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I surfaced from my dream, heart racing and gasping for air. Perspiration beaded my forehead and pooled at the base of my neck. I sat up and took a few calming breaths. What a horrid dream.
It began nicely enough. I had dreamed about my family becoming one again and Mom and Dad being nice to each other and so in love they would never break up again. Malachite had been in the dream too. At first she had been friendly. Mom had agreed I could keep her, so Malachite became a member of the family and we’d go out walking together ... she was my companion everywhere I went.
Then, against a stark white background, I saw Mom and Dad on one side, making lovey dovey eyes at each other, and Holly stood on the other side, alone and crying. Her tears turned into a river with Mom and Dad on one side of it and me on the other. Because they were too busy making eyes at each other, they had forgotten I existed and didn’t care I had been trapped on the other side of the river.
At my back stood a deep, dark forest. Malachite grew until she reached the size of a panther. She snarled and growled, baring her teeth which had grown into fangs.
I ran.
Straight into the forest, I ran as fast as I could, hoping the trees would give me enough cover to hide from the monster Malachite had become. Just as she sprang to tackle me, I tripped over a root and fell to the ground.
Then I woke.
Malachite lay at the foot of my bed not moving a muscle. I didn’t have nightmares often, but that was a doozy.
I glanced at the journal and for a moment the terror I had felt watching Malachite morph into the panther overwhelmed me. Dream Malachite had become a metaphor for my guilt.
I chuckled and a little of the tensions drained away. Mrs. Clark would be proud to hear me use the term metaphor properly.
I had too much guilt weighing down on me. Malachite stirred and looked at me expectantly.
“Let me get dressed and then we’ll go to school. I need to talk with Mallory.”
Mist hung in the air and dark clouds hovered over the athletic field. The gloom seeped through me as I waited for Mallory. After not sleeping well, I wanted to catch her and make things right. I pulled my jacket closer. The cold oozed into my shoes and slowly turned my toes into miniature blocks of ice. I shivered.
After a few minutes, I stamped my feet to get the blood circulating. My toes felt like they’d break off. How did Malachite stand the cold without turning a hair? My breath made plumes in the air, and I amused myself by trying to make shapes. Mallory should show up any minute to drop Tatiana off before class.
The temperature had dropped thirty degrees from yesterday and it looked like rain. What happened to the warm weather from the weekend?
The bell rang. Where was Mallory? Was she sick? Did something happen to Tatiana? I hurried to my first class; I didn’t want to be late.
Yanking open the entry doors, hot air blasted out. My nose defrosted on the way down the hall to class. Good in one way, but now I had a runny nose and I didn’t have any tissue and didn’t have time to hit the bathroom. Yuck.
By the time I settled in my seat, I’d removed my jacket. Did they need the heater cranked so high? It was cold outside, but the heater spewed hot air into the room at an alarming rate. I glanced around the room. I knew which classmates had been inside the longest by the perspiration sheen on their faces.
By the time roll call finished, sweat beaded my forehead. Was every building this overheated? I’d die before the end of the day. I swiped my arm across my forehead to mop up the sweat with my sleeve. While the weather didn’t usually get as cold as today, the school had never tried to roast the students alive.
Mr. Perry wrote on the board and his armpits soaked his shirt and made two huge spots. Disgusting. He stopped mid-sentence and strode to the windows. He threw them open and cold air rushed into the room.
He stood at the window with arms above his head, letting the freezing air dry the sweat on his face. Then he picked up the wall phone and called the office. “It’s unbearably hot in here.” He listened for a few moments. “When will it be fixed?”
He hung up the phone and wiped his face on his shirt sleeve. Just the few moments away from the window caused the sweat to build again. The bald spot on his head peeked through his carefully combed hair.
When he faced the class, muffled laughter spread. He missed the drop of sweat on the end of his pointed nose.
“Maintenance knows about the problem with the heater and is working on it.”
The cold air coming through the window teased me. Puffs of cool mingled with the growing heat, but not enough to help me cool down. I picked up the journal and fanned myself with it.
Anything to get a breeze going. Too bad I couldn’t write about the heater and say the problem was fixed and the temperature returned to normal. But I wanted to make up with Mallory and to do that, I had to stop making entries in the journal.
Mr. Perry continued with class, or at least he tried, but then gave up because no one paid attention. Half the class fanned themselves with any object they could find. Those closest to the window concentrated on hogging all the cool air, and the rest of the class slumped in their seats. No one could focus.
My hot face beaded with sweat. Mom used to talk to her friend Hilary about how wonderful it would be to go to a spa and relax in a sauna. If saunas were like this, then the spas could keep them.
Thunk.
Startled, Mr. Perry leaped to his feet and hurried past.
I twisted in my seat. Lindsey Davies, who sat right behind me, lay on the floor with a flushed face. Her eyes rolled up in her head. How freaky. I couldn’t look away, but it turned my stomach.
Mr. Perry knelt next to her and spoke softly, trying to rouse her. His head shot up. “Joaquin, go get the nurse.”
Joaquin jumped out of his chair and dashed out the door, knocking over the trash can in his wake.
“Desiree, wet some paper towels and bring them here.” Mr. Perry rapped the words out.
The beads on Desiree’s braids clinked together when her head snapped back. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but no words came out as she looked at Lindsey’s unconscious form. She swallowed hard.
“I need those wet towels.”
Desiree stood. “Keep your hair on, Mr. P. I’m gettin’ it.”
Kids from the outskirts of the room moved in closer. “Is there anything I can get you, Mr. Perry?”
I couldn’t see who asked. A pang of guilt hit me. I should have asked how I could help.
“Not right now. Please, just stay back.”
Desiree returned and handed a stack of sodden towels to Mr. Perry.
He grabbed them, laid a few across Lindsey’s forehead, and draped a couple across her wrists. “Thank you, Desiree.”
Lindsey’s eyes fluttered. Mr. Perry exhaled and said her name softly.
The room continued to get hotter. If they didn’t get the heater fixed soon, we’d all be passed out on the floor. The air burned with each breath.
Banging the door open, Joaquin ushered in the nurse.
“Oh my goodness.” She put her hand on her chest. “It’s way too hot in here. This room needs to be evacuated.” Her head swiveled toward Mr. Perry. “Get the rest of the class outside, and I’ll take care of Lindsey.”
Mr. Perry struggled to his feet. “Gather your belongings and line up at the door. We’ll go out to the lunch tables.”
I shoved my things in the backpack, and my chair squealed against the floor as I pushed back. The room, which became quiet when Lindsey hit the floor, filled with rustling, scraping, and murmurs. No one lingered. We all wanted out.
While we made a shambling line at the door, Mr. Perry called the other rooms in the building to tell them to evacuate as well. Then he led us outside.
Walking through the doors to the outside felt like going from a furnace to a freezer. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten how cold it was today.
I plopped my backpack on the lunch table and put on my jacket before sitting. From one extreme to the other. The sweat turned ice-cold as it dried on our skin, making things worse.
Following the evacuation plan, each class had designated tables and we weren’t allowed to mingle. Most teachers told their students to be quiet. They almost roast us and we can’t talk about it? At least Mr. Perry didn’t tell us not to talk. Lindsey passing out must have rattled him.
The nurse escorted Lindsey to the office and the class gave a weak cheer to see her walking.
I glanced around the other tables. Mallory and I weren’t in the same class, but we did have classes in the same building for first period. I spotted her head sandwiched between Rob and Justin. I snickered because they were two of the tallest boys in our class and Mallory was one of the shortest girls. The top of her head didn’t reach their shoulders. At least she made it to school.
What did she do with Tatiana? Mallory would never be late to class, so she hadn’t dropped her off on the athletic field. Then I saw a momentary glint of a wing peeking through her hair before it disappeared again.
Happy to be out of the sweltering heat, the students fidgeted while the teachers discussed their plan of action.
A loud hiss sounded from our left.
Ka-Boom!
