"Shayla, the phone is for you."

"I'll get it in my room, mom." As soon as I picked up the phone I heard my mom turn off the other phone from downstairs. I knew it was, Andrea. She was already upset that I was leaving for the Thanksgiving holiday for the week. She does this every year; it's like she just can't live without me. "Hey, what's up?" I said half cheerful.

"Have you finished packing?" I noticed that she was really upset, with the little whine she put at the end of the statement. I could always tell when something was bothering her.

"No, I'm still packing. Andrea I will be back in a week, surely you will be fine without me for a week." I tried to laugh it off, but like her, I did not want to go away for a week. My family travels to my Grandparents house once a year for one week only and it just happens to be the week of Thanksgiving. We even celebrate Christmas at this time with them. Thanksgiving and Christmas in one crazy week with relatives is not my kind of getaway but I know I have to go regardless. It's not like they live that far away or anything but for some reason one week is all we go to visit. I think that it must have something to do with someone trying to kidnap me when I was little, but they won't admit to that. Still till this day, I try to hold back those memories. For now, Andrea was still on the other end of the phone and something tells me that I need to find a way to cheer her up.

I tried to pack some more while she continued with her moaning, "I don't think I can manage without you. That movie that we were going to go see comes out this weekend. I really wanted to see it with you and besides, I don't think I can go a day without seeing you."

"You can see it with Adam, besides you got my cell you can call me and tell me all about it." My phone was dead at the moment that is why im on the land line right now.

"Yeah, but it's not the same." She whined some more just like a year ago at this same very time when we were leaving and she wanted to go to a party, however she had to go with a few other friends. She turned out fine and safe for that that matter; she doesn't really need me she just likes having me there by her side.

"I know but I will be back next weekend; I'll get my parents to drop me off when we come back into town." I put her on the speaker now so that I could get into my oversized stuffed closet. Clothes, strung from hangers, shoes thrown in a pile mile high all mixed and jumbled up in one corner. There were old things that I didn't use anymore and things that I had never worn, like the yellow sweater that I got about two years ago for Christmas. Every time I look at that yellow fluffiness reminds me of Big Bird. I pulled out a few sweaters. I really wanted the purple one, but to my dismay it was not in there. "Hey, you didn't borrow my purple sweater did you?" asking her as if she had it. I was just so use to her borrowing my things, unfortunately half of the time I had to go retrieve it from her.

"Nope."

"Hang on a second." I went to open my bedroom door and yelled downstairs, "Mom, have you seen my purple sweater?" My voice echoed downward kinda like a wind tunnel.

I heard her shuffling around downstairs and then she peered up the stairs. She looked a mess at the very moment. Halfway tucked in shirt with faded blue jeans today, which she wiped her hands down the legs of her jeans. Her hair that she twisted up with a clip was falling down with a few loose strands here and there. Not even any make up today afraid that it would just smear anyway, yet she looked so young standing there looking up towards me. No one ever had known that she was in her mid-forties. I recall plenty of times while we were out together people would refer her as my older sister. "Sorry, honey. I think it may be in the wash. I will look in a few."And with that she was gone in a flash, packing for tomorrow. I knew that she would look for the sweater when she had the time. She always went out of her way to please me.

"Thanks mom." I stepped back inside my room, shutting the door behind me. "Sorry for that Andrea, I'm back." The phone was still on the bed, still on the speaker.

"No problem. I guess I need to let you go so that you can pack." He voice now almost in a whisper. "Call me when you're finished."

"Sure, talk to you later."

"Later."

I met Andrea in the middle of the seventh grade. The teacher introduced her to the class and she went to take a seat close by my desk. We just started talking to each other like we had known each other forever. We hung out with each other every chance that we got. We go to the movies every Friday night and then spend the night with each other. Every single weekend, except the weekend that I leave to visit the Grandparents and that takes two weekends away. When we both started dating we even went on double dates, never leaving each others' side. She is more like a sister to me. Some days I wished that she was. It had to be so much better than a little brother. We share everything, clothes, makeup, and jewelry.

In high school, we even arranged to have all of our classes together, even though we only got a few together. When we turned sixteen, we started driving, which happened to be mom's biggest fear. My father had bought me a Mustang GT, dark royal blue. Any girl would have died to have it, including Andrea. She had wanted one as well, too match mine of course. So her parents finally gave in and bought her one too, except that hers was sunshine yellow. A lot of the guys at school thought that it was kinda funny considering that were the school colors, blue and yellow. And the fact that we were cheerleaders and matched our cars. What were the odds of that? The only thing that we did not share was our boyfriends. That was off limits. Even though there had been a time or two that the guys wanted to switch up. Not going to happen dude, friendship comes way before a boyfriend. However now she was happily dating Adam and I was happily dating Jake. And yes, they are both football player.

I tried to pack without thinking of her, but that was just too impossible. She had wanted to go with me, but my parents said that we should be able to live without each other for a week. I looked around the room to make sure that I had everything, noticing her picture on the bedside table. I picked it up, looking at it temporarily, recalling the day.

We had just gone out to the lake with a group of friends. Jake had dunked her in the water and as I went out to help her up, he had a couple of his friends do the same to me. Grabbing onto Jake's arm, I came up out of the water gulping for air. I'm not a really big fan of the water, especially if it is over my head. I have always had a fear of drowning ever since I was three. Anyway he pulled me out, well carried me on to the beach. Andrea came to my side and held my hand. We were sitting in the sand, soaked to the bone, dripping wet. One of the guys had taken the picture of the two of us. I sighed and tossed the picture in the suitcase as well. Well, if I can't take her I guess a picture of her will just have to do.

Just as I was putting the last item in the suitcase the phone rang again. I answered it before thinking.

"Hello." I said exhausted.

"I want to see you." He whispered in the phone.

A smile formed on my face. "I want to see you too. I was just thinking about you."

"Were you now; let me in."

I heard a knock on the window. I put the phone down and waltz over to the window, smiling with glee. I stood for a second looking into his eyes and then opened the window for him to enter.

As he climbed into the bedroom, he wrapped his arms around me, kissing me ever so gently. "God I am going to miss you this week. What am I going to do without you?"

"I'm going to miss you more. I wish they would let you go with me but you know how my dad is."

"Yeah I know. I wonder what he would think right now seeing me here in your bedroom, in your arms." He kissed me again persuading me to walk backward until I fell onto my bed.

We both started to laugh. "Shh! They will hear us." I kissed him again.

We kissed for a while longer, holding hands. I laid my head on his chest listening to his heart beat, while he fingered my hair. "I will be back before you know it."

"I know it's just that a week is so long without you."

Jake can be so sweet sometimes. He is always holding my hand in public, not caring what anyone thinks. He likes to bring me flowers out of the blue and sometimes he just surprises me with the words he uses, not to mention the way he snuggles with me for hours and not ask for anything more.

About an hour later I heard some footsteps in the hallway. "I guess you better be going before we get caught." I walked back with him to the window.

He turned towards me before climbing back out. "I can't wait to see you. I will be waiting for you so hurry back in one piece. I love you." He kissed me one last time before saying good night.

I watched him as he climbed back down the tree that was beside my bedroom. When he finally made it back down to the ground he looked up towards me and blew me a kiss. "I love you Jake, good night."

I was so exhausted after packing that when I lay back on the pillow, I was out like a candle flame.

***

The house was far off from the road. Practically covered with a field of overgrown weeds and wild flowers, hidden from one's view, the house was ruin down to the ground. I noticed one small light on, but I knew that the house had been abandon years ago. As I walked past it, something was drawing me to it, calling out to me, like it wanted me to go in. It had been so dark outside and the flashlight that was in my right hand had went out. Pitch dark. I hit the light in the palm of my hand but still nothing happened the batteries were out. There was not a moon in the sky, and no other light around except for the one room in the ruin down house. I looked cautiously behind me, but no one was with me. I was alone. In a blink of an eye I was on the doorstep of the house. The door opened on its' own, the hinges squeaked with every degree of the angle of the door, like one of those haunted houses, inviting me in. A lump rose in my throat and I could feel my heart beating rapidly. For a split second I hesitated and then there I was in the middle of the lit room. It was not as bright as I had thought it to be, just a few candles lit in the corners of the room. I seen a shadow and then the voice called out to me. "Finally you are here. I knew you would come."

"Who are you?" I asked in a whisper.

"I am your mother, my little Aislinn. I have been looking for you for so long." Her voice was so familiar, but when I looked at her she was not my mother. Not the mother that I had known for all these years. She was very thin and fragile with skin the shade of light nutmeg. Her hair glistened in the light of the flames. Her eyes were crystal blue, sitting in big dark round circles, as if taken over by sickness or death, but as I looked closer she seemed so real. Suddenly, there was a loud cry in the night and I was running. Running into the dark night in the direction to nowhere. I could feel something coming after me, right on the back of my heels. As I turned to look back, I fell hard onto the ground. I tried to stand up, attempting to struggle free from the force that was holding me down.

***

My eyes felt heavy as I stirred awake. I rolled over and looked at the clock that gleamed two-thirty eight. Another dream. I had seen the house in a lot of my dreams, even the fragile woman who calls herself my mother. But I never finish the dream, I never find out what she wants from me. There is always something there that frightens me and then I wake up all out of breath. I tried to go back to sleep, tossing and turning and before I knew it there was a rap at the door.

"Shayla, it's time to get up. Your father wants to get an early start." Mom's voice rung in my ears as she opened the bedroom door to make sure that I was getting up.

I looked over at the clock. Four o'clock. This is way too early for me. But I managed to say, "I'll be down in a few." Yawning, I pulled the covers off. Stumbled out of my bed and headed for the bathroom. As I was walking back to my bedroom, Josh bumped into me. "You look like a zombie, death be told," he said in his alien voice. Sometimes I really do wonder what planet he came from.

"Whatever you little zit, get out of my way." I went back to my room to get dressed. Unfortunately when I looked in the mirror, I did look pretty bad. My hair was in tangles, and I forgot to wash off my makeup from yesterday. I went back to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean off my face. When I got back to my room, I sat at the table to brush out my hair and pulled it back in a ponytail and proceeded to put on a little bit of makeup. Well I might as well look good for the road trip; you never know who I will bump into.

Josh is my little brother, although he can't stand that I call him little or a zit for that matter. He is younger than me by six years, yet he is just as tall as I am, well maybe just a little taller. We look nothing like each other. His hair is blonde with a touch of reddish-brown. Freckles cover the bridge of his nose that matches his brown eyes. He is always in my business and he always finds a way to get me in trouble. Or he threatens me and then I have to be his slave and drive him and his stinky middle school friends around. He got me really good the week of homecoming. He found out that Andrea and I went out with the guys all night long. We had a big party, however he was not invited and when he found out he swore he would tell. So I had to drive him around for two whole weeks, including the weekends. I believe he snoops around in my room when I am not at home, that's why I tend to hide a lot of things, especially the important secret things.

I finished getting ready and was down stairs in about fifteen minutes. Mom had my purple sweater on top of my coat. She knew how much I liked that sweater, considering that it was made out of the finest material and a gift from her to brighten up my spirits so to speak. My parents were in a hurry to leave. Dad already had everything packed in the BMW. I had to leave my car behind, so I knew what I would be doing for the week. NOTHING! Without even thinking about the time, I dialed Andrea. Of course she did not answer and so I left her a voice mail. "Talk to ya later, love you sis." I looked up and both of them were motioning for me to get in the car.

I opened the door to the backseat and got in, tossing my purse to the middle. I pulled out my MP3 Player and popped the headphones into my ears. My mother gave me the look, so I turned it down just a little. She turned back around and my parents shook their heads at each other. So, I'm a teen get over it; I love my music. I'm sure they did the same with their old fashion tape players and headphones.

The ride had been long and soon I fell back asleep, considering I did not get much sleep during the night because of the dream.

***

The dream seemed so real now. The house was still there in the dark night. But then it was gone and I could see my parents in the front seat of the car having words with each other. I could not hear what they were saying, but I'm sure it had something to do with me considering that I had been the topic of all discussions lately. I saw something big standing in the road that lay ahead. Suddenly I felt myself being jerked away from them, the air was hot, and flames flew into the chilly night. The air I breathed was sucked out of me. For a moment I thought I was, well dead.

***

That's when I woke up, beads of sweat trickled down from my hair line and down my neck. Goose bumps ran along my arms and down my back. I felt so sick to my stomach.

I looked out the window, holding onto my stomach. "Where are we?" I asked groggily.

"We just got off the mountain; it's gonna be a few more hours sweetie." Mom reassured me. She has been calling me sweetie since I can remember. I'm sure she knows that I can't stand it considering that I am in my teens now but I don't say anything about it. However at times, I do roll my eyes and lately I have become an expert at it.

"Can we stop at the next exit; I gotta go?" I pretended to do the pee-pee dance sitting down.

"Sure, are you feeling alright?" Mom asked, noticing that I was breathing heavily.

"Just a dream. I really need to go." I didn't lie, I did have to use it, but I had this weird feeling that this dream was real. It was going to happen and maybe if I could stall for as long as possible whatever was in the road will be gone by the time we got there.

My dad turned off at the next exit and I got out and sprinted to the bathroom. They also got out and used the restroom and looked through the store for some drinks and something to snack on. Finally my mom went back to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Shayla are you sure that you are alright?" Mom's voice was sincere as usual.

I tried not to make much noise as I finished up throwing up in the toilet. "Yeah, I'll be out in a second." Sometimes these dreams really got to me and I tend to get a little nauseated but today it really twisted up my stomach in double knots.

She knew something was wrong, waiting for me to come out of the stall to get a glimpse of me. Ever since I was little she could tell when something was wrong.

"I thought you went back out." I looked away from her, not wanting her to see my eyes. I'm pretty sure they were a little red. They always watered up and turned red whenever I threw up.

She reached out to grab my arm. "Shayla you're shaking like crazy, was it another bad dream?"

"It was just a dream mom," I exhaled calmly. How could I tell her the truth; Dad had already threatened me not to talk about my silly dreams? That's what he called them, silly. Although the majority of the time they did come true, nevertheless it was making my Mom go crazy and that I should lay off. That's why he bought the car in the first place, something to keep me silent, a compromise. An absurd secret between the two of us. So I tried to let it slide, the dream, like it didn't mean anything even though it meant everything.

She was now looking in the bathroom mirror at me. "I know you better than that, do you want to talk about it?" She was trying to get a good look into my eyes. I knew what she was doing so I turned away to get a paper towel to dry off my hands.

"Nope." And then I walked out of the bathroom and out of the store to the car. My father came out of the store shortly after still talking with my mother. I could tell that she was upset, but the look in his eyes was far worse. That look that makes you want to curl up in your little shell and die. He had her go back into the store to get something while he got back into the car. I looked out the window trying so hard to avoid his eyes. I knew it was coming; I just knew it by the way his lips tightened and his right eye started to twitch. No longer dad now, I saw the business man that he was, ready to come out and fire me on the spot.

"So this is all about another dream, I thought we talked about this Shayla?" He turned to look at me, touching my shoulder to have me look towards him. He stared into my eyes. "No car for a week when we get back," he ordered.

"But I didn't say anything." I protested, looking back at him.

"Fine, make it another. Was it that bad that you had to get your mother upset? This is supposed to be a vacation not a trip to the mental hospital."

"I didn't...." I started that eye rolling thing and I don't think he liked it so well.

"I don't want to hear another word about it, do you understand or no car until after Christmas?"

I didn't say another word. Josh looked over at me with his freckled little nose snarled up with his tender brown eyes. Attempting to reach for my hand, but I pulled away from him. I rolled my eyes and held in the frustration that built up inside of me by biting my bottom lip. My dad can be quite a jerk sometimes, if he would only ask about the dream, if he would only believe for once. I turned the MP3 Player back on and looked out the window away from the both of them. Yet Josh knew if it was that bad of a dream that it meant something. He loved to hear about my dreams and he couldn't wait to see if they really did come true. That was the one thing that we kept as a secret between us.

Mom finally came out and got back in the car and we were back onto the Interstate. I closed my eyes, trying not to fall asleep. I tried to think about Andrea and then Jake was there in my thoughts of last night. Wouldn't daddy have been so mad if he only knew that Jake came to my room plenty of nights? God please don't let me fall asleep.

The deal with my father was that I was not allowed to talk about my dreams, ever. He said he would buy me the car of my dreams if I would not bother my mother again with all the silly things that I see. The thing is, most of the time my dreams come true. The first dream that I recall was when I was three. I dreamed of the woman coming to the door and she tried to take me away. I told my mother about it and she said that she would never let anyone take away her little girl. A few days later I was playing outside and a woman came up into the yard. She was an older lady with dark wrinkles of old age, gray hair tightly twisted in a bun in the nap of her neck. My mother saw the car pull up and she ran outside. They had a few words with each other and the next thing I knew we were moving. Miles away. It wasn't the last of my dreams, many more followed that came true. Yet there were a few that didn't and that's what bothered my dad. He said if I couldn't tell the ones that were really going to happen from the ones that were not that maybe I should just keep them to myself. He claimed it was putting a lot of stress on my mom and she was going to end up having a stroke or a heart attack or something the way that I carry on. So I made the deal, no more discussions about my dreams. And even now, even though I really want to talk about this dream so bad, because I know that this one is so real, I will keep it to myself and pray for the best. Maybe it wasn't real; maybe whatever was in the road will be gone before we even get there. Just maybe....

I tried to keep my eyes wide open. I even snacked on chips and trail mix and took sips of my drink to keep me awake but I dozed off again.

***

This time the object was still in the road. I focused on the area. We were on the road to my Grandparents house. We had traveled this road several times in my life. It was late in the night. The sky full of stars twinkling down on the dark night, a full moon just above us; the object turned out to be some kind of an animal. I saw the crash from a distance as if I was not in there. I was on the sidelines watching the whole thing like I was at a football game, watching the impact at the fifty yard mark. Just as I felt the wind being knocked out of me, I woke up gasping for air again.

***

My mom turned around, looking worried, "Shayla is everything...."

My dad cut her off, "She'll be alright dear," his tone shallow as he glared back at me. As he turned back around to face the road, I saw the animal in the road about the same time as he did. The fog had been so thick; however I recall the exact place so familiar in the back of my head. Now the animal was in clear view only a few feet away; it had been one of the old farm cows that had escaped from the fenced in area.

The car slid on the road, hitting a patch of black ice. He tried not to hit the oversized animal but suddenly the two, the animal and the car, struck each other. The cow went flying into the windshield. I felt myself being tossed around in the back seat, although I had my seat belt on. Something jerked me hard and the next thing I knew I was in the field next to a pond. I saw the car; roll over a few more times onto the road finally coming to a landing on the side. There was an old sound coming from the other direction in the distance. The rambling was getting louder by the second then I saw head lights come into view. It was a car, no it was a truck, I could see it more clearly now. As fast as it was going I knew that it would not see them or the thin layer of black ice that lay ahead. I felt like I was at a 3-D movie, suddenly it happened so fast and the truck slammed into the side of the car. Both went into flames. I forced myself to stand and walk over to the road, but collapsed just feet away from the wreckage.

This was not a dream, it was a nightmare.

I should have warned them. They never knew it was coming. I don't know what happened next, I apparently passed out.

When I came to there were lights everywhere, blue, red, yellow, and white. Cars everywhere, people running back and forth. A paramedic was working on me. "There you are." My body ached. I tried to get up from the rolling cot. "Lay still, we need to take you in to run some test on you. You were lucky."

Lucky??? My head began to ring.

This had nothing to do with luck. Somehow I was thrown out of the car. Something cut the seat belt, something pulled me out. But what? Who?

"My parents, where are they?" I whispered, "and Josh?"

"You're the only one," he replied with a small sad smile.

"What?" I said in shock. What did he mean the only one? Where was my dad, my mom; where was Josh? Should I be panicking now!

He started to talk again, but I did not hear a word of what he was saying. Everything was muffled, every sound as if I was completely submerged in water and all the voices and sounds were disintegrated. We arrived at the General Hospital and they took me right into X-rays. They took several and then put me into a room to wait on someone to come and get me. The room was quiet, too quiet. I could hear a few of the nurses down at their station. They were talking about the accident and how it was one of the worst ones that they had ever seen. They talked about me and said that it was a miracle that I survived. I heard every word even though I wished I hadn't.

"I don't see how she could be here,...not one broken bone."

"Did you see her; she barely even had a scratch on her?"

"She must have been asleep; her body was relaxed at the time. That's why she has no broken bones."

Then they were debating on how it all happened.

"I bet he was drinking."

"Maybe he just lost control, Martha."

They went on and on what felt like hours but in reality it was only about a few minutes and then I heard a familiar voice.

My grandparents arrived within fifteen minutes. I heard them asking the nurses where I was. The doctor came into the room with them.

"How is she?" Grandma had asked the doctor as she walked over to me and grabbed my hand placing it into hers. Trying so hard to smile, holding back the stinging tears, she looked at me with heartbreaking, loving eyes.

"She's fine. Not one broken bone, though she has a few bruises she will be fine. You can take her home now if you wish." He signed a piece of paper on the clip board and handed it to the nurse.

The nurse helped me out of bed and let me ride in the wheelchair down to the outpatient door. I got into the back of my Grandfathers car and he shut the door behind me. We did not talk all the way to their house. They showed me to the upstairs bedroom, it had been my mom's and without a word they shut the door behind them. They did ask me down to eat, but I was not hungry anyway. I was in shock. What happened? Was this real? A sick joke? I lay down in the bed. Why didn't I do something? Who cares about the car; I could have lived without it for a while. But even if I did say something he would never had believed me. He lost that trust in me over a year ago. The stupid bet, the compromise, I should have just broken it.