The Dreamworld

Chapter 12-Bloody Polar Bears

Ashlyn was in the Arctic, but she wasn't cold. The great big polar bear kept her warm while the snow spiraled around her. Ashlyn snuggled closer into the bear, sighing at the warmth as she watched everything crumble around her. There was a wolf howling in the distance that sent shivers down her spine sending her mind flashing back to the beasts. Then there was blood. The Polar bear roared in pain as the black beasts swarmed it. Ashlyn screamed, breaking out into a run, the snow turned to the beach and the beasts were gone. Instead, that lady stood there, a grim smile on her lips with a bloody knife in her hands, straddling over her victim.  

Ashlyn saw memories, but they weren't her own. She saw bright lights, the blaring of the horn as a car came flying straight at her. Then she was suffocating, her nails scratching against the coffin while she watched the dirt fall, burying her in darkness. The darkness became light again and flames surrounded her, people were screaming as two towers came into sight. Right before she hit, the flames were replaced with water and Ashlyn was suffocating. She couldn't breathe, her tiny fists were trying desperately to break through the ice. There was that howl again, or maybe it was a pounding. Then there was more blood, her arm was on fire, only it wasn't her own arm. Blood was dripping down and her whole world was shaking.

She jumped with a start in a half-mad daze, crying out in pain as she hit her head on an outstretched hand. "Ow!" Ashlyn cried,  rubbing her nose and glaring up at Granger who was sitting up, stretching his arms as he yawned. Blood trickled from her nose from the force of Granger's hand.

"I think you broke it." She whined.

"You shouldn't have had your face so close to my arms."

"I was on my side of the bed!" Ashlyn glared at Granger who was taking up almost two-thirds of the bed. "You're the bed hog, here."

"It's my bed."

Ok, maybe he was right. But still, the stupid Tinman had practically suffocated her in his sleep the whole night.

Someone was knocking on the door of the apartment. Well, more like pounding. Is he going to get the door?

Granger still sat on the bed, his drowsy eyes studying her and her bleeding nose. He made a box of tissues appear, handing them to Ashlyn. "I'd rather you not get blood all over my sheets."

"It wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't knocked it in the first place," Ashlyn grumbled as she twisted up the kleenex, stuffing them into her nose. At least he didn't think of tampons. That would have been embarrassing.

The pounding persisted on the door. Ashlyn would answer the stupid thing herself, but she didn't want to set the wrong impression. Granger lost his temper when he glanced down at the time on his watch.

"Who the fuck dares to wake me up at seven in the morning?"

Ashlyn yawned as she shrugged her shoulders. She was still mad about her nose. Granger slipped from the bed wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boxers, shuffling out the door and down the hall to go answer the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Ashlyn could hear Granger from the bedroom. She rolled her eyes hoping it wasn't anyone important at the door.

"Ashlyn's not answering her door! I busted in and she wasn't there!"

Ashlyn froze at the sound of Kailee's voice echoing from the room. She sounded frantic, her voice higher than usual. Ashlyn gulped, clenching her fingers remembering the feeling of the dirt pouring over her ripped fingernails. She glanced down to examine her fingers, noting that nothing was wrong.

Kailee and Granger were in a screaming match, arguing about Ashlyn's whereabouts. Ashlyn let out a sigh, shaking the vision from her head as she tested her legs. The numbness was gone. Whatever drugs were pushed into her system yesterday had run their course as Ashlyn easily walked towards the hall. She peeked her head out from around the corner to see Kailee was wildly waving her hands while Granger yawned, only half listening.