Insomnia: Rising Storm

After watching the sedan pull away, Charlotte turned, and walked into the park. It had started to rain, but she did not mind. She kept her gaze foreward and walked through the park. Only when there was a loud crack of thunder did she look up. It began to rain harder as she made her way towards shelter.

Walking up the path to an old Cape Cod house, she quietly knocked on the door. A large teenage boy opened it.

"Hello?"

"Sorry to bother you, Brent, but it's raining hard, and I need someplace to stay in until the storm blows over. Can I come in?" The brunette asked quietly.

"Who are you? Oh, wait! You're 'Melia's friend. Caroline, right?"

"It's Charlotte, but yeah. I am Amelia's friend.

"Yeah. Right. Okay. Well, I guess you can come in for a little while...." He opened the door so the brunette could walk in, and closed it behind her.

She slipped the bag off her shoulders, took off her boots and jacket, and placed them by the door, out of the way. She turned to face Brent, pushing some slightly damp stands of hair out of her face.

"So what are ya doin' out here by your self?" he asked.

"Just walking home."

"Why aren't you with Ginger?"

"I was, but I decided to go home."

"Did ya guys have a fight or sommen'?"

"No, I just decided to leave," Charlotte let her voice get dangerously quiet. Not being able to sense the mood, Brent just shrugged, turned around, and walked into the kitchen. The brunette followed him.

"Ya want sommin'?" he asked. She shook her head, but as he turned around, Charlotte opened a drawer, and pulled out a knife.

- - -

Amelia flopped down on the sofa, not bothering to take off her shoes or jacket. 'Was it something I did to make Char act like this?' she closed her eyes, listening to the rain pound down.

***
Amelia woke up again, this time not in a field, but in a wasteland, a storm crashing down, much like the one that was currently hammering the city.

"Amelia? Is that you?" a hoarse voice came from behind her. Turning around, the ginger saw a familiar face, sitting on the ground beside a barrel.

"Juliet! What are you doing here?"

"I- I don't know. I just woke up here, and then I was.... I was attacked by something! I don't know what it was, but it was large, and had a knife! What are you doing here?"

Amelia noticed that the dirty- blonde's clothes were in tatters, and bruises were blossoming all over her body. "I don't know either. But it's the third time that I've woken up in a strange place. The first time, Charlotte was with me."

"Charlotte?" Juliet questioned the name. "Oh, the quiet girl you always hang out with?"

Amelia nodded. "Yeah. She was attacked too. I- I think she died. And then, she started acting really really weird in the real world. But, this is a dream, so would it affect real life?"

"I would not expect it to."

"Oh, but it IS affecting your life, isn't it, Amelia?" A quiet, but menacing voice came from behind her. Juliet's eyes widened in fear. The ginger turned around, but did not see anything. Instead, everything around her began to fade away.

***

Amelia jolted awake, falling off the sofa. 'Another dream? And who said that? This is so confusing!' Realization hit her. If Charlotte was attacked in the dream, then she started to act weird, then would it be the same for Juliet?

Running into the kitchen, she picked up the phone, and dialed her friend's number.

After three rings, she heard a click, then a "Hello?"

"Juliet? Are you okay?"

"Amelia, it that you? And, yes, I am fine. Why do you ask? Is there something wrong?"

"I- No. There is nothing wrong...."

"Obviously there is something bothering you. Would you tell me what it is?"

Amelia sighed. Her friend was good at sensing the mood. "Alright. Well, last night I invited Charlotte over to watch some horror movies. Everything was fine until we went to sleep. I had a dream where Char got killed! When I woke up, everything seemed okay, but then she started acting really strange, then asked to go home early! She never does that. Plus, she walked through the rainstorm! And then, just a little bit ago, I had another dream. This time you were in it. You said that you had gotten attacked. Then I heard this creepy voice, and you saw something that I didn't see...."

"Well, this is.... Very interesting, Amelia. I for one did not have any dreams, and I have not been acting 'weird', as you say." Juliet was thoroughly confused. She was one of the smartest people Amelia knew, but when it came to dreams, and the subconscious world, she was clueless. "I am sorry, but I do not know why something like this would happen. Perhaps it is just your imagination, a long-term affect from the movie. I will gladly do some research and inform you if I find anything."

"Alright. Thanks Juliet. Will you call me later?"

"Yes, I will."

"'Kay. Talk to you later?"

"Yes. Good bye, Amelia."

"Bye." There was a click, then a dial tone.

The ginger walked back to the sitting area, and laid back down on the sofa. 'No more falling asleep, and no more creepy dreams' She told herself. Though that was not possible. She knew that.

It will never be possible.