Professor Luke and the dream road

So welcome to chapter three of Professor Luke and the dream road and in this chapter I promised I would explain the confusing events of last chapter. So here is your story explanation.

My alarm started beeping. Seven o clock. School. Uhhhhhh…

I got dressed and went into the kitchen for breakfast. Luke wasn't there which surprised me. He usually had breakfast before me in the morning.

"Flora dear, what size do you take?"

"Small, Professor. Why?" He grinned sheepishly.

"I'm ordering you r school uniform online so your head teacher won't shout at me." We laughed. "Where's Luke?"

"I don't know…maybe he's still in bed? I needed a lot of willpower to leave my bed, I can tell you." I took my toast out of the toaster and started to butter it.

"Hmm…he really should be up by now," said the Professor as I finished my toast. "How about you go wake him up and I wash up your plate?"

"Deal." I said and made my way to Luke's room.

I poked my head round the door "Luke!" He didn't answer. "Luke!" Silence. "Wake up! You're going to be late for school!" Nothing. "Luke!" He moved. I considered this to be a break through. "Earth calling Luke Triton!" Silence again. I walked up to his bed (Surprise, surprise, it's blue) "Luke?" He was still asleep but he was shaking and shuddering violently. He let out a moan of pain. "Are you alright?"

I reached out to shake him but the moment I touched him I recoiled. He was soaking wet and freezing cold. Now I was worried. "Professor!" I yelled. Then suddenly Luke moaned again. "Flora" he moaned, his face screwing up in pain. I was truly scared.

Then I noticed something red on the sheet at the end of the bed. I pulled the duvet up. It was blood. Luke's feet were bleeding!

The Professor came into the room. "What's the matter Flora?"

"I…it's Luke-I can't wake him and he's moaning and his feet are bleeding and he's…he's so cold."

The Professor moved over to Luke's bed. "Oh god…" he whispered. Then he straightened up.

"Flora, I want you to go to school. And don't tell anyone what's wrong with Luke. If anyone asks, he's really ill."

I didn't want to go to school, especially as I had to go alone. I stepped off the bus and stared at the grey school building. Today, it seemed even more depressing than before.

I was silent in form. Finally, Hana asked the question.

"Flora…what's wrong?" I was silent for a moment.

"It's Luke, my brother, he's really ill and I don't even know what's wrong with him."

"Oh don't worry about it Flora. There's a bug going round. He's probably just got that."

But the professor had said if anyone asks, he's ill. Did that mean he wasn't actually ill…that it was something else?

Things got worse at lunchtime. "Oi, you!" It was a boy in Luke's year. "Where's Lukey-boy today?"

"He's ill." I replied and turned to walk off.

"Don't you walk away from me!" screamed the bully. "He was too chicken to show up!" I never knew I had a temper…until he insulted Luke.

"Luke is the bravest boy I know, much braver than you! How dare you!"

A crowd had formed around us now, as he got closer to me, shaking with fury.

"No-one speaks to me like that." He hissed. Then he punched me in the face.

I shrieked and fell backwards. He loomed over me and I tried to kick him off but he was stronger than me and was ready to kick me when-

"Enough. Leave her alone."

It was Kat. She'd just pushed him away like he was air and she was the wind. Then Mrs Calder appeared.

"What is going on here? Edward, my office. Flora, Kat, where is your uniform?"

I stared at her. I'd just been punched in the face and I could feel the blood with my fingers and she was asking me about uniform?

This question did not dignify a response. I turned and walked towards the dining room. I could feel everyone staring at me until I rounded the corner.

In the bathroom, I washed the blood off my face. My cheek was purply-black and stung like mad. The door opened and I started.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you." It was Kat. "I need to talk to Luke." I stared at her.

"Why?"

"He's walking the dream road…and he needs my help."

"What's the dream road? Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Yes. But I can't tell you. You'll find out soon enough. But I need to talk to him…please?"

"Where do you live?"

"11 Sunset Avenue. Please, I can help-"

"I'll see what I can do."

At the end of the day, I was so happy to see the Professor, I could cry. I ran towards him, forgetting to cover my bruised cheek.

"Flora? Have you been involved in a fight?"

Suddenly Mrs Calder appeared, rushing towards the Professor.

"Ah, Professor, I'm so glad you're here. There have been some behavioural issues." The Professor looked from my face to Mrs Calder. "Do go on." I drew in a shaky breath to explain.

"Flora was not wearing her uniform and when I asked her about it, she failed to respond."

The Professor still looked calm but I could tell he was nothing short of furious. "Thank you Mrs Calder. I will discuss the issue with Flora later."

We were silent all the way home until we pulled up next to the flats.

"Professor…how is Luke?"

"I left him with Rosa. He was asleep when I left."

"Still?!"

"No he woke up at 11:30 but he went back to sleep soon after."

"Professor…the girl, Kat says she knows what's wrong and she wants to talk to him." The Professor stopped in his tracks.

"Flora…I know what's wrong with him."

"You do? But why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it would scare you."

"I'm already scared, Professor." He hesitated.

"I think it's called the dream road."

*Flashback*

"He's walking the dream road…"

*end of flashback*

"But that's exactly what she said…"

"Really?...Flora, do you know where this girl lives?"

We walked to Kat's house. It was a very small detached house, a little run down. The Professor knocked on the door and Kat herself answered it.

"Hello…would you like to come in?"

"I need to talk to Luke," she said for the ninth time.

"But Kat, how do you even know that the road exists?"

"I could ask you the same question, Professor. I've been there and I won't forget what I've done."

"Have you done the same thing as Luke?" I asked excitedly. Kat was fine! Luke could be fine too!

"No. I visited there in a fundamentally different way." She eyed me again that same way. The professor glanced anxiously at both of us.

"What is it? What aren't you telling me?" I said.

"Don't tell her." The Professor said to Kat. She began to speak.

"When walking the dream road, the individual is often joined by a close friend-"

"I said don't tell her."

"-or family. This person can be there to help but is often there to hinder."

"I said DON'T TELL HER!" The Professor looked really angry now.

"That punch, Flora, is only the first injury that you'll get in the next few weeks."

"So…I'm going too?"

"Yes. And trust me, you are going to feel like hell afterwards."

I was standing outside Luke's room, listening to them talk.

"I can help you Luke. But I need some thing to get me in. I could only get in last night because the start was still fresh. It's closed to me now."

"So…you were there last night?"

"Yes."

"So what do you need?" There was a long pause.

"…Blood. Your blood."

"WHAT?" The Professor charged into Luke's room. "No absolutely not."

"Professor Layton, if you will insist on listening to our conversation which may I point out, is not very gentlemanly, then can you at least do it quietly like Flora?" Wow. Kat was really good.

"You can't take his blood."

"Professor, if it can help me, then there's plenty to go round." Luke pointed to his feet.

He glared at me. "Fine. But it had better work."

That night I went to bed with fear in my heart.