~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dream Sequence

I look to my left. I'm at the edge of a row of children about seven years old. We're dressed in camo and have guns. We're being given orders by a middle-aged man, who is pacing in front of us. Worry and frown lines crease his face.

"You will shoot any target that comes in our way. Any missed targets will result in severe punishment. Is that clear, soldiers?"

"Yes, sir." came the unanimous answer from his loyal troops.

We split into groups. I was with Tinga, like always. We were best friends, soul sisters. We walked stealthily through the forest where we played escape and evade, not making a sound.

A target shot out in front of us, making a whooshing sound. I went to shoot at it, aiming my gun. Ben must have heard the noise, and he aimed his gun at the target. Something must have knocked his aim off, because the next thing I knew a bullet flew into my shoulder with a sickening crunch. I fall to the ground from the impact, in more pain than I'd ever been in before. The blood's sticky against my shirt. Ben rushes over to me "I'm sorry." he whispers in a voice full of agony.

I tried to be strong like they taught us, but a scream escaped my lips, then everything blurred together and slowly dimmed to blackness

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"Liz! Liz! Wake up!" I hear someone say, and feel them shaking. I listen, opening my eyes. My body's covered in a cold sweat, my eyes glazed in fear and shock. The dreams have been bad before, but never this real. I can feel where the bullet tore through my shoulder, and actually have to check and see if I was hit.

Syl, who was waking me up, immediately realizes what I'm checking for and says, "He didn't mean to, you know."

What the hell is she talking about? For the first time I wonder where I am. I look around, surveying the room. I'm in a motel bed, wearing somebody else's pajamas. The curtains are drawn, so the sunlight won't get in. I owe whoever did that a big thanks.

"Syl, what the fuck are you talking about?" I ask as politely as I can. She's kind of grating on my nerves right now, what with the whole let's-wake-Liz-up thing and talking crazy. I don't care if she helped me or not. Well, actually I do, but I'm annoyed nonetheless.

"Just a second." She says and walks out of the room. I hear other voices in the next room. Who are they?

"Should I tell her?" I hear Syl's voice say.

"She has to know." I hear another woman's voice say.

"Break it to her gently." I hear a man's voice say. God, I am so confused right now. Maybe I have time to fall asleep before she comes back. I'm willing to try out that theory, and drift off to sleep just as I hear footsteps coming my way. Please, just let me sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dream Sequence

"Hey, sweetheart! How was your first day at school?" says Mom a bit too cheerfully as she tucks me into my bed.

"It was good, but hard meeting all of those new people. School's really easy. Why did I have to take all of those tests, Mom?"

"Well, sweetie, they wanted to see if your ability to learn was the same as other people in your grade, because the accident might have changed you."

" I know," I say, looking at the right upper part of my body, "I got scars now." Mom laughs.

"No, not like that-forget it. What do you want to hear for a bedtime story?" she asks, changing the subject.

"Tell me my favorite." I say, snuggling in next to her.

"Once upon a time, there was the perfect little girl. She was sweet, and caring, and nice, but she lived in a bad place. She wanted to get away from the bad place, but couldn't do it alone. She needed help. So a nice man helped her get away, to freedom. He gave her to her mother, and they lived happily ever after."

"The evil people stopped looking for them?" I say, half asleep.

"No. They won't ever stop looking. But the little girl and her mother won't let them find her."

"I love you Mommy." I say, already half-asleep. I need to tell her goodnight before I go to sleep, in case a nomlie comes in the night.

"I love you too, honey." she says and kisses my nose.

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As my dream fades away, I hear faint voices in the other room. They're whispering at first, but then get loud enough to hear. I fake sleep, thinking that I might be able to get a clue as to where I am.

Is someone holding my hand? Okay, it better be someone I know, otherwise their ass will be mine. They try to "shshsh!!" the others, but it doesn't work. Where am I? God, I feel like a truck ran over me, and then backed up and did it again. Ugh. How the hell did I get that sick? It's not like I'm usually the kind of person who's prone to illness. In fact, I don't think I've ever even gotten a cold. I stopped shaking, but I'm still so cold, like ice. I hear Syl's voice, sounding scared and worried at the same time, say,"We need to move out. He's on our trail and will be here any minute."

I try to open my eyes to see what's happening, but the lids are so heavy. God, my body is so fucked up. I stop shaking, but then start it again, this time because of the cold. It's freezing in here, where the hell are we, Siberia? I feel myself being tucked inside a blanket. Ahh...warmth. I am eternally grateful to whoever did that. The shaking lets up a little, but not much. Now, who were they talking about?

I hear sounds of hundreds of feet coming to the door. "They're here." I hear a somber voice say. Who's here? I hear the door burst open and my ears are bombarded with the sound of gunfire. Strong arms are lifting me, carrying me to safety. I try to scream as I fall, but I immediately feel the soft cush of grass underneath me. We're moving fast, the sound of gunfire fading away.

I hear the door of a car open before I start seizing again. Great... I'm so fucking tired of being deathly sick. Will I ever get better? The car door shuts."Guys, I need tryptophan. Now. She's seizing again." Uggh...

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A/N: hey guys! I'm sorry if this chappie's short, but I haven't had that much time. Your reviews inspired me so much...I'm so glad that I didn't make you hork!!! please keep reading, and review, too!!!!

Live fast. Cheer hard. Die laughing.

Molly Jeane :D