Time to Dance

"Alexandra." I heard someone hiss from behind me.

"We will find you." Another voice said.

I started to run. I noticed I was running in some woods with nothing but darkness all around. I couldn't turn around. Running was my only instinct.

"You think you are safe but soon you won't be. You won't be able to stop what is coming. Your mother won't be able to save you either. There is a war that is brewing." A figure said standing in front of me and making me lose my balance as I fell to the ground.

The figure then turned on a flashlight and I saw his face. He was young, probably in his early twenties. He then bent down closer to me and gazed into my eyes. The man leaned into me and flashed fangs. My mouth dropped open.

"No! Vampires are no more! You are all dead! Leave me alone!" I screamed.

Then I heard a howl in the night and the vampire was gone. I went to get up but as I did, I saw exactly what scared the vampire off. In front of me now, baring its fangs, was a huge werewolf. And then he lunged at me.

"No!" I said sitting up in bed sweating.

Every night since I was six, I have had nightmares of vampires, but now werewolves? I can't figure out what it means. My dreams always mention a war. Why do I have these dreams? Mom killed all of the vampires and everyone knows there is no such things as a werewolf.

I decided to get up and sneak out my window. Seeing my bestfriend Nate was always therapy since we were kids. I was only a few months older than him but we remained close. He was even closer to me then his twin sister Kayla who was also my best friend.

Nate lived next door to us and his bedroom was on the first floor so it was easy for me to access. My parents moved a little before my brother Will was born and amazingly Nate's father, my Uncle Brendon, who is actually an old family friend, suggested to my dad to move in the house we are in now because it was up for sale at that time.

I looked at my watch. It read that it was three am. I had three hours until I needed to get up for school.

I gently knocked on Nate's window, careful not to wake up my Aunt Erelin, Uncle Brendon, or Kayla. "Did your parents fight again?" A sleepy Nate asked as he opened his window for me to climb in.

My parents have been fighting on and off since I six that I remember. Sometimes I think it is because of me. It makes me think that maybe I should have never been born. Mom has become paranoid making me, my brother, and my younger sister Elizabeth all be home before dark or call if we are going to be out late.

I know that they both love each other and still care about one another but lately it has gotten hard on us kids. My mother has been keeping things from my father, which has caused some fights and problems. The sad thing is that even though I may not know what is wrong with my mom, I sense that there is good reason as to why she is the way she is. Mom always worries over me. That is why I refuse to tell her about my nightmares.

Growing up with my aunts and uncles' kids has helped some. They all know the stories as my parents and their parents have told them since they were born. We all have a tight bond and stick together in school. However, as close as we all may be, there is one in particular whom I tell all my secrets. He has always been there when I need him and his name is Nate, the boy whose room I am now standing in.

Nate is the only person who I have told about my nightmares. In fact that is when I snuck out in the first place was when I was little and had the nightmares. He is also the only one who understands me the most. Maybe that is how we are such good friends. It is creepy how we can finish each other's sentences sometimes. It is as if he knows what I am thinking or how I am feeling.

"No, they weren't fighting again this time." I replied as I crawled into his bed. Nate kissed my forehead and grabbed a pillow and blanket. He was going to sleep on the floor as he always does when I sneak in.

"So you had a nightmare again?" He asked as he got settled.

"Yes. This time it was a little different." I replied yawning. "This time there was a werewolf." I said.

"Maybe you should start talking to your mom about your dreams." Nate said.

"No. You know I can't do that and besides with my birthday coming up soon, I don't want to bug her with it." I said.

"Well, I am always here for you, Alexandra." Nate said yawning.

I let everyone else call me Alex. I hated being called Alexandra. Nate was the only one I let call me by my real name. It just fit with him and I let him get away with it.

I closed my eyes and fell back asleep. I felt two arms shake me awake and a voice whisper in my ear. "Alexandra, get up. You need to get back to your room. It is six am." Nate whispered.

"Crap! I can't be late for school!" I yelled quickly hopping out of Nate's bed and making my way back to my room at my house. I couldn't get him in trouble and I didn't want to get in trouble for sneaking off.

As I quickly got ready for school, my mind wandered. My life has not been perfect. I can feel that there is some sort of danger lurking in the world. Vampires cannot exist. My mother killed them all. So why do I have nightmares and why did my mother become so paranoid?

My eighteenth birthday is in a week. My senior year of high school is almost at an end. Prom is in a month followed by graduation. Sometimes I wonder what will happen to my friends once we go our separate ways with college and all. Sometimes I wonder what my life holds when my dreams are all nightmares.

Life is a dance. We should not forget the past. Those who forget are doomed to repeat it. If this is my life then the time to dance has begun.