Dreamers

Glinda Prater has always been afraid of smart people. If she weren't cautious, they would pull it out of her that she has mysterious daydreams about the world being taken over by darkness and that she can bring light and happiness to any dark mood.

But she's also afraid of dumb people, for they have the most imagination, therefor they could just as well discover what she is.

She stays away from the ones with the crazy ideas, the math and science geeks, the creators and the creative. If she weren't careful about these things, she'd end up in a mental institution. Or worse, being dissected in a scientist's lab, only to be exposed to the world as a creepy inhuman.

She didn't know what she was until her sixteenth birthday. So let's go back to her sixteenth birthday. September 9th 2010.

 

 

"Hey, Glin!" Liam calls from behind her. "Hey!"

Glin stops and turns around. Liam pushes his way through the bunches of kids standing in the hallway and makes his way toward Glin. She holds her history book, folder, and notebook in her right arm. She knows if she talks to Liam too long she'll be late again, and Mrs. Samsazi won't be happy. It will be her third tardy, which equals a detention.

Once Liam gets to her, she says, "I can't talk long. Three strikes and you're out, as Mrs. Samsazi says."

"Don't worry about it; I'll walk you to your class." Liam says. They begin walking and after they turn a corner to the right, he starts talking. "Today's your birthday, you know."

"I'm aware of it." Glin says.

"You gonna do anything special? Or is your mom too busy again?" Liam asks, looking at her quizzically .

"She's got work. I mean, I don't want to distract her when what she's doing to stay busy all the time is what keeps us under a roof." She shrugs and they turn another corner. Glin sees Mrs. Samsazi's room  come into view through her brown glasses and sighs, "You better get to class, you're going to be late."

Liam stares down Mrs. Samsazi's room and then nods, "Alright. But meet me at my locker after class, I got a present for you." He grins and walks away. Glin waves goodbye and then mutters to herself, "Oh, joy."

She continues walking to class and sits through the teacher's long lecture about the Mayflower Compact and why it was written. Pilgrims sailed to America but they landed outside of the Virginia Company. For the sake of order, the men aboard the Mayflower signed the agreement to the Mayflower Compact. In it, they vowed to obey laws agreed upon for the good of the colony.

Glin takes notes and reads the chapter in her book that explains all of this. What a weird reason to sign an agreement, just because they landed outside of the boundary, Glin thinks as she reads the paragraph about the Mayflower arriving on Cape Cod. There must be a better reason not explained in this dumb book.

After class, Glin replaces her History equipment for her Math book and notebook and then goes to Liam's locker. She finds him leaning against it, waiting for her. In his hand is a yellow box, about the size of a jewelry box for a necklace.

"Glindy-Glin. Happy birthday." He hands her the box and smiles. It's not wrapped, the box is just yellow. She takes off the lid and inside is a medium size, blue, triangular pendant on a silver chain. It sparkles in the light of the hallway and the blue sparkles remind her of her father's eyes.

"Oh...wow. It's -" She starts.

"You don't like it?" Liam asks.

"No, of course I do! It's beautiful!" Glin says, smiling. She pulls out the necklace and hands the box to Liam. She sets down her Math stuff and then puts on the necklace. "How does it look?"

"Beautiful." Liam grins. "In fact, you should never take it off."

Glin gives him a confused look and then smiles. "Thank you. It's amazing." She gives him a hug and then picks up her stuff and grabs the box from him.

Liam's phone vibrates in his pocket and he pulls it out of his pocket. He reads the text and then looks at Glin, slowly walking away, "I have to, um, get to class. Talk to you tomorrow."

Glin frowns but waves slowly, "Bye."

He waves and then runs off. Glin stands there for a minute and then turns away to go to Math, the last hour of the day. That was weird. He's never done that before.

After Math class, Glin gets to her locker and quickly packs her backpack and goes to Liam's locker. He isn't there. He said she'd see her tomorrow, not after class. Where did he really go?

Glin thinks about it and then remembers her friend, Kaylee, is in Liam's 6th period. She hunts her down, searching all the hallways, walking passed Kaylee's locker, asking around, until she finds her at the car loop.

"Kaylee!" Glin calls out. She walks up to her as she turns around. "Did you see Liam in 6th period?"

Her straightened, black hair hangs below her shoulders. Jealousy doesn't even begin to explain what other girls feel toward her. Envy is a better word for it. Her cheekbones, her skin, her hair, her eyes, they're all perfect. Every girl dreams to look like Kaylee Sanders. And no one blames anyone for feeling that way.

Kaylee thinks about it for a minute and then shakes her head, "No, he was absent. A few kids said they saw him in the hallway before class, running toward the door, but he wasn't in class. Why? What's up?"

"He gave me a birthday present, got a text, said he had to go, and took off." Glin says. Kaylee frowns.

"That's weird of him." She says. "Did you text him?"

"No, I don't think I should. It could have been important, I don't want to interrupt anything." Glin sighs and looks around, "Alright, I better start heading home. Talk to you tomorrow."

She waves to Kaylee and starts walking away. Before she's out of ear-shot, she hears Kaylee talk into a phone, "She's suspicious, Liam. We can't hide this forever..."

                              ~~~

"I know, but I didn't completely blow it yet." Liam says into the phone. He walks down Fifth Avenue, looking down every alley way and every street to find what he's looking for. "I'll be more careful. Unless you just want to tell her..."

"You know how I feel about telling her. She can't handle it, not after her dad died. If she finds out we've been lying to her for the past six years, we're screwed." Kaylee says. Liam can hear other students talking in the background. She's obviously still at the school.

"I know, I know. But if we keep this going much longer it will be seven years. Then eight, then nine - the point is we need to tell her. The longer we put it off, the harder it will be for her once we tell her." Liam explains, hoping to get his point across.

"You're going to be the one to tell her, not me." After a pause, Kaylee continues. "I have to go, my mom is here. Text me when you're done."

"Will do." Liam says, and snaps the phone shut. He sighs as he puts it in his pocket.

He gets to the end of the road and walks straight into the woods that border it. "Out of all the friggin people to cast a shadow, it had to be this guy..." He mutters as he trudges along. He looks left and right, looking for Osilim.

"William. It was you they sent against me?" A deep, loud voice sounds from overhead.

Liam looks up to find Osilim in a tree a few feet away from him. His short black hair shines, as if he just put gel in it. His long, black coat whips in the wind behind him. He jumps down, a trail of dark shadows following him.

"It's what I do." Liam says innocently, as if the act of hunting Dark Ones were innocent. He watches shadows float toward Osilim, surrounding him in darkness. "You cause bad things to happen, I fix it. Simple as that."

"Oh, but you've never been able to defeat me, young Light Child. Neither has your friend, Kaylee." Osilim says. His voice is strong and loud. It bounces off trees and echoes in the distance. "But, if you're willing to try, I bet that girl, Glinda, could give it a shot. I see you gave her that necklace today."

"You keep your filthy hands off her." Liam growls, not even wanting to know how Osilim knew about the necklace. Liam takes a step forward defensively.

"Well, seeing as you gave her the pendant, I can't lay a finger on her. But I'll find a way to get it off her. Even if I have to pry it from her throat myself." Osilim says. He walks forward - his feet barely touching the ground as he floats on his shadows - until he's right up in Liam's face, teasing him.

"If you even so much as touch her, speak to her, or get near her, I will rip your cold, dead heart right out of your body and burn it in flames." Liam says, standing tall despite Osilim's darkness beginning to surround him as well. "That pendant will protect her from villains like you, I made sure of it."

"Oh, but that's the fun part. I can't simply stay away from her. She's part of this world, Liam, whether she'll admit it or not, or whether you'll admit it or not. But it's true. And I'm the perfect person to bring her into it." He stretches his arms out and floats backwards a few inches. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"She can't. She won't. She knows nothing about us, she doesn't need to. Keep her out of this, Osilim; this is between the Light Children and the Dark Ones. She doesn't need to be brought into this."

"Oh, but soon she'll realize what famous role she must play in our world, William." Osilim says. Liam's eyebrows furrow in confusion. What horrible thing has Osilim already done? Osilim grabs one of his shadows in his hands and rips it open, showing a screen like a television that shows Glin walking home, two shadows following her.

"No." Liam whispers. He stares at Osilim as he closes the shadow. "You son of a b***h! Leave her alone!"

"It's far too late, William. My Dreamers will get to her soon." Osilim says. He turns around and floats back to the tree.

"Don't. Call. Me. William." Liam says. He puts his hands out in front of him and within seconds, millions of bright, white fireworks engulf Osilim in a blinding, magnificent light.

Author's Note

I really, really love this chapter. Sorry that it's so long, usually my chapters aren't this long.

Reviews

[Samurai]

Oh my gosh! I can't believe this story doesn't have more reviews!!! That was so good. I can't wait to read on. This story has a bright future :)

1st paragraph: Therefor should be therefore

Thinks I liked:
I really liked how you started this chapter
I am very intrigued my the story line
I love mysterious people and you hit it spot on with the characters Kaylee and Liam (AKA William)
The different perspectives

Suggestions:
Add more character detail. Looks, Personality, and history.
like how did Glin become friends with Liam. You could give Glin more of an opinion of Kaylee. Or you describe the surroundings by using senses.

This story is amazing and I can't wait to read more :) I will be sure post another comment in the next chapter ;)

[Larry Dyson]

very good chapter and intro ..read it all the way thru..and going to the next one...

[Sam]

That is a good story and you should keep up that good work.

[Jacques]

first paragraph was any interesting build - up and i like the flashfoward to Glin's birthday where it all began . also i know i can't talk but there was an grammar inconsistency in this bit "If you even so much as touch her, speak to her, or get near her, I will your cold, dead heart right out of your body and burn it in flames." Liam says, - you said i will your cold , dead heart right of your body but you forgot to say what your cold dead heart . also i like that you added words like b***h as it gives it a more mature but young feel as most writings i've read including mine doesn't do this so extra point - go you . the characters are very fun , conflicted and engaging to read but i think next time you should split the next chapter into two to build more suspense and add more littler details . great job