important, okay?" There was no reply. "Okay?" Randall persisted. The other two nodded glumly. "Good. Now, let's have a look around, now that we're here." The three split up, but all they found of interest in the next ten minutes were the dozens and dozens of empty and modified (as Randall had pointed out, being an expert in the Scare Industry) scream canisters that someone had left behind. But why? And who?
"More and more questions, but never any answers."
Marie's quote popped into Randall's head, and a cold chill crawled down his spine. His dreams really were sabotaged.
Chapter 12- Pain And Discovery
The glass radiated the heat tenfold, and the students of this particular class were relieved that they soon would be swimming in the pool before them. Some unfortunate students who, because of their awkward body shapes, would not swim, had to instruct and guide their friends instead once the 'Pool Leader' had explained what to do. Randall and Jay edged towards the pool warily, looking deep into its chlorine-filled depths. One by one, each student jumped in, some clumsily, some gracefully, until it came to Randall and Jay.
"Well, here goes!" Jay exclaimed, trying to sound enthusiastic. As he jumped in, everyone made way for a big splash. After getting soaked by Jay, it was Randall's turn. He wasn't a huge fan of jumping in, but admittedly did enjoy a good swim every now and then. He dove in smoothly, his sleek body doing the work, and the world turned blue. The chlorine stung Randall's eyes for a bit, but, knowing that he would have to surface sometime and seeing dozens of feet, legs, tentacles and whatever else was in the water at that time getting out of the water, he swam upwards.
Once he had come up, Randall wiped his eyes and slicked back his fronds, then swam to the edge of the pool to get out. Slinking up the steps, he shivered and went over to Jay, everyone else staring at him bizarrely.
"What's their problem?" he asked Jay in an undertone.
"Sorry I didn't believe you Ran."
"What?" Randall sighed, exasperated, seeing his scales shift back to their normal tone of purple. Whispers of 'freak' and 'weirdo' travelled among the students before the Pool Leader called for their attention, and Randall couldn't help but feel angry at himself and upset at others. Someone nudged him in the elbow.
"If it's any consolation, I think they're the freaky ones for not recognising talent. And you're a good swimmer. They're just jealous." Zephyr smiled, water dripping down her face, then turned away knowing that she shouldn't have said that, no matter how sorry she felt for Randall.
"Wait!" he whispered after her. The Pool Leader was getting agitated and called for silence once more, but Randall didn't care.
"Yeah?" Zephyr whispered back reluctantly.
"Thanks." For a second, a little war went on in Zephyr's brain, and luckily for Randall, the nice, pleasant side won.
"Well...it's true. If they're really interested in weirdoes, they should all put themselves in freak shows and get someone to record it on tape." Randall chuckled at this, and so their conversation continued. Eventually, the Pool Leader got tired of their chit-chat and sent them back to the changing rooms, making them miss half a pool lesson. On the way back, Randall found himself smiling a lot more, even laughing at times, Zephyr doing the same, and when the corridor broke into a fork, one way to the Lady's and another to the Men's, he gave Zephyr a quick wave.
"Thanks."
"What for? Getting us sent out? If my father finds out..."
"No, seriously. I haven't had a laugh like that in a while."
"I can tell."
Randall dried himself off in a good mood, whilst Zephyr, going in the changing rooms, felt herself getting even more depressed. She wasn't meant to be getting too close, and even though she knew that right now they had only just become friends, if they carried on like this, they were going to become a lot more. And what would Cy say? No, forget about that- what would her father say? He'd be outraged, that's for sure. But Randall was so...so...Zephyr couldn't find the word, so instead lied to herself.
"He's no-one. Nothing. I'm just doing my job, and Randall's making it easy for me." Holding back some tears, she gathered her stuff, letting her mind wander. A hand clutched her side, and Zephyr yelped as she was swept back into a dark corner of the changing rooms. Two yellow snake eyes peered over her shoulder, and teeth glinted ferociously. Cy wasn't smiling.
He wrapped his arms around her torso, holding her tight. There was no escape now. Zephyr could feel his breath upon her neck, her feet sliding across the tiled floor, the Lizard-monster's heart too close for comfort. It had a steady beat.
"You promised." Zephyr shook, but didn't find herself to be scared as Cy continued. "You promised that you wouldn't get too close to him."
"And I'm not," she said, surprising herself with her steady tone of voice.
"Yes you are. I saw it in your eyes." Cy suddenly pushed her hard, as though he was suddenly disgusted of her, and she fell to the floor. She lay on the ground panting. She was scared. Looming over her, Cy bared his teeth.
"Well, just to prove to you that I'm serious about killing you if you DO get too close..." His tail rose once more, and the long, sharp red spikes near its tip looked evil. Very evil indeed.
No-one heard Zephyr shrieking and screaming in agony- they were all too busy in their lessons, leading a normal life. But Zephyr did scream, over and over again, as she became familiar with the sight of her own blood.
---------------------------
Everyone had returned back to their rooms except for Xenon. He had decided to wander the corridors of South House for a little while- it helped him to think. And he did have a lot to think about. Whether he believed his sister about Randall, about their relationship...well, he hadn't decided just yet. He needed more proof that she didn't care. And according to some, Zephyr and Randall had been getting quite friendly while swimming that afternoon. Shame he couldn't have been there, but his father had needed him to do some errands, so to speak. Unbeknownst to Xenon though, he was going to get a lot of proof that evening concerning Zephyr and Randall's relationship, and it wasn't necessarily good.
Deciding to return to South House's Form Room to get some much needed sleep, Xenon idly ambled his way back, yawning every so often. Finally, the door came into view. But, weirdly enough, it was already half-open and there were voices coming from inside, one of them he immediately recognised as Zephyr. The others then, according to their high-pitched fake accents, were therefore her pose'. And whatever they were talking about, they certainly were enjoying.
Xenon crawled up to the door soundlessly and peeked in. The fire was blazing, and all of the girls sat in a circle by its side, having a giggle as per usual. Xenon didn't have to strain his ears to hear what they were talking about.
"So we're gonna use the gooey puddings from the cafeteria then?" said one voice.
"Well, unless you can think of something else that sticks to scales..."
"But is that all we're going to do? Cover him with goo?"
"I have an idea..." Zephyr said quietly, trying to catch their attention in a subtle manner. "How about..." The rest wasn't audible- they were speaking in whispers now. After several seconds hunched together, the group burst into laughter.
"That's perfect!" The girls giggled some more.
"I just hope Randall isn't looking forward to the Prom!" Xenon gasped silently and shuffled over away from the door. It was obvious that the girls were planning something, and it was his duty to tell Randall.
----------------------------
The evening was drawing in, and some had gone to bed. Everything seemed so peaceful, tranquil, almost perfect on the seafront, where the only movement was of the Crans, which would slowly crawl out of the salty water and bury themselves deep into the dense sand come night. The moon shone in all its glory, proud to be whole for the first time in twenty-eight days, and only a few sprinklings of clouds were scattered over the night sky, setting the perfect scene.
It was Jay who had suggested to make the best of this evening though, and it had taken a long while to convince his friends that a night time stroll would be a refreshing experience. Randall had been very reluctant at first, as was Carmen, as sleep seemed to be a more important factor than going for a walk, especially after such a tiring swim that morning, (and Carmen had been slightly worried about what the rules and regulations said about leaving the perimeters of Crynferse University after the sun had set) but eventually, after nearly an hour of whining, Jay got what he wanted.
So he, along with Randall and Carmen, had trekked down the mediumly-steep hill that marked the edge of Crynferse and slid down to the beach. They walked and talked, mainly about the myths and tales concerning the beach, aptly named 'Crynferse's Curve', all of which centred on the founder of the university, Sir Albernert Crynferse, and his untimely demise.
Following his murder, the Curve had supposedly been haunted by Albernert's spirit, the reasons of which varied greatly. Most had said that, while Crynferse had been constructing his own private school of higher learning, he had been killed on the site by a loose brick falling from one of the newly-built turrets, and had been crushed by the immense weight suddenly falling from the sky. Therefore, he had haunted the Curve ever since, waiting for the day of his school's completion. But even as this day came and wait, his sprit still lingered. This was because of the way his life's work had been finished- the new architect on board had revised the original designs till the whole building was alien, even though Sir Crynferse's wishes were for his plans to be left untouched. And he would haunt the beach until the university had been pulled down and his own plans followed.
Whether or not these stories were true was a complete mystery, but many usually had a strong opinion, sometimes for, but mostly against. Randall felt himself truly relaxing as he argued his realistic points to Jay and Carmen, mainly because of the feeling he had waited three weeks for- the feeling that, finally, he had settled in and his life may be undisturbed by any major events, but partly because of that little fountain of panic that would erupt every time he thought of laying head to pillow.
His dreams, like Sir Crynferse, seemed to be haunting him, and even though he knew that as he clambered into bed evening after evening, he wouldn't be able to get to sleep, his thoughts tormented him. Weirdly enough, another factor that had been worrying him lately was the idea of NOT getting any sleep. These first few months of being a member of Crynferse were absolutely essential- the classes tough, the Professors strict- and not being able to rest would, and had, affected Randall greatly. And the Prom. What would Zephyr say in a few days time if he turned up to the Prom looking awful; fronds splayed, bags circling his eyes, a lack of intelligent conversation (which would happen anyway as far as Randall's experience girls was concerned) and a scruffy attire? Well, she would be disgraced.
"I'll go with Randall to the Prom. Just as long as he's not looking like this on the night." were her exact words as she replied to Randall's, or rather, Jay's offer about the Prom. Randall pushed these unwanted thoughts out of his mind. He was going to enjoy this evening, and that was that.
The threesome had been jabbering so much that as the cave formations rose before them and the sandy beach ended, they realised how far they had gone and how long they had been talking, much to their surprise. Randall had been silent for a little while anyway- his thoughts and concerns seemed to have engulfed him- and he had tagged behind the other two a little way back. They stopped in their tracks, and Jay called out to Randall, interrupting the song of the waves and the cry of the Mishgulls flapping around on the setting winds.
"Hurry up! Don't be a larry!" Randall jolted, flickering back to life, and increased his pace. As he reached his friends, his pace slowed at the combination of rocks and caves before them.
"Well, come on!" Jay urged Carmen and Randall, beginning to carefully step his way into a large cave.
"I'm sure this is not permitted," mumbled Carmen, afraid that Jay might hear her.
"That's not what I'm worried about." Randall put his hands on his hips, peering into the darkness of the cave. "My question is, if he goes in there, will he find his way out again?" For a second, Carmen and Randall looked at each other, panic flashing across their faces, and then began to manoeuvre themselves around the jutting rocks and to the surprisingly flat surface of the cave floor. Jay had disappeared from sight, so, speeding up their strides, Carmen and Randall stepped into pitch black. Waving her arms about, Carmen grabbed something smooth and warm for support.
"Randall...I p-presume that's you?"
"OW!" Randall grasped Carmen's arm. "Let go of my fronds!"
"Oh! Sorry! My greatest apologies-"
"Yeah, yeah." He took her hand, clasped it tight and making sure that their fingers were securely interlocked, led the way, his reflective green eyes seeing only a few objects. "Jay? Jay, where are you, you stupid IDIOT?!" Randall's voice echoed and bounced off the walls, surrounding them.
"I'm here!" a voice replied, sounding close. "I've found something!" the voice called out again. Randall, Carmen's hand in one and brushing the wall with another two hands, followed the line of the structure of the cave until, a few seconds later, he found an opening and crawled through. His pupil's shrunk, as did Carmen's, and his body was illuminated by a white light. A hole in the ceiling let the moon's reflected rays get to most corners and crevices of this hidden treasure of a cave room, and there, inspecting an empty scream canister, was Jay. And that was when Randall realised them.
Dozens and dozens of them everywhere, all highlighted yellow by the moon, all empty. The whole place was full of these scream canisters. Carmen immediately let her frustration get the better of her and strode up to Jay, steam emitting out of non-existent ears.
"What did you think you were doing, just deserting me and Randall whilst you wandered off without concern?!"
"Err..." Jay was almost lost for words at the sight of the South House Captiness being so abrupt. Her shouts reverberated off the walls, making him even more uneasy as he struggled to find an answer. "I...wanted to explore...?"
"HOW DARE-"Randall literally stepped in between the two of them, his eyes green slits in the semi-lights.
"Stop it." He turned to Carmen. "Calm down, relax. Forget about it. Because what we've found down here's a heck of a lot more important, okay?" There was no reply. "Okay?" Randall persisted. The other two nodded glumly. "Good. Now, let's have a look around, now that we're here." The three split up, but all they found of interest in the next ten minutes were the dozens and dozens of empty and modified (as Randall had pointed out, being an expert in the Scare Industry) scream canisters that someone had left behind. But why? And who?
"More and more questions, but never any answers."
Marie's quote popped into Randall's head, and a cold chill crawled down his spine. His dreams really were sabotaged.