Dream Glass

Chapter 1: A Dreamer's Affliction

       The sun had just begun its ascent into the sky as Elizabeth shoved herself away from the comfort of her stiff, twin sized bed. She stretched and tucked her tangled hair behind her ears before she gazed around her shared bunk room. The faint glow from the dawn was the only source of lighting in the room but it was enough. The room's peaceful silence was calming, but she knew she had to leave its embrace and get her day going once more.

       With a heavy sigh, she steadied herself with one hand on the bunk above her and tore her heavy blanket away. The deep brown flooring was frigid, and she immediately mourned the loss of warmth her bed would have. Hardwood flooring, easier to clean but unnecessarily brutal in the cold months. But still she pressed on, following her daily routine to keep her sense of self-worth.

       She used their built-in ladder to check if her bunk mate, Blythe, was doing alright. Changes in weather always affected her pretty harshly so that was always the first priority. Blythe was a rather petite girl with beautiful ebony skin and her hair was currently a mess of jet-black ringlets. When she was satisfied with her wellness check, she stepped down off the ladder and ruffled through the clothes drawer beneath her bed. Once she had a fresh uniform in hand, she attempted to quietly make her way to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.

       At first glance this would be a rather easy task, but the mostly sparse room did have its obstacles. It was organized like the bunkhouse of a summer camp, and the few belongings the girls did have could be an issue sometimes. Her gaze was focused on the door when her foot was caught by an old shoe box that had been lazily placed next to the foot of one of the bunks. She cursed to herself after catching a face full of the floor, scattering the contents of the box, and losing her grip on the clothes she was holding.

       "Ouch." She hissed through clenched teeth as she shoved herself back up from the floor and collected the clothes that had escaped her hold. A few girls lifted their heads at the commotion but lost interest almost immediately and went back to sleep. All except Charlie, the oldest girl in their room and the closest to the door.

       "Elizabeth?" Charlie asked groggily in her light, English accent. "You alright?" She swept her dirty blonde hair out of her face tiredly and yawned.

       "Yeah, I'm fine. I just tripped on my way to the showers." She responded in a hushed tone.

       "Was it Sandy's old, rock box again?" Charlie asked. "That thing's always getting in the way." She stood up when Elizabeth nodded and began to help her get the rocks put away. "She really needs to learn to tuck this thing under her bed."

       "Thank you, Charlie," Elizabeth sighed. "I'll try to keep a better eye on the floor next time."

       "You're welcome, Liz, but I have to ask... is everything alright? Did you have trouble getting to sleep last night? You look exhausted." Charlie looked down at Liz with a worried expression.

       Elizabeth froze for a moment. Should she...? Last time she mentioned these dreams to someone she was forced to go through so many tests and was fussed over heavily for weeks. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's just been a rough morning so far."

       It wasn't technically a lie; she'd wanted to stay in bed today and when she decided to be productive, she tripped and fell on her face. It just isn't what she really wanted to say. This wasn't the time or the place for this topic.

       "Well, if you're sure..." Charlie trailed off. "You know you can tell me anything. Right?" She placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.

       "I know Charlie," She giggled and brushed her hand away. "If I ever need to, I will. But seriously I gotta go take a shower now." Charlie let her hand fall back by her side as she grinned in amusement and returned to her bed.