*Wooden Dreams* {Full}

I find myself back at the forest area where my father is standing in front of me. His mouth moving a thousand miles a minute, so fast, that it looks like a blur. Am I loosing my mind, dad, why are you acting so weird? I question myself but as I go to actually say something to my father, my words come out in a weird screeching sound and I forcefully cover up my mouth to conceal the awful, ear piercing noise that just protruded from my mouth. What in the hell is wrong with me I shake my head. I look around me and the forest I stand in, is changed. So many weird shapes zoom by my head and a weird animal walks right beside me. I turn my attention back to my father and watch as he raises his hand toward me. A kind of angle that is meant for him to slap me or to punch me and I began to back away from my monstrous father. His figure begins to change in front of my eyes. His receding hairline begins to grow further down his head. Covering every portion of skin he had, he now is covered with fur, but feathers start to fall off of him slowly and his arms begin to take shape into long, boney and thin limbs. I shake my head and scream, but again, the horrible screeching noise comes out of my mouth and I dig my feet against the ground for traction but I can't move. Something has got a hold of me.

I turn back around to see the creature of my father lash out and tear into my legs. "I said... stay PUT!" He screams at me. What terrifies me more, is that the second I blink, he jerks his teeth toward me. That's when something touches my shoulder, and I jump violently.

Disoriented, I look around me in total surprise. No monstrous father. No work place. No, weird looking forest or animals. I hold my head with both hands, trying to keep the sickening feeling from coming up my throat. My legs are fine. There are no signs of blood or the like. They move just like normal. It had to be a dream. It's just a dream... Phew... just a really stupid... dream. Damn, maybe I shouldn't just sleep out in the open. Who knows what could have gotten ahold of me.

I then realize that something did touch me or what I thought something did in my dreams as well. That's when I finally catch a glimpse of a girl that stood behind me. So, it wasn't a dream.. something actually did touch me. At least I'm not a complete dweeb...

"Hi?" I mutter to the stunned girl and notice quickly at my angle on the ground, she has no shoes. What person in District 7 doesn't wear shoes in the forest is beyond me. There are so many bugs, and spiders, and snakes and God knows what out here. It is just asking for trouble. I shake my head again thinking of the dream and for a moment, I'm glad that my father isn't depicted in real life as I saw him in my nightmare. I sigh heavily and stare at the girl.

"So, whatchu want...." I don't give into proper greetings as I yawn heavily and stretch against the trunk behind my back. I suddenly regret stretching as my back runs hard against the bark and I feel the scratching pieces dig into my skin. I hiss suddenly and jerk away from the tree trunk. I reach behind my back and massage my sores to make the hurt go away. That's when I look at her for good this time. She looks as lost as I am, only I know where I am, but to be truly lost, would be a Godsent. I want to be lost in this forest as it is easy to do, but today, I just didn't have the heart to lose myself in this wooden dream of a place. I cock my head to one side and wait on her hesitance.

I look at this new found girl, and she seems to be upset or scared about something but what? I don't hesitate to keep staring down at her feet. How does she keep her feet so clean while she's running about out here without any shoes on? I have never managed that, but then again, I never tried to keep my feet clean when I go barefooted. It's usually a quest to find a mudpuddle or something to coat my feet in, but for the most part, shoes are about ninety-five percent of my daily attire.

I keep staring at her waiting for her to answer my question, but she never does. Her voice keeps catching and I begin to wonder why she was out here in the first place. Doesn't she have a job or family to attend to? Usually she would be accompanied by her mentor or family member this far out in the woods. Unlike me, of course, who goes off on my own just to get away, but she doesn't look like she should be out here. She's cleaner than most of the girls out here. She's really out of place.

"Why were you looking at my feet?" I laugh. I really do laugh, thinking that how can she ask that, when she is the one barefooted. Hasn't anyone ever told her of the dangers.

"Oh, snakes.... spiders... splinters... This place is full of 'em. Why don't you have any shoes on you dim girl?" An insult? Why did I open my mouth and come out with that word? Surely, she's bound to slap me upside the head like my mother does when I do or say something she doesn't like. I just wait for it, but something catches my ear. A cracking noise.

"Crap. Girl, did you bring the peacekeepers out here to get me? is that why your out here? Did my father send you out here to get me?" My brain doesn't prepare my mouth very well and I'm sure that if anything, my mouth is going to get me a sound lashing tonight. I shrug against it and jump up from the ground, the calm nature I was just enjoying was replaced with adrenaline, ready to run at a moments notice. "Whose out there?"

I yell out and wait. My worse fear, worse than any peacekeeper, is some king of ugly animal waiting to sink its gnashing teeth into my leg or something. I stare at the girl then back at the woods.