• Run, Cassidy, as fast as possible. You've been chosen. Your life is in danger. Run.

    She was in a forest, the light tinted green through the treetops. The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere, yet no where at the same time. Chosen?she thought, What does that mean? She started to run, going as slow as a snail, yet at light's speed. This was confusing her. Where was she? What was happening?

    Wake up. You can no longer stay here. It is too dangerous. Wake up.

    Wake up? She was sleeping? Now that the thought crossed her mind, she knew no place like this, and had no memory of getting her. But how was she supposed to wake herself up?

    The lake. Jump in and take a deep breath.

    What?! Now she knew she was dreaming. Only a dream would tell her to breathe water, especially when there was no water to be seen. She tripped, yet didn't get hurt. The green tint had turned blue. A fish swam past her. She was in the lake! She had been there about half a second, and already her lungs were giving in. Soon she would have to breathe, then she would have no hope of survival. But, she thought if this is a dream then breathing water won't hurt. She swam towards the surface, deciding she would only breathe if and when needed. She swam, but nothing was changing. The water wasn't getting lighter, and she wasn't getting any closer to the suface.

    BREATHE, CASSIDY!

    She had no choice now, she wasn't getting anywhere, and there was barely any air left in her lungs. She shut her eyes, prayed for a miracle, and


    Woke up, coughing, her brother standing over her.
    "Thought you were dead, you weren't breathing." said Devin, "C'mon, you're gonna be late for school." He threw a pair of clothes at Cassidy, and ran. She was still stuned from her dream. She got dressed, not knowing what she had put on, and walked towards the stairs. She passed a painting in the hall, of a girl in a white gown, holding a star in her left hand, almost reaching out of the painting at her. That was when she snapped back to reality. She ran down the stairs, in a rush to find out what the painting was, and why it was in the hall. She tripped down the stairs, landing on her side, and got up, so her mom knew that nothing was wrong. She knew a searing pain should have run right up her right side, but it didn't.
    "Mom," Cassidy said, trying to act casuall and not like something was wrong with her, "What's the painting in the hall? The one of the girl holding a star?"
    "You knew that was a star?" Mrs. Grellon said, "Most people never know what that is."
    "Mom, that's off the point. What is that a picture of?" Cassidy heard a car horn.
    "That's the bus," her mom said, "You're gonna be late. Grab a donut on your way out. I love you."
    "I love you too, Mom. I want an answer when I get home." Cassidy ran out of the door, towards the bus. She got on and found a seat towards the back, one where she could be alone, to think. She had never noticed the picture before, yet somehow she knew that girl was the holder of the voice from her dream. Somehow she knew that that the star wasn't just a star. Somehow she knew that the girl in the picture was the only person she could put complete trust in. And suddenly she got a feeling that she should curl up into a ball, close her eyes, and brace herself. She did so, wondering why. A sudden jolt, and a group of screaming kids told her why. She hit the floor, or was it the ceiling? Because somehow she knew, without opening her eyes, that they were in a car crash. Or would it be bus crash? She hit the top of a seat, knocking the wind out of her, and then hit glass. It broke, and she tumbled onto the ground. The bus rolled towards her, and she thought it would be the end. But when the bus should have rolled onto her, it landed to where she was right where the broken window was, causing no harm. The bus rolled off of her, and then once more around, landing upsidedown. Everyone filed out of the back, where the emergency fire escape was, and running towards Cassidy. She heard several thing, like "Is she okay?" and "How many bones were broken?" and one person saying "She's probably crushed flat. Is she crushed flat?"
    She sat up, realizing that everyone that came out of the bus was hurt in some way. Someone's arm was broken, another person's nose. Everyone had cuts all over their arms and face. She seemed to be the only person unscathed. The bus driver rushed over to her, asking if she was hurt.
    "I'm," Cassidy moved her arms around, as if to make sure, "fine. Luckily the school is only a block away." The bus driver went ahead and let everyone with only cuts and scraps go to school. She told Cassidy to tell someone at school to call an ambulance. Everyone with broken bones stayed behind. Cassidy did so, then went about her day, all alone, with no friends. She was riding a crowded bus home, when suddenly she was in the same place as her dream, a forest with a green tint to the light. She knew she was still on the bus, but didn't know if she had fell asleep, or was day dreaming. Then she hear a voice. The same one as last time.



    TO BE CONTINUED