21Granite Claws: I'm BACK! ::miracle:: Chapter five only took…what? Forever and a day? ::laughs::
No review responses this time around because the authoress is feeling unusually lazy.
And since I haven't updated in so long, I recommend going back and rereading the chapters, just to refresh your memory.
History of the world; part IV
Tetra had been severely injured by Solar's intense flames. The wounds were so terrible that she lacked the energy to heal them alone. Intending to help, Earos and Aaquis lent Tetra their power. Something happened then that the three did not intend.
When Earos and Aaquis placed their hands on Tetra's, the three melded together as one. Aaquis fell to Earth's asteroid body and through her created the greater oceans and rivers of the world. Earos, having been too weak to help before, floated to the space around Tetra, becoming the wind and protective atmosphere. When this conjunction was completed, Tetra was completely healed, but the three were now connected and did not know how to separate again.
Chapter Five – Not a Dream, But a Nightmare
Derk grumbled and raised his head off his arms, which had been serving as pillows. Running a hand through a mess of black hair, he took in his surroundings. A closed door sat in the lower left of this room, and dirty clothes lying in crumpled heaps dotted the blue carpet. Next to a bookshelf was a dresser, and next to that, a bed placed perpendicularly to the wall. Posters on strange angles decorated what little wall space there was, and Derk realized he had fallen asleep at his desk.
He slapped his hand over his eyes, then brought the hand down slowly. What a nightmare this was turning out to be. According to the clock hanging on the wall, it was 6:55, explaining the darkness that sat heavily upon his forlorn bedroom.
Five minutes.
He had five minutes to take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, pack his school stuff and get to the bus stop. Again, he thought, What a nightmare.
Slowly, not caring if he was late or not, Derk got off the creaky chair, and began to dress. Shower could wait until later - breakfast, he could skip. Food could be bought at school, and there was no point in wasting his five minutes (four minutes and twenty-four seconds, Derk corrected himself) on useless actions like eating.
Four minutes and twenty-three seconds later, Derk flew out the front door, sprinted to the bus stop, and barely caught the bus. As he walked on, though, no one would snicker at this. He was Derk the Hell-Spawn, after all.
Tessa woke up in a similar fashion to Derk.
She grumbled and raised her stiff torso off the couch, propping herself against the couch's back. What an odd dream she had had. It started off being very fun; Derk had gotten her a unicorn as a birthday present and let Tessa ride it all day long in her sunlit dream world.
For a brief few seconds, though, she thought someone caused a ripple in her dream. Something sharp pierced the flesh on her right arm, draining some blood and injecting something else.
Tessa couldn't recall the exact details, and that bothered her. She had a good memory…usually.
At a school water fountain, Derk splashed water onto his tired face, attempting to wake himself up. As he was squirting himself with water, who should happen by but Ella?
She was wandering happily through the hallways, the trauma of yesterday evening forgotten, at least until she saw Derk. Ella shuddered when he glanced at her, and she hurried away, remembering that she had something important to do. Laughing softly, Derk wiped his face with the sleeve of his black shirt and went on his own merry little way. Coincidently, he and Ella had the same class first. How amusing this was going to be.
Somewhere on the upstairs floor of Tessa's house, a man dressed in a flashy uniform sharpened a knife. He would have to kill the little girl downstairs, assuming she was still little, that is. Had the drug taken affect, there would be no problem, but it hadn't (immediately), so all evidence of his visit needed to be destroyed… including the house and girl. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
Tessa's mind suddenly showed a man in uniform storming down the stairs with a knife – a knife begging for the flesh of Tessa and her teddy bear. The Tessa in her mind screamed. The real Tessa shook then scratched her head, wondering if she was sick.
A man in uniform came storming down the stairs grasping a knife firmly in his left hand.
Tessa screamed. This was NOT a dream, but a nightmare. A living nightmare of reality.
"Good morning class," Mrs. Gren smiled warmly at the lethargic students. Some of the more awake students muttered a sleep slurred salutation. This encouraged Mrs. Gren to continue. "Today, before we get started, I'd like to give everyone his or her new seat. So, everyone, if you'd all stand to the sides of the room while I call out the new seats…."
There was a mass scraping of chair against tile floor and grunts as backpacks were heaved wearily onto backs. Students shuffled to the sides of the room in mindless obedience. Cheerfully, Mrs. Gren began calling new seats.
Tessa grabbed her old teddy bear from the floor, and fled the room as fast as her little legs would carry her, the man not far behind. No matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to outrun him. It didn't stop her from trying, though.
She was actually doing well, and made it to the door…almost.
Ella smiled nervously at the teacher. "Um…like, Mrs. Gren, could I, like, sit next to somebody else? I kinda don't like my new seat very much…."
Much to Ella's horror, Mrs. Gren shook her head, "No Ella, I'm afraid you need to be seated next to someone with whom you won't talk."
Why did things like this keep happening to her? Ella pouted to herself, sat down, and moved the desk as far away from Derk's as possible. She might have to sit next to him, but she was going to be FAR, FAR away.
Derk ignored Ella's actions. He didn't care – he only wanted to go home and sleep, and, hopefully, escape nightmares for a few hours.
A meter before the door, Tessa's foot encountered a loose floorboard. She fell and heard something in her leg crack, rendering her unable to run. Struggling to see the man in uniform, she looked franticly behind her. With absolute terror, she saw this man with his knife poised ominously over her head. The knife came arcing down…
END CHAPTER