I opened my eyes to familiar surroundings. It was dark, really dark. Ahead of me in the pitch-black, a small but bright light shone.

Chills ran uncontrollably up and down my arms.

I took a step forward don't ask me why, because not even I know.

Gradually my eyes adjusted to the dark and I could make out bits of my surroundings.

I was in a forest, deep and foreboding. A cool breeze brushed the back of my neck sending a shiver down my spine.

On all sides of me, crickets chirped their sad melody.

I took a few more steps forward. It felt like something was calling to me, and I knew all too well just what it was.

Standing maybe fifty feet in front of me, I could make out a figure, in its hand a lantern glowing bright.

No, no! It was all I could think, every ounce of me told me to run, to get away from the creature. It was dangerous even if it was only in my dreams.

My heart quickened its pace fight or flight kicking in.

But somehow I took a step forward, the pull of the creature to strong to resist.

I had to fight this. I was stronger than it, stronger than my fear.

I took several more steps forward, this time of my own free will.

I pulled flame to my hand, bringing light to my surroundings. Strong tree trunks jutted out if the ground all around me lanterns hanging from the branches. Each of them caught fire one by one in a circle around me, I was in a clearing.

The creature stood maybe twenty feet from me unmoving. In front of him the largest tree of all. It had to be at least one hundred feet tall, and hanging from its branches all kinds of talisman and lanterns.

My breathing hitched, this all seemed so familiar.

The creature stepped aside, revealing a slumped figure previously hidden by his cape. It was a girl, young maybe my age. Soft brown hair fell across her face. Deep brown skin covered in dirt and scratches. I recognized her uniform, it was exactly like mine.

From the earth, a thin tree root crept above ground. It wrapped around her leg slowly moving up the rest of her body. Every few seconds her body would jerk to the side trying to break free, but the root was too strong.

When it finally had her in its grasp, the root pulled her along her body limp towards the base of the tree. It was then that I noticed to other slumped figures against the tree, each covered in tree roots. Through the thick veil of branches and roots, I could make out one thing we all shared, the blue Woodbrook Academy uniform.

I turned unable to look, sweat dripped from my forehead sliding down my face. I couldn't take it. Just what was going on?

"Come find me. All of this, it can stop all you have to do is free me."

I heard a voice, but it didn't speak exactly, I heard it in my mind. It was the same voice that I first heard on the bus. Female but with a gruffness to it.

I took off running, I had to get away from there. Something in that clearing wanted to take me. I felt a hand on my shoulder grabbing me.

"Ember!"

I heard my name called.

It was all too much, my skin felt like it was on fire, and not in its usual tingly way.

I fell to my knees. I couldn't take it The whole world was spinning. I collapsed to the ground completely, everything going dark. The far off light of the lanterns slowly fading away into black.

                           ..................

My eyes burst open, as frantically I looked around the room.

I was in bed blankets pulled over me Jade lying in my hair. The smell of pine needles wafting in from the open window.

Standing over be was Myscheif his left hand grasped tightly against his chest.

"Are you okay?" His voice had an urgency to it almost like fear.

I sat up moving Jade. My heart was racing, and my breathing came in short gasps.

I shook my head, "just a dream", don't worry about it."

Of course, I'm going to worry." He took his hand holding it out in front of him. It was red, a blister already forming at the edge of his palm.

"Now what is going on?" He repeated his question.

I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. "Remember when I told you I would really rather not talk about why I'm here so late in the year?"

"Yeah?" He stretched the word out.

"Well this," I gestured at myself and his hand. "Is why I'm here, my powers are of control. And then I just keep on having this dream, tonight I saw her, I think it was Acorn.

"What are you talking about? You never even met her." He took a step back away from me.

"I don't know, I just-there's this feeling in my chest like I know it was her. In my head, I can see her, shoulder-length mouse-brown hair, dust-colored skin. The same blue uniform both of us wear."

Myscheif's eyes widened, "no that's-that isn't possible, you didn't even know her. Wha-what else did you see?"

I took a deep breath. "here goes nothing." I told him everything. He deserved to know the truth, after all, he and I were going to be roommates for at least another six months. I couldn't lie to him about this.

He listened to my story intently, not cutting in once. At some point, he slumped to the floor sitting before me cross-legged. By the time I was done he looked exhausted, almost like something inside of him had stopped working.

He stood staggering to his feet, he wouldn't look at me. "It's not your fault, you know that right?"

He turned finally looking me in the eyes. "I may not know just what is going on, but I do know that whatever is happening would have happened with or without you. You're just connected to it somehow, and that puts you in a position that can help us. With you just maybe we'll be able to finally figure out what's going on here. Tomorrow at lunch come sit with Cascade and I again, she needs to know."

With that Myscheif turned away from me climbing into his bed, his burned hand over-top of the blanket.

I laid back down too, but in my heart, I knew I wasn't getting any more sleep.

In the dark, every shadow seemed to dance, floating across my vision. A face in the popcorn ceiling, a shadowy figure dancing on the wall. It was like everywhere I looked the shadows we're always there, it had been like that since I was little.

At the base of my bed, I watched as Jade's shadow rose and fell with her breath. I watched my own uneasy shadow as it stayed almost completely still.

The night was long and dragged on for hours, yet somehow eventually sleep overcame me.

When my eyes next opened, the sun had finally started to rise. Both Jade and Mischief were gone.

I spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the day. I was exhausted, but since when did that stop anyone?

With a yawn, I slung my bag over my shoulder, checked one last time that the window was open for Jade, and headed out into the hall. They were just as winding as ever, but I thought maybe I was starting to get the hang of it.

The day flew by, my mind on too many things to count.

As I walked down the halls to the cafeteria, my heart beat with the strength of a thousand drums. My dream was still far too real feeling. Every time I closed my eyes I could see Acorn's face, she haunted me. How was I supposed to tell her best friend just what I saw in my dream?

Just as I was about to turn the corner, I was stopped. There were voices, angry voices.

"You have to close the school. How in good faith can we keep it open when so much has happened?"

Ms. Lyn's voice rang out loud and clear in my ears.

"Lyn, you know we can't do that. So many of the students, your students have nowhere else to go."The Headmaster responded.

"It's not safe here and you know it! Three Woodbrook, three students. That's how many have already disappeared! Your family knew the legends, why couldn't you all have just listened?"

Suddenly from behind me, a hand gripped my shoulder and the voices went quiet.

A/n
What do you guys think? A lot of stuff just got revealed. Did it answer some of your questions?

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