Claire was going down a street. She bounced as she hummed and walked past shops with brightly colored items in their windows. She felt amazingly happy for no real reason. Turning a corner she heard sirens and saw the flashing lights of police cars and ambulances. Curious Claire approached the scene. She made her way through a thin crowd tot eh edge of the yellow police tape.
Two cars had apparently hit each other and been pushed either left or right; one had hit a lamppost while the other had collided with a shop's side wall. The both looked familiar, but she couldn't place them. Suddenly it hit her.
"Oh my god." Claire darted under the police tape heading for the car, or rather van, which had hit the brick shop wall with its side. She looked in the front driver-side window. Her mom had been hit all over with glass shards from the broken windshield and the now deflating air-bag had apparently pushed some in even deeper. Her younger sister Kelsey sat in the passenger seat and looked even worse. It had been her side that had hit the wall first and the impact and crushed the lower parts of her legs, but when the car's whole side had hit the wall Kelsey's head had been thrown into the window cracking the skull and allowing bright red blood to streak through her orange hair.
"No…" Claire stepped away and then forced open the side door. Her other even younger sister Melissa fell out just missing Claire's feet as the older girl jumped back. Melissa had not been wearing her seatbelt again and had been tossed all around the backseat of the van during the crash. Claire leaned over the dead girl's body and looked in the backseats.
Her dad had been sitting behind Kelsey and half of his torso was buried in glass shards and brick rubble. In the very back seats, behind Claire's father, was Shea, a friend whom Claire had met right after moving and they had been nearly inseparable after that. Shea had also been covered in bits of window and wall. Neither of them looked alive.
Claire looked away from the van full of death, terrified. As if to prove to herself that this was real, Claire poked Melissa with her foot. The young girl didn't move, her wide eyes staring at something only she could. Claire backed up even more and then sprinted to the other car.
Claire looked in at the front seat of the second car. Becky and Kilana were there. Becky, the driver, had been thrown forward and the force of her airbag had thrown her head back. When the rest of her body had caught up it was too late, Becky's neck had broken and she had died. Kilana had also been thrown forward and bright red blood staining one side of her shirt. A shard of glass, invisible now, had broken free of the windshield and had pierced her jugular vein. "No." Claire said quietly.
"This isn't real. It can't be! Someone tell me this isn't real!" she cried as she turned to see if anyone would answer her plea. She saw a policeman and ran to him.
"Sir!" She grabbed his arm and pointed to the death scene. "Tell me this isn't real, that they're not dead!" Tears should have been forming at the corners of her eyes by now, but there were none.
"No, this is all real." The policeman said angrily. "And you're the cause f it all. You killed those people."
"No I didn't." Claire protested. "I didn't!"
"You did. They were coming to pick you up so it's your fault they crashed." The policeman yanked his arm free from Claire and walked off. Claire stood there in shock.
"I…killed them…" her voice trailed away as she turned to survey the two cars again. Melissa still lay unmoving beside the open van door, her mother's arm out her window, and Kilana's hair slowing falling out of her own window. She had done this? She had ended all their lives? Her family…friends…all gone…because of her? Claire fell to her knees. They had come to pick her up and they had died. Maybe it was her fault, but that didn't seem right.
Claire reached up to touch the corners of her eyes. Still no tears. She stared blankly at her dry, shaking fingers. She had just killed off her family and friends and she wasn't crying? She hadn't cried at the death of her aunt, but then Claire had hardly known her and she hadn't killed her. The seven people before her Claire had known for years, she loved them all, she had killed them, and they were getting the same morning as a strange aunt? That seemed wrong.
"I killed them and I can't cry for them?" Claire put her hands down on the pavement. "No tears at all." Claire squinted her eyes in anger at herself. "Why can't I? I killed them, the least I could do if cry!"
I can't believe this though. I killed them. I wasn't even aware I'd done it. But it is my fault. All… my… fault…Claire's thoughts trailed off ass eh stared at her hands. She picked them up and looked at the palms. Suddenly they were covered in blood. In the blood were the faces of those Claire had just seen dead. She shook her hands furiously and the blood flew off. She was in a large black room now. Some of the blood spatters became plants, one became Cinco, Claire's cat, and he slinked away. Claire ran forward and touched a plant. It browned a withered at her touch. Very other plant did the same thing only after they had been touched. Finally reaching Cinco, she grabbed him up in a hug. His small lean body went limp. Claire fell to her knees again, this time staring at the body of her pet. Holding it close she finally broke down and wept.
"Are you alright now?" Claire looked up at the sudden noise. Alicia knelt in front of her and Claire was holding her arm. Quickly she let it go.
"They're not dead." She said in a soft voice.
"Yes they are." Claire said. "I killed them and Cinco. Where did they go?" She looked all around for the two cars and the cat only to see nothing but trees. She and Alicia sat in the center of a small clearing that was carpeted with thick green grass and surrounded with tall dark trees; a small stream flowed down one side, babbling merrily but quietly.
"No you didn't. They're all still alive and well. This is all simply a Dream." Alicia picked up both of Claire's hands with one of her own and then used the other to wipe away her tears. "None of this is real. Are you ok now? ((a nod from Claire)) Good." Alicia stood and brought Claire up with her. "I have something to show you. Just wait here." Alicia let go of Claire's hands and stepped back a few paces.
A wind blew from behind Claire and it brought leaves that started to circle around Alicia more leaves came until the lady could no longer be seen. When the wind died down and the leaves fell still onto the grass, Alicia was gone, in her place stood a lovely purple unicorn. Its coat was a perfect violet and the mane and tail glowed with a darker shade. The horn that stood in the center of its forehead was of crystal and reflected rainbows of light onto the leaves at its feet.
It came closer and touched the center of Claire own forehead with its horn.
Hello. Claire heard Alicia's voice in her head and was confused. I sound like her because I am her. In human form Alicia is my name, in my true form my name is Dreamcatcher. Lights do not chose their people just as you did not chose me to become your Light. We were chosen as a pair because we both share a fear: killing our friends and loved ones. I do not remember my true family but I have slowly made a new one. Many of the things I do endanger this new family and I always fear that when I go to see them again they might not be there anymore. I fear that I killed my real family and have simply blocked the memories. Dreamcatcher paused. I want to help you keep your loved ones safe, but I can only do that if you promise to help protect my loved ones.
"I promise." Claire said. Dream stepped back and Claire looked into one of her deep orange eyes. They held mysteries that even Dreamcatcher herself did not know the identities of, wisdom, love for her new family and two other very special people, and uneasiness for what she did not remember and what she could do.
Dreamcatcher stepped back again and then reared. As soon as she was touching the ground again, Dream forced her head forward and painlessly pierced Claire's heart.
Claire! You are allowing me to bond with you of your own free will.
For that I will help you return to your home.
The sorrow you felt in the death you thought you had caused has shown me that you are worthy of this gift.
Once Dreamcatcher had finished speaking, a faceless choir became a wordless song that filled up all of Claire's mind, body, and soul. Somewhere in the voices, she could hear Dreamcatcher, her own voice steadily become the loudest, singing of trust and sorrow.