• Chapter 5

    Already it was Saturday. Aunt Nora came by early and took Helen with her to go shopping. She paid Cara the money for watching Helen but Cara refused it, feeling responsible for scaring Helen yesterday at the doll exhibition. Aunt Nora just shoved the money into her hand with a smile, taking Helen by the arm and leaving. Helen was different, it seemed, now that she had a few more real human friends, chatting away as she got into the car with her mom--no more silent and non talkative Helen. Cara didn't know how she could influence Helen that way since she was pretty much a dark Goth and keep to herself kind of person.

    Cara made a date with her friends to meet up at Zach's. His house was always the best place since his step dad and mom worked on Saturdays. When she arrived, Naomi was already there.

    "God, both of you look awful. Didn't you guys sleep at all last night?" Zach said, bringing three cups of coffee and putting them on the table in front of them.

    "I just had a bad dream," Cara said, taking the warm coffee and sipping it.

    She sighed when Zach started poking Naomi with a magazine. Naomi took the magazine from him and hit his head with it.

    "Ouch...that's hurt." he said, rubbing his head.

    "Good. That's mean your brain nerves working." Naomi replied.

    "Evil woman. No wonder you don't have a boyfriend," Zach laughed, ducking and blocking the next hit from Naomi.

    "Oh guys, c'mon. I thought we were here to have fun and discuss stuff," Cara said, trying to calm her friends.

    "I would if you tell her to behave!" Zach said, pointing his face towards Naomi.

    Naomi glared back and reached for a cushion to throw at him, but Zach moved just in time and it missed him.

    "Oh c'mon, behave. BOTH of you," Cara sighed.

    "Alright," Zach said, holding up both hands in surrender then rubbed them together. "What juicy gossip are we going to talk about now?"

    "Let's start with the girl you were talking to at the museum," Cara grinned.

    "Oh, you mean the cute girl? Her name is Annastasia Norrington. She just moved to my neighborhood and might end up at our school," Zach said, watching Noami scratch at her left palm. "You should get that checked. You've been scratching that a lot already today."

    Naomi just stuck her tongue out at Zach.

    Cara pulled Naomi's hand to her and saw a small red blotch in the middle of her palm. Something about the rash disturbed her.

    "It's nothing. Probably something that I touched and am allergic to," Naomi said, pulling her hand away from Cara. "What did you dream about yesterday?"

    Cara looked at Naomi, puzzled.

    "You said you dreamed about something bad. Was it someone with a failing grade again?" she asked.

    "No it wasn't. It was about a girl with wings again,"

    Cara glanced at to Naomi and Zach, worry creasing her brow. She knew that the dreams couldn't possibly come true but she couldn't help the feeling that they were a warning about her friends' safety.

    "I dreamed that Naomi grew a pair of wings and that Zach came and fought with you."

    "Oh, who won?" Zach was interested to know.

    "Um, I don't know," she lied. "Naomi? Naomi, what's wrong?"

    Cara shook her a bit, seeing her face was white.

    "It's...it's nothing, I guess," Naomi replied, her face still very pale.

    "It's not 'nothing' when your face is white as a ghost and you're shaking like that," Zach said, taking both of Naomi's hands in his. "Tell us."

    "Yesterday, I felt someone or something on me when I was sleeping. I couldn't move or open my eyes or even scream," she whispered as Cara took her other hand, which was ice cold. "Afterwards I heard chanting around me and whatever that thing was, i felt his cold nail running over my skin. When I woke up, I didn't have any clothes on. It was weird because I thought I was so tired yesterday that I slept with my clothes on."

    Zach and Cara gazed at each other. They knew Naomi too well. Shes not a person that likes to make up stories.

    "I'm sorry, I have to go now," Naomi said, grabbing her stuff and heading towards the door.

    "Naomi, please. You know we're your buddies and buddies take care of each other, right?" Zach said, blocking her way.

    "Yeah, Naomi,' Cara said, coming to hug her.

    "It's okay you guys. I'm going home to rest...I didn't get much sleep last night," she said as she hugged them both back.

    "You want me to drive you home? I can take your car then Cara can drive me back," Zach said.

    "No, I don't want to trouble you guys. Now move your butt so I can leave and get home, " Naomi said, starting to sound impatient.

    Zach moved aside to let her through and they watched their friend get into her car and drive away. Cara indeed worried about her friend and hoped her dream was just a nightmare and not a sign.