The view was more beautiful anyway.
As she waited outside the Youth Dreamers School, the number of Dreamers in sight decreased. Ever Realm became less crowded and the dark star-filled sky surrounded her. Her mother didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon.
Scarlett was about to head for the main building where Ren worked when a whisper made its way into her ear. She unconsciously leaned towards the unknown whisper that came from behind her. It was like an itch in her mind and wasn’t going away.
She wanted to explore.
That was an itch Scarlett could not resist, so she scratched it.
Starting down the stairs, Scarlett stared into the vastness of Ever Realm. She reached the edge of the Center and closed her eyes as she took her first step alone off the platform. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked down at the endless space below and quickly tripped over her feet in quick retreat. She brought her fisted left hand to her mouth and lightly bit her knuckles while taking deep breaths. Scarlett walked in a small circle before she went back to the edge and looked beyond.
‘I can do this.’
Shaking out her good arm and legs, Scarlett closed her eyes.
‘I’ve got this.’ She reminded herself.
Taking her first steps into Ever Realm, she kept her gaze straight ahead not once looking down. She was going for it.
A freshness like a soft spring breeze surrounded her body. It didn’t move like the wind and made no motion, but it could be felt through the armor. Scarlett swung her head around, taking in all the stars that dotted the sky. All different sizes and shapes with a few being a home. Many were simply stars. A few Dreamers popped up here and there as each minded to their own business. Summing up courage, Scarlett dared a peek at the ground below and dizziness overcame her.
Scarlett turned around in search of the Center she left to find it had returned to its original form; a star. A star that so greatly blended in with the others.
She wondered too far and didn’t know how to navigate Ever Realm yet.
Scarlett closed her eyes and focused on slowing her breathing.
'You’re fine Scarlett, calm down. Panicking in the middle of an endless space filled with stars is not the best way to go about things.' While her heartbeat pounded away, her arms and limbs loosened at her sides. Opening her eyes, Scarlett turned and saw a Dreamer that flew high.
Scarlett remembered what her mother told her. “Here, Dreamers can walk, fly, or jump however they wish. It’s a natural thing for us.”
‘A natural thing? What’s that supposed to mean.’ Scarlett closed her eyes and pictured herself flying.
Nope, nothing happened.
‘Okay, let’s try again.’ Scarlett squeezed her eyes tightly and furrowed her brows. ‘Flying, flying, flying, flying!’
She’s still standing.
Scarlett dropped her shoulders when she abruptly tilted backward. A shriek fled her lips as her feet left the ground. Before she could register what happened, Scarlett fell and landed on her back on Ever Realm’s floor. With her limbs spread out to her sides, she stared above with a racing heart that was about to burst from her chest.
Unexpectedly, her laugh filled the air. “What just happened?”
Slowly sitting up, Scarlett felt around with her left hand. The invisible ground was still beneath her. She moved to her feet and a thought crossed her mind. Bending at the knees, she jumped to feel the ground leave her feet.
Scarlett was flying. She pushed higher and a loud laugh sounded from her lips. She did it.
It was a matter of doing that made it come naturally. She flew through the stars and flew in circles, mocked falling only to catch herself and sail upright. Lightness filled Scarlett and reminded her of when she was a little girl. Her father would pick her up and spin her around the room as that weightless, careless, and innocent childhood feeling nestled in her heart.
She felt free.
Scarlett floated backward while facing the stars of Ever Realm. Caught up in its beauty and her thoughts, Scarlett couldn’t see that she was about to be swallowed by its darkness.
She gawked as the starry ground got swept away by blackness. Yanking her gaze up to find Ever Realm’s stars out of sight and nowhere to be found. She slowly lowered herself until she felt the ground return to her feet and hastily turned in every direction.
Scarlett was enveloped in darkness with not a single light in sight.
Her chest tightened as the familiarity of the situation struck her mind and a cold sweat broke across her body.
“Please, please, no.” She squeezed her eyes shut and slowly opened them to find nothing changed.
“Mom? Jenna? Dad!” Her shouts didn’t reach the faraway ears of her loved ones. Scarlett even found herself calling for Chad and Jasper.
No one heard her but the things that did were the ones she didn’t want to meet.
A guttural shriek reached Scarlett’s ears, sending her stomach dropping to the tips of her toes. Her wide eyes searched the surrounding area but she couldn’t see anything. She didn’t know where it came from and quieted her heavy breathing to listen.
The sounds of scratching and heavy pounding filled the air when a force rammed into her side and threw her who knew how far. She landed on her back with a nasty thump and a clipped scream followed. The wind was knocked out of her and Scarlett gulped for air while clawing at her chest. Air finally found its way into her lungs and she sat up hunching over trying to get a grip of herself. She swiftly ripped the sling from her right arm and scrambled to stand as the ugly scrapes of claws and pounding turned in her direction. It was coming back.
Scarlett tried to gather which direction the creature was coming from when a flash of purple shot through the darkness. For a second, Scarlett saw something she wished she hadn’t.
The top of its jaw stretched far over its head, stopping at the back of its skull. It made the top of the thing’s head its entire mouth which was layered with raggedy razor teeth. It looked as if someone yawned and threw their head back but their jaw never ended. Its eyes were empty slits on the side of the mouth that oozed black muck. It also dripped from its gangly body and its ribs protruded from its chest. The skin was completely sunken in and hugged every bone. On its hands were long black claws as fingers that matched its feet. The thing completely towered over Scarlett and snapped its gruesome face in her direction. The creature shook as another shriek vibrated out of its body.
Scarlett’s spine went rigid.
Without a doubt, she knew exactly what it was.
A nightmare.
Scarlett turned and ran in the opposite direction. Her heart was beating like drums in her ears and she was sure the creature could hear it. Another crack whipped through the darkness that surrounded Scarlett and illuminated everything in a white purple. She pushed herself to run faster and felt a stab in her side due to her erratic breathing.
All of a sudden, something wrapped itself tightly around Scarlett’s ankle and yanked her backward. Scarlett yelled and tried to reach what was pulling her but she couldn’t grab it. She slid across the ground and another whip of purple burst from the direction she was being dragged towards. Scarlett followed the strike to see it land directly into the nightmare's gaping mouth. Its horrific screeches rang her eardrums but she kept her eyes on the nightmare.
The purple light traveled throughout its body making it glow. The tortured nightmare wriggled as if it were a glow stick getting cracked before it burst into a purple muck that sprayed in all directions. Scarlett covered her face as it rained and slimed over her armor. Her skin crawled at the spray of purple blackened muck and reminded her of when she first experienced it in her rite of way.