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// Chapter 3: Final Goodbyes 
// Story: I Dreamt of Her 
// by ben717 
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I woke with a short *gasp*

I quickly looked around.

I was home. This was my room! This was my bed! It was just a dream after all!

It was still dark outside, I couldn't see much past the tree line. Didn't matter.

It was quiet in my house. I bet everyone is asleep. I glance up at the clock, 2:28 in the morning... Oh yea, everyone's asleep.

I'm about to lay back down in bet when I notice something. I'm kinda hungry... I walk down the hallway to goto the fridge. I open it up and grab an apple out of the fruit drawer.

I turn on the kitchen lights and sit down at the table. I munch on the apple, when I get the urge to walk around the house a little bit. The first place I go to, is the basement.

My basement isn't like you're old cliché creepy dark basement. My basement is large and open, it's where we basically live during the winter.

Naturally I see my dad lying on the couch asleep. He fell asleep watching TV again. Go figure.

I'm about to turn around and head back upstairs when I notice something. A slip of paper laying on the floor next to my dad.

I sneak as quietly as I can to where he is laying. Don't want to wake him up.

I pick up the note. In big bold letters it reads. "You never know what you got..."

I finish the phrase in my head, "until its gone..."

I hear a creak come from upstairs, I head back up to investigate. I glance down through the bars in the stairway to look at my dad one more time before heading up.

I take my look and continue upstairs.

Hmm... No one up here…

I glance at the clock, 9:17?

That doesn't make any sense. I hear a knock down at the end of the hallway. I glance back, but see no one. I walk down there and walk past my sisters' room.

That's weird, the night light is off.

I step into their room and stoop down to turn the switch on. As the light turns on, what's this?

Another note, now illuminated by the night light. I take ahold of the note and stand up.

It says this, "take one good, hard look..."

I do as the note says. I look up and see my sister lying asleep. Emma, sprawled out across the bed like she always does. She needs a bigger bed than I do. Not kidding.

Then I look into the corner where Josie's bed is... Weird... It's empty.

I turn to hear little footsteps walking down the hallway. I lean out the doorway to see the three year old rubbing her eyes while coming down the hallway.

"What you doing, Bem? What you doing?"

I say quietly, "I'm lookin' around. What are you doing?"

"I wan go mommies bed..."

"Ok, I'll take you to mommies bed."

I hoist the child up and carry her into my mothers room as quietly as I can.

I lay her down in bed next to my mother, who is also sound asleep.

As I tuck her in next to my mother, she hands me a small folded up slip of paper.

"Ree dis Bem, Ree dis."

I unfold the slip of paper, it reads "It's the last look you'll get."

I look back down at the child, she too, is now asleep. I take a look at my sister, and my mother laying in bed.

Then after a minute or two, I have to use the bathroom. I leave my parents' room and close the door quietly behind me.

I walk down the hallway and go into the bathroom.

I turn on the light, close the door, and do my business.

I turn around and begin washing my hands. I look down at them and start scrubbing.

Once done I reach up, turn off the faucet and look into the mirror.

Something's wrong, but what is it?

My eyes... What's wrong with my eyes?

They've changed color, no longer hazel, but red. Even the whites of my eyes are now a pale yellow!

What is happening? What? What's up with my teeth? Or tooth? What the-?!

Then my reflection is no longer my own, it IS my own. It's me but, it's not? What is happening? My heart rate quickly triples.

My reflection begins grinning, then laughing. My heart is racing, I have to stop this madness!

I grab the towel rod off the wall and swing it at the mirror with all of my might!

*GASP* I wake up with a start.

A cold sweat is rolling down my forehead. Heart is pounding in my chest. I look around.

I'm in the boutique... So... That dream... That nightmare... Wasn't real?

I glance down at my watch... 5:01... The sun should be rising in about an hour... I need to take a walk.

There's parchment, ink, and a quill lying on the headboard.

I should probably leave a note so Rarity doesn't think I ran off…

"Took a walk" it read.

I lace up my shoes, put on a shirt, and walk out of the boutique.