I was with Beth, Liza, and Vally. “What are you doing in my dream?” we asked each other. “No, what are you doing in mine?” we replied. “Wait, we’re sharing a dream! This must be…” we looked at each other. “...girls?” we heard a familiar voice call out to us. We all turned around, and saw Marcus on the ground, burns as long as my palm and bruises all over him. I was shocked beyond words, and I could tell the others were as well. “Marcus!” We all ran over to him. “What happened to you?” asked Valentina, as she and I helped him up. “I dunno, one second I’m getting changed, the next, I'm in this place being tortured and half-starved.” he said, then he shook his head. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous.” “escuuuuuuuuse me?” I said, giving him a look. Then Beth piped up, “We’re not really here anyway, I think we’re dreaming. I think. I dunno. Maybe. Probably.” he laughed, a wonderful, familiar sound. “I forgot how stubborn you girls were,” he said, and the hint of sadness in his voice pierced my heart worse than a knife. Beth studied us, and frowned, “But, guys, since we’re consciously in a dream, like, we know we’re dreaming, it’ll probably not last. I think we’ll wake up soon! Oh, and guys, we gotta test to make sure it’s actually us! Like, are all you dreaming here, or is it just me dreaming about you, and conjuring a fake image of you, that moves . . .” Vally, Liza, and I cocked our heads in confusion. “Say whaaaaaa??” Beth blushes. “Sorry . . .guess I definitely read too much . . .” But Marcus seemed to understand. “Alright, let's check . . .Beth, lemme see your left wrist.” Beth held out her left wrist. Marcus pointed to a small white scar there. “You got that when you were like, four, cutting open a package from the mail!” He said. Beth nodded, happily. “Dreams don’t have this much detail when it’s a fake Beth!” “But guys,--” I said, “--Is this actually a dream?” Marcus cocks his head. “For me, no. I’m here in these woods. I know that for certain. It’s not the first time I have been here, and it feels so real, I have all my senses, I know I am really here.” “So, then, we’re all here too! Cuz how could we dream with someone awake?” Asks Liza. Once we were done Liza grabbed Marcus’s arm, and pointed to one of the burns. “Someone’s been beating you.” Marcus seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable. “No, um, really it’s nothing.” He said evasively. Beth got real mad. “Bro! I‘ve seen Karate Kid, and read books with boys as the main character!! So I know, and really just cuz you boys have this thing where ya don’t tell your mom, or any girls that you’re getting bullied or beat up--which is a ridiculous concept. Drop it, boys! And, Marcus, we know you. So you just tell me this gosh dang person who beat you up, and I’ll---” “It’s not a person, Beth! It’s like a… A spirit. I dunno, something like that.” Vally glared and balled her fists, I could see her forming a battle plan. “Spirit or not, Beth is right. Who’s sorry butt are we kicking?!” She growled, looking around. Marcus hangs his head wearily, and behind his back, Liza swiped her hand across her throat and glared pointedly at Beth and Vally. Drop it. I kneel in front of Marcus, deciding to try a different tactic, one I knew would work: Ease it out. “Marcus,” I say gently, “--tell us. We wanna help.” Marcus shakes his head, “No, there’s nothing you can do . . .” Beth leaps to her feet. “A CHALLENGE! I SHALL--” Liza tackles Beth and clamps a hand over her mouth, whispering furiously, “Shut. It. Nati’ll get it out of him. Then we’ll kick butts, kay?” I shot Liza a grateful look, and put my hand on Marcus’s shoulder, he winced, probably because there’s a bruise under his shirt right there. Beth nodded at Liza resignedly and pushed her off. Beth went and talked to Vally, a little ways away. They both mashed their fists into their palms, a battle plan obviously forming between them. “Mar, we’ve known each other since we were 4. Let me help you. Let us help you. If you can tell us who it is, spirit or not, we can help you. We can free you from this place.” Vally couldn't help herself. “You might wanna mention the death warrant if we don’t save you, this note said--'' Liza clamped a hand over Vally’s mouth, and I shot Vally a death stare. Marcus--luckily--is good at ignoring that kind of stuff. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a feeling of deep sorrow, mixed with fear. A fog started to fill the clearing, blinding us. “He’s coming. You girls have to go now.” I felt like I was being pulled back by some, some invisible force. “We’re not leaving you!” I heard Vally call off from somewhere behind the fog. “I know, Vally, but you must,” Marcus answered. “AND THAT STUPID SPIRIT WON’T KNOW WHAT’S COMIN’ FOR HIM, IMA KICK HIS SORRY BEHIND!” shouted Beth, from somewhere to my right. “I’m sorry…” he called out to us before the world went black. I heard a whip crack, and Marcus, his voice raw with pain, screaming.
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