Chapter 8: What Kind of Dream is This?

Chapter 8

                Just one more jump, and I'm in the Snarling Hedges.  Why it's named that, I have no clue.  It's funny; the hedges here are flatter and sturdier.  They're still hollow, but it makes me wonder.  They're also shorter, probibly short enough so that I can use the pogo to get back up.  Running on these hedges are easier, so I can travel faster using the map.  Only less than twelve hours ago, I was walking, bracing myself before I jumped.  Now, I'm sprinting.  Leaping across.

                At last, I reach the X.  I see why Colby chose this spot.  I jump down into what's kind of like a pit against a mountain.  There's a piece of hedge sticking out of the mountain, making a place for me to sit.  Also, there's an entrance to underneath the hedges so I can run around in them.     

                First, I unload my bags, separating the food and the items to stay in my camp.  If I have the food close to where I sleep, any animals could, no, would find it and find me as well.  That speaking, I'll need to find a spot away from my camp to store extra food and to eat it.

                I enter the hollow hedges and look around.  I look around the general area for a dead end near the pit.  There's one right beside the pit, and I choose that spot to sleep in.  The only thing there is dirt, so there's no bug or spider threats, thankfully.  As long as I'm safe from those spiders, I'll be fine.

                First I carry my sleeping bag in and set that up.  I prop my pillow up against a side of the hedge in a comfortable position.  Next I carry in my books.  I set them up by my sleeping bag along with my flashlight.  I decide to put everything accept for the food in here so that I don't have to worry about anything finding it or spotting my belongings.  That would stink.

                My horse knife goes beside the bed as well.  I'll keep one weapon beside me, and one on me.  Hopefully I'll be able to snag a few more from some guards and such.

                I put my pens and calendar beside the books, and my extra clothes on the opposite side.

                As soon as I finish, I grab my Sugar Slinger and put it on my belt.  It's almost night, so I better hide my food and get back to camp fast.  I'll be able to change some things around in the morning.

                I grab the bag of trail mix and snacks and climb back onto the hedges.  I decide to just dump them on top of a hedge nearby and take my chances.  I bolt back to camp, afraid of the coming night. 

                Safely tucked in my sleeping back, I prop up against the wall of the hedge and turn on the flashlight.   I reach for the Wolves of the Beyond books and find the first one, Lone Wolf.  The writing is a high level, but it's very interesting.  At last, I close the book and bury myself in the warmth of my sleeping bag and drift into sleep.

                I awake back in the Hedges, everything set up as I'd left it. 

Arroooooooo!

                I glance around.  That noise... it sounded like a wolf!  Gripping my Sugar Slinger, I tip toe out of the hedge, right through a wall.  Never knew I could do that before.  After I exit the bush, I realize it's still dark out.  Suddenly, I stop as I see a giant spider on top of my hedge, looking down at me.   My eyes widen and I freeze.  The spider comes closer and closer, swallowing me after closing in.  I begin to fall down, down deeper into the spider, screaming as I fall.  And just when I can make out the dark land below, I stop falling, frozen in the air.

                A dark shape walks up to me.  It's Awesome!
                "Awesome!" I cry.  "Come help me!"  Awesome just stands there, staring at me with her red eyes.  Wait, her eyes are red?  My confusion is interrupted as I begin to fall again, and when I'm about to go splat! on the ground I continue to fall right through it.  Awesome's face is all I can see, and she whispers, "Don't go near the spider webs, Emedee.  Great dangers lie there..."  her face fades away, and I'm left falling in the darkness. 

                "Someone!" I cry.  "Anyone!  Please help!"  No one answers.  At last, I land, not a scratch on me.  I'm back in the Hedges, where I first started when Colby guided me to my camp.  I sigh, all that hard work just to be starting over.

Aroooooooo! 

                Suddenly, I see a dark outline of... a wolf!  Its yellow eyes stare at me as it creeps closer and closer.  My eyes widen as I see that this wolf if larger than any wolf I've ever seen before.  Oh my gosh!  It must be a snarler!  The large spider darts in front of me, heading for me again.  But the snarler jumps into it, knocking it over, tearing off its eight legs.  The spider shows no sign of pain as the snarler tears it apart, leg by leg, body by head.  Then, the snarler is gone, its gray body no where to be found.

                “Emedee.” A giant guard stands in front of me.

                “It wasn’t me!  It’s not my fault!” I cry.  The guard reaches for me, taking me by the neck.  I cry out in pain as he shakes me like a dog toy.  Then, the snarler reappears out of nowhere.  I scream as the snarler rips off the guard’s leg and I’m falling again, staring into the blackness.  Then, a boy’s face appears before me as Awesome’s did.  He has dark brown hair and matching brown eyes. 

                “Help me!” I scream to him.  Then, I stop falling.  I’m floating in mid-air next to the boy.  He’s about my age.

                “Emedee,” he says.

                “Tyler!” I cry.  How to I know him?  I don’t remember meeting anyone named Tyler before!

                “Help me!” I cry again.

                “With what?  You look fine to me,” Tyler replies.  I glare at him.

                “Well I’m not fine.  Help me!” I shout at him.

                “Come on, we have things to do.  Let’s get going,” he replies.  He grabs me by the hand and we’re running in mid-air toward a light.  Suddenly, we’re on the Coastline on a cliff, looking out into the waves.

                Then we’re still running, and I’m falling again.  The boy keeps running, not noticing me.

                “Wait!  Come back!” I shout.  He just laughs until I can’t see or hear him anymore.  Then another boy is running towards me.  I don’t recognize him, but he looks angry.  A pain fills my chest as he punches it.

                “Stop it!” Tyler shouts.  He’s back suddenly. Tyler kicks the boy over a cliff that just appeared and turns to me.  I just stare at him and we don’t do anything.

                “So, you thought you could get away?” Oh no. It’s Queen Agapanthus!  But she’s not looking at me.  She’s looking at Tyler. 

                She picks him up and I hear a sickening crunch as she crushes him in her hand, and then she turns to me.

                “And you ran from us.  You’re going to pay for this, Harless!” The queen reaches for me, and suddenly I’m next to Tyler.  He looks perfectly fine.

                Now it’s Colby’s turn to appear.

                “Colby!  Help!” I shout.

                “You know that guy?” Tyler asks me, surprised.

                “Yeah!  He’s my friend.  He can help!”  I say, but Tyler narrows his eyes.  Suddenly he jumps from the queen’s hand and runs.

                “Wait!” I shout.  I’m running after him now.

                “No!  I won’t be rescued by him!” Tyler shouts back.

                “What!? Why not?!” I shout back.  We’re running along the Coastline again.

                “Because-“ Ugh.  I’m falling again.  What is with all this falling today?  And just before I hit the ground, my mind goes black.