Chapter Nine: Vanishing Faces

I awoke and stared at the ceiling once again. It was becoming a good hobby. This time, the ceiling was clean, and white, with maybe at least five to ten cracks in it. In other words, this ceiling was clean but cracked. It took a while to remember what had happened, but then it all flashed back to me. 

The dream, the clunk of the fallen burnt pole, the fire, sleeping in boy's cabin, the teachers. I knew things weren't right, and that somebody would have to fix them. I didn't know that somebody was me. 

I leaned over the edge of my bunk. Some of us were already up, like Joseph. Mathew and Robert were still asleep (Mathew was snoring) and Dion was tiptoeing into the room to get his clothes. 

"Hi," I whispered. He looked up and around and when he saw me he smiled. 

"Hi," he replied. "Some night last night." 

"Yeah," I agreed. I went to say something else but Robert snorted loudly and rolled off the top bunk, landing on the floor still asleep. I began to giggle, and got out of bed and into the few clothes I had left, going into the main girls' bathroom that was in the main office. When I returned, Mathew and Robert were finally up. 

"Have you seen Joseph?" Mathew asked. He seemed a bit worried, and I couldn't blame him. Joseph had been his friend since kindy and they were good friends, but Matt had only been friends with Robert and me since year three. 

"He's probably out there," I replied, jerking my thumb towards the window, "playing soccer with Sartor and Frosty."

"You're right," Matt agreed, relieved. "I'll find him outside."

That was strange. Joseph, according to Dion, would always sleep in and Mr Cauchi would wake him up, oh, he was probably not sleeping well from last night and the fire. But… then why were his Eevee, Clefairy and Snorlax doing still in the cabin. And why were they worried about where Joseph was? Surly Joey wouldn't go anywhere with out his pokémon… So, where was he? 

I kept my thoughts private, as not to worry Matt, but by dinnertime, when Joseph didn't show, and Matt couldn't find him, I decided to tell him. 

"Matt," I began, when we were in our cabin, without Joseph. "Guys, the teachers are defiantly up to something. I reckon that Mr Cauchi heard us last night. They are going to try to get rid of us." 

"What?" Dion gasped. Mathew looked stricken. 

"Answer this," I continued. "One, from what you have said, Joseph sleeps in every morning. Two, this morning, he wasn't in bed, so we all assumed he was up early, right?" They nodded. "Three, if he was up, his pokémon wouldn't still be on the top of the wardrobe. And, so, where is he now? Nobody saw him after he went to the bathroom, because we had fallen asleep by then, because he had taken so long. But, did he take that long, or did he never return?" 

There was silence in Boys' Cabin number 10. 

"No," Mathew whispered, breaking that awful silence. "It can't be true!" He turned around and buried his face into his pillow, back to us facing the wall. Instantly, I felt bad. My imagination was running wild, and now I'd hurt one of my best friends' feelings. We became aware of a sobbing sound. 

"I'm sorry Mathew," I whispered. "But you had a right to know." He rolled over and sat up. 

"While I'm sitting here, crying," he said, his voice quivering with anger, and sadness. "My little buddy could be in trouble! I've got to go!" he shouted. 

"No Mathew!" I cried, leaping off the top bunk onto him, as he ran to the door. I pinned him to the floor, and slapped his head. "If you go out there, you'll probably be taken too. It's much safer if we wait until the right time!" 

"She's right," Robert added, looking up from his book. "We don't want you to get hurt either. It's much safer if we wait." That was surprising, Robert had been moody and depressed all camp, until I had had my dream. 

"All right," Mathew sighed. "I'll wait." 

I went outside, leaving Mathew and Robert in the room. I needed some fresh air, and to ask Dion a favor. As soon as Dion came out of the bathroom, I took him aside. 

"Dion, I've heard that psychic pokémon can create dreams. Is that true?" I asked. 

"Yes?" he replied, confused. 

"Can I borrow Abra for the night?" I asked.

"Here he is," Dion said, handing me the pokéball, walking away, thinking 'Why does everybody need a psychic pokémon?' 

I released Abra and spoke to it. "Abra, I need you to create me a dream."