Sally opened her eyes.

  She was standing in front of a mirror. She looked… different. She was still tall, but her features were a bit off. Her freckles seemed to have multiplied by the thousands. She was also wearing strange clothes. A long shirt draped over some uncomfortably short shorts. She had on shoes the likes of she had never seen before. They seemed rubbery and far too colorful. She realized what had been bothering her. Her hair was tied off in two long pigtails. She hadn’t done that since she was a child. While she was staring at herself in disbelief, a pale girl walked up behind her. Sally looked at the girl. She was short and chubby and was wearing glasses with thick green frames. She was wearing similar clothes as Sally, but her clothes seemed a bit worse for wear and a size or two smaller than would be a proper fit. Something about this girl seemed familiar, but Sally had never seen her before.

  “Yrlith?!” Sally shouted.

  “Shh!” the girl said, covering Sally’s mouth. “Be careful. Our names are different here.” She pulled a card out of her shorts pocket. The little card had a picture of the girl Yrlith now was, and it said, “Wendy MacRogers — Twelfth Grade.”

  “Who’s Wendy MacRogers?” asked Sally.

  “I am,” said Yrlith. “I assume you have one in your clothing as well.”

  Sally felt around and pulled out a card from a back pocket. “Trish Steinmann - Eleventh Grade.”

  “Wait, why are you higher ranked than me?” Sally protested.

  “I don’t know! It doesn’t matter. What does matter is we have to find Toshie, Navarin, and the Dream Eater.”

  Suddenly, a group of young women began walking down the hall where Sally and Yrlith had been chatting. “Excuse me,” Yrlith said, standing in front of them. “Could you be so kind as to–”

  “Excuse you,” said one as she shoved Yrlith. She tumbled back, and Sally caught her. The girls laughed. “What, you want us to tell Coach Armstrong that you two weren’t in here feeling each other up? Fuck off, freaks.” They continued chatting to themselves as they walked away.

  “What are they talking about?” said Yrlith.

  A skinny, pale girl with jet-black hair had stayed behind.

  “It’s you two, isn’t it?” said a high-pitched voice.

  “Navarin?” Sally and Yrlith said together.

  “Yes. What’s with… all this? These bodies? These clothes? I found myself in a large room with those other young women, and they were trying to throw a ball into a hoop that hung from a pole. This older one with a piercing whistle kept yelling at me for not moving. Before I could give her a piece of my mind, some bell rang, and I followed everyone here.”

  “Well, this must be Toshie’s dream,” said Yrlith. “Oh, by the way, we have different names here. I’m Wendy, and she’s Trish.”

  “So that explains why the Whistle Woman was yelling ‘Nadia’ at me,” said Navarin.

  “At least we found each other,” said Sally. “Now we have to find Tosh–”

  “MacRogers, Steinmann, Beaufort! My office. Now!” came a grumbling voice.

  The trio turned and saw a beast of a woman holding a small wooden plank and pointing at them.

  “Haha, the freaks pissed off Armstrong.”

  Sally heard the voice from before mocking them. She wound an arm back, but before she could do anything, Yrlith tugged at her. “Remember, we’re in Toshie’s dream. And it looks like we’re in her world. We shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves until we find the Dream Eater.”

  Sally turned around and sighed. Yrlith was right. It seemed they had more to figure out than how to deal with the Dream Eater.

  “Based on her size, I bet she’s the Eater,” Navarin whispered. Sally had to stifle a laugh.

  The beast bellowed again. “If you three don’t get in my office right now, it’ll be detention for a month!”

  ‘A solid month of detainment due to not following some orders?’ thought Sally. ‘Is Toshie dreaming of some prison?’

  The three followed the muscled mass into an oddly lit room. The light felt as if it was piercing their souls. In this room, Sally could see the avatar chosen for Navarin had some unfortunate pockmarks, which could explain why her hair was worn to cover her face.

  “First, you, Beaufort. If you want a passing grade, I need to see more hustle from you. Understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Navarin.

  “And cut your hair! Or tie it back! I won’t be having you falling over the other girls during class. Now get changed and get to lunch.”

  Navarin looked at Sally and Yrlith, confused about what to do.

  “Now!” barked the woman again. Navarin had no choice but to leave.

  “As for you two.” Her tone sent shivers down Sally’s spine. The woman sighed and turned around. “Look. My older sister was like you two. I didn’t understand her. I still don’t. But I wish she was here to talk to you two. Tell you that it’s not all bad. But…”

  Sally opened her mouth. Yrlith motioned her to shut it.

  “I know it’s hard. You’re young, and you think you’re in love. And if other girls are like you, they’re not comfortable enough to admit it yet. And that’s fine. They will in time.”

  Sally and Yrlith looked at each other. They were at a loss for words.

  “I am your teacher. I can tell those girls to be quiet. I can’t make them like you. And I can’t pass you if you skip my class. So show up, understood?”

  They nodded.

  “Go to lunch. And I hope to see you in class tomorrow. Dismissed.”

  When they returned to the room of mirrors and locked boxes, they found Navarin had changed her clothes. Sally started to laugh.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Say nothing,” Navarin said as soon as her eyes met Sally’s.

  “But it suits you,” Sally said with a giggle.

  “I said be quiet. This was in the box with my name on it. Now retrieve your clothing, and let us proceed to the eating quarters.”

  “The frilly skirt looks good on you,” said Yrlith.

  “Yeah, you should wear black in the real world. Wait, your nails! Are you okay?” Sally said.

  “They seem to be painted,” Navarin said while inspecting them. “Enough time-wasting! Clothe yourselves, and let’s find Toshie.”

  Sally and Yrlith found their boxes, and despite being locked, they seemed to innately know the technique required to spin the dials and open the doors.

  “It must be dream logic,” Navarin said when she noticed their confused faces. “I was able to open mine as well with ease. There’s no point in dwelling on it. We must find Toshie.”

  After they changed, they headed out of the box room and into a giant hallway filled with lights similar to those in the lair of the boss woman. These were even larger and more menacing.

  “Why would Toshie dream of a prison like this?” asked Sally. “And why are these young women forced to do these strange rituals?”

  “It seems like not only the women,” Yrlith said, pointing to a group of young men chatting in the hallway.

  “Hm, perhaps they would know the way to the lunch hall,” Navarin said, walking up to them and soon returning, red-faced.

  “They told me to get my ‘ugly goth ass’ away from them,” she said, tears in her eyes. “I’m not sure what they meant, but they were so cruel.”

  “Poor Toshie,” said Sally. “I wonder what her crime was.”

  “Look, a group is heading that way. I assume everyone is congregating there.” They followed and found themselves at the entrance to a loud, crowded room.

  “How are we going to find Toshie in here?” Yrlith asked.

  “The hard way,” Navarin said, walking down the aisles of tables and looking at every person.

  “Freak parade today,” someone shouted. Sally felt a moist lump smack against her cheek. She looked in the direction it came from but could not find the attacker. She was fuming, but this was no time for revenge. She wiped the lumpy mass off her face and sniffed it.

  ‘Potatoes?’ she wondered. She threw the lump to the ground and wiped her hands on the pants she was now wearing.

  “Savages. These prisoners are savages.”

  “Do you think that’s her?” Yrlith said, pointing down the row of tables. There sat what looked like a younger Toshie, but instead of her Hero outfit, she wore a black garment with sleeves long enough to hide her hands and a hood covering most of her head. Yrlith could identify her only because she had raised her head to talk to another young woman sitting across from her. They dashed over to her.

  “Toshie, we found you!” Sally said.

  “Why would you be looking for me?” Toshie asked.

  “It’s me, Sally! And this is Yrlith and Navarin! We’re in your dream, remember?”

  Toshie stared at them, confused. “Uh, is this that game you guys play? I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

  “This is no game! The Dream Eater, remember?”

  Toshie stared at them.

  Navarin sighed. “She doesn’t know she’s dreaming.”

  “So what do we do, protect her? We don’t know where the Dream Eater is,” Yrlith said.

  “Toshie, we have to guard you until we find the Dream Eater,” Sally said.

  “I didn’t know you hung out with these dorks,” said the young woman across from Toshie.

  “I don’t. I don’t even know them,” Toshie said, continuing to eat the lumpy white mess on her plate.

  Navarin pulled Sally and Yrlith close to her. “Toshie isn’t aware this is a dream, and it seems the memories we’ve been put into aren’t acquaintances of hers.”

  “So what do we do?” asked Yrlith.

  “I’d say act naturally, but I don’t think you two are capable of that,” said Navarin.

  “Hey, that’s a little much,” Sally replied.

  “Fine, I’m sorry. Are you happy? Now, about the Dream Eater.”

  “Yes? Do you have any ideas?” asked Sally.

  “No. I was hoping either of you did,” Navarin sighed.

  “Didn’t Brot tell us anything? Something about us not belonging here?” Yrlith was beginning to feel strange.

  “Are you ladies going to eat, or are you going to stand around chatting?” said a tall man who approached them.

  “Ah, well, you know, I get higher quality potatoes in my home country,” said Sally.

  “Is that so?” asked the man. “And where might that be?”

  Sally froze. Where was she from? Not here, right? Her brain started to feel like mush. Her name was… Trish? No, that wasn’t right. She felt a burning sensation in her brain.

  “I, uh, well, you see,” Sally mumbled.

  Yrlith stepped in. “We’re not from around here, you know. We’re still trying to figure all this out. Please accept our apologies.”

  “Is that so? Well, why don’t you get some lunch and sit down?”

  “Why don’t you be quiet and let us be?” Navarin said.

  The man stepped forward and grabbed Navarin’s arm. She slapped him.

  The man looked confused and started gasping for air. His face turned a deep purple, and he melted into a slime.

  “That must have caused some disturbance to the dream,” said Navarin.

  “So, is the Dream Eater nearby?” Yrlith asked.

  Seeing the man dissolve before her, Toshie screamed and jumped back from the table. Everyone in the room followed suit except for the young woman Toshie had been talking to.

  She stood.

  “So, you’re infiltrating the Hero’s dream as well. You’re not too good at keeping it secret. Oh well.” She turned around and grabbed the collar of the shirt of a nearby young man. She put a hand to his stomach and began digging through his flesh. He screamed as she pulled out a dagger and threw his body to the floor.

  She lunged at Toshie. Yrlith leaped toward Toshie and pulled her to safety. Sally grabbed the young woman’s arm, and it crumbled into dust in her fingers. She looked over at the Dream Eater, who was now a laughing, one-armed girl. An octopus tentacle began to squeeze out of the bloody socket.

  “Want some seafood, Toshie?” The tentacle swung toward them and wrapped around Toshie’s leg.

  “What the hell is going on?” Toshie yelled. Sally grabbed the knife, but it, too, crumbled to dust in her fingers. The Dream Eater dragged in Toshie, who Yrlith was still holding on to. A blade of ice swung down and sliced the tentacle from Toshie’s foot.

  “Whoa!” Toshie yelled out.

  They looked over and saw Navarin panting, an ice blade extending from her hand. “If it’s going to do whatever it wants, so can we, right?”

  Still cackling, the Dream Eater grabbed its tongue and ripped a flaming whip out of itself. It whipped at Navarin, who blocked it with her ice blade. A sizzle rippled throughout the room. Navarin jumped back, her blade now gone. By this point, Yrlith had Toshie back on her feet.

  “Toshie. You’re dreaming. But that thing is in your dreams with us. You can fight. Fight!” Yrlith said as she gave Toshie a shake.

  “I don’t know what to do!” Toshie yelled.

  The Dream Eater wrapped the remains of its tentacle over the bloody head, ripped it off, and flung it toward Toshie and Yrlith.

  “Watch out!” Sally yelled as she made a shield in front of the two. The head smacked into the invisible shield and exploded. Blood and bone splattered and hung in the air. Sally screamed as blood began to drip from her palms. The shield dissipated, and gore rained around them.

  A worm poked out from the neck of the Dream Eater’s body. The cackling continued as the worm spiraled up to the ceiling. It bit at the ceiling, which then began to crumble all around them. Instead of a second floor or a sky, a vast blackness spread out above them. The walls of the room fell as well. Sally could feel her hands bleeding onto the cold, firm floor beneath her. But around them was nothing but a dark abyss.

  “Time to die, Toshie.” The worm screamed as it dove straight at her. Yrlith’s dragon head snapped at the worm. It slithered out of her reach, struck Toshie right in the stomach, and exited through her back.

  Brot was staring at the four, praying with all his might. He had finished bandaging up the wounds that had formed on Sally’s palms. Blood dripped from Toshie’s mouth as she coughed.

  “Wake them up!” yelled Mr. Williams.

  “That would be even more dangerous,” Brot said. “But it seems they have at least encountered the Dream Eater. I trust they can win. Let us continue to pray.”

  “Toshie!” Sally yelled.

  Toshie fell to the ground as the worm wrapped around her. Blood was gushing out of her stomach. “It’s your dream! You can stop it!”

  When Toshie’s eyes opened, she didn’t see her old classmates. There was Sally. She looked over and saw Navarin. And that dragon was Yrlith. She grabbed the worm and screamed. Fire exited her palms and consumed the worm. Toshie stood as the worm turned to ash. She was wearing her Hero outfit.

  The Dream Eater stumbled around. It shrieked and dissolved into a wriggling mass of blood and flesh. It bubbled and reformed itself into the shape of Mr. Williams.

  “You shouldn’t have come here,” he said. “You should have stayed away. You’re no Hero, Toshie. You’re nothing but a disappointment. You deserve nothing but death.”

  Toshie stared at Mr. Williams. Even in a dream, something was wrong. It wasn’t him. It was not the man who taught her. It was not her father’s friend. She stared “Mr. Williams” in the eyes.

  Now she knew who the Dream Eater was.

  “This is my dream, Daryl,” she said. “You have no power here. Go away.”

  A fireball flew from her fingertips, and the Dream Eater’s body burnt to a crisp.