It's just a dream by Jackson Waldron (best fiction novels of all time TXT) 📕

Chapter 1

The sound of the gun startled him, the other competitors dived in to the treacherous ocean and began their swim. David tried moving but his legs began to feel like jelly and he toppled to the ground. “Get up, get up!” screamed someone from within the crowd. It wasn’t very coordinated, but slowly David began to rise to his feet and hobble towards the churning waves. His stomach had stopped doing backflips and he was starting to regain his strength. He felt the water lapping at his toes and a cold shiver sent spikes jabbing into his spine as it slowly crawled up his back. He could see the other competitors already at the halfway point of the swim. He had to make up for time. He dove into the water, moving his hands and feet in a swift swim that kept getting him closer and closer to his competitors. As he neared the beach, he could hear the worried cries of the crowd, he looked behind him and then he realised why the crowd was so worried, the shark was right behind him.

He didn’t even have time to react, the sharp teeth sank into his skin with ease. The water began to turn dark red and he could feel the ligaments and bones in his arm snapping and tearing away from the rest of his body. He howled in pain. His vision turned red, he could feel nothing, and the last thing he saw was the water slipping over him like a cold blanket and hands reaching down after him. He just hoped that they would reach him in time. Then the sharp pain of his missing arm came back and strength flowed back into him as he began to pull himself from the darkness. Strength was flying through him as the adrenaline took over and he sped towards shore like a bullet out of a gun. It felt like a lifetime but he finally reached the shore. He looked back and saw the stream of blood that stretched for roughly fifty metres. He couldn’t feel his arm, the adrenaline was gone and he was slowly slipping away from consciousness. He could hear his mother crying and could feel someone holding him. He could feel someone beginning to shake him and then the pain in his arm was gone and he was lying on a bed. Not just any bed, but his bed, he looked up and his mum was standing over him. He looked over at his arm, it was back. Then he realised it was just a dream. He rolled over and hopped out of bed. He took a quick glance outside his window at the waves crashing over the rocks as they rolled into shore. He grimaced at the thought of ironman training today. He never wanted to go into the Ocean ever again. He still was in shock from the dream that felt so real.

Breakfast was the usual, Nutri Grain. He didn’t mind it but it got boring after the first week.

“Mum, do we have to keep getting this crap?” he asked with a sharp tone.

“You, know why we get this, it’s free and we are low on money right now.” She replied.

“But mum, I don’t like it much.” David groaned.

“It’s only until you start to make some actual money.” She snarled

“Maybe if you got a job mum, you could pay for it instead of relying on me.” He defended. She hesitated, he’d taken it too far. David saw the first tears slide elegantly out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Then the droplets became streams, and she ran off crying down the hall. Well, that went well. He thought. He didn’t have a choice, he had to make it up to her. He walked unsteadily to the fridge, he was still shaken up from his dream. He found out the bacon and eggs and made his mum breakfast in bed.

“Sorry mum, I didn’t mean it, honestly.”

“Nah, your right, I’ve been living off you for too long, which is why I’ve recently been taking classes in business management. I’m going to start a security business.”

“I’m going to help you.” He said quickly.

“But what about your Iron Man training?”

“Forget about that, I don’t even like being an ironman, I want to help you, we could make it a family business.”

“Alright, but what about your father, should we ask him if he wants to get involved?”

“Mum, Dad died three years ago…”

“Oh… Right, I forgot… I’ll just stay here for a bit, maybe have a look to see if there are any shops that are available in our area.”

“Yea, ok mum. I’ll go quit the Iron Man Academy and I’ll head to the bank to see if they’ll give us a loan.”

“Ok sweetie, have fun.”

He raced out to the car with excitement, he never did really like being an Iron Man, plus he dreaded the thought of his dream becoming reality. He sped down the street. He crashed through the academy doors and bolted down the hall towards the main director’s office. He slowed his run to a walk as he neared the office. He knocked on the door and opened it slowly. “Mr Bitkins, I would like to withdraw my place in the academy.”

“You what?!”

“I would like to um, well, withdraw from the academy?” He said trembling.

“Hmmmmm, well that’s fine, you were never one of our best.” He replied with a smirk.

“Thanks, cya!” he yelled running back down the hall towards the exit.

He burst through the doors and began to run to his car. “Hey Dave!”

He turned and looked for the owner of the voice, but couldn’t find anyone. He turned back towards his car, puzzled, he kept walking. Hey Dave! He heard it again, but this time he knew it was just him, or was it, again he searched the area around him for a sign of life, a bush moved nearby and he jumped. Then he began to feel a sharp pain on the top of his left palm. It began to intensify and he collapsed to the ground, clasping his wrist tightly. Suddenly, the pain went away and strength flowed through him once more. Well that was weird. He thought. He got off the ground and kept walking to his car. He got in and began his journey to the bank, well, at least he thought he was going to the bank.

Chapter 2

He sped down the main street towards the bank, he was only concentrated on one thing, getting to the bank. He rounded a sharp corner and he slammed on the brakes, he could feel the whole tail of the car stepping out on him, he hammered his foot onto the accelerator and the whole world spun. Slowly, the spinning began to stop and he and the car came to rest on the footpath. He looked around, making sure that everything was still in one piece. Everything was, apart from one small problem, he had smashed into a police car.

His wrists ached from the handcuffs and he had an overwhelming feeling of anxiety as he sat in the back of the truck. He noticed something moving in the corner. “Hello?” Something began to emerge and he started to see the shape of a man. He had a long, scruffy beard that stretched down to his chest. He had short, black hair and his eyes were bloodshot. He was wearing a worn leather jacket that creaked with every movement and denim jeans that had tears at both knees. “What do you want?” He groaned.

“Um, nothing?”

“Good.”

I have to get out of here. He began to kick at the door as hard as he could. “Hey genius, do you really think you’re the first one to think of that idea? They are reinforced, you won’t break thr…” Just then the door opened and David plunged his feet right into the policeman’s face. “Oh shit!” He dove out of the truck and began to run, he looked back to see another policeman in pursuit. He darted through a set of trees and almost ran into a car, he jumped over a low wall and kept going, he smashed through the window of a house, rolled, got up and kept going. He ran outside to the sound of sirens nearby, he knew he had to get away. He found a car in the driveway of the house and smashed his way in through the window. He began to hotwire the car like he’d been taught by his best friend Michael and heard the low whine of the engine turning over. He scrambled into the drivers seat, put it in reverse, and slammed his foot on the accelerator and the car shot backwards. He emerged into a dusty street with no cars or people on it. He snapped the gear stick into drive and drove off down the street. What have you done? Was the last thing he thought before the policeman jumped on the hood of the car.

He smashed through the windscreen and Dave turned sharp right to avoid an oncoming car. “Pull over!” screamed the cop as he plunged a foot straight into David’s jaw. David felt the bones snap as blood began to spurt from his broken jaw. He couldn’t speak, he wanted to scream but his body wouldn’t allow it, the pain was unbearable. He slammed his foot on the brake and the cop smacked into the glovebox, he got knocked unconscious and David noticed a set of keys hanging out the back pocket of the cop’s pants. He grabbed them and shoved one of the keys into his handcuff, it clicked open and he sighed with relief as he set the other hand free. He knew he had to keep going, he got out, went around to the passenger side, and dragged the cop onto the ground. He scrambled back to the drivers side and got in. He put the car in drive and made a left. He knew he wouldn’t last long before he passed out. He had to get to a doctor. Then he remembered his friend Melony, he looked around and recognised a building, then he realised he was in Bondi, this was where she lived! He had to get there. He slowed down and turned onto the main road, his jaw ached, but the bleeding had slowed. He turned down her street and found her gardening in her front lawn, god she was beautiful. She was wearing her gardening apron and sunnies, underneath she had a purple blouse and white shorts. He pulled up in front of her house and stumbled out, she immediately looked up and a look of horror spread across her face, she quickly rushed him inside and got to work, she strapped his jaw back in place so that he could talk again and gave him some mild painkillers that had little effect. After several days of rest, Melony wanted answers, so she gave him pen and paper and told him to write what had happened. He