I have really weird dreams. They're good dreams, but they never make any sense. I'm never in them for one thing and the landscape is so different than the one of my waking reality.
The sky is always a bright vibrant colour like red or purple. The ground (sometimes there isn't any) floats in huge clumps or is twisted and stretched out. Trees are snarled, and have faces carved into their trunks and for some reason they whistle. If there's grass it's always blues and brittle looking, each blade moves on it's own accord, never needing wind to make them sway.
I can never tell if it is night or day during these dreams as the stars and moon are always out but I can see everything so clearly including the orange clouds floating aimlessly by.
What happens during these dreams is that a pair of wings fly through the sky. Just a pair of beautiful white wings, attached to nothing. Flapping with ease through the coloured air, not needing a body to weigh them down.
I love these dreams. When I wake up I always feel so happy and free. However not all the dreams are like that. Some are terrifying causing me to quake with fear when I wake.
In one particular dream, the world is blood red and there are giant white spider webs everywhere. Even the water is blood red. There are glowing yellow eyes shining throughout this world, stalking their prey. The white wings.
They fly through this place so gracefully but it is all for not. They always get trapped in the webs. They struggle but the web is always too strong and the eyes surround them closing in for the kill. However, just when it seems the eyes will consume them, the white wings begin to change.
Their feathers shed, the wings begin to twitch and spasm. When the feathers have all gone they reveal grey leather skin. Changing from birdlike they become more bat-like becoming bony and outspread.
These new demon wings stretch out fully and cut away the web trapping them. The eyes cower at the sight of them and slowly move away but never fully disappear from view. The wings begin to fly, tearing through all the webs and head toward a castle also made of web. They never reach the castle. A voice, a horrible voice that seems void of any joy and happiness, speaks out but when I wake I can never remember the words it spoke. The vague memory alone leave me shaken and crying.
Then I realise my alarm is ringing loudly and my day has to begin. I try not to dwell on the dread that's filled my heart and get ready for school.'Robin hurry up and eat your breakfast.' My mam yells. 'You're going to be late for school and I have work to get to!'
'Okay, okay!' I yell back, shovelling in the last of my cornflake and grabbing my schoolbag. My mam is heading out the door and so is my ride. I not allowed to go a mile near a bike, skates, skateboards anything with wheels without a large metal box surrounding it. My parents are getting a little bit more relax nowadays about me walking to places and just basically having a social life but mam still insists on driving me and my brother to school every morning before she goes to work.
I'm really close to my parents, more than most girls my age but that's only because I could die just walking over the threshold. I've come closer to death more time then I like to think. I tell my mam and dad everything and they never keep secret from me, like most parents do. In the car, I tell mam about the dream I had, the one of webs and demon wings. She console me and says it was just a dream and nothing more. Saying I shouldn't give it a second thought.
'Sweetie, you have more things to worry about in your life then silly dreams. Like exams and boys.' She laughs. Mam glances at me through the corner of her eye and smiles. I return the smile, feeling much better then I did. Mam always know how to make me feel better. She never mentions my illness unless she has to but only because she knows how much it bothers me to be reminded how different I am. It's the same with my dad but he loves to spoil me. He's a large, strong man and wants nothing more then to hold me tightly and never let the world hurt me. I hate knowing it breaks his heart to be unable to squeeze and hug me.
Daniel starts to get bored and kicks my seat. I whirl around and hiss at him, telling him to stop. Of course he doesn't and stick his tongue out at me. That ten year old boys for you.
'Seriously Dan, stop!' I say as I slap at his legs.
'Make me Rob!' Daniels begins to kicks my seat at hyper speed.
'Don't call me that!' I yell then grab his feet, pulling them up. I hate that nickname. It make me sound like some thirty-something, hairy, fat man!
Daniel and me start to get into a huge row but mam quickly ends it, threatening both of us with no T.V. and no computer. We silence instantly. Daniel loves his cartoons while I can't go a day without going on Bebo.
Daniel is dropped off first but not before he calls me Rob again and legs it out the car. He waves at mam while sticking his tongue out at me again. I give him a rather rude gesture which unfortunately mam sees and she give me a long and boring about being mean to my brother. I may of blanked out at some point…
Finally my school comes into view and I'm thankful for it as mam is still really angry with me. She still kisses me on the cheek however before I get out of the car. I start walking across the car park towards the front entrance. My school wasn't always a school. During the 1940's it was a children's hospital run by nuns during a T.D. outbreak. Only after they found a cure for it did they close it down. But after a few years the nun's reopened it so teenage girls in the area could get a higher level of education after primary school.
The second level of the school isn't used though because that is where the terminally ill kids lived. These nothing but old hospital rooms up there now and the spirits of young souls. It's scary to think about but when I could be doing something like maths, there could be this dead kid's ghost standing behind me. Freaky!!
I'm about to enter into the school when all of a suddenly Mr. Floody appears, bashing right into me. I'm not hurt but I grumble a few choose curse words as I check my broken wrist. He's not too happy about the sudden contact either as he dropped a load of books on the ground. One was a large book, very old looking with no title. I quickly pick it up and glance inside. I don't get much of a look before he wrenches it out of my hand.
'Don't be sticking your nose into places it doesn't belong!' He growls. 'Now get to class!'
He then storms off. I stare after him, wondering why he is in such a foul mood. I also start to wonder why he lugs around such a huge book with him. I only got to see a bit of the book's page but it was fill with weird looking symbols and diagrams. Maybe Creepo Floody likes the occult or something? Well I decide to forget about and just get to class like he told me to.
Just as I'm about to do so I see a scrap of paper underneath my shoe. It's less then half a page and there's a rip going diagonally across it. There's some names written on it:
Beranabus
Colum Murphy
Katie Wickstone
Kernal Fleck
Raz
Teeto
Maria West
Lusy West
Nadia
David Kelly
Shark
There's more I'm guessing but because of the tear I can't read them or any of the numbers beside some of the few.
This paper arouse my curiosity. Who are these people and why are some of them crossed out? I consider giving it back to Mr. Floody, more than likely he'll give out to me for some stupid reason but I decide it's best if I do so. This is probably a list of friends or something and it could be important. Though I never thought he had even one friend let alone a whole list!
Mr. Floody is glaring pure murder at me. I'm staring at his neckline, concentrating on the pulsing vein pumping away with anger. I'm concentrating because I'm trying really hard not to cry. I hate when people shout at me. I can't stand did. I guess I'm fragile in more ways then one.
'How dare you!' He yells, 'This is privet information! And you, you… Ripped it!'
'I didn't mean to.' I mumble, staring at my feet. 'I was just…'
'What? Miss Robin? Snooping again?' He growls. 'Can't you keep your big bloody beak of a nose out of other people's business!?'
'I-I-' I stutter, tears are starting to fill my eyes. Mr. Floody is looking like big blobby blur now. He notices my tears and become enraged.
'Typical woman! You get yelled at and you start to cry. Well guess what.' He's literally screaming in my face now. Other students in the corridor are watching from afar, praising God they're not me. 'You're not getting off by crying! Now get a grip!'
Shaking, tears pour down my cheeks but now I'm just pissed off! How dare he say things like that to me? Who the hell doe he think he is? That, that… Sexist prick!
'I didn't do anything! You asshole!' I scream then bite down on my tongue but it's too late. I just called a teacher an asshole. Out loud. In. His. Face!!Oh crap… I'm dead.. No, I'm not just dead… I'm going to be suspended. Expelled! Crucified!
Mr. Floody's eyes are practically popping out of his head. The vein on his neck is bulging away, looking ready to burst! My back is to the wall. I'm really frightened now. I've never seen him this mad before.
'What did you call me?' Mr. Floody hisses. Poke s me hard in the chest. 'If you thought you were in trouble before wait until-'
'What's happening here?'
Mr. Floody turns from me to face the speaker. It's Mrs. Joneda, our principle, his Aunty. His expression changes completely. It's almost comical. He steps away from me, and coughs before mumbling, 'This student has destroyed some personal information of mine and-'
'I didn't mean to! It must of just ripped under my foot when you picked it up.' I say defending myself.
Mrs. Joneda smile at me and say, 'Of course Deary.' She looks back at her nephew and says, 'Mr. Floody (even though they're family in school they're always formal to each other) I've never heard anything troubling about Miss. Hamin here. I sure it was nothing more then an accident and that she's very sorry. Aren't you Robin?'
I nod madly. Mrs. Joneda smiles again and says, 'See? Now Mr. Floody I do believe you have a class to teach?'
Mr. Floody mumbles something unintelligent before glaring at me and storming off down the corridor. I sigh with relief and turn to Mrs. Joneda to thank her. Before I say anything she stops me.
'No need to thank me Robin.' She says. 'I know my nephew can be a bit of a hot head at times (such an understatement) but don't worry, you won't have to endure him for much longer. No one will.' With that she disappears down the other end of the corridor leaving me with hopes and prayers that Mr. Floody will finally be fired.
I finally get to class. I'm fifteen minutes late and Ms. Tham, the maths teacher, isn't too impressed with me. I try to tell her what happened with Mr. Floody but she won't have any of it and just sends me off to my desk. I soon as my ass touches the seat, Pamela pokes me in the back then tosses a note in my face:
Wher the hell ya bin?!
I quickly jot down a summary of what happened to me and toss it over my shoulder when Ms. Tham's back is to me:
Mr. Pervo gav out to me cause I gav
him back a piese of paper
Mrs. Joneda saved me.
She so nice!!!
After a few seconds I feel another poke in my back and a note lands in front of me:
No she not!!
She always giv out to me just
cause I wer runners!
I'm about to write another one to defend our principle when all of a sudden I get this weird feeling in my back. It's really uncomfortable, like someone is tracing a feather up and down my spine. It feel so itchy but I can't get at any itchy parts because it's under my skin. Then there's this prickly feeling at both my shoulder blades which doesn't stop and feels just as bad as the itchy spine.
I start to fidget in my desk, scratching at my back furiously, making my skin red raw but not having any affect at the itchiness. Ms. Tham notices me and asks what's wrong. I tell her nothing and settle down again. I didn't want the class to think I had fleas or something… Oh crap what if I do have fleas? Like under-the-skin-fleas? This thought gives me the shivers and I try to calm down but the itchiness is too much and I'm at it again. Now I'm rubbing again the back of the seat and Ms. Tham looks really annoyed.
'Miss Hamin, you come late into my class and now you fidget about like a madman. I thought you said you were fine?'
'I am Ms, I am!' I gabble but she doesn't believe me as I won't hold still.
'What's wrong?' She ask again then suddenly takes a step back. 'You don't have Chicken Pocks do you?'
The room practically echoes with the sound of chairs before pushed back as girls who hadn't had Chicken Pocks before back away from me.
'No Ms. I had Chicken Pocks when I was younger!' I say, now the itchiness is driving me insane. 'Please Ms can I go up to the office or something? Maybe they can stop it?'
Ms. Tham just stands there and thinks about it as I'm being driven insane. She say yes and I leg out while being followed by the laughter of my classmates. I few seconds later Pamela appears beside me.
'I asked Ms. Tham if I could go up with ya. Are you alright?'
'No! My spine is so feckin' itchy!' I'm practically running up the corridors now. I have no idea what the people in the office could do for me but it's better then sitting there tearing up my back.
'Here let me help!' Pam says and lifts up my jumper then starts to scratch my back mentally.
'Ow you're hurting me!' I yelp and tear away from her. We finally get to the office and I tell Mary who works there about my back. She's about sixty-three and for some reason has a bottle of Camomile lotion in a box underneath her deck. She pours some on my back but it doesn't help as the itchiness is on my spine not my back.
I feel like I'm about to cry now as it's driving me mad but just when I'm asking if she'll ring the hospital the itchiness starts to subsides. It's still there but it isn't as bad as it was. My back still feel uncomfortable like there's a pillow or something underneath my skin. I ask Pamela to check if it's bulging.'Nope, likes fine to me.' She says. 'Just a load of scratches and Camomile lotion.'
Still convinced there's something wrong , we thanks Mary and head slowly back to maths.
'Hey since we here you can tell me what happened with Mr. Floody!' Pamela says.
'Oh right well,' I say going into gossip mode and I tell her everything from Mr. Floody bashing into me then screaming at me for no good reason then to Mrs. Joneda telling me that he's going to get fired.
'What, really?' Pamela exclaims excitedly . 'Were those her exact words?'
'Well no.' I say honestly, 'What she did say was, "you won't have to endure him for much longer. No one will." So I'm assuming she's firing him. That or he's becoming the Pope.'
'Eww.' Pam says pulling a face. 'Pope.'
We both laugh and enter the classroom. Ms. Tham gives out to me for making a spectacle of myself but thankfully the bell rings and she's dismisses us. My back keeps feeling weird for the rest of school though strangely once I'm like a mile away, the feeling goes and I feel grand. Weird but I'm more grateful then worried.
When I get home Daniel starts to annoy me as per usual. I'm trying to use the computer in peace but he won't have it. So I tell him the tradition lie of all older siblings:
'Daniel, you're adopted. Mam and dad found you behind a bin.'
'No I wasn't!'
'Yeah you were.'
'No, I wasn't!!
'Yeah you were.'
'No, I wasn't!!!'
'Yeah. You. Were.'
'I'm telling mam!'
True to his word he legs it off to rat on me but I don't really care. Mam can appreciate a good joke.
A few minutes later and it turns out that she can't appreciate a good joke. She gives out to me again about being mean to my brother. Daniel's hanging around behind her looking smug, mouthing "Rob" to me. A soon as mam turns her back, I give him a quick pinch just to shows him whose boss. He pinches me back and we're soon in a pinching war, running around the place squealing our heads off. Mam soon stop us and gives me a "you know you have to be careful" look. It's always hard being the eldest but knowing that Daniel could snap me like a trig, doesn't make it any better.
I go up to room to do my homework. Even though I was only in it for like ten minutes, Ms. Tham give me algebra homework anyway. I'm actually quite good at maths, I don't like maths but I'm still pretty good at it. I make some fairly good attempts at it then head down stairs again to watch some T.V.
At about six, dad finally gets home from work. He work at some office somewhere "pushing papers" as he describes it. It sounds really boring. Me, when I leave college for art design, I'm going to travel the world. Experiencing all of the world's cultures and colours. Then were I'm much older, you know have settled down a bit, I'm going to find a cure for "Robin Syndrome", not for me cause I'll probably be too old by then but for those other one in a million cases. All those other kids who had to watch every bloody step. If, of course, there are any alive by then.
'How's my baby girl?' Dad booms as he wraps his arms around me and squeezes very gently. 'How's the wrist?'
'Fine Dad. I'm fine too but something weird happened with my back today.'
'Oh?' He says as he gives mam a kiss and chucks his briefcase into the hall.
'Well it was nothing really but my spine kept itching really badly, it's grand now.' I'm not going to bother telling him about Mr. Floody. I've been complaining about him since first year so they're really sick of hearing about him by now.
'Good, as long as it was nothing.' He smiles and tickles me under the chin.
Daniel suddenly leaps on dad's back wanting some attention. Dad complies and hops about the house pretending to be an insane horse and Daniel's a brave warrior, trying to tame him. I watch for about a second before getting bored so I go a ring Pam. We talk about our new obsessions we have that week. After a while Mam yells at me that dinners ready so I say goodbye and hang up.
At dinner, dad tells us about his day and how he sat around doing nothing. Big surprise there. Mam's, on the other hand, is much more interesting. Daniel's school rang, complaining how he brought a live rat in. I hiss at him, threatening him if that was Timmy I was going to-
'No!' He says, 'It was one I found behind the shed, in one of the traps. Timmy isn't scary enough. He's a wuss!'
'Hey, Timmy is not a wuss. He's just cultured.' I say defending my blonde pet rat. I got him about a year ago and he's so sweet. Pamela won't go near him. She's too scared he'll bite her or something. It's actually quite funny how much she'll squeal if I take him out of his cage.
Dad starts giving out to Daniel saying how dangerous it is to be playing with wild rodents. Any type rodents for that matter, he glares at me as he says it. Dad can't stand the sight of Timmy too. He got so annoyed when I brought him home instead of cute fluffy kitten or rabbit.
After we've all eaten we sit down and watch a movie. It's some really corny horror film about this kid who finds a stray dog but it turns out to be some demon from hell. It's all in black and white and the actors keep using really bad puns. To be honest, I keep closing my eyes whenever the demon attacks someone. I really can't stand horror films so after a while I sneak off to my room.
I finish the rest of my homework on my bed as I lie on my side. Timmy's balancing on my hip, nibbling away at a cookie I brought from the kitchen. I'm writing some stupid essay for English entitled: "What makes me special." Instead of taking it seriously I write a haiku (a Japanese's poem in case ya didn't know) on how I keep my brother in a rat cage:
Brother squeezed in cage,
Timmy likes your old bedroom,
Ha, ha silly boy.
I'm not sure if "squeezed" has one syllable or two. Squeezed? Squeez-ed? Sure it doesn't really matter. I'm going to get into trouble for not doing the essay probably anyway.
That night, before I sleep, I run the day through my mind and questions fill it, like: Who were those name on Mr. Floody's list? Why are they so important? How will Mr. Nuny like my essay? What's with that book with no title? What did those symbols and diagrams mean?
But the most important question that buzzes in my mind right up to when I fall asleep is: Should we throw Mr. Floody a "finally you got fired" party?
