The Dreaming Ones

August looked around, seeking a large, grey, stone archway amidst the luscious green trees. Her golden-brown wolf cut swished at the slightest nod of her head. Her clothes matched the earthy scenery around her, but with a more gothic vibe – a sage green sweater, black tights, a black skirt, her canvas bag, and Doc Martens. She had an array of freckles sprawled across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. According to the mysterious parchment letter in her hands, it should be around here somewhere, and unless Google Maps was wrong, she should be in Greenway Park.As a cold hand grasped her shoulder, August swivelled around, only to be met by a slender Middle Eastern girl around her age – sixteen – with glowing olive skin and big, beautiful siren eyes. Those eyes. They shimmered in the sun like deep pools of the green-blue ocean. August thought she could drown in them. The unknown girl was wearing a blood-red headscarf and a matching sweater vest, as well as a pair of black slacks and chunky loafers.“So, you’re looking for the archway too?” her semi-deep, calming voice asked.“Er, yeah, actually, I-”Abruptly, another voice interrupted their conversation. “Have you guys received a letter, too?” exclaimed a tall South Asian boy who was clinging onto his piece of parchment. He was sporting a light caramel sweater, matching caramel slacks and a white button up. He had gorgeous hazel-brown eyes and was quite tall. He reminded August strongly of a golden retriever. He dresses like one too, she chuckled softly.“Err, hi?” she started, only to be interrupted by Nazeera.“Name and age.”Why do I keep getting interrupted? August asked herself.“Muzammil, sixteen. You?”“Nazeera, also sixteen. Your turn, kid.”“HEY! I’M THE SAME AGE AS YOU, YA KNOW?”A dark shade of crimson shaded her cheeks.“August, sixteen.”“It would be really funny if you were born in Augus-” Muzammil started, then was stopped by a loud BANG!Simultaneously, they snapped their heads in the direction of the unexpected noise. It seemed as if no one else in the park noticed the large stone arch or the eardrum-bursting bang.“Hey, how about we try going through the archway?” August asked, desperately trying to change the fact that she was currently the centre of attention.Murmured agreements went around the trio, and in sync, they stepped in.Light flooded into the cracks of August’s eyes, the faint smell of cinnamon rolls rushed into her nostrils, and a cool electric feeling washed over her like a cold sweat on a blazing hot night.What’s happening? she thought to herself. She could hear the other two yelling next to her, as though there were large sirens bursting her ear drums. The strange experience went on for what felt like a thousand years.Finally, August plopped onto the shiny marble floors of what seemed to be a castle. Huh? Where am I? She looked around, her eyes widening when she saw the drop-dead gorgeous Victorian building, which oddly reminded her of the Great Hall from Harry Potter. It had long, stained glass windows and high ceilings. On her right, August saw Muzammil rubbing his eyes sleepily, and on her left, Nazeera stifled a yawn. Everyone looked as though they had just woken up. Everyone except the jade dragon.August’s eyes widened even further, which made it look like her eyeballs would pop out. Muzammil let out a worried whimper, and even Nazeera seemed shocked and scared. Muzammil started backing up, not letting the dragon out of his sight. He seemed terrified. The dragon had his legs crossed – left over right – and was wearing a smart black suit. August pictured her dad wearing one just like it, and immediately, tears rushed to the brim of her eyes, threatening to spill.Salty streams of water ran down her cheeks, one by one, only until a deep, sinister voice startled her.“Welcome,” the dragon smirked — being fed by the strong essence of fear radiating off the helpless teens — “to my humble abode.” He was referring to his mega-sized castle. His smirk grew as each and every one of them seemed to shrink under his command.His long, black claws reached out, almost as if offering a handshake. His large, mustard yellow eyes glared at August, sending a shiver down her spine, and his glittery emerald scales glistened in the sunshine. Cavity-filled, yellow rows of teeth filled his jaw, and August could smell his nasty breath all the way from where she sat. He had short, stumpy horns that were a rich shade of bubble-gum blue, the same shade as his gruesome tongue and the insides of his mouth.Muzammil let out a high-pitched scream.And then everything went black.August found herself in a cage in an old basement. It was musty, and the air felt thick and mouldy, the walls covered in clumps of moss. Cobwebs decorated the corners of the cage. It smelled like blood. Fresh blood. I wonder how many people died here.The dragon strode in steadily on his hind legs, his tail swishing at every step, and a short, stumpy man walked alongside him. He wore a dirty old, raggedly cut apron and inventor’s goggles. He was bald on the top of his head and had messy strands of scarce hair around the sides. He looks like a mad scientist, August thought to herself.“Let’s get to work, shall we? You first,” the dragon demanded, pointing at Nazeera. Her eyes instantly filled with panic, not knowing what was waiting behind the cold metal bars. August could tell that the moment that he pointed at her, her heart dropped down to the crevices of her stomach.Meekly, she tiptoed out of the lair, making eye contact with August as her head hung low. Her ocean-blue eyes begged for help, begged for a saviour. She was muttering prayers under her breath.After she, the dragon, and the crazy man were gone, August turned to Muzammil, her face covered in fear and worry for her newfound friend.“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” she asked, like a child in need of her mother’s assurance.“I don’t know myself.” His face, which was once bright and cheerful, had now turned grim.A bone-chilling scream interrupted them.A few minutes passed.Then an hour.And then she was back.Covered in scars and wounds, with a long, deep cut along her jaw, Nazeera walked back into the cage, completely delusional. She was laughing hysterically, yet tears seemed to have found their way out of her now tired eyes. Her red cut matched her sweater vest. August and Muzammil ran and gave her a big bear hug, asking frantically if she was okay, what he did to her and such. Not once did she reply.“You, boy. Your turn.”Muzammil seemed to have accepted his fate. He walked with his head hung low, silent and salty tears running down his warm, peachy cheeks. He gave a quick nod and then left.The same routine followed.He let out an ear-piercing screech, about an hour passed, and he returned.Muzammil came back, half his head roughly shaved. There was a smaller cut this time, where his head was shaved, but it was even deeper than Nazeera’s cut. He, too, was hysterical and bawling.“Last but not least, the girl.”Butterflies did somersaults in August’s stomach. She followed the dragon into a brightly lit, white room, and the sudden change of lighting hurt her eyes. A collection of various body parts and vials of blood decorated the perfectly white shelves. Although the rest of the room was white, the large table in the centre of the room was blood red. There was an assortment of different tools, ranging from a scalpel to a hammer. The butterflies started performing circus tricks.“Sit,” he ordered.The dwarf-man pulled out a small stool resting underneath the table. August perched herself on its peeling leather seat.“You see, I was once just like you, you know? I was young, human, even. Your age. I was popular with the girls, too,” the dragon chuckled. Huh? Why’s he telling me this?“Then, I was turned into a dragon by a…”The ‘assistant’ slammed August’s head onto the table. Ruby red blood oozed out of her. It felt as though someone had cracked open her skull. He sure is strong for someone his height, she thought to herself, but now my head feels like it’s going to crack open and my brain is going to fall out.The dragon smirked as his assistant held her head down, making sure she couldn’t move. His dirty claws dug into her skin, and as the dragon snapped on an old gas mask, all went black.