Just a Dream?

In a small town just west of the Big Apple lives a young girl who has always been the black sheep of the community. She often found herself in the corner of a room, staring at the wall and wondering whether each day would be the same or if there would be a change.

Gabby is a 16-year-old girl who loves nature and the mysteries that lie hidden around her small town, which everyone seems to ignore. She attends Red Valley High School, where each day feels predictable: wake up, go to school, endure bullying from the same group, and then leave. Although she never truly understood why each day felt like the last, she didn’t seem to care—until one day, she snapped.

On February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day, Gabby woke up early so that she could walk along the Alister path, which cut through the woods. Normally, a very scary part of the woods that the people of the town would steer clear of, but to Gabby, it was a place of magic. The trees blocked the sun from reaching the path, making it seem like the middle of the day was the middle of the night. As Gabby ventured into the woods, it was completely silent, no birds, not even a breeze, just Gabby walking on the path. That was what she thought was so magical about these woods: the silence. Eventually, she made it to the school, where she was confronted by her bullies.

Cam, Tucker, Britt, and Beth were the only students to retake the 12th grade more than once. It felt like they were trapped in a loop, endlessly repeating the same grade with no hope of graduating. They found that bullying Gabby was as satisfying as receiving a good grade on a difficult test. Although they could never get a reaction out of her, they still relished every moment.

Like every other day, they greeted her at the front doors of their quiet high school, slamming her hard against the lockers as the girls punched and kicked her. Gabby remained silent, as if their assault felt like feathers brushing against her skin. This only enraged the girls more, but the guys would pull them off before things escalated further, especially as teachers began to stroll into the school.

Once the chaos settled, Gabby walked up the stairs to her favorite hiding spot—a small nook beside the library that no one seemed to notice. From what she observed, nobody in this town seemed to care about anything. As she sat there in solitude, she pondered what life would be like if things changed.

Lost in her thoughts, a quiet whisper suddenly broke her train of contemplation. She looked around, but there was no one in sight. Just as she began to zone out again, the mysterious voice called out again, but this time it was louder: “Set me free!” Gabby glanced around once more, but saw nothing.

Feeling a bit creeped out, she rose from her seat and started to walk to class. As she passed the library, the voice screamed, “SET ME FREE!” Rather than fleeing in fear like most would do, Gabby walked toward the mysterious sound, intrigued by what might happen next.

Following the voice, she arrived at the corner of the library where a sign read, “Off Limits.” This was the first time she had noticed the sign, as she rarely spent time in the library. Nevertheless, she ignored the warning and inched closer to the voice.

Finally, Gabby reached the wall and noticed a dim light peeking through. As she raised her hand to touch the light, everything went dark. When she woke up from this unusual experience, she looked out the window to see the moonlight reflecting on her. She had been unconscious for twelve hours. Without giving much thought to what had just happened, she walked out of the school and headed home.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Gabby slammed her hand down on the alarm clock, not realizing she had broken it in the process. She felt different after that strange encounter in the library; for the first time since her family left, she felt happy. She quickly changed, skipped downstairs, and stepped out the door. Instead of taking the path through the forest, she opted for the shortcut to school.

Feeling a newfound confidence, Gabby decided she was ready to stand up for herself. As she entered the school, she saw her bullies waiting by her locker, ready to torment her again. But when they spotted what she was holding—a gold dagger sharper than a razor blade—they ran away, terrified that she might use it against them. Gabby looked on, confused, as the girl who had been bullied for years watched them flee. She didn’t understand why they were afraid.

Gabby usually didn't feel the need to attend class, but something shifted within her, igniting an urge to go. She walked into the room confidently, as if she owned the place. The other students looked at her in shock but didn't dare say a word. She took her assigned seat and waited for the teacher to begin the lesson.

“Wow, what an honor it is to see you, Gabby!” the teacher exclaimed. Gabby responded with a cold nod and a glare, hoping he would start the lesson soon. Sensing her impatience, the teacher began to teach, and to his surprise, Gabby answered every question correctly, leaving him shocked.

The teacher, harboring resentment over her absences, decided to try and embarrass her by asking questions he didn't know the answers to. “Gabby!” he called out. “Stand up and come here since you seem to have all the answers. If you can answer all my questions correctly, the class will be canceled for the rest of the week.”

With confidence, Gabby stood and walked toward him. Facing the teacher, she said, “Bring it on!” He started with easy questions but escalated to more difficult ones, yet she continued to answer each one correctly.

Frustrated, the teacher asked his final question, which was totally inappropriate: “Where are your parents?” Gabby was stunned. The question ignited her anger, as she had no idea where they had gone. Without hesitation, she raised the dagger and attacked the teacher, striking his throat.

He fell to the ground, wheezing, struggling to breathe, slowly succumbing in front of the terrified class. Gabby turned to the students with a wicked grin, and fear coursed through them as she locked the door, trapping them inside with her. One by one, she eliminated every student in that classroom before she walked out in search of Cam, Tucker, Britt, and Beth.

Gabby walked through the halls with a dagger still in her hand, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. One by one, she targeted her classmates, killing anyone who crossed her path. Suddenly, she spotted her bullies outside, planning to skip class. She tucked the dagger into her jeans and skipped out the doors, jumping onto Cam’s back. The others jumped in surprise, thinking it was just Britt playing around, until Cam turned around and saw their expressions of shock. Before he could react, Gabby killed him without a second thought.

As her former bullies screamed and cried over the loss of their friend, Gabby approached them with a cold determination. One by one, she mercilessly took their lives. Once she felt a sense of relief from eliminating her tormentors, she walked into town. She sat down for coffee at the local coffee shop, allowing the weight of her actions to sink in. Tears rolled down her face as she grappled with what she had done, realizing she had just killed people she once knew.

As she sobbed quietly, the sound of sirens grew louder in the distance. What Gabby didn’t realize was that, upon entering the coffee shop and placing her order, she was covered in blood. The manager, alarmed by her appearance, called 911 immediately.

The police arrived in record time, and the chief of police made an announcement to Gabby: “We have you surrounded, Gabby. Come out in peace, or we will apply force!” Tears streamed down her face as she walked to the door, a dagger in hand. Just two days ago, she had thought of this town as boring.

As she stepped outside, the chief noticed the dagger and opened his mouth to shout at her to drop the weapon, but it was too late. An officer next to the chief whispered, “This is for my boy Cam,” and fired one shot straight at Gabby. Before anyone could react, she was already dead.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Gabby woke up with a severe headache in a hospital room, surrounded by nurses. Confused, she listened as one of the nurses explained what had happened. “On February 13th, you were brought to the hospital after being beaten by some bullies. They hit your head so hard that we had to place you in a medically induced coma to allow your body to heal. The kids responsible for this have been sent to jail until they go to court for assault and battery. You're safe here until you fully recover. Do you remember anything at all?”

Gabby looked shocked and responded, “If that really happened, then what I experienced must have been a dream. After all, this small town is boring, and I do have a wild imagination.” The nurse gave her a bemused look, and just as she was about to say something, the doctor walked in to check on Gabby.

“Everything looks good, and you are free to go. Do you have any questions?” he asked.

Gabby smiled at the doctor and said, “Thank you for everything! I do have one question… What day is it?”

The doctor smiled back, saying, “Today is March 5th. Have a wonderful weekend, Gabby!”

Surprised by his words, Gabby returned the smile, changed into her normal clothes, and walked home. She found herself questioning everything that had happened in the past month, but decided to ignore it. After all, this small town just west of the Big Apple was simply boring. That was until she saw a gold dagger sitting on her bed.