Dreamcatchers ACT 1

Chapter 4: No Longer Alone Part 2

"What's up kiddo? You finally gonna have some sugary cereal for once in your life?" He said as I casually walked up next to him and asked him straight up without wasting time.

"Well, when you were cleaning my room, did you mess with anything that looked beautiful? Like a crystal or ruby?" Dad looked up at the ceiling as if he were trying to recall what he did with it before looking back at me. For a millisecond, I swear his usual smile sharpened as if he realized something, but it could have just been my imagination.

"That's right. The little thingamajig that's about the size of this mug here. I put it in the back of your closet."

"Wait, the back... Did you throw it?" It might be just how he was raised but my dad has the tendency to casually toss things toward where they belong like clothes in the closest or the keys on the table near the door.

"Who do you think I am, some kind of brute. I just set it in the back farthest from your bed. You know, on that inconvenient shelf you wanted in there. You don't know how many times I cracked my head on that shelf." I breathed a sigh of relief before running up back into my room and opening up the closet to see the gem faintly shining back the outside light from my window. It didn't make sense as to why I didn't go into the dream world, or whatever it was to begin with. 

Was it really because of this gem, grabbing it and looking at the smooth edges of the red ruby shining back at me? Then, as I stood confused and bedazzled to the questions swirling in my head, I decided to believe in one of my answers. This thing must have a radius where it can make me lucid dream and the diameter, or at least that's what I think it's called, must be from here in the back of the closet to the end of my bed. 

Looking into the closet, I counted about three feet from the back of it to where I stood, which was the entrance of the closet. Turning around, I carefully took and traced my steps toward my bed. Slowly counting as the heel of my foot touched my toes, I eventually counted nine feet. So, the end of my bed is nine feet, making it twelve feet from where the gem was. I guess I never assumed that there would be something like this as it just always laid on my bedside table, but does this mean that other people can also have lucid dreams if they're closer than twelve feet from this specific gem.

Nonetheless, I got ready for school and left so that I wouldn't miss anything important, but it seems that weirder and weirder things keep happening since I got the gem from that antique store. As I left the car and ran into the school with the bell already ringing, something suddenly sprang out and tripped me, hitting the ground and barely managing to stop my head from smacking the carpet floor. 

Of course, it was Jose's gang, and everyone was here this time with even Jessica behind them. She wasn't standing next to Taylor this time, instead having her arms crossed and back faced toward him. It must've been something I said before, maybe about how she was just only kept around for her looks or something like that. Cadell, who was obviously the one with his leg out to trip me, squatted right in front of me before looking up at Jose for what he should do. I can deal with another day of beating, but things were different. Jackson didn't seem to be looking at me and instead, on the ground. Was... was he feeling bad for what they were doing? Jose too, seemed distant or preoccupied on something, though he still looked to be in pain with his hoodie on and the bruise on his eye still evident.

The silence was suffocating but as I was about to pick myself up from the ground to finally take a stand, Jose said something under his breath, "Nah, this bastard isn't worth it. Today, he just looks too boring." I couldn't believe what he said, and neither could the others as Cadell and Taylor looked at him in shock.

"Wha', you don't mean to let this little fuck off?" Taylor said as Cadell seemed as if he wanted to protest as well but silently resigned himself to what Jose wanted. I didn't know what was happening, but I wasn't against it either, letting Jose walk away with his goons. Cadell didn't leave before kicking me in the shin for causing trouble, but that was nothing compared to what they normally do. Without them hassling me anymore, I ran into class and immediately took my seat just as the second bell rang.