Daydreams (Chapter 2)

Daydreams were the opposite of Nightmares, obviously. They're not dead, but they're immortal. No one knows how Daydreams came into existance. They appear as humans more than Nightmares do. A Nightmare terrifies humans by their dark presence. Daydreams draw humans to them, causing them to either love, or hate them.1

The boy I saw was a Daydream. The magic he'd used on the bullies was proof of what he was. Daydreams have never been hard to injure. They're as delicate as humans. The only thing strong in them is their immune systems because magic would cause them to lose a terrible amount of energy if they weren't strong on the inside. Nightmares are, therefore, stronger on the outside.2

The bad thing is the Daydreams have always conflicted with Nightmares. Since we're nothing alike, we've become enemies. To them, we are too cold, heartless, and all around evil. To us, they're weak and too 'nice'. I've never in my life seen a Daydream until now. There's no way he didn't see me. He had to have figured out what I was and, as far as I'm concerned, he's a threat.3

***4

I arrived at the campsite Rattlesnake, Silversong, and I had lived at for at least two years. It's been two years since we'd met and two and a half since I'd become a Nightmare.5

Our site was an abandoned barn that seemed just about ready to fall down, now that I look at it. We've always found refuge here, no matter what.6

Silversong and Rattlesnake were inside, sitting and twitching anxiously, waiting for news. We rarely go out, except to stretch our legs. We don't have to eat, drink, or do things that humans do to live. We were just...there!7

"What's the scoop?" Rattlesnake asked, curiosity shining in his eerie, milk-white gaze.8

"I saw a Daydream!" That's all I had to say for their attention to suddenly snap to me. The silent Silversong looked frightened, and the curiosity left Rattlesnake's eyes and turned into fear.9

"Did he see you?" Rattlesnake asked.10

"No doubt about it. He was being chased by a group of older boys, and he just-"11

"Spat out a couple of spells and sent them to their knees," he finished for me.12

"Basically!" I said, annoyed with him. He always knew what I was going to say and never hesitated to interrupt.13

Silversong folded her hands as if to be praying, letting me know that she was going to say something. Then she used sign language to say that it was time for us to find a new home so we wouldn't be sought out by this Daydream.14

"It's only one Daydream, though," I said. "Surely he's not that stupid to go up against three Nightmares." Silversong folded her hands, then signed to us that Daydreams never remained alone. They always lived in groups.15

"Silversong has a point," Rattlesnake said. He seemed to be pleading for us to relocate and avoid danger.16

"Well, I think that I can spy on this guy and find out more. Please, at least let me get more info?" I pleaded with him.17

"This has happened more than once," he said.18

Rattlesnake never spoke of his past. He was a sole survivor of an attack on his previous family of Nightmares. Daydreams had come to kill them off before they killed the Daydreams off. That was when he stumbled upon me. Eventually we met Silversong and settled down in this barn. 19

It was evident that Rattlesnake didn't want his history repeated. I sympathized with him, but I didn't want to leave because of one Daydream. Sure, he took out five bullies, but three Nightmares was a different scene. Still, I felt Rattlesnake's aching for his previous family. I couldn't hurt him like that.20

"One day is all I ask for now," I told him. I can never tell if he looks me in the eyes, but for some reason, I knew he was staring right through me at that moment.21

"That's all you've got to gather the goods," he claimed. "Twenty-four hours, and we're gone!"22

***23

That night, as Silversong and Rattlesnake were sleeping, I left to track down the Daydream. It would take a while for me to track him down, but when I find him, I'll be able to gather whatever info I want on him.24

I thought about my companions' reactions to the news as I stalked through the forest. Rattlesnake, the peaceful one, had seemed very hostile in a sense. He was always the one to tell me to put my anger and mixed emotions about my death aside, that it was best to just let it go. He seemed to have more problems with his past than I did. I wanted, with all my being, to face the people who made me a Nightmare! I swore that I'd kill them for what they did to me, what they did to the family that I'd never be able to remember, kill them to just feel better about myself, then thank them for making me more powerful than I ever could've been before. Rattlesnake just wanted to run from everything. Well, not this time.25

As I stepped into the lights of the town that I'd left earlier that day. I returned to the alley where the incident had taken place. No bodies. The bullies had most likely awoken clueless and left to go home without any memory that there had been a Daydream.26

My attention snapped onto movement in the corner of my eye. I braced myself for an attack, aware that I was no longer alone.