I didn't go to Stella's funeral. But I wasn't much help when it came to the protest. I mean, I just sat around, feeling like her death was all my fault—and of course it wasn't—but still. Travis killed her because she supported me, and I support Unscripted. A hate-crime.

So I just sat around, feeling sorry for myself. I listened to depressing music and my nightmares reflected on my sorrow. Chase got really worried and he constantly asked if I was okay. It got annoying and by the fifth time he asked, a yelled at him, "I'm fine okay?!" making Chase more worried.

But really.

I'm fine.

It's my dreams I'm worried about.

Wednesday night's nightmare was a continuation of the prison nightmare. This time, the tests were administered on me then my mom—my actual mom, not the younger one—said, "Enough, she's had enough." And slit my throat.

Thursday night's was new. Lost in the woods with a maniac chasing me down, planning to kill me.

Friday's was terrifying.

I stood at the edge of a diving board. A platform, fifteen feet high. There was a line of people behind me, and waiting on me. I curled my toes over the edge of the concrete and looked down at the water. Clear blue. I was able to see pretty deep into the pool, not the bottom, but far.

I looked back at the line. My mom was at the front in a blood red bikini, wearing blood red lipstick. She smiled and stepped up behind me. "Look at the water Scarlett, just close your eyes."

"No." I said, but still found myself staring down at the blue water. I closed my eyes.

Two hands shoved me and before I could breathe, I was tumbling through the air, bound to hit the water. My back was facing the water and I watched as my mom smiled, watching me fall.

My back hit the water with a loud smack. The burning took over before anything else. I opened my eyes in the water as I sank, deeper and deeper. I watched helpless as a figure in a red bikini swam close to me, blurry at first but clearer as she got closer.

I felt hands grab at my ankles and pull me down, hands at my shoulders pushing me. I screamed, letting water flood my mouth and lungs. I tried to swim to the surface but something pulled me down and wouldn't stop.

I felt the bare concrete of the pool bottom as I blacked out.

. . .

I woke up Saturday morning in the bath tub of the hotel room. I was in my pajamas, soaked by the water in the tub. My face was wet and my hair was clumped and awkward.

I started to cry. Just cry.

I sat there, crying, soaked, in the bath tub, shivering from the cold water. Chase came in the bathroom. "Oh, Scarlett," he said as he picked me up. I saw the pity in his eyes as I cried. I sat on the toilet like a helpless baby, crying for no reason, as Chase took off my shirt and pants. He wrapped a towel around me and I continued to cry.

"I'll be right back," he said then walked out of the bathroom.

I looked at the tub, still filled with water and realized now, that I had gained a fear of heights and water. Acrophobia and hydrophobia.

I waited for Chase as I sat on the toilet, whimpering. Chase came back in with a fresh change of clothing. "Here, change into this..." He looked me over. "Do you... need help...?"

I shook my head and he left the bathroom again, closing the door behind him. I changed into the clothes and had Chase drain the tub. Then we sat on the couch and he looked at me with almost a shame in his eyes. "What happened, Scar?"

I swallowed hard and felt like crying again. I shrugged and started messing with my nails, finding something to occupy myself while I talked. "I don't really know. None of the dreams have had that much of an effect on me until now. I mean, I've never gained fears from the nightmares before."

"Did you fall asleep in the bath tub?"

I sighed. "I was hoping you put me there..." A tear ran down my cheek. "God damn it. I have no clue how I got there."

"What happened in your dream Scar?"

I told him and he was silent for a long time. Tears hadn't stopped before I retold the tale and they wouldn't now.

Life's a bitch.

Life, in all reality, is kicking me in the ass.

And I just need to fight back.

. . .

"How about Sunday?" I asked Chase, looking at the calendar.

"Mother's day? I guess it'd work. Are you going to do anything with your mom on Mother's day?"

I laughed. "No. That involves me calling her and crying because of the nightmare. I can't do that. What about you? You going to call your mom?" I hadn't heard much about Chase's family, that's because I never asked. He didn't ask about mine, I didn't ask about his. End of story.

"My mom? You're funny, really. My parents disowned me when they found out I liked you. They hate Unscripted. That's just how life works though. I don't really care much though. They can suck it for all I care."

"God, you must really hate them."

"Disowning your kid because they don't love their Match makes you hate them." Chase smiled a little. "I mean, what makes a parent so against Unscripted to disown their kid because they're Unscripted? It's just..." Chase shrugged. "It makes them bad parents. It makes me not care to call them."

I nodded.

Chase sighed. "So, I was thinking, about your nightmares..."—another sigh—"I set up an appointment with a therapist. You're going to go and talk to him. We're going to figure out why you're having these... vivid... nightmares. Okay? I'll go with you, but you need to go."

"A shrink? You're sending me to a shrink to tell me that I'm crazy? To tell me that I belong in a mental hospital?"

"You're not crazy."

"Chase, I want you to tell me—if I'm not crazy—how I got in the tub and how the tub was filled with water if neither of us filled it? If neither of us did anything to get me in the tub? How is that possible?"

"I can't. But I think that if we figured out why you're having these dreams then maybe we could figure out how to stop them."

"Chase, I, I just don't think it's a good idea."

Chase shrugged. "Maybe it's not. We'll never know until we try." He stood up. "I was going to go down to the hot tub. Would you care to join me?"

I shook my head. "I'm scared of water. Hydrophobia."

"Like... all water?"

"Bodies of water. I can handle of shower. Just not pools... or hot tubs... or lakes... or anything else like that..." I brought my legs to my chest and hugged them there. "Last night's nightmare really got to me."

"Any other fears I should know about?"

"Heights. Scared of heights now too. Amusement parks, hospitals, my mother, prisons, basements, my own room... I think that's it... But I'm sure there's more I'm deathly afraid of now." I smiled. "Thanks Mom." I threw a fist in the air. "But go, swim, relax."

"I'm not going without you."

"Then I guess you're not going. Because I'm not stepping foot in the pool."

"Will you at least go down there with me? You don't have to actually swim if you don't want to."

I sighed. "Fine. But do not splash me or pull me in the water or expect me to even touch the water, got it?"

Chase smiled. "Fine by me."

. . .

I changed into my orange string bikini and threw on a t-shirt. Chase was already in his trunks and waiting for me by the time I was done. "Shall we swim?" He asked, holding out his hand.

I took Chase's hand. "You can swim, I will not."

. . .

"Are you sure you won't swim?" Chase asked, easing into the hot tub.

I nodded. "I'm sure. But I'm fine up here." I was beside the hot tub sitting in a cheap plastic chair, hugging my knees to my chest, begging not to get wet. "Besides, I like watching you... hot tub."

"Did you just make "hot tub" a verb?"

"Chase, you can make and noun a verb and any verb a noun."

"Example?"

"Hot tub: noun: a tub of hot water. Hot tub: verb: to relax in a hot tub. Chase: verb: to run after. Chase: noun: my boyfriend. Need more?"

"I could listen to you talk grammar to me all night."

I rolled my eyes. A few other girls got in the hot tub and Chase glanced at them, checking them out. I huffed. "I would splash you but I'm deathly afraid to touch the water."

"What?" Chase tore his eyes off the girls and looked at me. "You can't blame me for following a man's nature. Besides, I would've never noticed them if you were in the hot tub with me."

"And I would get in the hot tub with you if last night's nightmare never happened. But because it did happen, I'm hydrophobic."

"You won't even dip your feet in the water? What's the worst that could happen?"

I felt a phantom pull on my feet, just like last night's nightmare, but I know that it's just my imagination. "You know, it only takes an inch of water to drown." I looked down at Chase and thought about just dipping my feet in the water.

I sighed and tore off my t-shirt. I sat at the edge of the hot tub, my knees still to my chest. I dipped one toe in the water slowly, tentatively. My calf was submerged. I sat the other leg in the water and took a deep breath. I slid off the edge of the hot tub and eased into the water.

My heart beat echoed in my head as the water inched up my chest, until I was sitting and the water was at my collar bone. Chase smiled. "See? It's not that bad,"

I couldn't breathe. "Chase... I can't... breathe... Chase..." My voice cracked as Chase took me in his arms. I sat on his lap, bobbing from the water. Chase smiled, his white teeth gleaming. I started trembling.

"Scar, you didn't have to get in if you didn't want to,"

"No..." I tried to sound reassuring, but failed. "No, I'm fine," I clenched my teeth. "Okay, okay, I'm done." I got out of the hot tub quickly and grabbed a towel. I wrapped the towel around me and grabbed my shirt and the hotel room key. "Are you coming?"

Chase gave an easy smile. "Yeah." He got out and dried off.

We got in the elevator and Chase wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead. "So... let's say we get back to the room and..."

I smiled. "Anything to get me away from the nightmares."

Chapter 25

I woke the next morning with Chase lying beside me. I smiled, as I always do, waking up beside Chase and nightmare free. I took a shower and called my mom, thankful when it went to voicemail.

"Hi Mom, it's Scarlett. Listen, I can't thank you enough for the money. Chase and I are in Phoenix now and we're planning to have another protest today. I really love you mom and I know that you'd never hurt me... It's just... I've been having these nightmares... and... I just... Never mind. Love you Mom, have a happy Mother's Day."

I pulled on a pair of bleached, cut-off jean shorts and a black skull tank top, my ratty black converse to Match. I did my makeup and went over my hair with a straightener. I went down to the lobby to get some food. I came back to the room with coffee in my hand. I opened the door and heard Chase, talking quietly in the bedroom.

"Hi... Yeah, I know... How's Dad?... No, I'm not coming back anytime soon... No, you won't meet her, you guys were so—... Mom, listen! You guys were jerks about me even dating her! She Matches me now! God, I just wanted to wish you a happy Mother's Day, but now? You can go to hell for all I care!" Chase came out of the bedroom, his eyes a little puffy.

"Chase, were you crying?"

He sniffed. "No, God, my parents are dicks."

"At least you called,"

"I called and told my mom to go to hell... I'm a terrible son."

I rolled my eyes. "Who cares about parents anyway? I mean, once you're eighteen, what do we need them for?" I kissed Chase. "Plus, you've got me." I smiled and kissed Chase again.

Chase smiled. "Okay, now that my mom's out of the way. We have a protest to get ready for."

. . .

We walked up to the edge of the street and the crowd yelled. I smiled, remembering the rush I get from a protest. The adrenalin had already started pumping through my system. People pumped signs in the air.

The yells and chants lasted for an hour before Chase heard sirens in the distance, then the sirens stopped. We shrugged it off. Another thirty minutes passed and I heard more sirens, this time louder and closer.

"Chase, do you think the police will step in?"

Chase sighed. "Anything could happen." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in close. "Just, if the police do show up, don't fight them and keep your eyes covered."

I nodded then checked the time: 6:30. "Chase, listen, my dad..." I was cut off by loud sirens and cruisers pulling up to the curb.

"Leave now! Stop the protest!"

Police men filled out of their cruisers, all holding guns and/or Tasers. "No." I shouted and the crowd fell silent. "We refuse to step back and let you take control. We have rights!"

"Uh... Scarlett... What did I just say...?"

"You can back down Chase, but I'm standing my ground." I looked at the crowd. "Unscripted! Un-script-ed! Un-script-ed!"

The crowd didn't say anything, they just stood there. I chanted louder. "Un-script-ed! Un-script-ed! Why aren't you chanting?! Who are we?!"

Nothing.

"WHO ARE WE?!"

Silence.

"UNSCRIPTED! And what do we want?" No one said a word. "WHAT DO WE WANT?!"

I bit my lip and felt tears threaten to fall. "Fine! Let the police take over! NOTHING WILL CHANGE WITH THAT ADDITUDE!" I threw my own sign on the ground and looked at Chase. "Let's get out of here." I walked to Chase's car with all eyes on me.

Chase got in the car and looked at me for a second.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Sometimes I just can't believe you. I mean, you put everything into these protests, and... when they don't go your way... It's just..."

"Let's just get out of this damn town."

So we did.

We were out of Phoenix the next morning and heading off to Albuquerque the next day. We spent a week in Albuquerque then went to Austin, Texas, spent a week there and went to Louisiana, and so on.

By the time we got to Richmond, Virginia, we had almost half the country following us. We were going to hit New York then cycle back to California. We had one big stop before heading towards New York, though. We still had Washington D. C. to hit.

And a protest was too easy with all of Chase and my supporters. We—I am going to lead a march. A march at the Washington Monument.

The nightmares continued.

. . .

"Hello, welcome to Hyatt. Do you have a reservation?" The man at the front desk asked.

I smiled. "Yes, it should be under Riley Moore." I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping Chase and I wouldn't get kicked out of the hotel for being the leaders of an uprising.

"Wait, you're Riley Moore?"

"In the flesh." I gave a smile I didn't feel. "Can we just get out room, please?"

"Of course! I would never say no to Riley Moore," He laughed a little. "I mean, Riley Moore,"

The more he said my name the less I felt like Riley Moore. Chase could sense it. He put an arm around my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Scarlett."

I smiled and took the room keys from the man at the desk. "Thanks,"

I grabbed the handle of my suit case and wheeled it to the elevator.

Once in our room and sat on the couch and took a deep breath. "Chase, how can we organize a march? I mean, a protest is one thing, but a march?! That means I'll have to write a speech..."

Chase smiled. "A speech isn't that hard to write. Tell you what, I'll work on the planning and you work on the speech, deal?"

"Deal."

. . .

I got down on my knees and sat the bouquet of flowers on the grave. The sun was barely giving off any light, now that it was setting. I ran my fingers over the carved stone, tracing the letters with my fingers.

The cool grass felt refreshing under my legs. I was sick and tired of the constantly changing environment. Changing states so much was messing with me.

The sun had completely set now and the only light came from the dark blue sky and the moon. I looked over at the pond by the graves and saw the moon reflect on the water. Everything was silent and peaceful, perfect for mourning, if I knew who I was mourning.

Here lies Nightmares belonging to Scarlett Rennal. Never again can they haunt her.

I squinted, making sure I read it correctly. There's no way... I thought.

I opened my eyes; I woke from the last nightmare I'd have.

"Chase," I shook Chase slightly. "Chase, wake up, please." I shook him more. "Chase!" He rolled on his back and I gasped.

His face was bloody and scratched, some of his skin was ripped off. His eyes were bloodshot and blank. His throat was slit and blood was stained under his mouth. "Chase!"

I grabbed the phone and dialed 911. The line was dead. "Listen, Chase, I'll be right back, okay?" He just stared with those blank eyes.

I ran out of the hotel room and took the elevator down to the first floor. The lobby was filled with people. Filled with people with a catch: everyone was frozen. Like someone had pressed "pause" on life.

I have to get help.

I took the keys from a woman who was frozen as she was putting the keys in her purse—well, okay, I didn't take the keys from her, they were frozen in the air above her purse, so, technically, I took the keys from the air.

Outside in the parking lot, I pressed the panic button on the keys and followed the flashing lights and alarm to a new Buick. I got in the driver's side and started the car. I drove off, not knowing where. But there was one thing I noticed: everything outside the hotel was frozen too.

I was shaking and freaking out. I just left my dead boyfriend in our hotel room, stole a car and now I'm driving down an empty-but-full highway, going nowhere in particular.

I adjusted the rear-view mirror out of habit and screamed. I turned around in the seat and looked at the back seat.

"Hello, Darling."

"Mom?! What's going on? What happened to Chase and why is everyone frozen?!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you have other questions for me. I mean, "What happened to Chase?", "why is everyone frozen?"? How boring."

"Mom, is this a dream?"

"I hope so," She smiled. "Yes. It's a dream. Now, don't you have other questions for me? Maybe like, "why have you been trying to kill me?" That's a good one."

"Why have you been trying to kill me?"

My mom laughed. "Well, because it's fun."

"It's FUN?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"That I enjoy trying to kill you. Have you ever seen The Sixth Sense? No? Well, there's this mom, and she's obsessed with taking care of her kid, so, she poisons her kid so that the kid stays sick. Well, it's a mental illness called Munchausen syndrome, and honestly, I didn't know I had it.

"Okay, so... the day you left home, I felt like I still needed to take care of you, so, I tried to get you back but you wouldn't come back. Well, I went to this therapist guy and he helped me manipulate dreams. So, I started manipulating your dreams, making you believe that I wanted to kill you—and in a way, I do. If almost killing you will help me take care of you, then by all means, I'd do it."

"YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO KILL ME?!"

She shrugged. "Yeah, but it's no fun anymore. I'm running out of ideas and the dreams aren't working. So, I thought I'd stop."

"Just like that? You're just going to stop like that? THEN LET ME WAKE UP!"

"Please?"

"Please." I said through clenched teeth.

"I love you, Darling."

"You too Mom."

. . .

My eyes shot open.

"Chase! Chase wake up!"

"Mmm," He moaned. "Go back to bed..."

"Chase, my mom explained everything in a dream. She's crazy. My mom's has... Munchausen syndrome. She was just trying to mess with my head, Chase." I heard his soft snoring and knew he couldn't hear me. Good-night Chase."

. . .

"Okay, so, your mom, has a mental illness that makes her want you to stay sick? She wants—has to take care of you, so she... is trying to kill you? Scarlett, that makes no sense." Chase took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, I know, but right now, that's all we have to go off of. Anyway, have you done any planning for the march?"

"Have you written your speech?"

"No."

"Same."

"Chase, I don't think you understand how important it is for me to have this march. We can't just sit around and wait for some higher being to plan it all for us."

"What? You don't think I want this march either? Trust me Scar, I want this too." Chase took my hands in his. "I just need time."

I sighed. "I know."