Dreamer: Dream Come True, #1

Chapter 1

Just when I think I learned the way to live, life changes

~Hugh Prather

I rushed through the alleyway. My skin crawled, and a shiver ran down my spine; the darkness was getting to me. Who knew what could be lurking in the shadows?

Dreamkeeper… a male voice sang. I turned around to face the sound but saw nothing. Shaking off the fear, I continued walking, when the voice sang again. Dreamkeeper…

You, Dreamer! A female voice chimed on the tail of the other, holding the note.

I whipped back around. Who’s there?

The invisible singers stopped, and a wind threw me flat on my back, forcing air from my lungs. A cackle hit my ears, and I froze as I faced what appeared to be a wave of light. The watery substance flooded the alleyway, its yellow glow shining through the shadows. My breathing picked up. My heart rate increased. And yet, my body refused to move. Stupid fight-or-flight response!

A girl appeared in front of me, her right arm stretched out to the wave. The light swirled in the empty space of the alleyway but didn’t go further than her palm. She must’ve been a Dreamer with power; she was manipulating something from my dream.

Thank you, I said. My savior turned around, eyes wide with surprise, and I saw myself looking back. The surprise instantly turned to hatred, her typically hazel irises glowing a fiery red.

I shot up, my breath ragged. My eyes darted around my bedroom. Moonlight filtered in from the window, streaks of silver shining against my purple walls. Something shifted in the darkness, and I looked to the foot of my bed. My cat, Bailey, stared back with tired brown eyes. She yawned before treading through the shadows to reach me. I stroked the cat and leaned against my leather headboard, closing my eyes. A ghost of the dream appeared, the wave of light racing towards me.

Yelping, I jumped out of bed and threw open my balcony doors to escape the nightmare. I stopped at the banister that separated my balcony from the empty air. Standing at my perch and wringing my hands on the white paling, I searched the backyard for anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing. My manic breathing slowed as I focused on the dew-tinted grass, the thousands of tiny refractions the beams of light made inside the water droplets. A warm summer breeze tickled my skin as I inhaled the rain-scented air. My shoulders slowly relaxed and a smile played on my lips as I exhaled. I looked to the sky, leaning over the balcony as I laughed at myself.

Getting attacked by light in an alleyway? Really? Of all the things to dream up, that has to be one of the most ridiculous. And to think there was another me that saved my life?

My smile faded as I thought about my double: dark brown hair with blonde highlights past her shoulders, red-and-white corset dress and tiara glowing in the moonlight, red swirls that ran across her arms, gold-flecked hazel eyes shimmering with malice…

Looking down at my feet, I saw Bailey rubbing against my leg. I took a seat on the balcony, and the cat meowed before jumping into my lap. I started to scratch under her chin when a yawn slipped past my lips. I snapped my mouth shut. Can’t sleep, I reminded myself with a headshake.

Why? A voice, a twin of my own, scoffed. Do you think that dream’s going to come true?

My eyes darted to the floor. I mean…it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Not with the world we live in.

You’ve had nightmares before and nothing has happened. Remember that time you stopped a ghost with a broom?

Okay, that may have been a little far-fetched, but—

Or what about the time you fought a bald wizard, and he looked like your Pre-calc teacher? He had the long, crooked nose and the black cloak and that super-powerful wand. And nothing happened after you woke up. Have your dreams ever come true before?

Other Dreamers’ dreams have.

Yeah, but have yours?

Well… I moved my lips from side to side and admitted, No, but I’m not like every other Dreamer.

Exactly. Because you don’t have powers. So, go to bed. You won’t get hurt. Plus, tomorrow’s your first day of college!" I smiled. "You’re leaving home for four years, finally being independent! Get excited! Don’t worry about some stupid little dream; there are bigger things happening.

Looking to the moon again, I yawned deeper than before. I checked my watch and sighed as I stood. Although logic—and the voice in my head—said it was impossible that one of my dreams could twist reality like a pretzel, part of me couldn’t agree so easily. I stole a last glance at the stars.

I tightened my grip on the rail as I closed my eyes and wished that nothing would hurt me, that everything would be perfect. Eventually, my shoulders slumped. I had to sleep unless I wanted to be tired for the five-hour car ride up to school. And we’d be waking up at 6:00 a.m. too. Great.

I trudged toward bed with a sort of somber anxiety. A voice in the back of my head begged me to reconsider, to stay up with Bailey and enjoy the time I had left.

I’m in danger! Bailey can protect me! She’s my Guardian Angel!

I ignored the pleading, which grew faster and more desperate as I got closer to the bed. The voice fell silent as I crossed August 24th off the calendar and nestled under the covers.

My dreams can’t come true. I tried to reassure myself. Mom said so. It’s just a stupid little nightmare.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, hoping that was true.

***

It’s over there! I pointed. The car slowed to a stop in front of the dormitory, where suitcases and bins littered the sidewalk. Several people with large blue containers rolled down a ramp and placed people’s things inside before going back into the building. I stepped out of the car, slamming the door as I let out a satisfied sigh. I was actually here.

After months and months of dreaming, I was looking up at the Victorian-style dorm. The three-story stone edifice stared back, a neon-blue flag sitting atop its octagonal spire. Two wings jutted out from either side, and atop the building, beside the central tower, steep, maroon-colored roofs slid down towards me.

It’s beautiful.

Just then, a blonde girl with a baseball cap came up. She wore a dark blue t-shirt that said, Set-up Squad and was holding a clipboard. There was a pen tucked behind her ear.

She pointed her pen at me and asked, Are you the student?

Yes! I beamed.

She smiled at my excitement. Great. So, all you need to do is head inside; there’ll be some papers for you to sign. We’ll just bring your stuff up to your room and–what’s your room number?

218.

Alright. We’ll take care of this. The girl walked away to grab some other helpers before making her way to the trunk of the car. My mom emerged from the driver’s side, sporting a vintage instant camera and dark brown, wind-tossed hair.

Oh, look at you! Her frost-blue eyes lit up. Let me get a picture in front of the sign. I ran with my suitcase to the white sign that said Strand Hall—Student Residency in big, dark blue letters. Striking a series of goofy poses, I laughed as the camera flashed.

Mom sighed, checking the Polaroid she insisted on keeping for special moments.

Maya Juanita Isidora Lilac, she said. Graduating Class of 2021 at D.R.E.A.M. Academy.

My smile widened. I thought back to all the sleepless nights throughout high school, the times I’d had to take a break to eat, the times I’d gotten sick because my immune system couldn’t protect me on such little energy. I’d worked hard to get to this school, and here I was, on a full scholarship. My work had paid off; I was at the college of my dreams, all due to my hard work and grit.

These next four years won’t be like high school, sweetie. You won’t be spending eight hours straight in a school building. You’ll have to plan and balance a lot more than you ever did before. It’ll be tough, but you’re a Lilac. We’ve survived worse than this. Mom winked.

"Wil je ze helpen mijn spullen in de kamer te zetten?" I asked my mom in Dutch. My grandmother was Dutch, and my mom had learned the language growing up, then passed it down to me.

She shrugged and nodded. "Je moet je papieren invullen. Ik zie je boven."

Okay! I bounded up the steps and into the lobby, standing in front of the motion-activated doors. Down the aisle was a winding ramp. People rolled bins full of students’ belongings toward the elevator.

Next to me was a desk with the words Welcome to Strand Hall in neon-blue block letters. A girl with a black t-shirt and a black-and-green ponytail sat behind the desk. An elevator occupied an octagonal space that I could only assume was the tower I’d seen outside.

Are you moving in? the girl at the desk asked.

I nodded.

Just head down there to the lounge. She pointed. I followed her hand down the hall. In front of the windows were four long tables, each holding sheets of paper. After giving my signature and getting escorted to my room, I looked to the bed on the far left. My roommate was trying to stick a poster to the wall. In the picture, a woman with an afro, surrounded by animals, held a small tree in her hand.

Stay up, will you! My roommate reached for one of the poster’s corners, jumping up to force it down. The poster drooped again. She turned away, rubbing her face as she chuckled to herself. This is going to drive me insane. It was then that she noticed me.

She smiled, her emerald green eyes alight with joy. Reddish-brown cheeks gained a slight glow in the sunlight. Maya, hey! She hopped off the bed, giving me a hug. A Greek-style, gold-leafed tiara encircled her head. Her straight black hair curled to her shoulders, and she wore light pink lip gloss. A gold blouse clung to her body, and her black skirt stopped at her knees. She twirled her necklace in her fingers. It was a golden tree with the words Εμαι Μητριά Φύση inscribed inside.

"Hey, Rose! Sorry I couldn’t talk much today; service was so spotty coming from the city, I could barely get out a text. Honestly, I’m still kinda mad Mom didn’t want to teleport us here. It would’ve saved so much time. We could’ve set up together, but it looks like you’re already done." I gestured to her side of the room.

A bonsai tree sat in the windowsill, and next to Rosemary’s desk was a calendar. Colorful shirts, dresses, and Dashikis hung from her hangers, while bins and shoes were stacked directly below them. There was a mini-fridge in between the desk and wardrobe with food and water bowls next to it. Her purple cat, Naomi, licked away at the water in the dish.

"Well, yeah, you two could’ve teleported here, Rosemary started before jumping back on top of the bed, but Caitlin probably just wanted to spend more time with you. Her feet floated off the mattress, rising until she was face-to-face with the poster’s problematic corner. She shook her head and muttered something about the Command strip attached to the back. Didn’t you guys jam out on the road?" Mid-levitation, Rosemary stole a quick look back at me.

A sheepish grin spread on my face. It was fun; traffic sucked though. I didn’t expect so many people to be on the road so early. I met, like, fifty college kids at our rest stops.

Rosemary shrugged and asked suggestively, Future friends?

Alright, Maya, my mother said from behind. I turned as she entered. Bailey stalked in behind her, sniffing at my clothes. What do you want to do first?

From one of the bins, I pulled out the bags with my comforter and bedsheets. Or do I want to do my clothes first? I asked out loud. I put the bags down and started for my suitcase. Wait…I could set up the clothes later, so I should probably do the comforter first.

Whipping back around, I stopped and ran my fingers through my hair, then let out a confused huff. What do I do first? I have no idea what I’m doing. I asked myself.

Do you want to do your bed first or your clothes? Rosemary asked, now back on the ground. The nature poster stayed on the wall, the woman proudly displaying her control over the planet.

Bed. I finally made my decision and pulled out my two sets of sheets.

Your parents said you all teleported up, Mom looked to my roommate while helping me take the memory foam out of its bag to set it on the bed. Did you give them a tour of the campus?

Yeah, before we went to the room. Rosemary looked to her open closet and telekinetically brought a box to her. She pulled a large green-and-brown ‘R’ out before attaching a set of Command strips to the letter. We got to sleep in, thankfully. I was way too tired from work to wake up at seven in the morning.

Mom attached her corners of the bedsheet to the mattress. What time did they leave?

Not too long before you came in, actually. Mom had to run back to the hospital before I could really get myself set up; she’s always on call, so I didn’t really know how long she was going to be able to stay. Rosemary hopped onto her bed and stuck the ‘R’ on her wall in a slant, to the left of the poster. But we got to spend a little bit of time together, so there’s that.

She grabbed an ‘O’ and another set of Command strips. It’s okay; I’ll see her in October for the family weekend! Nothing to worry about. Dad was here for a little bit too, but I told him I’d take care of the decorations on my own.

Mom placed her end of the comforter down before asking me which side I wanted to put my pillows at. I pointed to her side; I needed a headboard, and the back of desk would have to do unless I wanted to go into town and assemble one myself. Mom then asked Rosemary, Are you ready to be away from home?

The girl nodded before taking an ‘S’ from the cardboard box. Yes! I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.

Mom slipped a pillow into the purple-and-green striped pillowcase. It still feels like just yesterday you played with Gabriel’s briefcase and had mock trials.

Rosemary and I chuckled, remembering the stuffed animals we’d saved from a lifetime of prison. To think, after all the fictional trials and murder mysteries we’d solved—I may have also been a detective, thanks to Nancy Drew—my major was Astronomy, the furthest thing from crimes or crime-solving. Rosemary’s major was Environmental Law, so she stuck to the plan, but apparently, I hadn’t gotten the memo.

Yeah… My roommate sighed. It was simpler back then. Thanks for the briefcase, by the way. I thought I’d have to buy one later down the line.

Well, how else are you going to hold your environmental papers? Mom smirked.

And that’s the bed done! I clapped happily at my accomplishment. I knew setting up a bed wasn’t that spectacular, but it was my first time doing it in college. Everything here was going to have a sense of accomplishment; it was a first—a type of first, anyway. Just then, it hit me that after this, I’d actually be on my own, away from family…except for Bailey, of course. She’d be the only other semblance of home aside from pictures. I smiled sadly thinking about it, digging into one of the bins to grab my clock and my dry erase calendar to hang on the wall.

Do you want me to help you get your clothes into the closet? Mom asked.

It’s okay. I waved from the foot of my bed. Besides, I still have to unpack, and you have a long drive back. I don’t want to keep you here any longer than you need to be.

Sweetie, I could always teleport back with the car; I just wanted to drop you off and get one last ride before college started.

Mai, you going to the picnic today? Rosemary asked.

The one at five? I asked. Yeah. Maybe we’ll see some people from the group chat there.

Wouldn’t surprise me.

Oh wait! I remembered something we’d forgotten. A cable for the TV! We never got one!

Do you want me to get it for you? Mom offered. We could get the cable, eat at the picnic, then say goodbye.

I checked my watch: 4:00. I have to meet my adviser in a half hour in Dale Hall; it wouldn’t really make sense to leave, come back, and then leave again. Plus, you’d have to find a place to park. I’d rather we just wait until after the picnic, then we can say our goodbyes and you can drive off. I’ll get a cable while I’m up here.

Alright then, we’ll do that. We all left the room, Bailey and Naomi trailing after us.

Chapter 2

They’ve promised that dreams can come true but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams too.

~Oscar Wilde

As the sun beamed down on us, Rosemary and I talked about what we were excited to do and what we thought would be our hardest classes. Along the way, we kept passing by people that we recognized from the group chat that Rosemary and I joined for the Class of 2021 over the summer. Some people had an animal trailing them: black cats, dogs, rabbits, even black snakes. They were Guardian Angels like Bailey was to me and Naomi was to Rosemary.

Eventually, Mom, Rosemary, and I entered The Quad, where there were several tents filled with food and empty tables on the grass. Buildings surrounded each side of the picnic area in a square. The entire campus was designed in a Victorian style, but all of the buildings had flags in different colors flying from their roofs to help differentiate them. Dale’s flag was red for the history majors that spent their time there.

After quickly giving Mom a kiss on the cheek and grabbing my cat, Rosemary and I rushed off to our adviser in the center-most building, Dale. Our cats settled on the floor in front of us and watched as everyone introduced themselves. About halfway through the meeting, I yawned deeply. Just then, Bailey got up and rubbed her head against my leg.

What is it? I whispered, leaning over in my chair to pet her. Mid-stroke, she moved away from my hand, looked me in my eyes, and meowed again. There was an intensity in them, like there was something she was trying to tell me, show me. Okay. I nodded before tapping Rosemary and telling her that I was going into the hallway.

Bailey followed me out, and when the room door closed, she transformed. Sparkles surrounded the feline before a black light shone from inside her body. In an instant, she turned from cat to human. She was wearing a sparkling black cloak, heels, and headband. She had black Angel wings on her back and a black halo hovering over her head. Her curly, brown hair stopped at her jaw.

What’s wrong? I asked the Guardian Angel. Is there a demon nearby?

There isn’t, no, but you yawned. You were getting tired.

I yawned again. I don’t feel that tired. I heard the door click closed behind us and turned to see Rosemary and Naomi come up to us.

What happened? my roommate asked. Demon?

Bailey’s worried about me falling asleep, apparently, I answered. I’m not sure why though. It’s not like anything bad will happen. I don’t have powers. The wave from my dream flashed in my head