The Unseen World (Preview)

Chapter 1: Nightmares

Sophie woke from her fitful sleep, drenched in sweat. Her dream replaying in her mind again.

Getting up from her bed, the chilled air of her, seemingly always, cold room hit her bare arms. Shivering slightly in her gray cotton pants, that were a little too long for her, and her blue camisole, Sophie made her way to the desk in front of her bedroom window on the right side of her bed.

Sophie pulled a stool out from under the desk, sat down, turned on her desk's lamp, opened the top left-hand drawer, and removed a yellow leather-bound book, a pencil and an eraser. With the dream still fresh in her memory, Sophie began writing the details of the dream in her journal.

Once finished with her journal, Sophie stretched her stiff back and looked at her alarm clock. 3:25 A.M. ... I usually get more sleep than that.

Standing, Sophie returned her stool to its spot under her desk and went to her door. Being careful not to wake her brothers or parents, Sophie silently made her way down the hall to the stairs. After a quick look behind her to make sure she hadn't woken anyone, Sophie descended the stairs and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

After grabbing a cup from a cupboard, Sophie rubbed her tired eyes and raked a hand through her waist-length brown hair while waiting for her cup to fill with water from the tap Seeing that the stove clock said it was 3:30 A.M. Sophie quickly downed the water in her cup and made her way to the back door. As quietly as she could, Sophie opened the door, walked across the back porch, and, not caring that her feet were bare, walked across the back lawn to the double swing-set hanging from a frame of weathered steel bars under the old maple in the back yard.

Sitting on the left swing, she took a deep breath of fresh air and stared at the clear night sky. While enjoying the beauty of the stars and half moon, Sophie heard the back door close.

Turning her head toward the house she saw her older brother standing on the porch in a pair of sun-bleached brown shorts and a rumpled red T-shirt that was full of holes.

As he approached Sophie he said, "Can't sleep?"

Sophie shook her head in response. "Did I wake you?"

He grunted a no and said, "Frosh week starts today, I couldn't sleep. But I did hear you open and close the back door."

Sophie cringed and looked away, "I'm losing my touch."

Her brother grinned and sat in the swing next to Sophie. "Nah, my hearing's just extra sensitive when I'm restless."

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Sophie's brother said, "Speaking of being restless, what's up with you? You don't usually come outside at almost four in the morning on school nights."

Sophie took a deep breath and let it out. "It's been a while since I've had one, and I've got this feeling that something is going to happen this year."

"One of your 'nightmares'?" Her brother asked using his hands to make quotations for emphasis.

Sophie sighed, "Yep."

Her brother nodded and asked, "Same one as usual or different? And when's the last time you had one of those again?"

"Same and I believe the last time was when Prince William Graysun and his twin brother Dean transferred to the academy," Sophie replied. "Why, Jacob?"

"Just curious," he answered.

"Alright," Sophie said giving her brother a questioning look.

Jacob and Sophie stared at the sky for a few moments before Sophie shivered slightly.

"We should try to get some sleep while we still can," Jacob told his sister. "And let's hope you don't have any more 'nightmares'."

"Yeah," she said, "let's hope."