Beware the Dreamer Who Sees the Darkness

I woke up that morning screaming like a banshee. I couldn't remember what my dream was or who was in it but all I could remember was that I was scared.

"Pull yourself together, Vivian,"

I got out of my bed and went to the bathroom I stared at my reflection. My usual straight, sleek brown hair that would hang almost half way down my back was sticking out of all directions. I had bags under my dark green eyes and I was luck that my light skin for once wasn't breaking out. I wasn't tall maybe five four but I was lean and curvy so I looked pretty good. After I was done in the bathroom and headed back to my room and got dressed. I decided to wear my black long sleeve v neck shirt, burgundy skater skirt, black tights, and some combat boot heels. I had brushed my hair out so it was sleek again and I had put on a little eyeliner and bush with a little dark red lipstick. I looked great. I usual didn't dress up, but for some reason I wanted to today.

I walked down the hall to my kitchen and made some toast I ate it quickly. I left my apartment and headed to the bus stop. Though I lived on my own I was still in high school, my parents were on the road so much for their jobs that I couldn't stay at a school and make friends so my allowed me to have an apartment and stay in New York City. They claimed that it was no trouble to pay for but that wasn't even on my mind, I was just happy to stay in one place for more than a month. Especially now that I was a senior and had been living there for the past two years, since I was sixteen.

I went to James Madison High School a place that I dreaded. Its stone walls felt like a prison with the inmates being just as violent. I was always getting pushed and pulled through the halls barely avoiding flying fists and small squabbles. The only thing that I liked about the school was the fact that I got to stay on a reliable routine. I lived pretty close as the school was in Brooklyn but I liked to take to the bus.

The giant metal yellow bus rolled to a screech halt. When I entered I did my best to slip as quietly as possible to the back of the bus and take my seat. The ride wasn't very long but I still had to deal with dodging quite a few flying paper balls.

When we finally reached the school I ran to my locker. The one place that I liked in the whole school. I opened the locker and took it in. Pictures of me, my family, and my only two friends in the world, Eden and Tori.

"Hey, Viv," Said a voice from behind me. I turned and saw Tori. She wore a black tank with jeans and a black leather jacket and combat boots. Her wavy red hair was pulled back into a ponytail that hung just past her shoulders. Her tan skin was almost glowing even without makeup and her brown eyes were the color of chocolate. she was tall almost five seven, thin and lean because of her basketball training. I never understood why she was friends with me. She was popular and I was a nobody who liked to draw things that didn't make sense.

"Hey T," I reached for a book in my locker but she grabbed my arm and began to jump up and down. "Why are you so excited?"

"New boy, new boy, new boy!" her smile was so wide I thought her face might crack.

"Calm down it's just a guy," I rolled my eyes at her. she was a bit boy crazy but I had never seen her so excited.

"It's not just a guy it's an extremely hot guy!" she let out a squeal and I had to make sure that I hadn't lost my hearing.

"Well you have fun with that I have to get to art class," she walked with me after I left. we talked about boys, art, where my parents were that month.

"Wow, Las Vegas seriously?" she said enthusiastic as always.

"Yeah I hate the place it's just a bunch of gambling and partying. Which even if I wanted to do my parents would never allow me to do."

"Yet somehow they let you stay in New York City by yourself. Your parents are a mystery."

"I agree," and we started laughing. My parents were constantly on the road and at college lectures. they had a new one every month or week and I don't think I've ever seen two people use up more gas.

When we got to the art room I gave Tori a hug and went into the room. The smell of acrylic paint, clay, oil paints and pastels floated through the air and hit my nose like a freight train. I loved it. I sat at one of the giant tables, got out my sketchbook and began to draw. I loved all forms of art but I loved to draw the best it was like my brain wasn't in control of my hand. it would always turn out amazing but sometimes it would be like a trance. Things I had never seen before, and they would always change. Once I drew Tori with elf ears and tattoos, another I drew a monster that looked straight out of Lovecraft story.

That day I drew a face I had never seen before, but it seemed so real, so vivid. I had decided to use colored pencils that day, and I had used a lot of colors. Half of the face I had drawn was regular. He was a boy about my age, his tanned skin and his dirty blonde hair almost reminded me of a surfer. The sides was shorter but the top was long enough that the curls hung ever so slightly in his face. He had a little scar across his forehead that was barely noticeable but still stood out like red paint on a pristine white canvas. His jaw was sharp. His lips were turned into a smirk that was filled with cockiness. Only his eye held little color; it was the color of grey storm clouds but it had the smallest flecks of gold. It had a look like it would be oh so easy to watch the world burn in front of him. He was gorgeous, but the other half of the drawing was strange.

The other half was a wolf. Its fur was steel grey with fangs on full display. Its snout was long with a black nose at the end. it had large ears that looked like they would be soft the the touch. Once again the main focus for me was the eye. It was the opposite of the boys, it was large, predatory, and was bright gold except for hints of grey. The eyes of a hunter zoned in onto prey, eyes that I would never see in real life.

"Settle down class, settle down." Mrs. Humphrys, our art teacher, stood and began to speak. She had her white hair pulled back into tight ballerina bun. She wore simple long skirts and shirts with a blue cardigan which I was sure she had twenty because she wore one every day. That day she wore a black skirt with a white shirt. Her eyes were deep brown that reminded me of chocolate. Her voice was soothing and she was like the mother I, pretty much, didn't have. She was so skinny sometimes I thought she would snap like a twig. She always wore the biggest smile because she loved her job. "Now this is your new classmate, Grayson Miller."

We all turned to the doorway and in walked Grayson. He wore a white t shirt with flannel over it, white wash jeans, and a black tennis shoes. He was lean, muscular, and easily over six foot four, but as I looked up at his face I saw that it was the exact face I had drew. I stared back down at the half human face. It was the same down to even the small scar. I looked back and forth between the paper and his face in disbelief. Was I losing my mind?

"Now Grayson why don't you introduce yourself," Mrs. Humphrys said. Grayson walking to the front of the room.

"Hey, I'm Grayson I just moved here from California because my dad got a job and that's really it," he said and then shrugged.

"Well we are very glad you're here go take a seat beside, Liam,"she pointed out Liam. The schools golden boy, he was the school's star linebacker and of coarse in true cheesy high school teen movie fashion almost all of the girls in school loved him. He had dark chocolate skin with his hair shaved close ti his head. his eyes were a light and very pale green. He was covered in muscles and had a smile that made most girls go crazy. That day he wore his football jersey and some jeans. he smiled at Grayson he was a pretty nice guy.

Grayson nodded and when to take his seat. Liam smiled at him but Grayson acted like he didn't even notice him. They weren't far from me just a table over but that was it. I could hear everyone and see every gesture. I did my best to look like I wasn't staring like all the other girls who had their eyes glued on Grayson. At that moment he was the center of everyone's attention

"So California, pretty big move," Liam said trying to sound friendly.

"Yeah I guess," replied Grayson not even looking at Liam. He had grabbed a graphite pencil and began to sketch. I took a quick glance to his paper. I thought I was going crazy but it looked like he was drawing a wolf. Why was he drawing a wolf now? This was getting weirder.

"Do you play football or anything?"

"Yes I play football," he said quickly as if trying to end the conversion.

"Cool, we could always use some new players. We actually been trying to replace our cornerback, he tore up his knee last year and the guy we have now isn't great. Would you what to tryout?"

"Maybe," he said still drawing on the paper. I kept staring as his pencil as the strokes began to form a grey shape. It was definitely a wolf, the drawing wasn't half bad. I could tell it was a wolf but he needed to clean up the lines and work on some shading. He looked up from his paper and looked straight at me. I quickly hid my drawing with another piece of paper, picked up a pencil, and moved my eyes to the paper.

I was now drawing my friend Eden. She had fangs and a trickle of blood running down her mouth. Her face was the same except she had bright red eyes. She actually had green eyes that reminded me of the forest of evergreen trees. Her skin was still tan and her hair was a lighter brown than mine. She was curvy and beautiful. She always looked perfect even in a t shirt and jeans. She honestly could've gotten any boy she wanted but she never wanted a relationship. It just wasn't her thing. I thought that I was a bitch because her drawing was close to Eden's actually personality, but if I told her that she would definitely have laughed at me. I loved this drawing and I was definitely going to show Eden.

While I was drawing I kept glancing at Grayson. I wanted to talk to him but it seemed Liam was holding his ear. He did a half smirk and I resisted the urge to get the drawing out and try to see if I could find a difference. I also resisted the urge to get up and walk over to him in the middle of class and ask him if we had met before which at the moment would probably come off as flirting. But as soon as he hit the hallway he was fair game to all. I could talk to him

I sat there in the art room racking my brain, tearing it apart to see where I had met him before. He didn't seem to remember me if he had met me before. I had to know.

My leg bounced up and down waiting impatiently for the bell to ring. I kept working on my drawing making it more gruesome. Now Eden's face was not far away from a body of a boy with a torn out throat. I was happy that she couldn't do that for real.

The bell rang after an eternity of silence and I grabbed my bag and rushed out. I stood outside the door trying not to look like a creep, when Grayson walked by I walked after him trying not to seem too eager.

"Hi," I said waving at him with a small smile.

"Hey?" he sounded confused like he didn't know why I was talking to him.

"I'm Vivian, friends call me Viv."

"Grayson," he stuck out his hand and I grabbed it and shook it. He smiled the same look as on my drawing and I almost melted in the spot. "So why were you looking at me like that in class?"

"You caught that huh?"

"Uh yeah,"

"Well you're new, and as big as New York is we don't get many new people,"

"Sure and it has nothing to do with me at all,"

"Not a thing just wanted to say hi and now I have," I began to walk away but he yelled at me.

"Maybe I'll see you around?" I felt my pulse jump and I fought off the giant smile going across my face.

"If you're luck." I didn't turn back around but I hoped he could hear me and that I was trying to flirt.

I walked back to my locker and found Eden standing there her arms folded over her books and her expression sour. She was wearing a Ravenclaw hoodie that was navy blue with golden writing and a pair of jeans and white sneakers. Her hair was in a fishtail braid that went down to just a few inches below her shoulder.

"So what was all of that about?" her tone slightly mocking. I knew she was trying to annoy me on purpose, this was just how we were. We had been best friends since I moved here and she never changed.

"What was all what about?" I did my best to act like I had no idea what she was talking about.

"You do know your acting sucks right?"

"I'm aware," I slumped my shoulders as I opened my locker. "Wait I was all the way down the hall how could you possibly-"

"One you're loud, two you were wearing such a huge grin I knew something had to have happened," she smirked at me.

"Haha, fine I met the new guy,"

"I don't like that guy something is off about him,"

"You don't like the male species as a whole," I laughed.

"Fair point," she shrugged as I grabbed a book from my locker.

"Anyways something weird happened," I said.

"You're are already weird." she said. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Not my regular brand of weird, I mean this," I handed her the drawing and she held it over my head enjoying that fact that she taller than me. I jumped for the paper.

"Its a great drawing what's your point?"

"It's of the new boy and it was before I ever laid eyes on him," her eyes widened and I looked at her puzzlingly. "Um, earth to E," I snapped my fingers in front of her face and she finally came out of her trance.

"Huh, Oh sorry didn't mean to space out like that," she shoved the drawing back in my hands. "But yeah that's pretty weird but I'm sure its just a coincidence," she said but her face looked worried and slightly angry. It made me a little nervous but I ignored it. I could feel that this was going to be a long day.

After evading two boys tackling each other in the hall, Eden and I made it to our history class. She had a smile plastered on her face but she wasn't fooling me something was wrong. We both hated this class. The teacher, Mr. Savage, was so boring that five minute in half the class was asleep. He was an older man who had what almost looked like zebra stripes in his hair that was slicked back with so much gel it wouldn't move in a tornado. His hazel eyes were almost hidden behind giant glasses with lens so thick they made his eyes look like a praying mantis. His pale skin was beginning to sag so much that it seemed that looked like a candle beginning to melt. His pump body was plopped down in a chair.

We walked to our seats and sat down as I got out my drawing pencils ready to not pay attention to the class when once again he walked in. Grayson. The teacher did the same introduction. I just rolled my eyes as all the girls began to have drool dripping from their mouths. Everyone except me and Eden. She stared at him like she wanted to rip him apart her nostrils flared and her breathing was so heavy I thought she was having a panic attack. She was sitting right next to me so it was easy to tell. I tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to me with wild bloodshot eyes and a crazed look. I jumped back and in less then a second she was back to normal. She stared at me like I was crazy.

"You okay?" she asked. Her breathing was still slightly heavy but only slightly. Had I imagined it?

"Um, yeah just a little-"

"Ladies, I would appreciate it if you would actually pay attention to my lesson." Mr. Savage said arms crossed. I slightly sunk into my chair to make myself smaller as he went back to his lecture he was now giving on the War of 1812. I began sketching and my pencil glided over the paper with ease, every stroke I made was a deliberate one. The picture formed in my head a man with a bald head and flaming read tattoos covering him. His eyes were soulless and black. He had a piercing on his lip and eyes, small silver studs. I looked up from my page for a minute and I saw Grayson looking at me. He gave me a smirk and I put my head back down to hide my now blushing face. I heard a small chuckle. It was him again. I wanted to go up and smack him. Like a flash the class was over and I was leaving again. Grayson looked over and saw my drawing. His face turned pale white he looked at me with a hardened expression. I know it was my imagination, a trick of the light maybe? He's eyes changed they seemed to invert like in my picture but his eyes were more like that of the wolf.

I looked at him with shock, but it was now gone. I must have been losing it. I gathered my stuff and bolted into the hall. Grayson raced behind me and I suddenly had the feeling of a deer being hunted. I took off hoping to lose him in the crowd of people but no luck. When I made it to my locker he was still right behind me, and within a second he closed the gap. He shut my locker with a loud slam and I turned to find him only inches from me. Both of us were breathing heavy but I was just trying to think straight. His gray eyes bore into mine the golden flecks reflecting in the light. then he said something in such a low growl I almost didn't catch it.

"What do you know?"