Doctor Worm: Ok, final "waking up" chapter. Next one's their first day.

Please review. Anon review is turned on for this. Feedback tells us that people are reading.

Chapter 3: Cold Sweat

Aang didn't know what was going on. He was just watching a movie at Katara and Sokka's house. Why were there police cars showing up? Why were they here? Wait, they wanted him? Why? He hadn't done anything. They took him outside and away from the house where his friends gazed at him in worry from the window. He looked back to smile and wave, like everything was going to be okay. He heard Hakoda running out the front door, yelling at the police. But one of the officers whispered something to him, and he suddenly looked... sad. He ran to Aang and hugged him, saying he was sorry.

Two of the policemen put Aang in the back seat of the car and drove away. Where were they going?

Wait, was that his house? It looked like it could have been, once. But now it was just a burnt, blackened skeleton of its former self. No, this wasn't right. Why was it gone? Where were his parents?

Aang saw himself moving towards the wreckage. His mind was going blank. He floated past the fire trucks, through the yellow tape, and towards a group of paramedics huddled around a pair of stretchers by the ambulance. He saw body bags. He stood amongst the paramedics, frozen in time, as he stared blankly at the two stretchers. A policeman placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, kid." The man sighed. "They're gone." His trance broke, and all the voices of the policemen, the paramedics, the firefighters, and the bystanders began to flood his mind.

"...What happened..."

"...God, I knew them..."

"...Did you hear it..."

"...Anything he can see..."

"...Aang? Oh my God! Aang..."

"...Bring those over there..."

"...See..."

"...Heh heh heh..."

Laughing? Who was laughing? Aang whirled around to see his grandfather running toward him with a look of anguish in his eyes. No, it wasn't his grandfather...

"...Heh heh heh..."

He glanced at the police officers and paramedics, all busy, all working, all solemn. No, it wasn't them, either...

"...Heh heh heh heh..."

He doubled over in pain, and started to vomit. Looking down, he noticed that a disgusting black centipede was coiled up at his feet, its head craned up towards his own. It was... laughing at him.

"NO!" Aang awoke in a cold sweat. He was in his new room in his and Gyatso's new apartment. It was a dream. That damned nightmare. That damned centipede.

"Aang, are you okay?" called Gyatso from the other side of the bedroom door. He sounded worried. "Aang?"

"I'm fine, Grandpa," Aang sighed. "Just... a bad dream."

There was a tangible silence as Gyatso entered the room. Aang knew that Gyatso understood. It was that dream again.

"Do you still want to go today?" his grandfather finally asked him.

"Yeah," Aang answered. "I have to start sometime."

Gyatso looked worried, but he nodded. "I understand. Well, then, get dressed. I'll let you borrow the car." He left Aang to get ready.

Aang wiped the sweat off of his face. He needed to get a grip. He was going to see his friends again. Today might be his first truly happy day in years.

He rolled out of bed.