Chapter 2

It's been almost a year since I lost him. I'm a senior, got straight A's, finally got a car, became head flyer of the squad, made great new friends, and I cry every night knowing I can't go back and save him. I think over and over in my head all the time about the words "I promise!" Those were the last words we ever said to each other, before he vanished. The police chalked it up as a runaway case, they didn't even bother looking for him, not that they would have found anything any how. That night after the Grim Facade my parents were furious at me, I had to make up a story about where I had been and why I hadn't checked my cell phone . If they knew I was lying they didn't say anything, the next morning the police were at my door asking if I had seen Varen. I said no, because there was nothing else I could say.

I knew if I told everyone what I'd seen they would have slapped a psycho sticker on my head and shoved to the local asylum. I study that night over and over until my head starts to hurt, hopeful that there is something I missed that may hold a clue to help find a way to get back to the realm of reality and dreams. Ever since I got back there has been no sign of Reynolds or the Nocs, just a bunch of nightmares and bad memories.

Monday October, 29

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock buzzing, reading the time of 6:30am. I dragged myself out of bed and took a hot shower. The warm water against my skin felt so relaxing and helped my grogginess from sleep gently leave my body. I put on my fluffy pink robe and headed back into my bedroom, I definitely needed a Starbucks run if I wanted to make it through the day, so I needed to quickly get ready. I threw on a pair of my favorite jeans, my yellow Trenton t-shirt, and my tan cardigan. I decided to leave my hair down, it was Monday and I had practice after school so I didn't see the point of doing something with it. I grabbed my scarf, gym bag, purse, and headed out the door. I got into my new sedan which I had gotten last spring for my birthday and drove to school picking up a pumpkin spice latte on my way there. I parked my car and headed inside, on my way to my locker to grab my books I saw a frazzled faced Gwen waiting for me.

"Hey Gwen." I said with a small smile opening my locker.

"Hey Iz, trouble sleeping again?" Gwen asked, staring at my latte

While Nikki and I did make up after the whole Varen incident last year, and although we were still very close, Gwen really had become my new best friend. She was the only one who really understood what I was going through, even if she didn't know the whole truth herself.

"I actually didn't sleep too bad, only one nightmare last night." I said, pulling my books out, shutting my locker and redoing my combination.

Nightmares had become pretty normal for me, and although I was able to pretend I wasn't having them around my parents and at cheer practice, I couldn't fool Gwen.

"You really should take some sleeping gummies, that or spend a little bit more money on a concealer to hide those bags under your eyes" she said half sarcastically with a laugh, I smiled in return. Gwen was always trying her best to cheer me up, I really don't know how I would have made it this far without her.

I did repay her in my own way though, I finally had a sit down with her about wardrobe, and after a week and a half of arguing about it, she finally let me take her shopping. I convinced her to switch out her floor length skirts for shorter ones and a few pairs of jeans, and I also got her to cut off her long hair to a medium length that framed her face better. Gwen really glew up after that, getting a little more attention from the boys at school, but her attitude remained the same, which is what I loved about her the most.

"Salutations Ladies" A smooth voice came from behind Gwen and I.

It was Mike, the one who tagged Gwen and came with us the night of the Grim Facade. Turns out they were both actually really into one another and started dating a little while ago. Even though Mike still spent a lot of time with the goth squad that Varen was a part of, he definitely toned a lot of it back over the last year. He was very nice to Gwen, and in turn nice to Isobel, so they had all become good friends.

"Hi Mike." I said with a nod, Gwen leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Isobel, ready to head to the first period?" We all had the same class, and usually walked together each morning.

As we made our way down the long halls of Trenton, I suddenly had this eerie feeling come over my body, like someone was watching me, I looked around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I hadn't had this feeling since-

"Earth to Izzy!" I suddenly snapped back and saw Gwen waving her hand in front of me.

"What?" I looked over at her.

"Didn't you hear me? I said there is a new girl starting today, I heard it from an aide in the office."

"Oh no, sorry, the espresso must not be kicking in yet, new girl you say?" Gwen always knew everything going on in Trenton, and Isobel still couldn't figure out how

"Yeah, I guess her dad got a new job here and they had to move right away, she's a sophomore I think, but she's like super advanced, so she will be in our english class" she said, sounding excited that she knew something we didn't.

"Gwen how do you get people to tell you everything?" Mike asked with a quizzical look.

"Becuase I'm gifted in the power of persuasion." I laughed.

We walked into Mr. Swanson's class right before the bell, yep that Swanson. Not only does he teach junior english, but he also teaches a few senior literature classes as well, and lucky me, I got him for a second round.

Gwen and Mike sat together, and I had a small table to myself behind them. We had an odd number in the class, so Swanson decided to pick his favorite student to sit alone, and when I say favorite I mean of course least favorite. Sitting alone always reminded me of Varen, I think about the times I would sneak looks at him behind me. Somedays it makes me happy and other days it serves as a painful reminder that he will never be in a seat near me again.

Swanson got up from his desk and was about to begin the lecture, when the classroom door opened and the new girl walked in.

I froze, at first I didn't notice when I saw her giving her pass to Swanson, but then she turned and faced the class. Those eyes, her eyes, Varen's eyes. There was no mistaking it, this girl had the same shade of dark green eyes, the color a mirror image to the ones I last saw almost a year ago. The color I saw everytime I closed my eyes at night. She had blonde hair, and fair skin, much like Varen in the picture she saw at his house when he was ten years old.

She was wearing a knee length brown skirt with a black turtle neck. She had on thigh high black boots and a brown leather jacket. She looked like a model in a fall fashion magazine Isobel had in her room. If it wasn't for her eyes and Isobel's knowledge of Varen's hair, she would have never made this connection, but was there really a connection? Isobel had never seen this girl before in her life, but she knew this wasn't a coincidence, it couldn't be.

"Class I would like you to welcome our new student Victoria Reynolds, she is a sophomore at Trenton, but she will be an advanced student in this English Class. Victoria you can take a seat next to Ms. Langley"

Victoria made her way over to the empty chair next to Isobel and sat down almost gracefully beside her. Isobel didn't know what to do. She couldn't just come out and say, "Hi, I'm Isobel welcome to Trenton, any chance you know this kid that disappeared a year ago, his name is Varen, and you guys look exactly the same?" This girl would probably transfer out of this school faster then when her little brother Danny raced for the T.V. remote on Saturday mornings. To her surprise though before she could say anything, the girl spoke first

"Would you mind if we shared your textbook? I don't have mine yet.." she spoke with the most elegant yet saddest voice I ever heard. I hesitated to respond to her question, not because I wasn't going to yes, but because I couldn't believe she actually spoke.

"Uh, sure." I said. She gently with her long elegant hands flipped through the pages and came to chapter seven which had been written by Swanson on the board, but her expression changed to placid when she saw the title of it as did I. The chapter read The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. That's when I knew, there was no mistake about it, somehow this girl was connected to Varen. I wanted to ask her so many questions, but it was going to have to wait because class had started. She grabbed out her bag and pulled out her black composition book and began to write in it. During Swanson's lecture, I took subtle peeks at her notes, her handwriting was just as graceful as Varen's. It brought me back to the memory of when Varen wrote his number on my hand the first day we got assigned the Swanson Project. When I looked back down on my book I saw a note folded on top of it. I quietly grabbed it and unfolded it from under the table to read it.

I would like to talk to you in private about something I think you may want to hear. At lunch, meet me in the court yard by the weeping willow. See you there.

Sincerely,

V

I didn't know how to react. I didn't understand what she meant, what did she know? How much did she know? My head was swirling with questions and at that moment the bell rang for class and when I turned to ask Victoria what she meant she was gone. I swear if I didn't know any better I would think she was Varen's twin. After my next three classes I quickly went to my locker and told Gwen I wouldn't be there for lunch. I grabbed my packed lunch and headed to the courtyard. As I arrived I saw Victoria sitting there under the tree. She was looking straight ahead, unaware of my presence. It was as if she was staring at something that wasn't even there. I slowly made my way towards her and sat next to her under the tree. Her expression was emotionless, but at the same time she looked tired. I could see that beneath her makeup she had bags, much like mine.

"Have you figured it out?" she asked, still staring straight ahead.

"Not exaclty, but I could probably make a good guess, although it wouldn't make sense." I said

"Does anything ever really make sense?" She turned and faced me.

I didn't say anything, I didn't know what to say, so I sat there waiting for her to speak again.

"I guess you could say I'm Varen's younger sister." She turned away again and went back to staring at nothing.

"I didn't think Varen had a sister?" I responded

To this Victoria laughed, but in a hurtful kind of way.

"I'm not surprised, we don't have what I would call a loving relationship, probably safe to say we hate each other." Her eyes lowered to the ground beside her.

"You probably know as well as I do that my father is not the most pleasant person to meet, but for whatever reason my mom married him anyway. She had Varen, and I guess for a small moment things got a little better, until she got pregnant with me. Suddenly this darkness surrounded my family, and one day it became too much to bear. My father loaded Varen and I into the car and drove deep into the forest. My father left me there, and Varen stood by and did nothing." Isobel could feel the anger growing in Victoria's voice.

"I should have died that day, but then I met Reynolds, you two have met before." I perked up at the name.

"Tall, dark, and creepy. Speaks in riddles and is really annoying?" I rolled my eyes.

"That would be the one, he found me and basically raised me." I tried to imagine Reynolds changing dippers, but the thought quickly disappeared.

"Where?" I asked.

"The realm of reality and dreams. I definitely wouldn't recommend raising a family there, but at the time there wasn't any choice in the matter." She sighed and continued.

"Growing up Reynolds trained me, taught me how to fight and defend myself from the creatures that hid in the shadows." She must be talking about the Nocs.

"He always said when I was old enough, I could come back and live my own life here, but that day never came, all because of Varen." I didn't understand.

"Reynolds could open windows to the past and present, so I was able to see what happened to me as a baby, and what happened after I left. My mother left Varen when he was eight years old, guess she finally had enough of both her children and my father. I watched Varen grow up, watched how my father treated him, watched the choices he made. That's when all the trouble started."

"I'm not sure how, but for whatever reason the evilness in that world has followed my family for years, starting with my mother. She was the one who opened the door, and allowed the shadows into her life. That's why she left, to escape from all of this, she was a selfish woman who doomed us all. When she couldn't reach my mother they went after me instead when I was a baby. That's why Reynolds saved me, the only people who can destroy her, are the ones who opened the door in the first place. My mom consented to letting her in, but I didn't. They have tried for years to capture me, to force me to join them, but I never have. Reynolds believed once I was able to protect myself without him that I could go to the human world where it was safe."

I couldn't believe what she was telling me, this all started because of Varen's mom? I had to then wonder if Varen knew any of this at all.

"Then Varen had to go and screw everything up, he ruined everything. Varen let her in, and he had a life, it may not have been the best one, but at least he had one. Then he went and threw it all away like an idiot! He wanted to escape, he was vulnerable and she swooped in and took him whole. I couldn't leave the realm one he consented to her, and I've been a prisoner ever since. For five years I watched him remove himself from reality, watched him throw everything away, but then you came along and everything changed." Me?

"Suddenly Varen had something to live for, something he wanted more than her, and her web began to unwind. The more you surrounded Varen's thoughts, the angrier she became. He made a mistake bringing you into this, once you entered his dreams, he consented for the shadows to enter your world. Everything after that you pretty much know already."

She sighed again and looked over at me, I probably looked like a deer in headlights, trying to comprehend everything she just told me.

"So why are you here now?" It was the first question that came to mind.

"Becuase Reynolds can't multi-task, you have powers Isobel, just like me, but you clearly don't know how to use them. There is an unrest in my realm, and Reynolds can't keep an eye on things there and be here to help you. So that is where I come in, I will help train you and show you the way back to the realm of reality and dreams, and we will find Varen and end this nightmare once and for all." She seemed calm and determined.

"You would risk your life for me and your brother?" Suddenly her calm demeanor turned to annoyance.

"Make no mistake Isobel, I'm not doing this for you or Varen or Reynolds, or even for my realm. I'm doing this for no one but myself. Once she is defeated I will no longer be a prisoner, and I will be free to live my own life. Varen may be my brother but he is not my family, and I have no obligation to save him. However, you love him and I respect that, and we need everyone to work together to defeat her, so I will do what I must. Now any questions?"

"Just one, WHO HELL IS THIS "SHE" PERSON, ALL I EVER HEAR IS SHE THIS AND SHE THAT WHAT'S THE DEAL?" I said quite annoyed.

"Only Reynolds can tell you that, and he can only tell you that once you complete your training. " She said

"But-" I couldn't finish because she cut me off.

"No buts, it's Reynolds rule." She said pulling out her notepad writing what I believe was her phone number and address on a piece of paper, she handed it to me.

"Wait what training?" I asked while she gathered her stuff and got up. She looked at me and laughed as she walked away.

She was half way across the courtyard when she shouted to me "It will all make sense later I promise!"

I laid my back to the tree and smiled. I was finally glad that I didn't feel useless or that I couldn't do anything. "I have not forgotten my promise, Varen, wait for me, please wait for me."