The heavy wooden door of the dimly-lit library clicked as it closed behind him. His eyes immediately searched for his friend as he traveled through the numerous computer desks, reading area, the empty oak check-out desk, as well as the maze of shelves and books, but she wasn't anywhere to be found.

     He was about ready to give up until a sigh caught his attention, and he turned the corner around another row of books to see his best friend, Amy, sitting at one of the round tables in the middle of the maze by herself. Her nose was stuck in a thick book, and a sketch book lay open beside her, a pencil swinging between her fingers over the empty page in concentration. Her brown hair was down, and in cascading waves, tucked behind her ears to keep it out of her face. She wore her normal school uniform, with a fuzzy gray cardigan over her shoulders to keep the chill out. (Although it was getting to be mid-summer)

     "Hey Amy." Will said quietly whilst pulling out one of the three empty chairs across from her. Amy looked up from her work and sighed again, setting the pencil down on the sketch book, and brushing off eraser shavings from her work space.

     "Hey Will. What's up?" She asked with boredom, leaning her chin on the palms of her hands.

     Will shrugs and quirks his lips. "Oh, nothing really. Nearly got my face mashed in by your brother though." He said, picking up one of the shavings and molding it between his fingers.

     Amy rolled her eyes and groaned in annoyance, taking up her pencil again, and tapping it aggressively on her open book.

     "That thick headed-...Ugh, he'll never learn! He can't seem to pull his head out of his-"

     "Nah ah ah, language." Will warned strictly, waggling a finger in a disapproving manner.

     Amy narrowed her eyes, and rolled them again, looking back down at her book. He was sure that if she kept up the eye-rolling act, she would sooner-or-later get stuck with staring at her brain for the rest of her life.

     "Whatever. What was it this time? She asked, setting her pencil down yet again, and taking a strand of her frizzy, dark brown hair between her fingers, twirling it harshly.

     "He was traumatizing one of the new students, wanting to look at his Pokémon cards. I don't think he'll ever grow up." He said, emphasizing the word look.

     Amy chuckled and snorted, which earned a harsh 'sh' from the librarian, Mrs. Manu, who had appeared out of nowhere. Amy covered her mouth. Then, as Mrs. Manu turned away, she used her fingers to pull at the sides of her eyes, making her skin taut, and stuck out her tongue.

     "I really don't like that woman," Amy whispered as Mrs. Manu stalked off into the labyrinth of book shelves, "but she lets me stay in the library in my free time. Speaking of, do you have anything planned for this afternoon?" She asked as she unconsciously tosses a stray wave of brown hair over her shoulder.

     Will looks up at the ceiling, thinking about what his mother had asked him to do before he left for school this morning.

     "Yes, actually, I do. My mom caught a dog in one of her coon traps today, thinking it was a raccoon getting into her flowers."

     "It was a dog?" Amy asked in disbelief.

     Will snickers at her wide, green eyes.

     "Yes, a pug actually. He threw up, like, a whole mess of rose petals and stems this morning. I have to ask around and see if he belongs to anyone since he had no collar, then I have to study for that Spanish test tomorrow."

     "Ugh, you're always working. I wish I could say the same about myself." Will smiles at her and shrugs off her remark.

     Amy closed up her sketch book and other materials, sighing for the third time while scooting them to the side of the table so that she could cross her arms. Stubborn eraser shavings clung to the sleeves or her gray cardigan. "Well, I don't know about you, but tonight, Im going to see that new movie, 'Night of the Living Dead Ex's'. Give me a call if you want to join." Her eyes practically screamed 'Save me'.

     "Are you kidding me?" Wills voice rose in disbelief, which earns them another hissed 'shhh' from the other side of the book shelves. Will lowers his voice again to a whispering yell.

     "You're not seriously going to watch that cheesy load of trash, are you?"

     Amy rolled her eyes again and huffed in displeasure.

     "Believe me when I say that I don't want to, but my little sister has been dying to see it." She stated, using her fingers to quote for exaggeration.

     Will shook his head and smiled.

     "Well good luck with that." Silence followed after that, accompanied only by the tap-tap of Mrs. Manus keyboard. The sudden memory of the figure from earlier made his brow furrow.

     "What's up, Will? You've got that look of one deep in thought." Amy said, her green eyes brightened by a mischievous smirk.

     "Have you noticed any strange people around the school? Particularly hiding in shadows?" He internally cringed at his bad phrasing. His English teacher would be proud of him.

     Amy scrunched up her face in confusion and scrutiny at his bizarre question.

     "Strange question you got there, but uh, do you mean anyone besides Mr. Bush?"

     Will suddenly chuckles and covers his mouth to hold in the burst of laughter that threatened to explode.

     "No, Amy. Well, then again, he does fit the description pretty accurately."

     "Well, I'd say so! Have you seen the way he watches the students; as if he's looking for his next victim?" Amy whisper yelled, her eyes wide again. "That janitor creeps me out dude, like, 100% Psycho. Especially with that creepy scar he has."

     "Or Texas Chainsaw." Will stated bluntly, which caused Amy to snicker and snort again, earning yet another' shhhhhhh' from the check-out desk on the other side of the library. Amy scrunched up her face again and shaped her lips into a mocking shh shape. Will hid a chuckle as Amy rolled her green eyes into the back of her head.

              ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

     Will knew he was dreaming. He couldn't see anything, he could just feel something alongside him. The darkness was so thick, he could barely see his hands in front of his face. Thankfully a gray mist began to appear, bringing with it a faint light, as if the growing cloud was emitting the radiance itself. The light revealed that he was standing on what seemed to be a crystal-clear floor that rippled as he stepped across it; his awed reflection stared up at him.

     "Will." A distant voice called, the echo dying away like a distant memory. He turned every which way and that, but all he saw was the mist and darkness.

     "Will." The voice called again, though this time closer. It was feminine, and yet, it had a harsh tone to it, like thick velvet worn with time.

     "Will!" Now it was right behind him, and as he turned around, he was startled to see a hooded figure standing right there. Her face was obscured in shadow, her form broken up by the mist, and the foxing darkness of a black cloak. Will slowly backed away, fear beginning to edge its way into his mind as that feeling from earlier in the day came back. Was this the same individual he saw earlier? Was she the one watching him? No, that's impossible! Now he was just being irrational.

     "Will," the figure called, her voice echoing as if in an empty, spacious room, "come to us, Elsweyn needs you."

     "W-what?" Will stammered, taking another step back, but the figure merely matched his step with her own forward one. Oddly, the floor didn't ripple when the woman moved like it did for him.

     "You are our only hope." The evident pleading in her voice stirred something deep within Will's soul.

     "I-I don't know what you're talking about. What do you want with me?" Will asked, his voice barely above that of a baffled whisper.

     The woman lifted her head slightly, the bottom half of her face becoming visible in an unseen light; the left side of her exposed features seemed to be nothing but bone, the skin fading into the white of her skull, displaying her jaw, and pristine white teeth. The right side was flawless, pale skin, her lips (though only half of them) plump and a light pink. The only blemishes were black, swirling markings of some sort peaking from the shadows that still covered the majority of her face.

     "You will soon know, and you will come to accept your fate." The woman said, taking another step towards Will, who was to dumbfounded to move.

     "I don't understand."

     She dipped her head in empathy, her features hidden again momentarily. "You will come to learn and understand, and will take on a destiny far greater than you can imagine."

     As her voice echoed away, her figure began to fade, the mist disappearing along with its light, threatening to leave Will alone in the thick gloom once more.

     "N-no! Wait! What do you mean? What destiny?" Wills voice cracked in frustration and fear as he stumbled in the darkness, reaching for something to grab onto, to steady him. What did she mean? Who was she even?

     Will suddenly trips over his own feet, falling towards the crystal floor, but when he landed, it was no longer crystal, but a skull. The empty, hollow eyes stared up at him, the jaws open forever in a silent scream. Will jumps up and shivers, but as he looks around, he sees that he is standing in the midst of a field of bones, not a grain of dirt or a blade of grass to be seen; nothing but an endless span of pale, white frames. The sky above him suddenly shuttered, and turned into a deep burgundy. An ominous, black smoke began to rise from some of the piles to Will's right.

     From the smoldering mounds, the bones began to rattle and move; skulls, ribs, femurs, and so much more, formed into a skeletal hand, then an arm, then a torso, shaping into a beast Will could only imagine in a myth.

     A huge dragon made of bone began to take shape around him. As another hand formed, and connected to the growing body, it slammed into the field, sending fragments of death everywhere. As the head was formed, the jaws full of sharp teeth opened up to release an earth-shattering roar. Will tried to back away, but he felt something grab his ankles, and fell backwards onto his backside. Staring wide-eyed at the monster before him, he trembled in fear as muscles and sinew began to form over the nearly fully-created beast.

     The horn-covered head focused its gaze on Will; scarlet eyes full of pure evil and hatred formed into the wide sockets while centering on him.

     Will tried and tried to get away, but boney hands were latched onto his ankles and shins, hindering him from going anywhere. A hot, foul breath smelling of death and decay washed over him as the now fully formed and obsidian-scaled dragon loomed over him. A laugh of wholesome malevolence echoed, making Will's own bones rattle in horror.

     "You..." A terrifying, dark voice chuckled, "They believe that you will defeat me? I can promise you, that you will die like the rest of them. Your bones will join the ones in this field, and your soul will be mine to command!" With this, the huge dragon opened up his mouth again. Will watched as an orange light began to ignite in the back of the beast's throat. Still desperately trying to get away, Will could feel the heat on his skin, his clothes getting hot, and beginning to burn, his eyelashes and hair starting to singe.

     Will opened his mouth to scream, but he could do nothing as the huge plume of fire flew towards him, engulfing him entirely in horrendous, burning pain.

     Will shot up into a tensed sitting position, startling the pug that was asleep on his bed. He blinked as an annoying beeping made his head throb, and reached to turn off his alarm clock, the visions of the bones, and terrifying dragon still embedded behind his eye lids. Will tried to shake it off, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, noticing that all of his school books were still open on his bed, and he was still in his day clothes from yesterday. He must have dozed off while studying last night

     Will used a hand to wipe of the sheen of sweat the coated his brow. Shivers of terror and confusion crawled over his skin, the heat of the flames still burning in his retinas. He had never had such a strange dream before. Every horrible detail of that dragon still played in his mind: the burning fire, the skeletal carcasses forming into the huge beast, the scorching red eyes that bore into his soul. He had so many questions. Who was that woman? What did she mean by his destiny? And again, who, or what, was Elsweyn? Did someone need his help? Why him? Was it all just a dream? Or could it have possibly been a warning of some sort, a message?

     A sudden buzzing stunned Will out of his thoughts, but it was only his phone. Amy's name flashed across the screen.

     Hey Will. We rescheduled the movie for tonight because of the weather. Let me know if you want to come.

     A

     (P.S. I would really like the company, otherwise, Ill just have a stake-out and roast some marshmallows in the girls bathroom.)

     Will smirked at the message, and tossed his phone aside. He didn't bother responding, since he didn't have a definite answer. He checked the time, and saw he had a good hour before the bus got there to pick him up, so he decided to take a shower.

     The pug watched him with his head tilted in curiosity as Will packed up his books, and laid out his uniform, grabbing a towel and his bathroom essentials. He had spent hours yesterday asking around for an owner of the pug, but no one seemed to stake a claim.

     By the time Will was done, he had steamed up the whole bathroom, so he used his towel to wipe off the bathroom mirror, then wrapped it around himself, jumping into his morning routine of styling his hair, brushing his teeth, and spraying on some deodorant.

     When he got back to his room, the pug had fallen asleep again, his scrunched-up eyes closed peacefully. Will smiled, got dressed, and gathered his things. He patted the dogs head as he headed out, and closed the bedroom door behind him. Hopefully he wouldn't come home to any little 'surprises'.

                ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~