I walked for more than an hour trying to get home and for some odd reason I'm nowhere near it. My legs already feel heavy as lead and I don't think I want to walk anymore. I know that I was over exaggerating about the whole five mile walking distance, but I didn't think it would be this long. I don't even know how far away I am from home. Then it hits me, I could just use my phone!

I just face palm myself for not realizing this a whole lot sooner. I blame the stupid nightmares and this stupid first day of school. I take out my phone and just when I was about to speed dial my house my phone dies.

"Are you kidding me!" I snap at it and fight the urge to smash my phone to the ground. Not only am I completely lost, I have no communication method to anyone. I took in a breath and sighed frustrated, then I noticed the scenery change. The sidewalk up ahead of me was an endless road with warehouses to the side.

"Those weren't there a minute ago." I said, I thought I was still in my neighborhood, with nice houses and not scary movie scene. I stayed perfectly still, not wanting to make a fatal move. I closed my eyes and tried to think that this was all a dream. It has to be a dream.

All of a sudden I felt this searing pain on my forearm. I flung open my eyes and clutched it. Trying to make the pain stop with some pressure. But the pain wasn't stopping I looked down and I see bright red branches start forming from the tip of my fingertips slowly running up my arm. I gasp and try to get a grip on myself, but a real hand appears around my throat and I'm shoved to the wall.

I'm trying to focus on everything but my arm and see right at a thug looking guy. Wait, what the hell is going on? His grip around my throat tightens and I'm trying to breath. I try to slap him, slap his hands to release me.

"She didn't tell us how pretty you are." I hear him whisper right at my ear. I couldn't focus on anything, I'm in so much pain and I can't breathe.

"I don't think she will mind if I have my way with you." He slowly licks from my jaw all the way up my cheek. I'm about to barf, when I finally manage to grasp my reasoning and knee him right on his groin. His eyes widen and he releases my neck. I shove him down to the floor, while he was covering his male parts.

I ran and ran, trying to ignore the pain I felt on my arm. Forcing my now sore legs to sprint. I can't let that creep catch me. I closed my eyes and willed the last ounce of adrenaline to save myself.

I turned a corner and was faced with a small group of thug looking guys. Their limbs were covered with tattoos and they all wore some sort of sport shirt trying to show off their muscles, which I had to admit was very intimidating. I stepped back from them hitting a stone wall. What the hell is going on? There was a street that I came from there a second ago. I placed my hands against the cold wall and tried to feel it, trying to convince myself that this was real.

"I'm guessing you're the one that we've been waiting for." One of them grinned, he took out a pocket knife and I instantly started sweating bricks.

"What you can't take me one on one so you got to bring some friends along?" I grinned at them. Even when I was completely terrified, there was no way in hell that I was going to show these sons of a bitches that I was scared of them.

"I would be careful, wouldn't want to tick me off little princess." He growled and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Do they not know how to think of better come backs?

"Oh just kill me already." I rolled my eyes and ducked when one of them threw a fist at me. He made a whole on the wall getting stuck in there. I had a major decision to make right then and there. In that tiny scope of time, I could either succumb to them probably still get killed or fight and pray that things go well.

I brought down my elbow to his extended arm and managed to break it. His cry of pain could be heard to a long distance. I could see the leader of the gang get angry, his jaw clenching and unclenching he ordered his men to take me by force. I grabbed hold of the stuck-guy's belt and managed to free it. I'm not a crazy ass fighter but I took enough self-defense to know how to handle people with knives. I flicked the belt right at a guy's nuts and kicked the knife off of his hand. Next one came from behind me almost plunging his knife in my abdomen before bumped my butt out and stepped on his foot. I slid down between his legs and kicked his butt shoving him to two guys that were coming after me. I whipped the belt again and hit the leader's forehead hard before I again kicked his nut sack. I took this as an advantage to take off sprinting.

I turned a corner and crash against someone. I hear the guy grunt as we fall down to the floor. This is it, I thought I was a goner when I saw a familiar pair of hazel eyes.

"Nick..." I gasped and at the same time I felt tears start to form at the corner of my eyes. I wrapped my arms around him and held on to him. I tried really hard not to start crying especially when we're not safe.

"It's going to be okay Arya, just take a deep breaths." He comforted me and even when I knew there was danger just around the corner I felt safe.

"Close your eyes and count to three." He whispered on my ear softly. My body automatically started to relax as I held on to him gently.

"One." I said my voice shaking a bit, I can hear in the distance the orders of the thugs' right behind us. I get nervous and tighten my grip on him.

"Everything is going to be alright keep going." He assured me. Why in the hell was I trusting him in this?

"Two." I said clinging on to him when I hear the thugs

"There she is!" They yell, but I just kept my eyes shut and completely trusted in Nick.

"Three."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Arya!" I hear someone call out for me. I open my eyes and try to not freak out one more time. I was no longer in the middle of the street and at night. I was at a room, with white walls and some oak head dresser with a mirror showing my reflection and a guy next to me. I look to my side and see hazel eyes with a pair of glasses.

"God Ray, you scared the cap out of me." I said smacking his shoulder and let my head drop down to the pillow. I raise my right forearm and smile when I don't see the bright red marks. It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. I let a giggle slip out of my lips, I felt Ray's hand slowly take mine and kissed the top of my hand. I looked at him a bit stunned and he just smiles at me.

"I thought it would help you come to reality." He confessed and I couldn't make myself feel like this was an awkward situation. Heck I would take awkward more than a scary situation.

"Do you know what happened to me?" I asked.

"It seems like you fainted on your way home." He said smiling at me warmly. "My brother and I were driving home and we noticed you just drop. We thought that maybe you had some type of anemia or something." He explained and I tried to digest what he was telling me.

I didn't remember fainting or anything like that. I mean the last memory I have was me walking to school and then I was walking for a long time. I couldn't think of a time where I blacked out or zoned out.

"I'll get you something to eat, that way you can get your strength back." He said and let go of my hand. I was still trying to connect the dots in my head when I realized something.

"Where's Nick?" I sat up from the bed feeling really concerned. Whether it was a dream or not I had left Nick to face the thugs. I needed to know if he was okay because if he wasn't then that would mean the nightmare might not be a nightmare.

Ray just smiled at me in a comforting way, but for some strange reason it didn't work as well as Nick's did. "He's fine he's over at the kitchen making some food for us." With that he walked out of the room. Why couldn't I believe him?

A few minutes passed and I hear some voices down stairs. It seemed like they were having an argument. I gently slipped off of the bed and tip toed my way to the door. I didn't want to be heard or be noticed because I really wanted to know what they were talking about. I grabbed the knob and slowly twisted it until I was able to open the door. With the small opening I could hear the voices a bit clearer.

Thank God I was skinny enough and didn't have to open the door the whole way. I tip toed down the corridor until I was close to where the staircase was.

"Nick she's been attacked in plain daylight! We can't have her stay in this realm any longer." I hear Ray snapped at Nick.

"Can you shut the hell up, I know what has been happening. I pulled her out of that comatose state remember." He practically growls at Ray

"Yes I know, by the way what the hell were you thinking! You know that we aren't supposed to be doing that. You could've been stuck forever in that state!" Ray said. You could tell that he really cared for Nick but wait what's are they talking about a realm? So Nick had been there with me.

"Well what was I supposed to do? You saw it with your own eyes, those branches that were appearing on her limbs. They were attacking her in her own mind. We are her protectors I was not going to let our only hope die." He hissed at his brother.

It took me a while to really understand what they were saying to each other. I was being attacked, I didn't have a chance to survive back there? My mouth all of a sudden felt dry and I started to hear my heart beating right on my ears. Our only hope?

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked standing at the top of the stairs glaring at both of them. So if what they were saying is true then that means that me attending that school. Ray being my guide was all planned. But planned for what?

They both looked at me with different gazes, Ray was the only one that actually looked sorry for having me over hearing their conversation. Nick on the other hand seemed to not give a damn. He turned around and went to sit on the couch.

"Well it looks like the cat is out of the bag so why don't you clear things up while I feel accomplished for saving your ass." Nick said smugly as he sat down on the couch.

Ray and I at least agreed on one thing at the moment. And that was to mentally kill Nick and his smooth ways of being tactful.