I shot up with a gasp, breathing heavily and rapidly. My fists grabbing at the sheets over my knees as I stared at the space between them.

For a few moments the only sound I could hear was my own labored breaths as I struggled to bring myself back to a state of calm. I could barely hear my own voice when I finally felt calm enough to speak, albeit in a whisper.

"Again...that same dream again." I shook my head. "no.. not a dream.. a nightmare."

I looked out the window of my room, towards my school in the distance as my mind raced over the details again and again and again. Each time I ran over it in my head I forgot a little more until there was only one thing I could remember at all. "That..voice..." I didn't realize that I'd whimpered those words, I was too distracted from fighting back tears. "Dammit Sunset... get a hold of yourself."

I brought my hands up to my face and slapped my cheeks together a few times, rubbing them gently afterward in a vain attempt to wake myself up. "Kinda hard to do when you're fighting nearly a month with barely any sleep." I sighed in response to my own demand. "Maybe I should chuck a sickie and try to sleep through the day... maybe some light coming in through my windows will help fend them off."

I picked up my phone off my bedside table and opened my contacts. I scrolled through until I found the name I was looking for. "yeah.. she should be up by now... I just need a good excuse I guess... just a bout of nightmares isn't going to be a good enough reason."

I glanced around the room before spotting the stairs leading down to the kitchen in the hallway. I let a small smile creep onto my lips before looking back at my phone. Applejack's name was still highlighted. I tapped the screen with my thumb a few times before tilting the device landscape and typing on the virtual keyboard.

I hit send and lay back in my bed, letting my head rest on my pillow again. It wasn't even a minute later when my phone vibrated in my hand. I lifted it up above me and glanced at the message.

'Sorry to hear that darlin', I'll let the other girls know, don't you worry about that none. Just focus on feelin' better. We'll try and stop by after school if you're feelin' up to it.'

I typed out a quick thank you message and sent it before turning my phone off and setting it back down in it's resting place. I got up and moved to the door, closing it softly. It was days like this that I was glad the school provided residences for students who were from out of state.

Before I could start thinking too hard, I interrupted myself with a massive yawn and plopped back down into bed, pulling the covers over myself and closing my eyes.

It took a few minutes, but sleep, born of exhaustion, quickly claimed me. I spent my last moments of lucidity hoping that I wouldn't dream. Next Chapter: Prologue pt. 3: On the news. Estimated time remaining: 26 Minutes