“That’s horrible,” I cover my mouth. How could someone else decide your fate for you? Why can’t we just love who we love? Poor Nadine and Josiah.
“I wish this story had a happy ending,” Mrs, King sighs. “When Josiah found out Nadine’s news, he stormed up to her house determined to rescue Nadine from her fate. Her father, along with two other men employed by the family met him at the door with weapons drawn. When Josiah refused to leave, he was killed. Nadine was forced to marry the man she was promised to, while grieving the loss of her true love.”
“That’s such a sad story,” I reply as the room fades away.
“Tell me what’s wrong sister,” a young man asks a beautiful, dark-haired woman.
“Father is forcing me to marry that tyrant. I can’t love him, my heart belongs to another,” the woman admits.
“Nadine, you can’t say things like that out loud,” he hushes her. “The walls have ears.”
“It doesn’t matter now. I’m leaving soon. I won’t be someone’s broodmare,” Nadine scowls.
“You haven’t left this house in months. How would you have met anyone?” he asks.
“We built a place in our dreams,” she admits. “Here, let me show you.”
She places a hand on his forehead, and suddenly I’m sucked inside of him, much like when I feed.
Memories flash before his eyes, of Josiah and Nadine meeting in their dreams. Of the plans they made, and finally of her packing in secret to leave. I’m forced back to spectate as she removes her hand.
“Nadine, you can’t be serious. Father will hunt you down,” he says, scrunching his brow together.
“I can’t be what he expects. I’m a person, not a thing to give away,” she says.
“I was hoping that story would be impactful,” Mrs. King gives me a knowing smile when the world comes back into focus.
“Poor Nadine,” I frown. “How horrible to be treated as an object just because you’re a woman.”
“Did you learn something useful?” Mrs. King raises her eyebrow.
“Maybe in theory. But I don’t know if it’s practical,” I admit.
“As long as you are learning in my class, I’m satisfied,” she grins.
We break for lunch and I return to my room. My breakfast tray has been cleared and a fresh tray has replaced it. I eat, but find the isolation lonely, even if it’s just the first day. When I finish, I check my schedule and see I have class with Mr. Tesla next.
I teleport to his office and knock on the door. He leaves me waiting for several minutes before finally answering.
“Teaching students individually is a waste of valuable resources,” he grunts as I enter.
“Take it up with the headmaster. I’d be happy to return to my classes,” I suggests.
“While we would both prefer that, it’s out of our hands,” he sneers.
I sit down in the black leather, high back chair across from his large, mahogany desk. He hands me a list of assignments for both of the classes he is teaching me.
“Complete these before our next meeting. You can do those in your own quarters,” he dismisses me.
I’m too shocked to reply, so I grab the list of assignments and head back to my room and start working on them. He has unrealistic expectations of the information he expects me to complete each day, I think to myself as I begin on the list. There are triple the assignments I had in either class when I had them every other day.
The alarm goes off on my phone, alerting it’s time for Mr. Poe’s class, but I had barely made a dent in my assignments. Thankfully Mrs. King hadn’t assigned any homework today.
I rush to Mr. Poe’s office and his door is open when I arrive.
“Come in, Whisper,” he smiles from behind his desk.
I walk in and close the door behind me before sitting in the small, blue upholstered chair.
We spend the class going over History and English assignments. Thankfully, I’m able to complete them all before our session ends.
The week flies by. I spend what little free time I have texting with my guys and Lydia, but it’s not the same as seeing them. Every time I try to leave my room, I’m told by a teacher that I have to stay for my own protection. The isolation is really beginning to get to me.
I grab my phone and call Aunt Nellie to update her on what’s going on here. Maybe she can help me.
“Hi, sweetie. How are things going?” she answers.
“They aren’t going well,” I reply then explain everything that’s been going on.
“Whisper, they can’t isolate you like that. Ben is looking into what’s going on. So far he hasn’t gotten many answers. Just try to stay strong,” she replies.
“It’s become grim here for anyone not called a born Nightmare,” I admit.
“It’s happening in the community too. A law is being tossed around about Dissidents not owning property or businesses outside of Dissident towns,” she explains. “I signed all of my stores over to Ezra in case it’s passed.”
“That’s horrible. We have to do something!” I exclaim.
“We will do something. I don’t know what yet,” she sighs.
“We need to organize. They can’t take our basic rights from us,” I say.
“The problem with that is meeting without being shut down,” she replies.
The memory of Nadine comes back to me.
“What if I can come up with a way of communicating without using phones or meeting in person?” I ask.
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she replies.
I explain the story Mrs. King told me and the memory it triggered.
“If I can figure out how to dream walk, we can teach others. Then we can build dream worlds to meet in,” I explain.
“If you can figure it out, then we can talk about it. I have faith in you, Whisper, but don’t do anything to get in trouble there. With the way they are attempting to strip our rights away, I don’t trust them with your safety,” she admits.
“I’ll be careful and we will figure this out,” I say, trying to sound confident.
Inside, I wonder if I can really figure this out. I have to try. If we lay down and submit, nothing will get better.
I lie down to fall asleep after we say our goodbyes, thinking of how to manage this dream walking power. Does it still exist? Can I learn, or will I be able to teach others if I do?
I feel like I’m drifting in my astral form, but the scenery is grey. There’s nothing here. Am I asleep? I think about Sam and suddenly I’m tugged forward as if a rope is tied around my waist until I see him.
He’s sitting in the back of a classroom in his underwear, taking a test while everyone laughs at him.
“Sam?” I ask.
“Whisper, why are you in this class?” he asks.
Have I somehow managed to feed on another Nightmare? There are no black tendrils seeping out of my chest.
“Sam, can you take my hand?” I ask him, holding out my hand.
“I have to finish this test,” he says, ignoring me.
“Sam, we are at the Academy of Broken dreams. This isn’t even your school anymore,” I reply.
He looks up and understanding lights up behind his eyes.
“Whisper? How are you in my dream?” he asks.
“I have a theory, but I need to test it. Please take my hand,” I hold my hand out for him again.
He stands up and takes it, his clothes appearing on his body.
“Thank God. That was embarrassing,” his cheeks turn bright pink.
I picture a warm meadow, full of purple flowers and a tall weeping willow billowing out, casting the perfect shady spot to sit and talk.
We are instantly tugged into the area that I name Whisper’s Hollow.
“Welcome to Whisper’s Hollow. I can’t believe it worked,” I say excitedly.
We sit and I explain the dream walking story and how all I did was focus on dream walking to try. Then pictured this place to bring us here after I found h
im. We agree to meet again, and try to get the others here next time. Maybe this will work after all.
Chapter 15
The next day my routine happened much the same. Alexis shows up to teleport away then lonely classes with my teachers. I’m counting down the minutes before everyone will be asleep so I can try this new power again.
Finally the day is over. I slip out of my uniform and into my comfy clothes. Then I lie down in my bed and close my eyes, thinking of Whisper’s Hollow, and quickly drift off to sleep.
Whisper’s Hollow appears around me. As I focus on Aunt Nellie, the familiar feeling of a rope around my waist tugs me forward. I find myself standing at the door to Aunt Nellie’s bedroom. She is standing at the foot of her bed in a long, black lace robe, facing all three guys already in bed, covered to their waist with blankets. Their naked chests are the only thing showing.
I clear my throat, causing her to spin around. “Whisper, you figured it out? Of course you did; how else would you be standing in the middle of a rather embarrassing dream I’m having?” she asks as she changes into something more appropriate.
“Yes, and I have created a meeting place, and I can teach you how to do it too,” I reply, feeling my cheeks heat up. “If you will take my hand, I will show you.”
She takes my hand, and we appear in Whisper’s Hollow. We stroll over and take a seat under the weeping willow.
“We need to get like minded people to side with us about our rights as Nightmares,” I say, waiting for her to respond.
The warm breeze blows softly against our faces, and I lean back against the trunk of the tree.
“I have a few people in mind,” she says, leaning back against the tree beside me. “I can work from the outside as you work from the inside. We can stand together right under their noses and they will never know.”
I chuckle at her remark. “Dissidents might be the only ones to join at first, but we will have to keep the dream walking a secret. It could put us in danger,” I say.
Planning this out in secret with my aunt is fun, but more importantly some one has to stand up for our rights.
“My men will gladly be joining us as should yours,” she says, winking at me.
I lean over to give her a hug, and she wraps me up tightly. “We’ll get through this; we’re strong women,” she states, before letting me go.
We sit for a little longer, enjoying warm air and the smell of lavender on the breeze. When I turn to look back at my aunt, Whisper’s Hollow begins to ripple like the heat on a hot desert highway. I wake up in my room to the sound of someone knocking on my door.
“I’m coming,” I say groggily, throwing my legs of the side of the bed and padding to the door.
I open the door to Alfred holding a breakfast tray full of food. The aroma of sweet maple syrup floats beneath my nose as he walks in. He places it on the table and turns to look at me.
“Thank you Alfred. How are you this morning?” I ask, sitting down and placing my napkin in my lap.
“I’m doing ok Ms. Lawrence. How are you?” he says, as he walks to the door.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m doing ok, thank you for asking,” I reply as I take a seat at the table.
I look at Alfred and he nods to me then closes the door. The food sitting in front of me smells amazing so I pick up my fork and dig in. My phone goes off, and it’s a message from Ryland.
Ryland: Good morning beautiful, I hope you have an amazing day but there is more bad news.
Me: What bad news? What’s going on now?
Ryland: The Headmaster has cut off all access to the library for all Dissidents and of course he didn't give us a reason why.
Me: How are we supposed to complete research assignments?
Ryland: Idk beautiful, but just keep hanging in there we will figure this out.
I smile then lay my phone down to finish my breakfast and it rings. Looking at the caller ID I notice it’s my aunt. I hope everything is ok.
“Hello,” I answer cheerfully.
“Whisper, you did it! You really dream walked!” she exclaims.
A big grin spreads across my face again. “Yes I did and now you should be able to as well. Once you are there, think about the person you want to visit and you will feel a tug around your waist like a rope being pulled, just follow it and you will be where they are,” I reply, stuffing a bite of the buttery pancake into my mouth. “I just got word from Ryland that the headmaster has cut off all library access to the Dissidents. We are not sure why, unless there is something in the restricted area and they don’t want us to find out about it.”
“They can’t do that; how will you do your school work?” Aunt Nellie asks, her voice jumping up an octave.
“We don’t know. I guess the teachers will have to find a way around it. I have to run class starts soon,” I reply.
There is a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. “Be careful Whisper, things will get worse before they get better I’m sure of it,” she says concerned. “I will talk to you soon.”
I say goodbye to my aunt then stand up and get ready for class. I open my door to walk out and Alfred is standing there.
“Oh! You scared me!” I exclaim, throwing my hand over my chest.
“Sorry Ms. Lawrence, but I have been sent to collect your cell phone by order of the headmaster,” he says, his face turning red.
My mouth falls open and my eyes widen. “What! He can’t take our phones; what if we have an emergency and need to contact our guardian? When did he announce this?” I ask, refusing to hand my phone over.
Alfred's face gets redder. “That’s a concern many of the students have voiced and the headmaster says there is a phone available in the office and all calls will be monitored and timed,” he says, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “An assembly was called before breakfast this morning.”
I glare at him, although I know it’s not his fault and hand him my cell, slam the door behind me, and storm off to my first class of the day.
After classes I eat dinner, while working on my homework assignments. Then I take a hot shower and get ready for bed. This whole isolated thing sucks. I pull the blankets back and climb into bed. It’s weird not having my phone and I find it hard to fall asleep. After tossing and turning for what seems like forever, I drift off into a fitful sleep. I always appear in Whisper’s Hollow. Even though I know I’m dreaming, the feeling of freedom consumes me. I stand beneath the weeping willow and think of my best friend Lydia. The familiar tugging sensation takes me to her.
She is standing in front of a window with bars on the outside whimpering and sniffling. I walk over and lay my hand on her shoulder.
“Whisper! How are you here? They locked me back up and now I will never see you or Korbin again,” she says, burying her face into my shoulder.
I hug her tightly and then pull her away so I can look into her face. “Lydia, you’re safe and sound at the academy; this is all a dream,” I reply. “I have figured out how to walk in other people's dreams, and I’ve created a safe meeting place for us as well. Come on, I will show you.”
I take her hand and we appear in the hollow. Lydia’s face lights up and she spins around in the field of purple flowers.
“It’s beautiful here. Will I be able to dream walk too?” she asks excitedly.
“Yes, I can teach you how. But first I want to see if I can get all the guys here. We need to talk,” I smile at her. “You stay here and I’m going to try and gather the guys.”
She nods her head at me and wanders over to the big willow tree. I think about Max and I find myself standing in his dream.
He is standing on stage in a freshly pressed suit and everyone in the crowd is clapping and cheering for him as the new Praesidium of the Nightmare society. I walk onto the stage and step up beside him.
“Hi Max,” I say, clasping my hands in front of me.
Max snatches his head in my direction and his mouth falls open as he walks over to me and wr
aps me in a hug.
“What are you doing here?” he asks
“I will explain everything, but right now I need you to come with me,” I reply, bringing us back to the hollow.
“Whisper, what is this place?” Max asks looking around the field.
“Lydia will catch you up on what she knows so far, and I’m going to grab the rest of the guys,” I say leaving again.
I finally drop in with Sam, Ryland, Finn, and Korbin. Lydia rushes over and wraps Korbin in her arms. He gives her a quick kiss before walking over and taking a seat under the tree.
“So what is going on and how do we dream walk?” Sam asks.
“As you all know, I have figured out how to walk in dreams, and since our phones have been taken, I figured we would need a way to communicate without anyone being able to see or hear us. I can teach you how to dream walk as well,” I reply. “When you lay down at night, close your eyes and think of Whisper’s Hollow and you should appear here. Once you are here, think about the person you want to visit and you will feel a tug around your waist like a rope being pulled, just go with it. It will take you to the person you are thinking of.”
“That’s all?” Lydia asks, not believing it’s that simple.
“Yep, that’s all it takes. How are things in each of your houses?” I ask them curious to know what is going on outside my room.
“The Empyrean house is business as usual. We have morning classes, eat the first meals and everything is being catered to us,” Max says with a disgusted look on his face.
I look at him with wide eyes. “So nothing has changed for you. That’s ridiculous,” I say. “Finn what about the Fury house?”
“Nothing has changed for us as of yet,” he says, pulling at the grass between his feet.
Korbin speaks up. “Caballine house now has meals after Fury and Empyrean. Morale in the house is down and students are scared we are going to get pushed out of classes like the Dissidents. We don’t understand what the new headmaster is doing,” he says.
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