As I get out of bed with a yawn, I grab my grey jacket, the sleeves are slightly torn at the edges and the logo of the local football team is to faded to make out. As I put this on over my dark blue long sleeve shirt, I put on a pair of jeans as I get ready for the day. I grab my backpack, a new, black backpack with wheels which allow me to roll it around, sling the left strap over my shoulder, and head downstairs.

"Morning Richard," my mom, well, my adoptive mom, smiles. Where do I even start with how this one happened?

"Morning," I greet, already heading for the door.

"Don't you want breakfast?" She asks.

"You know I never wake up hungry," I explain, "I'll grab something on the way."

"Alright," she shrugs, "Morgan already left so, she's probably already there."

"Got it," I smile, "thanks."

With that I go outside, admiring the beautiful sunrise that only adds to the atmospheric whiplash from my nightmare to this, get in my car, and exit the suburbs where I live and down the backroads covered in a dazzling array of Auttum leaves as Winter approaches on my way to school.

It's a pleasantly cold day. My jacket clings to me, shields me, and makes me feel safe as I get in my car and head to school, windows down, cruising, letting the blissful cold rush across my skin. It's so beautiful. The cold is beautiful, soothing. I have always loved the cold. It just... feels right to me.

As I arrive at school, I notice something, out of the corner of my eye. Just for a moment, I swear I see the kid in the black jacket, but when I blink, he is gone.

Just ignore it Leo. You're still half asleep. It'll go away. It always does by the time class starts.

As I head inside the school, I smile. I love school. I'm loved at school. I used to have self worth issues, thinking people only liked my stories and not me, but I was wrong, and I see that now.

Walking down the hall to my first class, I feel something tap my foot. Just ignore it Leo. It'll be going away soon. Don't look. Don't-

"Leo," a voice wheezes, struggling to speak, "help... me."

Don't do it Leo. It isn't real. It's just like mom said. It's not real.

"Please," the being holds my leg in place with a deathly cold grip, holding me like its life depends on it.

I take a deep breath and turn to face the thing. I am greeted by a rotted corpse with empty sockets, and black, rotted flesh staring back at me. Its nails, sharp like talons, and rotted teeth for tearing and biting fill me with fear and dread as its empty stare freezes my very soul. It slices my left ankle with its claws, drawing blood and sending a stabbing pain up my leg, both figments of my imagination.

"Just another day," I sigh dragging the corpse along, unable to lift the leg it's holding as I head to class. I know that it's just because I had that damn dream again. It's not real. This blood isn't real. This thing isn't real. None of that is. I just gotta get to class. It always goes away by the time class starts.

As I enter the classroom, I feel the monster finally let go. Finally. Ow, that still hurts. It doesn't matter though. Everything's fine. It's all fine.

I sit down on a couch in the back of the room, sitting with Morgan, my adoptive sibling and my best friend for several years. They prefer they to she, so I call them sibling instead of something like sis'.

Morgan is a short girl with a kind smile and glasses. She wears a purple jacket and has long brown hair. Her skin is fair, almost pale. If you were to judge her by her appearance and call her nerd, you'd be right, but hey, I'm a bigger nerd than she is, and what's wrong with being a nerd? Nerds are great!

"What did I miss?" I smile as we high five.

"Class hasn't started," Morgan replies, confused.

"Not class," I remind, "our agent. He email you?"

"Yeah actually," Morgan reply, "we've got a few offers to make your book a movie. Are you really sure you want me to act in it?"

"I'm taking my family with me to the top," I smile, "no matter what. Anyways, I gotta ditch after fourth. Got a book signing to go to. Good thing I took gym this semester. You miss a day in gym, nothing happens."

"Alright," Morgan replies, "I'll cover for you. Anyways, you didn't forget your homework, right?"

"Got it right here," taking the sheet from my backpack, lifting it up. It's then I notice. It's then I see my ankle. The wounds are gone but...

Why is the bottom of my pants stained with dried blood?