Chapter 1

 

The pavement has a few cracks in it that form a face. A type of face that I should be scared of, but I wasn’t. I think it’s a nightmare, which it is. I awoke with the snap of my fingers. I lie boiled in my own sweat. Nightmares don’t give me the best night, but I do have a lot of them. I’m not scared of nightmares. I learned to Lucid, so they just disappear when I think about it.

My friends call me Lucid. It’s a state, that allows me to make my own decisions in the dream state. I trained myself since I have many nightmares. The time was 4:34. I awoke next to Mrs. Penelope and my other dolls. She was my favorite doll! Her thick blonde hair streamed down her body into her pink dress. I hit my head on the soft pillow and went back to sleep. I was in a dream, I was being chased by a dragon breathing his fiery breath.

“I want a flying carpet and the mightiest sword in the dream world!” I ordered.

Now I was on a flying carpet holding a mighty golden sword. I slayed the dra- BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock going off for school. After I got ready for school, I walked down the hardwood floors to the kitchen to eat my morning breakfast. My mother, who had no expression on her face, was getting my daily cereal ready.

“Hel-lo, sweet-ie,” she said in her staticy voice. She knows I love that voice, so her and father always did the robot-like-voice. I sat down at the marble counter and poured milk into the bowl. A little milk spilled, my mother cleaned it up in an instant.

“Woah. That was quick,” I said while combing my long hair.

“You know I like my house nice and clean,” Mother claimed.

My father came into the kitchen wearing his suit, he was holding a briefcase and looked at his watch. He did his static voice:

“I’ll be late for work, bye sweetie, have a good day!” Kissing me on the cheek. I swatted at him to go away as I stuffed the crunchy cereal into my face. I chewed and swallowed. I heard the bus pulled up to my driveway.

“Duty calls! Bye, love you all!” I said jumping out of the chair and grabbing my pink bag.

“Good-bye sweet-ie. Have a nice da-ay.”
I laughed and ran out the front door

“Hey!” my friend Isabelle called. “Hurry up!”

I hopped on the bus and together we sat in the back row. “So I was thinking,” Isabelle said and she went on and on and on. ‘Hooooonk hooooonk.’

“Hey!” Isabelle snapped her fingers in my face. “Lucid dream again? You have to stop doing that. Anyway, let’s ditch school. We have A’s, so can we miss one day? Starbucks day?”

I peeked open one eye. “You mean I have A’s, and you have C’,” I retorted.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Are we going to Starbucks?”

I shrugged, still half in my lucid dream still have out. “I mean,” hoooonk hooooonk, “sure. Starbucks is,”‘hoooooonk, “cool”

Isabelle started giggling “You’re still in you lucid dream. But whatever.”

When I got to school, Isabelle and I walked into the building.

“So when are we ditching?” I asked.

Isabelle looked through her backpack. “I was thinking on…on…before third period.”

I stopped walking. “But today is the history exam!” I continued to walk.

“I know, that’s why I chose third period,” Isabelle said. She looked up from her backpack with a shocked look. “Shoot, I forgot my math homework. Do you think I could do 7th grade calculus before second period?”

“No. Iz. Sounds impossible. You know…because you aren’t me.”

“Oh, ha-ha-ha,” she laughed sarcastically. The bell rang.

“Come on Iz. Before we’re late.”

I turned around to see Robbie Toby. My crush! I have had the biggest crush on him since the third grade! We lived right next each other. His chest was puffed out, wearing his blue tight shirt apped his six-pack. He was captain of the varsity basketball team!

I stuttered. “He-Hey…Ro-b-b-ie.”

He chewed and bit on his lower lip, which drove me absolutely mad.

“Hey girls,” Robbie said. He hurried down the hall, following the other kids to their classes.

“He’s so cute,” I muttered

“Maaaaybe, if you learned to talk to him, it would go somewhere,” Iz said sarcastically.

“Well it’s not my fault! You’re the most confident person I know!” I admitted.

“Don’t worry, Lucie. You’ll work it out.”

Isabelle started to walk forward to first period.

“No I won’t. I’m an idiot. He’d never go out with me.”

“Says the straight A student.”

“I’m book smart. Not street smart.”

We walked to French. We walked along the wall and go to the room: D6.

Robbie sat at the same table as me. Isabelle sat with the weirdest boy in school, Daniel Braxton. The teacher walked in. He was wearing a blue sweater and had a bald spot at the top of his head. He came in holding a briefcase.

“Bonjour!” the teacher said.

“Good morning, Mr. Adrien,” the class repeated.

“False,” Mr. Adrien responded.

“Bonjour, Monsieur Adrien,” the class said.

It was French for: Good morning, Mr. Adrien.

I looked over at Isabelle who was copying Daniel’s calculus homework onto her sheet of paper. On the other hand, Daniel was sticking pencils up his nose, his big freckled nose. He was a red-head, and he had tons and tons and tons of freckles!

The time third period arrived, Isabelle’s and my seats were empty, I was in Starbucks with my best friend! Do I feel guilty…yes. I have never ditched a day of school before. One time I had a 101 degrees fever, and I had a huge test! So I stuck my thermometer into icy cold water. But I got in trouble because I got three people sick that day.

“Ma’am, that would be six dollars,” the Starbucks woman said.

I went through my purse and pulled out four dollars. I walked over to Isabelle. “Hey. Can I have two dollars?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

She looked into her purse and pulled out two dollars, and gave it to me. I walked over to the Starbucks women and gave her the two dollars.

“Who should I make out the cup too?” she asked.

I thought for a while, who should I make it out to, my name? Or Lucid?

“Lucid. Lucid Dream,” I told the lady. “Whats your name?”

“Leona. Leona Tylers,” she told me.

“That’s such a lovely name!” I told her.

“Why thank you!”

I left the counter with Isabelle, we had our frappuccinos in both of our hands. We walked outside and as soon we took our first sip, mine fell to the ground and spilled everywhere! I screeched. There I saw on the side of a stop sign. I saw the flier that I never wanted to see again! The flier read: JOIN QUART AND HIS FUNKY CREW AT THE THREE-YEAR-ANNUAL-CIRCUS!

When I was eight years old, I came across that same flier. It was my birthday. I asked my daddy to get me tickets for my birthday. He nodded, and that night we went to the circus. They had everything! Tamers, elephants, acrobats, ropewalkers, and most of all…clowns. My dad then went up to Quart and told him that it was my birthday. Quart announced to the crowd that it was my birthday and told me to get up here. The spotlight then turned to me, shining in my face and having just a twinkle of an eye open. I sat up and then got onto my feet, shaking.

I started to walk down the stairs to the stage of the circus. I walked slowly dreading until I got to the stage.

“Now what would you like for your birthday?” Quart asked me.

I shook in fear. “I-I wou-ld lik-e a um,” I shuddered.

“Come on dear, there most be something!” his clown face scared me.

I ran off the stage and out of the circus, my father following me.

 

I lay in my bed trying to fall asleep. Looking at the top of my bunk bed. But why couldn’t I?

No matter how hard I tried I could not manage to fall asleep. My head on the soft pillow, the covers around me were warming my cold body. It was a cold windy night, the window was open to get a nice breeze inside the warm house.

My teddy bear was tucked in between my pale arms. His name was Mr. Eddy. He protected me during the night so I wouldn’t be scared, but tonight Mr. Eddy didn’t help.

But no matter how comfortable this beautiful room was, I found myself not being able to fall asleep. Why? Why could I not fall asleep? What was the fear swarming my every thought.?

“Think lovely thoughts!” I kept on telling myself. “Lovely thoughts help.” Like flowers blooming in the meadows, or waking up on Christmas morning to run downstairs and open presents!

Nothing would work, I was still scared, in this beautiful room filled with light and joy.

What was I scared of though? Nothing, right? But I just have that deep feeling as if something or someone was watching me.

Finally I gave up on trying to go to sleep and sat up straight on my bed. And I felt a cold wash over me, my eyesight became clear, and everything became spooky right before my eyes. [JUUU DU DU DOOON)

I heard noises coming from my headphones. I must’ve left on a youtube video. I went on my computer, which was on my nightstand. The laptop was slightly open. It was an apple laptop and the apple logo was still glowing. I opened the laptop and the big blue bright screen was shining in my face. I clicked through my files and saw no video playing. Whats going on? I then put on my headphones and I heard:

“I think she hears us,” a creaky voice said.

I took off the headphones and unplugged them. I threw them across the room and they broke.

I jumped out of bed and went to the door. The knob was gold. Not the silver I remembered it to be. When I turned the knob there was a CREEEAK. Then I realized, my door was a push not a turn and pull. [JUUU DU DU DOOOON] I walked over to the window next, and looked outside into the windy night. Street lamps were turned off for the night, the road had no cars, not even a motor was running. Then I realized, cars should have been parked there. My mother’s car. [JUUU DO DO DOOOOON]

Next I went to my bookcase, books always made me feel delightful. So I thought to myself; maybe if I read, I will fall asleep. I reached into the bookcase and looked for my favorite book and saw: No Exit. I found it and opened to the first page. I saw a picture I never noticed before, it was the picture of the clown I’ve seen in a circus before. Its name was Quart. I had nightmares of this clown, it always haunted my dreams until I was eight, I’m now twelve.

The picture started to move as if it was real! The clown did an evil laugh and honked his nose, the clown started to walk around the picture. The clown reached his hand outside of the picture, I was scared. Then it dawned on me: I hate clowns! I dropped the hardcover book on my big toe! I screeched with pain.

—

I woke up with a gasp and sweat dripping down my face. I looked around. I was in my basement. This….this….was normal. Before….It couldn’t have been. That had to be a dream. I saw on the wall: Isssaaaabellllllllle.

But I realized: That wasn’t my name!

GASPS!

I was now in my kitchen. And Mr. Eddy was there. Made sense. I took Mr. Eddy and Mrs. Penelope everywhere. But where was she? The pots and pans were moving, the kitchen knives spelling out: N-O-T H-E-R-E L-E-O-N-A

Leona wasn’t my name either!

GASPS!

I was back in my room, how did I get here? Its impossible! One thing I knew I was in the kitchen hearing noises and now I’m lying in my bed again. I then heard whispers coming from my top bunk which I was staring at. I removed the covers from my body and started to look for Mr. Eddy, I couldn’t find him. GULP! I then got out of bed and heard the whispers again. (OH DANG) It was the type of whispers you shouldn’t have heard.

I climbed up the ladder to the top bunk and Mr. Eddy was there! He was with my other dolls, Sally, Mrs. Penelope, Drake, and Gother. They were whispering. I then kicked the ladder by accident. All my doll’s necks turned all the way around and stared at me. It was like an owl just with dolls. I then ran to the door, fast! I tried to twist the knob open. It wouldn’t open!

I then awoke. It was in my living room, the TV was on. I must’ve left it by accident, It was on a program that wasn’t running, so that means it was staticy. I grabbed the remote and started to flick through the channels to see if there was anything else on. But it went to the same static channel every time. Channel: 666. [eeeeeeeeeeup]

I then turned off the TV, I turned around and started to walk back up to my room, but then the TV turned back on again. So, I walked back to the living room and tried to turn the TV back off. Blood started to ooze from the TV. How is this possible? I threw down the remote and ran to the staircase again. My dolls were there, they were at the top of the staircase, as if they were a King. They were singing creepy lullabies.

 

“Can’t even shout, can’t even cry. The gentlemen are coming by.

Looking in windows, knocking on doors.

They need to take seven and they might take yours.

Can’t call to mom, can’t say a word,

You’re gonna die screaming but you won’t be heard,” all the dolls sang.

 

I ran the other way to the front door and I tried to open the front door to my house. It wouldn’t open! The dolls started to walk down the stairs.

I awoke back in my sweaty covers. I dripped sweat and fear shook my whole body. I saw a glass of water, I couldn’t resist it. I was so thirsty. I grabbed the water and started chugging it down. When it hit my mouth, it turned into dark oil. I choked and gagged. The oil dripping down my mouth.

“Daaarliiing,” my mother called. “Come ooout.”

“Diiinneeer,” my father called.

Their voices sounded a bit like steam boats. But that didn’t bother me. They were just playing, like old times.

I swung the door open and ran out the hallway, looking for them. “MOM! DAD!”

“Dooownstaaairs,” my mother called. I jumped down the stairs, three at a time.

“Paaastaaa!” my father said.

When I entered the kitchen, I saw my parents. Cooking, no expressions on their faces. “Mom? Dad?”

My father turned around, his face blank, the pot of pasta in his hands. “Sit.”

“ I-I-I,” stuttered, “I’M ALLERGIC TO PASTA!”

“Nooo you aaaren’t,” my mother called.

I looked at the clock: 6:66 a.m.

I screamed and grabbed a pan. “THAT TIME DOESN’T EXIST!”

“Darling. Please eat. You’re so scrawny,” my mother pleaded.

I grabbed a pan. “GO AWAY!” I swung the pan at my father, his head bent at an odd angle. Not human at all. He started switching and sparks flew. “Eat. Eat. Eeeeeeat.” He fell down and never moved again.

My mother’s voice changed to static and so deep filled with pure anger. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! THAT WAS MY HUSBAND!” Her voice was like metal rubbing against metal.

“Yo-ur’e- You- o-‘re- an-an AUTOMATONS!” I hollered. It all made sense, maybe this is why I don’t have a name [JUUU DUN DUN DUNNNNNN].

I ran back down the steps to the basement, I was so scared. I just cooled myself down saying that I’m in nightmare! I finished running downstairs and saw a rope. The rope was hanging, but something was pulling the weight down of the rope. I moved my eyes down along the strip of rope. Towards the end it had a deep red color of blood stained into the rope. I saw a head through the loop of the rope. I panicked. The girl had a name tag. The name tag read: Isabelle.

So thats what I heard earlier! I then noticed blood dripping. I looked up and saw blood dripping on me, it ran down my face. It was coming from the air vents. I got the stool that was behind the hanging girl. I grabbed the stool and climbed up to the air vent. I removed the air vent and I saw a girl’s head lodged into the air vent. It must have been Leona. Her head was separated from her body, she was stabbed six times. I fell off the stool and I landed on Mr. Eddy. He appeared out of nowhere. I was scared. I looked at the wall and I saw something strange. It was written in the blood of Leona. It had the words: You’re Next. I wasn’t scared because of the message, I was scared because I never owned a teddy bear, because I never bought Mr. Eddy.

 

Every 12-year-old experiences these events. And you’re very much awake.