WOAH!!! Waking up hits me with my gut flipping hard. A loud grunt escapes me as I hit the floor beside my bed. My mind races as the net tightens around me, pulling in harder every time I struggle. HELP!!! flashes through my head before I realize I’m alone in my room, only tangled in my blanket. What the hell, that was the most real dream I've had.

  The dream flashes back through my mind. What the heck was that? All I can remember is being a wolf, hunting a deer that kicked me for getting too close. The spot where I’d been kicked still aches, though when I look under my pajama top there are no marks. After a few moments the ache fades, leaving only the memory of it. Another weird dream, just as real as the last one. Painfully real.

  The pain is gone, but what was that? Okay, that actually hurt. Are dreams supposed to hurt? It’s rare for any pain or feeling to follow me out of a dream. Usually it’s something small, but this time it feels like I’d been kicked for real. It’s only a dream, but then why do they feel so real?

  I finally manage to pull myself out of the blankets. Only I would get defeated by my own bed. Getting off the floor takes even longer. I breathe a sigh of relief and check the clock. It’s just after eight. Ughhh, too wound up now to try to sleep. Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like anyone heard it.

  Heading downstairs once dressed, I look around for my mom. No sign of her or her car. Must have gone to church, I think as I look for my dad. Geeze, where are you, Dad? Soon I find him in the den reading.

  As soon as he spots me, he looks up and says, “The driveway’s covered again. You’ve got a few hours before your movie, so could you shovel it? I’ll give you some money for the movie and snacks if you get it done in time,” giving me a wink before returning to his book.

  I look at him and nod. Ughhh, well at least I’m getting paid, and it’s not mowing, so small blessings. A sigh slips out. “Kay, I’ll get started,” I say as I grab a couple of sausages and head out to the porch to take the shovel.

  Shoveling gives me time to think about the last few days and the dreams. What are these dreams? I’ve had dreams that felt real before, but not like this. They don’t have the usual hazy, dreamlike feel. Well, other than the whole turning into animals part. That rarely happens in real life. The smells and the way I feel are way more vivid, and there’s that wanting to swim or the sudden urge to run as fast as I can.

  The smell of the sausages is divine in a way I’ve never noticed before. Hmmmm, that’s good. Now for an… wait, they’re gone? I look for one as if I dropped it. The driveway is barely started before the sausage was already gone. What was that?

  Everything seems to have a stronger scent. Even the faint, almost invisible smell of snow. Or maybe I’m just noticing it more. Nothing more. So lost in my thoughts and the smells, I don’t notice Charlie calling out or walking over until he taps me on the shoulder.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  His sudden presence makes me jump, almost growling. I manage to suppress it and let out a groaning laugh instead. What is with me? I think before responding carefully, “Oh hey, good timing. I should be done in a few minutes here,” I say. He nods and goes to sit on the steps. I finish the last bit of the driveway.

  Once I’m finished, I put the shovel away and grin. “So, you ready? Any idea when the others will show up?”

  He shakes his head. “Nope, but they said they’d be here before the movie.”

  I smile. “Well, let’s just enjoy the good weather.” I hesitate for a second, then give in. “Oh, I had a cool dream last night. I turned into a wolf and hunted deer.”

  He blinks. “So, like the dream before?”

  I give a nervous shrug, Come on, it’s just a dream, let him know. “Yeah. I remember a bit more about this one. I was on some kind of mountain and found an old shrine with a wolf skull. It told me to become the wolf. Next thing I knew, I was running in a hunt. We caught a deer, but I took a hoof to the chest and woke up.”

  He nods slowly. “That sounds like an interesting dream. How did it make you feel?”

  Taking a moment to think, I shrug. “It made me feel excited and happy. Like being the wolf was natural. When I woke up, being human didn’t feel quite as natural anymore.” Ughhh, I still remember the pain, I think while rubbing the spot.

  He rests a hand on my shoulder. “Well, it seems you’ve been having good dreams. Just remember they’re dreams. We don’t need you getting arrested for chasing sheep at one of the local farms.”

  A laugh slips out, even as I wince inside. Of course I wouldn’t… probably, I think. “Okay, I’ll try to keep that in mind. But they always look so tasty when cooked.”

  He lets out a groan. “Har har,” he says, turning at the sound of a car pulling up. I spot my mom and sister coming back from church.

  We head over to meet them. “Hey there. How was church?” I ask with a smile.

  My mom gets out and smiles. “It wasn’t bad. Too bad you slept in,” she says with a little shrug. I give a small shrug.

  Come on, where are they already? They will miss the movie, I think. Then I hear John’s voice from behind me. “Sorry we’re late! The bus got delayed for some stupid reason,” he calls.

  Turning around, I smile at him and Frank, relieved they made it. “Good timing. I was just starting to wonder if you two were even coming. I would’ve had to hit on all the girls myself.”

  My mom rolls her eyes with a sigh. “Okay, get in, everyone. We have thirty minutes to get there. Better to arrive early than risk big crowds,” she says. We all head to the car.

  I hurry inside to grab the money for shoveling the driveway. “Thanks, Dad,” I call as I hurry back outside. Then we’re off to the movie.

  Once we’re in the car, I lean back against the window. Snow drifts past outside. Really hope this movie is good. Been dying to see it for so long. The trailer had been exciting before, but the dreams seem to have made it stronger somehow.

  We pull up to our town’s single theater. It’s an old, small building, but our town isn’t that big anyway. We head inside and find our seats. I end up on the end, Charlie sits next to me, then Frank, and John last.

  I can’t help but smile. “Should we get the popcorn now or wait?”

  John shrugs with a tired sigh. “The line’s pretty long,” he says.

  My eyes glance over to Frank. “Two of us could get in line, or we can just grab what you want.”

  Frank nods. “I’ll take your order, and Mike and I can get in line.”

  The butter and salt on the popcorn reach me even from here. I doubt I’ll be able to sit still for the movie. The smell is way too strong to ignore. I get up and head to the concession stand with Frank. We talk about games while we wait in line.

  Soon we reach the front of the line, buy everything, and get back to our seats as the lights start to dim and the trailers begin. We pass out the snacks and settle in to watch the movie.