The only thing I can find on the internet about dream collector is a 1972 novel with same name by some photographer and it's not the same as what I'm looking for.

Immediately I woke up to the real world I knew I have to tell someone. This isn't something I can't deal with on my own, it's getting too much and I can't do this alone anymore. First it's Arihmatheo taking me into his mind and now it's the sisters of the dark messing with my mind. It's not that strong and if they should continue to mess with it like that I'm going to lose more than my mind and it's just been a month.

I tap my feet on the floor as I wait impatiently for the Headmaster to roundup whatever it is he's doing. I'm a bit curious about him, the sisters of the dark knows who he is, they know who his son is. He was able to banish them to wherever they came from without so much as blinking and somehow he's always sitting behind his desk, looking vulnerable. Arihmatheo knows him too. I look at him and I see someone with secrets, big secrets.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, you can come now." He closes his laptop and waves his hand in a 'come here' gesture.

I stand up from the accented chair and approach him. Pulling the chair opposite him to sit. I drop my hands on my lap and look at him.

"Are you okay? You're looking tired. I knew what happened yesterday must come as a shock but I want you to know that–" I interrupt him because I'm not here to talk about my parents. I already know where they are and I'm going to go find them.

"What do you know about dream collector?"

His eyes widens in surprise, obviously not expecting that question. "What?"

I don't have time to play the guessing game with him today, so I go straight to the point.

"And the sisters of the dark? Do they have the power to manipulate people's mind?"

I'm not sure he knows he's doing it but he's blinking his eyes frantically before sighing. "They took something from you." He confirms my worst fear. "What do remember before going to sleep?"

Now I know the dream collector or whoever he is wasn't lying. Those bitches really took something from me. The big question is what did they take? Why me? What did they want from me?

"Well I showered and went to sleep immediately." I answer.

He hums as he takes in my answer. "When they appeared around you, what did they say? Did they surround you?"

"Yes. And they said they were ordered to kill me but they didn't. They hurt Nate, Jessica and Roman but they didn't hurt me." And now that's I'm just thinking about it, they said they wanted to destroy me but they didn't touch me unless destroying me means getting something from me.

"Then they stole from you. Any guesses?"

The dream collector said they messed with my mind to get something from it.

"My memories." I mean, I don't appear to be missing anything but I'm sure it's my memories except I don't know what memory they took.

"Are you sure?"

I nod. "Yeah, the dream collector said they came for my memories." I reply.

"Go get some rest." He says.

I'm taken aback by that order. "Wait.. that's it? You're dismissing me."

I can't believe this. I can't believe him, after everything I just said.

"Yes."

I place my hand on the arms of the chair and lean forward as I say, "You can't–"

"I can and I will, infact I just did. Go to your room, Cami. I will have Penelope cast a protection spell around you. We're not sure if they got everything they want."

"Fuck you!" I stand up and flip him the bird before walking away.

"Cam–"

"Fuck you. I'm so over this shit." I mutter. I cannot believe I thought I could count on him, I told him everything and he thinks laying low is better than finding those dark sisters and ask what they want and who they work for.

I turn the doorknob and open it but stop when his voice comes behind me. "The dream collector is a dream spirit that collects dreams and nightmares. He doesn't appear to anyone but if you saw him, a version of him, then it means you have special connection with your dreams that even him has no power to control."

"Yeah no shit." That just makes everyone better. I step outside and slam the door behind me.

If he won't help, then I'll do everything myself. I don't think I can wait any longer, I want to know everything like right now. I hate suspense, it kills me not to know where I'm from and how I'm connected to the equation. And I can't keep wasting time. I need to find my parents now. From there I'll know what to do. I'm impatient but I'll take everything one after the other and first on my list is knowing where I come from, knowing that would answer a lot of questions.

I'm exhausted physically and mentally, and I know it would only get worse if I don't do anything. I went to sleep last night but I'm not sure I even slept at all because the dream collector said I was awake, and truly I woke up in the cafeteria with no memory of how I got there.

I unlock the door to my room and peek inside to see Jessica isn't there, she's probably with Nate, which is good. The last thing I need is her asking the questions I can't answer.

Entering the room, I lock the door behind me and head straight to my closet. I take out the duffel bag buried under the clothes and toss it behind me before grabbing three t-shirt and two jeans. I kick the duffel bag towards the direction of my bed as I balance the clothes in my hand. Dropping them on my bed, I open my side drawer and dig through the extra notepads and pencils I brought with me, to grab my passport. I have just enough money to buy myself a ticket to Australia.

They won't know what hit them, I can not believe they did this to me. How can they just declare me dead like that? I'm alive. I'm here. Is that there plan all along? Send me to The Vale and lie to the entire world that I cease to exist. Why? Why would they do that to me? To me? Whatever reason they have, it won't be enough. I mean, what compelled them to do that. So what happens when we have break from school and I go home? Is that how everything is going to play out?

I sit on my bed and bend to open the duffel bag before filling it with clothes. My phone vibrates in my jean front pocket, making me flinch from the unexpected feeling the vibration sends all over me. I quickly recover when the vibration comes again. Leaning back to remove the phone from my pocket. I see an incoming call from an unknown number.

This better not be a prank call. I thought as I answer the call. "Hello?"

A shuffling sound greets me before everything goes silent. "Hey–"

"Listen because I'm only saying this once. Four blocks from your old house, there is a coffee shop, wait there for me tomorrow at eleven hundred hours," A very familiar and unmistakable voice speaks to me.

My mouth drops open. "Dad? Is that you?"

I need him to answer that first before I start bombarding him with questions, but he hangs up instead.

I don't understand what's going on. What the hell is wrong with him? First he calls me after weeks of ghosting me, didn't say hello or ask how I have been or how I am for that matter. A coffee shop?

Is this some sort of game to him?

The door of the room opens, revealing Jessica. "So... I have this crazy–" She stops when she notices me sitting my phone clutch tightly in my hand. "Hey, you okay?" She asks in a small tone as she approaches me slowly. "Are you going somewhere?" Her eyes scans the duffel bag.

"No. No, I'm just putting some stuff away," I lie, hoping she doesn't press further but Jessica, she's something else.

She gets on her knees in front of me and asks, "What's going on?" Her normal bright expression is replaced with a curiosity. "Come on, you can tell me anything."

I sigh and look into her eyes. "I just... I just got a call from my Dad–" She interrupts me.

"Well, that's great," she squeals in excitement.

"I wish it was the case," her face falls, "he asked me to meet somewhere," I tell her.

She nods in understanding. "We are going to go, right?"

I shake my head. "No. I'm going to go, Jessica. Not we." I correct.

Her mouth drops open and her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What? I mean, why–"

"You are already in trouble because of me, I won't drag you into another one, so please stay." I just wish she'd understand where I'm coming from. She and Nate are in trouble because of me. They are meant to see the headmaster tomorrow in regards of their punishment and she wants to follow me to see my dad.

She shakes her head frantically. I'm afraid it's going to fall off. "You don't see me complaining, and you didn't drag me into anything and even if you did, I don't regret it, I'd do it all over again." She stands her ground. One of the things I respect about her is that no matter how hard someone tries to change her mind, she won't back down. Her yes is yes and her no will always remain no. I know that there is no talking her out of this, I just hope she'd understand and see this from my point of view.

"I want you to understand that this is bigger than me, bigger than any of us. Someone is messing with me, Jessica. Something is playing me. I haven't heard from my dad in three weeks and after what we heard yesterday, I think I might walking straight into a trap."

I don't trust him, not after what he did.

"Then let's walk into it together," she concludes.

I don't know why this is difficult for her to understand, I don't know why she can't just see the danger in this.

"Jessica–" I say her name.

She grabs my hand in hers and looks into my eyes. "Cami please!" She plea, her eyes begging me to listen to her. "Don't ever tell me to stay, anywhere you go, I follow even if it's dangerous."

"Why?"

"Because you're my best friend and after what did for me, coming after me not knowing how dangerous it was, I promise myself that I will always follow you because I know you will do the same for me without thinking twice."

There's nothing I can say. Her mind's made up.

"It could still be a trap," I breathe out.

Her expression suddenly changes to dangerous like she's ready for literally anything. "Let it be. I am a mage and sage, let them come. We'll give them hell," she says with full of confidence in us.

"Fine, let's go," I smile but it quickly fades. "There is something I need to tell you," I realize that I haven't been entirely honest with her and since I'm no longer flying to Australia, I might as well kill the time bringing her up to speed with my situation. If only I know where to start.

****

As weird as this school is, there are some rules that must followed but only one of the rules is super compulsory. No students should be seen lurking around before eight o'clock in the morning no matter the circumstances. I got lucky before because I was at the lake and the headmaster gave me permission. The reason is because our janitors are humans and they don't want to give anything out.

I told Jessica everything and she listened very carefully, no interruptions or questions until I'm done. She wasn't surprised about the strange when I almost killed everyone at West High.

"My God, Cami, you've been going through this all alone. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I should have known something was going on. I knew something was bothering you but I didn't think it was this big. I'm sorry."

She has nothing to be sorry about and I let her know.

She goes to sleep shortly after our talk but I couldn't sleep. It's bad enough that I know there are people out there waiting for me to shut my eyes, this time I don't know which reality I'm going to create.

I wake Jessica up around five because if we want to get to my dad on time, we need to move early. We take our baths and change our clothes before leaving our room. I know when the janitors work, so we sneak past the ones working at the dorm, and step to the compound. We hear footsteps and voices. We are alone. I pull Jessica to hide behind one of the big trees decorating the building. She looks at me and brings her finger to her lip. I nod as she goes down on one kneel and places her palm on the floor. She cast a spell and the footsteps and voices we were hearing stops. She removes her hand from the ground and stand up.

"What did you do?" I ask.

"I gave them a distraction and it won't last long, come on."

We run and while going I see three people jumping like they're trying to catch something but there's nothing there. The distraction.

We get to the gate safely. Once registered in the school system, the motion sensor gate opens whenever we approach. We run out as soon as the gate opens and find Jessica's car where she parked it that day. They couldn't take it in because she lost the keys.

"Going somewhere ladies?" We stop at the sound of a familiar voice. I freeze but quickly recover before turning around.