The Shifters: Katrina
Part Three - Ch.8: Prisoner

Am I dreaming again?

The world around me was blurry, smears of pinks, oranges and yellows seemingly moving all around me. It wasn't the crystal clear battle scene I had dreamt of before -- it was something new. Something I had never seen, not even in reality.

Is it... A place?

I looked around, only to see that I was in a room. The colours were just lights, which flicked off as I step forward on the shifting ground. It went from smooth to rough and back again, only to stop at the feeling of a ruffled carpet. It was beige in colour and soft, and as the floor changed, so did the world around me.

Colours stopped moving, setting themselves in place. I was in a hall with no windows, and it was freezing. I was wearing the pajamas I had fallen asleep in, my skin sickly pale and freezing to the touch. With nothing better to do, I began to wander.

After all, what can hurt you in a dream?

Eventually, I passed by a door. I reached for the knob, but it was locked. This happened a second time, and even when I slammed my body into the door, it refused to open. Instead, my side ached.

Why do I feel pain? What's going on?

Lost, I kept wandering. When I came upon another door, I nearly ignored it. However, something pulled me to it, and I reached for the knob. This one opened without a sliver of resistance, and I walked inside.

The room was small, the walls painted black but otherwise bare. There was no soft, plush carpet here. It was the opposite; the floor was hard and frozen. Not a single ounce of light filled the room -- I couldn't even find a lightswitch.

Fear crept into the back of my mind. The seemingly pointless dream scared me -- I wanted to go back to the real world. To be warm and safe. This felt too unnatural, almost like the world had stopped.

Then, I heard it. Crying. Soft, weak sobs.

I searched around in the dark until my hand hit something solid. Something warm, something living. I crouched, feeling around until I realized what it was.

A person, crying in the corner of the room.

I let my knees hit the ground, resting in front of the person. They held their knees to their chest, hugging them tighter than I'd seen anyone hug anything.

Please don't cry.

At first, I thought they didn't hear me. Then, as if by pure luck, their head lifted and their breathing hesitated.

The girl I stared back at was older than I was. She had chubby cheeks and golden hair, which desperately needed a wash. Even in the darkness, my dream showed the bright shade of her crystal blue eyes. She seemed to stare right through me, peering at something far off.

We both flinched as something slammed into the wall. It was a man's hand, lights flooding the room. Apparently, I sucked at finding light switches.

I watched in awe as the woman forced more tears to fall down her face. She seemed pleased with the fact that he had appeared.

"What's wrong this time?"

"I'm so hungry," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. A fat tear dripped down from her eyelashes, landing on the floor beside her. "Do you have any spare rations, hunter?"

A hunter?

My head whipped around to stare at the man. By now, this seemed less like a dream and more like something being shown to me. I watched as the man sighed, the pitying look on his face making my stomach twist in disgust.

"I'll go look," he promised, turning to leave. He slapped the lightswitch, shutting the door firmly behind him. I heard a lock slip in place.

I was about to try asking the woman another question when I watched her scoot to the side. Hidden behind her back was a man-made hole in the wall, filled with packets of what I assumed was food.

"Just a few more," she whispered to herself. "Then my strength will be enough to escape."

I eyed her closely. She was close to my age despite being older, clearly clever, and obviously manipulative. Convincing, almost.

Like the other Guardian. Elegance's successor, the one who could manipulate people into coming together, unlike the other Guardian who could order people around.

I wonder how I remembered...

But does this mean she's another Guardian?

For another moment, I thought she was staring back at me. We held gazes, and I reached out to her.

However, the door opened once again before I could touch her. She slid back in place to hide her storage, and the hunter gave her another packet. With a teary smile, she sent the man away.

And as I watched her shove it into the space behind her, I felt the dream begin to slip away.

I tried my best to take my last chance, reaching for her arm, but my fingers could only brush her skin before my eyes--

"Katrina?"

I blinked the grogginess away, the fog of the dream I could barely remember lifting as I craned my neck. Chloe stood beside my bed with a towel wrapped around her and another around her hair. I sat up, groaning as the dream I'd had floated just outside the realm of my memory.

It'll come to me, I thought, but right now, I have better things to do.

Wait, what am I doing..?

Chloe nudged my arm when I didn't respond. "Hey, too much excitement last night? What's up with you?"

"Nothing," I coughed, "nothing, I'm okay. I just feel like I'm forgetting something..."

"School, maybe?"

I shot right up. It's Monday! I'm tired because I didn't get my usual sleep! I thought, running to the shower. Chloe laughed, promising to grab me an outfit as she got herself ready as well. I mentally thanked whatever god was listening for the wonderful roommate I had.

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One quick shower and hasty mornine routine later, I was outside the door with Chloe, waiting for my roommate to lock the door. She wore jogging pants and a long sleeved shirt, her hair tied back by a ribbon. Other than her bag, she had her sketchbook and pencil case tucked under her arm. The clothes she had ready for me were simple leggings and my old green hoodie, as well as a black tank top. I had the strap of my bag slung awkwardly around my shoulder, and my hair was dripping wet.

Someone snorted behind us and I perked up. Across the hall from us were Emma and Talia, the two of them just coming out of their dorm as well. Emma was dressed just as plainly as us, but it was Talia who was giggling. The intimidating tiger shapeshifter was dressed in black jeans, a cheetah-print blouse, a leather jacket and silver earrings. She looked ready for a date, even if it was just school.

"You look amazing, Katrina," Talia teased. "What a role model."

I rolled my eyes. "The last person that tried to bully me got thrown into a wall."

"I've heard about that one before," she snickered. "But you know I'm just playing."

The four of us started walking together, Talia and I bumping shoulders as we continued mocking each other. The tiger was always keeping me on my toes -- she encouraged me to work harder to deserve all the amazement everyone had for me. Talia was one of the first people to take into account my power and still call me not enough.

For that one, I owed her.

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