Read Online The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1) by C. L. McCourt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: C. L. McCourt
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studying, were on the other side of the room in tangled disarray on the floor.
"Your dreams are getting out of control." Julie sat on the edge of Rhea's bed and looked at her friend with concern, anger, and a little bit of fear. "What are you dreaming that freaks you out enough to throw things —and now me?"
Rhea reclined on the only pillow left on the bed and draped her arm over her eyes, not wanting to face the fact that something was wrong. "I can't remember. I'm so sorry. Maybe it's the stress of exams. Just another week ... then the holiday break. I'm sure I'll be myself when we get back."
Julie bit her lower lip, hesitant to broach the next subject.
Rhea peeked out from under her arm when Julie didn't comment. "What? You've gotten quiet."
"Cassandra, at the other end of the hall, is losing her roommate. I think I'm going to move in with her next semester."
Rhea sat up. "What do you mean? I have a few bad nights and you're going to bail on me?"
"It hasn't been a few nights. It's been weeks, and it's getting worse. Who knows, maybe they won't have anyone to fill my space at such late notice. You might have the room to yourself."
Rhea knew Julie was doing what was best for her , but that didn't protect the next person who would share Rhea's room. She needed to get a handle on what was bothering her, understand why she was lashing out in her sleep. After each dream, the only thing she could remember was feeling afraid, but tonight had been different. Tonight she had been terrified. "I understand. I'm just afraid for my next roommate if I don't get a handle on my ... whatever you call it."
"Issues?"
"Yes, issues." Rhea rolled her eyes, annoyed that her friend was right. What her friend didn't know was that she had more issues than she realized, issues she'd had all her life and couldn't share with anyone for fear of being medicated or, even worse, hospitalized for being mentally ill. "It'll work out. It has to."
Julie started to climb up into her bed again but stopped to rethink her decision. "In light of my recent trip to the floor, would you mind taking the top bunk until the end of the semester?"
"Sure." Feeling heavyhearted that she'd hurt her roommate and friend, Rhea switched beds.
10
Holidays
Rhea shot up from her pillow, arms extended in front of her, and screamed. Pillows and stuffed animals launched off her bed as if they feared for their lives. In a matter of seconds it was over.
Rhea sat in the middle of her childhood bed, gasping for air , as she became aware of her surroundings. The storm door slammed downstairs, startling Rhea and signifying that her mom was home from the store. She looked at the clock, 4:30 p.m., four hours since she'd arrived home for the holiday. She'd fallen asleep shortly after lunch. Her mom, Christine, had insisted she take a nap, noting the dark circles under Rhea's eyes.
Rhea had explained that she'd pulled a couple all-nighters studying for exams and that she was okay, but that wasn't true. She didn't like lying to her parents, but over the years it had become second nature. It had become a necessity.
For as long as Rhea could remember, she'd had what her parents called an active imagination. That's how they explained the creatures and places Rhea could see in the shadows cast by the moon's light.
When she was little, the creatures used to scare her. If she woke in the middle of the night and looked around her room, she often saw different types of animals staring back at her from the shadows. She'd yell for her mom, afraid the creature she saw was in her room, but each time Christine came to her rescue, it was gone. The light from the hall would fill her room, wiping away the moon shadows.
Her parents would tell her it was just a dream or her imagination. Rhea never agreed with her parents, never believed that what she could see in the moon shadows wasn't real.
Shortly after she turned nine, a dog-like creature became a regular sighting in
"Your dreams are getting out of control." Julie sat on the edge of Rhea's bed and looked at her friend with concern, anger, and a little bit of fear. "What are you dreaming that freaks you out enough to throw things —and now me?"
Rhea reclined on the only pillow left on the bed and draped her arm over her eyes, not wanting to face the fact that something was wrong. "I can't remember. I'm so sorry. Maybe it's the stress of exams. Just another week ... then the holiday break. I'm sure I'll be myself when we get back."
Julie bit her lower lip, hesitant to broach the next subject.
Rhea peeked out from under her arm when Julie didn't comment. "What? You've gotten quiet."
"Cassandra, at the other end of the hall, is losing her roommate. I think I'm going to move in with her next semester."
Rhea sat up. "What do you mean? I have a few bad nights and you're going to bail on me?"
"It hasn't been a few nights. It's been weeks, and it's getting worse. Who knows, maybe they won't have anyone to fill my space at such late notice. You might have the room to yourself."
Rhea knew Julie was doing what was best for her , but that didn't protect the next person who would share Rhea's room. She needed to get a handle on what was bothering her, understand why she was lashing out in her sleep. After each dream, the only thing she could remember was feeling afraid, but tonight had been different. Tonight she had been terrified. "I understand. I'm just afraid for my next roommate if I don't get a handle on my ... whatever you call it."
"Issues?"
"Yes, issues." Rhea rolled her eyes, annoyed that her friend was right. What her friend didn't know was that she had more issues than she realized, issues she'd had all her life and couldn't share with anyone for fear of being medicated or, even worse, hospitalized for being mentally ill. "It'll work out. It has to."
Julie started to climb up into her bed again but stopped to rethink her decision. "In light of my recent trip to the floor, would you mind taking the top bunk until the end of the semester?"
"Sure." Feeling heavyhearted that she'd hurt her roommate and friend, Rhea switched beds.
10
Holidays
Rhea shot up from her pillow, arms extended in front of her, and screamed. Pillows and stuffed animals launched off her bed as if they feared for their lives. In a matter of seconds it was over.
Rhea sat in the middle of her childhood bed, gasping for air , as she became aware of her surroundings. The storm door slammed downstairs, startling Rhea and signifying that her mom was home from the store. She looked at the clock, 4:30 p.m., four hours since she'd arrived home for the holiday. She'd fallen asleep shortly after lunch. Her mom, Christine, had insisted she take a nap, noting the dark circles under Rhea's eyes.
Rhea had explained that she'd pulled a couple all-nighters studying for exams and that she was okay, but that wasn't true. She didn't like lying to her parents, but over the years it had become second nature. It had become a necessity.
For as long as Rhea could remember, she'd had what her parents called an active imagination. That's how they explained the creatures and places Rhea could see in the shadows cast by the moon's light.
When she was little, the creatures used to scare her. If she woke in the middle of the night and looked around her room, she often saw different types of animals staring back at her from the shadows. She'd yell for her mom, afraid the creature she saw was in her room, but each time Christine came to her rescue, it was gone. The light from the hall would fill her room, wiping away the moon shadows.
Her parents would tell her it was just a dream or her imagination. Rhea never agreed with her parents, never believed that what she could see in the moon shadows wasn't real.
Shortly after she turned nine, a dog-like creature became a regular sighting in
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