Dreamscape: Saving Alex Read Online Free Page B

eyes
with the back of my hand and sighed.
    From the corner of
my vision, I saw the screen turn black. What now?
    “This is
ridiculous,” I mumbled, stepping over Natalie and tapping the edge of the
screen. It lit back up, wanting another confirmation. “Yes, I’m ready. I
already told you that.” I pressed the button hard.
    The words on the screen burst into thousands of
golden crystals.
    Whoa. That was new. I stared at the eruption of
yellow coating the screen. Did I break the game? I squinted and leaned closer,
checking out all four sides of the TV. Nothing seemed broken. The theme song
still played in the background. I couldn’t tell what was wrong. I tapped the
edge of the screen again and sneezed as dust flew off into my nose.
    I looked back at it, but nothing had changed. It
still sparkled with golden pixels. And then I saw it. A steady stream of yellow
flakes spewed out of the screen towards me.
    Holy crap, what was going on? I scrambled
backwards until my back rested against the bed, and I froze. Nothing made
sense, and the wild images running through my mind only made it worse. I had
never seen anything like this before—except in horror movies. I didn’t want to
go there.
    Everything stopped, except my racing heart and the
stuff flying at me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do anything
but watch as the dust covered me. Bit by bit, it crawled its way up my body,
which tingled where each glittering piece landed. I held my breath, trembling
as my legs disappeared under the golden light.
    No. No. No. I tried to kick the dust off me, but
my legs were numb, and my arms wouldn’t move. Something was happening. It felt
like a nightmare. The kind where you’re trying to run away, but your feet slush
through the deep water as everyone else glides past effortlessly. I couldn’t do
anything I wanted to do. And I knew that if I tried to scream, it would sound
like a whisper.
    I choked back a scream and shivered. I had no idea
what it was, but something inside me was changing. Light crawled up my body,
pulsing to a familiar rhythm. Pins and needles spread through me like
lightening until my whole body hummed. When the light rolled over my head,
darkness blinded me. Vibrations shook my core until my teeth chattered.
    I sat shivering in the dark for hours. At least
that’s what it felt like. I had no way to gauge anything, and I didn’t trust my
mind. It was telling me all sorts of crazy things that didn’t make sense.
    I shook my head, surprised that it moved. The
pulsing slowly softened to gentle thumps, like a heartbeat. I kicked, swatting
the golden light off me. I might have been able to move, but I still couldn’t see.
Blurry golden light surrounded me. It was different than before though. This
light… was warm.
    That didn’t make sense. I shook my head again and
squinted. Other colors appeared, indistinct images moving too fast for me to
focus on them. I rubbed my eyes, hoping it would help, but it didn’t. I twisted
around, noticing the blur of vibrant, diverse colors. Even without seeing, I
felt empty space and sensed a new strangeness. Fear clenched my heart.
    I swallowed hard. I wasn’t home. Where was I?
    A persistent hum stirred deep within and around
me. Hidden in the chirps of the birds and the sway of the branches, the
familiar tempo repeated itself. A blurry parade of light passed in front of me,
speeding up to the pulsing rhythm, and then, after a few moments, repeated. The
same hum, the same movement. Everything repeated, forcing me to pay attention.
I knew that tune.
    My stomach knotted in a strange blend of curiosity
and fear.
    “Dun-dun doo-bee doo, Dun-dun doo-bee doo,” I
hummed to the beat.
    I was in Dreamscape.
     

Chapter Three
     
    “Crap, crap, craaaaaap!” I flicked off the last
golden specks of dust from my shin. I must be dreaming. I had to be dreaming.
There was no other explanation, except the absurd notion that the game had
eaten me. I shook my head. I