Chapter Twenty-One

It had only taken Laura several minutes to change her clothes and put her long red hair up into a pony-tail before heading out of her room.

She had not expected to collide with someone coming out of the room next to hers – Tracy’s old room. She thought the room remained vacant since her sister moved upstairs.

“Oh, I’m terribly,” Laura began and almost passed out as she was, again, looking up into the eyes of Rick.

He stood there with a smile on his lips. “Good morning, Sunshine.”

“What? How? When?” she couldn’t quite make out any formal questions but Rick understood nevertheless and placed his arm around her shoulders.

“Let’s find Tracy – she should be in the cafeteria. I’ll explain everything then,” he began and, as an afterthought, “I’m starving.”

“Pretty good cover-up.” Tracy agreed when they had heard how Rick had faked a suicide attempt and blaming everything on his dreams.

“Besides, I need to be closer to you if I’m to be more effective.” Rick said and looked over at Laura and she turned away from his gaze as she turned a beautiful shade of pink.

“Anyway,” Rick began with a sigh. “What was that thing you took last night from Alexius?” he asked and gave Laura his attention.

Slowly, she pulled the book from her pocket and placed it on the table and Tracy was the first to ask what the book was. “Hell,” she answered and stared down at the book in hatred.

“Huh?” Tracy asked. She stared down at the book and a chill ran down her back; Connor had said something about Alexius and his master was after a certain book – that was why she was being targeted. Could this be that book?

“In a sense, it’s a bible. The forgotten truth is this: When I used to live with you and Mom,” she looked over at Tracy and smiled. “Some old guy gives me this book and pleads with me to hide it. So I did. I hid it in my room so long ago, and when I moved here, I never got the book back. I thought it would’ve been safe there with you. I thought wrong. Somehow, he found out that it was still there and thought that you had the book. That is, until last night,” she paused and studied the cover. “This is why he’s here in our dream world. And I believe that the answer to his death lies within, except,” she explained and then opened the book for the others to look at.

“It’s not in any language I know of.” Laura concluded.

“I can read some of it.”

They turned their heads and looked up at Allen, who had happened to pass by at the right moment and glance down over their shoulders at the book. He took the book in his hands, cuffs making a ring around his wrists, and let his fingers run over the cover and then over several of the pages.

Tracy watched Allen closely. Since Orion had blocked Allen’s dream line last night, she did not trust the young man at all. She hadn’t told the others of Orion claiming Allen as his own. Maybe Allen didn’t know of Orion, but she just couldn’t take that risk; not until she learns everything there is about him. There was something about Allen that she just didn’t like.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“There are all sorts of bibles; and yes, there is the Dreamkiller bible,” he began when he saw everyone’s puzzled expressions. “I see these symbols and letters in my dreams sometimes,” he explained and looked over at Laura who smiled.

“Great. I’ll let you have it tonight, then. Just don’t let Alexius have it,” she grinned.

Tracy stood up and looked down at her sister. “Well, if I don’t see you later, I’ll definitely see you tonight,” she began and then looked from Rick and then to Laura. “In my opinion, I think it wasn’t a good idea putting you two that close together,” she smiled and walked past Laura. When she brushed past her sister, Tracy leaned down. “Watch your back closely,” she warned in Laura’s ear and she nodded.

Shortly thereafter, the others left the table leaving Rick and Laura alone. A nervous feeling crept through their bodies.

“So,” they both began in unison which broke the ice with nervous laughter.

“You go first.” Rick said with a smile.

Nodding, “How did you and Tracy meet?” she asked.

He smiled (he knew that if he made it out alive, someone, sometime, would ask him this question), stood up and grabbed the girls’ hand. “Let’s take a walk outside. I’ll tell you whatever I can.”

She agreed and then they headed for the door.

There was a small “park” for the patient’s which was behind the building and they had decided that it would be nice to venture toward it. Laura walked over to the swing set and sat down.

Rick walked behind her and began pushing gently. “We actually met through our dead friend Connor. It looked as if Connor was trying to kill her at first. Enter Dave Straub – they thought they could save Connor. Unfortunately, Alexius killed Dave and so I entered the scene. Since I was Connor’s closest friend, she thought that I could kill the Dreamkiller. As you know, Alexius was inside Connor’s body – using him like a puppet,” he recalled the horrid memories of the battle.

Connor took several steps backwards and lifted his head, facing the ceiling. He raised his arms and let out a loud scream.

Just then, the flesh that had once made up the body of Connor split apart. His arms and legs tore in numerous areas. He reached up and ripped off his shirt. His chest cracked, resembling ancient Hieroglyphics. The piles of his flesh ripped and descended onto the floor. The blood that had once been the life line of Connor James Barker spilled everywhere.

Connor’s face looked down at Tracy, still on the floor. After several seconds, his face split and fell to the floor with the remaining parts of his body. His eyes rolled out of their sockets, his ears fell to the floor in the slaughter.

Tracy and Rick gawked at the horrid creature that lay beneath Connor’s features. It was a tall, gray-green beast. His biceps were huge, as was the rest of his body. His eyes were red; his chin came down in two points – as did his nose. His hands were like talons, as were his feet.

Rick snapped back to the present and continued pushing Laura after noticing that he had stopped. She looked back and saw Rick’s disturbed expression.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked and planted her feet down on the dirt ground to stop her from swinging.

He paused, looked at her and smiled. “You know, you’re very pretty,” he said, taking her off guard.

“Oh. Doesn’t it bother you that I’m five-and-a-half years older than you?”

“No, but does it bother you that I’m younger?” he smiled and she shook her head.

“So, how’d you stop him before?”

“To make a long story short: Connor’s skin can back together and Alexius threw Tracy to him and Connor pushed Alexius through some door which the beast opened – I recall seeing a bright light shining from it. Then Alexius exploded.” Rick explained with a shrug.

Laura stood and they decided on walking. As they walked through the “park,” she took his hand in hers.

He smiled and brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed it.