The Dream, the Dog, and the Drawing

Tuesday, 3 March 2099

Bruno had been instructed to go directly back to his dorm. Not only was the whole experience traumatizing and exhausting, but Bruno had suffered two injuries━one that needed stitching━and was not allowed to work for the time being. Spearman had told him in the automobile that he would clock Bruno out for him, send Valinoti and Schmidt home early.

On his way back to Inns Two, Bruno hadn't seen Cariddi or Diggs. Both of the Guard hadn't been at the fields. Where were they?

Now back in R9, Bruno lay on his bed and stared at the sketch of himself. It was drawn in pencil. Rina had sketched Bruno in his Worker uniform when he stood outside on the field during Faulkner's Exilation. It looked as if Bruno was concerned in the drawing, with his arms crossed and a quiver in his bottom lip. Rina knew how to draw; she was an artist like Carth.

At around 5:45 PM, Valinoti and Schmidt stormed into R9. They both barged right into Room B, their helmets held under their armpits.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Valinoti shouted.

"Sirens went off today," Schmidt said. "The Heart opened up and all the Humvees drove out of Espington! Ninety percent of the Guard left!"

"The Heart opened up?" Bruno repeated.

"Where do ya think they keep all the Humvees, automobiles, ammo, and equipment?" Schmidt questioned. "Screw that, you're not tellin' us what happened!"

"Oh, just like you not telling us that you're an amazing runner and not a klutz after all," Bruno said.

"Well if you noticed me back in Adlington," Schmidt started, "you would have noticed that I was the Running Miner. I had to run from the Mines to Mr. Cardoza, back to the Mines, and then to Cardoza with the attendance sheet and follow-ups!"

"Who cares?" Valinoti groaned. "Tell us what happened."

"I'm giving you a brief, brief, summary of today because I know I'll be on the news once again...Anyway, the ECC asked me to go to Faulkner's Exilation. Schmidt, you refused..."

"This is true."

"...I went with everyone and I watched Faulkner get Exiled. We drove off and that was when we saw a Varmint, a Grizzly. It attacked us, our automobile flipped, and we had to run into the Pines. There, Faulkner killed a Guard, attacked me, and was eaten by two bear cubs. Me, Spearman, Jago, Sayer, and Rina then━"

"Rina?" Valinoti repeated.

"━defeated the Grizzly and made it back to Espington safely," Bruno finished.

"Did you kiss her?"

"What? No!"

"Boo," Valinoti left the room; Schmidt followed.

"Really, guys?" Bruno said.

"Like you said, we'll watch the news!" Val shouted from the common area.

Bruno sighed and turned his room's television on. Already, Espington News had its bright, red "BREAKING NEWS" title shining on screen. Kait Demarest and Maxwell Binkley were in their usual outfits, sitting at their desk with the unimportant papers in front of them. Bruno ignored the whole introduction, adjusted himself in his bed.

"...with breaking news from the Inns One Penthouse," Kait continued. "During the Exilation of Dylan J. Faulkner, a twenty-foot Grizzly attacked the ECC and Guard. Sir Espington's life was spared as the Grizzly went after his daughter, Rina, Royce Spearman, a couple Guard, and Rich Bruno. The group had to venture into the mysterious Pines to hide from the ferocious beast..."

Bruno hated what Kait was saying. She made it sound like the Grizzly was a monster and its goal was just to mutilate everyone. That was not the case. It was the people's fault! They trespassed on Varmint territory, and the Grizzly believed that she and her cubs were in danger so she attacked. Luckily, Bruno wasn't being mentioned.

"...Apparently, the Grizzly was defeated by the quick-thinking of Factory Worker Rich Bruno," Kait explained. "Here's Royce Spearman with his experience."

Spoke too soon, Bruno thought.

The camera cut to the front of the Guard House. Royce Spearman stood by the doors next to the same female reporter that had interviewed Nurse Caroline about the Mavers incident.

"I have never seen anything like it," Spearman explained. "Bruno just eyed his surroundings and our belongings and made a flawless plan. He saved all our lives, and did it without killing the beautiful Grizzly. Forget the Factory, he should be a Head Guard, for sure!"

Bruno turned the television off.

"Did you━"

"Yes, I saw!" Bruno interjected Valinoti from his room.

Bruno plopped down on his bed, let out a great sigh when his head hit his pillow.

And before he knew it, he fell asleep.

There was a loud crash from the common area. Bruno sat upright instantly. His door was ajar, and the hallway light was off. His blinds were closed, so the room seemed darker than it really was.

"Valinoti? Schmidt?" Bruno called out.

There wasn't any answer.

Bruno got up, out of his bed, and walked out of Room B. All of the lights were off, and being that Bruno's mobile read 6:15PM, the sunlight didn't shine brightly through any of the blinds.

The television was on, but on a channel of complete buzz. Were Val and Schmidt still watching Espington News?

"Guys, answer me," Bruno called out.

He could see the TV, but not the long sofa. Bruno didn't know if Valinoti and Schmidt were sitting on that couch or not. Bruno walked down the hallway and his knees almost buckled.

Anzalone stood in the center of the common area holding a Guard handgun. Droplets of blood stained his Armory Worker uniform. Valinoti and Schmidt lay on the couch, heads lolled, bulletholes in their foreheads. Blood and tissue dripped down the wall behind them, covered the cushions. Bruno turned his head and saw Cariddi rested up against the front door, a bullet hole in the side of his head.

"Tyler..."

"It's over, Bruno," Anzalone grinned, the buzzing television screen illuminating his face in the dark common area. "It's all over."

"W-What━"

"Shh," Anzalone interrupted, putting the gun to his lips like a single finger. "No more talking. It's time to listen."

Bruno stared at his dead friends. The blood had sprayed the walls, stained the furniture, covered Anzalone. How didn't he hear the gunshots? Did Anzalone muffle the gun with a pillow?

"Rich," Anzalone snapped. "Did you hear? Lee didn't survive the surgery."

Bruno went to speak, wanted to scream. His friends were dead; Anzalone had killed them; and he was talking gibberish.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted, Tyler," Bruno said. "Faulkner confessed in the Pines."

"Now you know..."

"Yes, so━"

"And now you die," Anzalone pointed the gun, pulled the trigger.

And Bruno woke from his bed screaming.

. . .

Wednesday, 4 March 2099

A huge, wet tongue full of slobber cut Bruno's scream off almost immediately. Bruno adjusted his eyes and sat up straight, crawling backwards on his bed and into the wall in total surprise.

There was a gigantic dog standing in his room. Its fur was slategray with blotches of pure obsidian. The dog must have been over two feet tall on all fours, around five feet long. And before Bruno knew it, the canine hopped onto his bed and continued licking his face.

"Valinoti! Valinoti!" Bruno screamed, the dog's saliva soaking his hair.

Val darted into the room. He stopped and started laughing when he saw the dog on top of Bruno.

"Looks like you met Jojo!" he chuckled.

"What?" Bruno muttered, trying to push the dog off but to no avail. "Get him off of me!"

"Jojo is a girl!" Valinoti clarified. "And she's your therapy dog. A Great Dane."

"Therapy dog?" Bruno repeated.

"Yep. The ECC decided that you needed one after the carriage explosion, recording, memorial shooting, and Grizzly attack," Valinoti explained. "Jojo is trained. Watch this..."

Valinoti stood up straight and held some sort of necklace-looking object. He pushed his thumb onto the amulet-looking part of the necklace and there was a distinct click. Jojo immediately turned her head and stared at Valinoti.

"...Jojo, come!" he ordered.

Instantly, the canine hopped off Bruno's bed and trotted over to Valinoti.

"Sit."

Jojo complied.

"Good girl," Valinoti said, taking a treat out from his shirt pocket and giving it to Jojo, who ate it willingly.

Bruno was trying to comprehend everything. There was a Great Dane in his room, panting a bit, staring him down and Valinoti just stood there, chuckling at Bruno's confusion.

"I don't need a therapy dog," Bruno said. "I'm fine."

"Maybe," Valinoti said. "But who doesn't want a dog, amiright? And look at the time, Dude."

Bruno looked at his nightstand and saw that the alarm clock read 7:41. He looked back at Valinoti with an expression that read So?

"Seven forty-one A.M., Bruno," Val grinned. "We have school in less than twenty minutes. You slept through the night."

Valinoti walked away laughing, Jojo following him. Bruno didn't even realize the small AM symbol on his alarm clock, didn't even notice Val's new outfit. Was Bruno really that exhausted? Then again, so much had happened in the past three days. There were a good three times Bruno had almost gotten himself killed, but who was counting?

"Let's go, Bruno!" Valinoti shouted from the kitchenette. "You're gonna have to bring your breakfast to class. I cooked ya some sausage!"

"Mine would've been better!" someone said from, was it the common area?

"Who said that?" Bruno asked.

Two seconds later, his question was answered. Lee appeared, walking into Room B with a smile on his face. "What up, Grizzly Slayer?"

"Lee!" Bruno got up and went to hug him.

"No, no, watch out," he chuckled. Lee lifted his T-shirt gently revealing a torso bandage; gauze covered his stitched bullet wound.

"Hodge fixed you?" Bruno grinned.

"Guess so!" Lee laughed. "He fixed my punctured spleen before I lost too much blood. Said the operation took around fourteen hours. They had to bring me back twice."

At that moment, Bruno thought of his nightmare: Anzalone killing all his roommates and informing him that Lee didn't survive the surgery. He shook the thought off immediately.

"I'll be in R Nine for a few months," Lee said. "Can't go to work or ESH with this injury. Checkups every day at the Clinic where Nurse Lauren has to change my bandage, give me medicine, and check my vitals."

"As long as it's helping you. Glad you're back, Lee," Bruno smiled. He really deserved some good news after all he's been through.

"Bruno, let's go!" Valinoti shouted.

"Even I'm ready!" Schmidt said, the first time Bruno had heard him this morning.

In just five minutes, Bruno put on the Espington Schoolhouse uniform that consisted of a pewter button down shirt and khakis, dark slate-gray dress shoes with cyan shoelaces, and a matching blue belt and necktie. Bruno brushed his teeth in one minute, gargled mouthwash, and grabbed the bagged breakfast Val had made him. Together, the three boys left R9.

"Have fun!" Lee waved. "Learn lots of stuff! I'll be here with Jojo!"

The Great Dane sat on one of the loveseats and barked a goodbye.

Bruno remembered Espington Schoolhouse; he had a crazy experience with Carth, Ms. Lupo, Jago and Sayer. Bruno wondered if his sister was still safe in the Daycare room, Frankie aiding her like she said she would. Who would be in Bruno's class? Where did he even have to go to? Valinoti must've known Bruno was stressing, because the boy nudged him (he always nudged Bruno when he was confused or if something was on his mind).

"Dude, I have the schedule," Val said. "We're in the same classes. We start with Togluagoan History with Teacher Rudolph."

Bruno entered ESH and recognized the entrance far too well: the main office, the staircase, the bordering hallways. He knew he didn't have to go upstairs because that was where the little kids went to spend the day with Ms. Lupo (and Carth).

Students were everywhere. Tall. Short. Big. Small. Young. Old. Bruno saw someone who looked 10-years-old and another person with a long beard and messy hair. What kind of Schoolhouse was this?

A few students with Espington badges (the Espington flag) directed students to their appropriate classes.

"Classroom Eleven-D is down Hallway Four, folks!"

"Blue lockers are right this way! Combos are on the back of your schedules!"

"The Gymnasium is at the end of Hallway Three!

"Prime Class begins in three minutes, ladies and gentlemen!"

Luckily, Valinoti found their classroom, Five-A, at the beginning of Hallway One. Their lockers were right beside the door.

"Here's your combo, Bruno," Val handed over his schedule.

"Thanks."

Inside the locker was a navy blue string backpack, a textbook titled Togluagoan History 101, and a 1-subject notebook (color: gray). Bruno was collecting his stuff when he realized something pretty important.

"Hey? Where did Schmidt go?"

"Ran off right when we entered the Schoolhouse," Valinoti said. "Didn't you see him bolt down Hallway Two? He doesn't have Prime Class with us."

Bruno didn't understand Logan Schmidt today. At the factory, when they first met Spearman, Schmidt had surprised everyone with his superspeed and stunning charisma. He was nothing like Monday's Schmidt; he was shy and a total klutz (not to mention a crybaby...well, he still was a crybaby). Bruno didn't even remember him on the Adlington carriage.

. . .

The bell had rung, two dings to signify the beginning of Prime Class. Bruno and Valinoti sat towards the back of the room; each desk had a nametag. Bruno found his name near the window; Valinoti right beside him. Teacher Rudolph was writing his name on his tablet, which automatically projected onto the front wall. The man looked to be in his sixties, with thin spectacles, a gray mustache that matched his suit, and scruff on his cheeks. Teacher Rudolph had a bit of a gut, although he looked pretty fit for his age.

Bruno noticed Penni Cardoza and Claris Reeder, the two Adlington ex Miners, sitting at the front row. O'Neill and Benson were not allowed to leave their dorms, so Bruno knew he wouldn't be seeing them. Klaudine Hebert from the Fabrics Market sat right behind Claris; she was filing her nails. The rest of the classmates, Bruno did not know. His Nurse friends were all probably working full-day shifts and could only go to ESH once a week (maybe never). Teacher Rudolph was still writing all his contact information and the class syllabus. Bruno realized that since he and all the ex Miners started class today, Teacher Rudolph would talk about the rules and regulations for today's class.

Someone yawned in the far right corner of the room. Bruno turned his head on instinct and saw Anzalone! The amber-haired boy was half-asleep, head on the desk, arms wrapped around his neck; he was wearing a hoodie for Lord's sake!

Bruno did not know why Anzalone was tired. It was his first time sleeping in R8 with O'Neill and Benson. Maybe they kept him up all night? Maybe they fought? Maybe they became great friends and pulled an all-nighter? Who knew? Bruno didn't trust the guy and was still freaked out about the whole nightmare last night. Teacher Rudolph snapped Bruno out of his thoughts about the amber-haired boy.

"Good morning, class," he said. "Welcome to Togluagoan History. My name is Teacher Rudolph and━"

Rina Espington bolted into the room. Her backpack was hanging from one shoulder; her hair looked as if it had just been blow dried; and it could have been a possibility that she had woken up about ten minutes ago telling by the messy outfit and lack of makeup. Bruno thought she still looked beautiful.

"Sorry I'm late, Teacher Rudolph!" she said, panting like a dog.

"That's quite alright, Rina," he said. "Why don't you take your seat, yes?"

Rina nodded. She walked up the aisle, heading for her seat.

The one right in front of Bruno.

How did he not realize? He didn't even read the nametag! Does she know about the drawing? Does she know that I saw it?

"Hey, Bruno," she smiled then sat down.

No.

Teacher Rudolph kept on going about the syllabus. He introduced the class to Bruno, Valinoti, Anzalone, Claris, and Penni. The class attempted to say hello to each name in unison, but to no avail. Teacher Rudolph then explained what he would be teaching this week (the Brethren War) and the following weeks. Much of the class was just Teacher Rudolph talking about his rules and how he ran the class.

Finally, the bell rang and the students did not hesitate to leave. Bruno noticed how Anzalone stayed still at his desk, snoring up a storm. Teacher Rudolph had left; it was just Bruno and Valinoti.

"Who cares, Dude?" Val asked and pulled Bruno into the hallway.

. . .

The next class was Mathematics. Bruno was with Rina again.

Class Three was Biology. Rina sat three seats away from Bruno.

Physical Education included both Schmidt and Rina, Schmidt running the mile in under six minutes.

Class Five was Literature (Bruno's favorite subject) and, yet again, Rina sat right in front of him.

Class Six was Lunch. Espington Schoolhouse had a massive cafeteria. All the students ages fourteen to eighteen filled the room, sitting at round tables or hogging the snack line. Bruno and Val bought themselves ham sandwiches. Schmidt found them; he was holding his own bagged lunch. Together, the three boys sat at a table that included Penni and Claris.

"Bruno, Valinoti, Schmidt," Claris said. "Meet Ria Esteves. She works in the Fabrics Market with Klaudine."

Bruno and the guys waved.

"Nice to meet you," Ria waved. "Klaudine is on line getting a cheesesteak sandwich."

Bruno couldn't believe how similar Ria looked liked Rina: they both were on the shorter side, both had blonde hair, not to mention their names were almost identical.

"And this is Heather Mueger," Penni pointed to the girl next to her. "She's a Jewels Marketer."

"Nice to meet you guys!" she waved, her voice sounding sing-songy and full of joy.

Heather had long brown hair, and bright, snow-white teeth. Bruno didn't know how she did it, but it looked as if Heather's hair was glittery.

"Are the Markets fun to work at?" Valinoti asked Ria and Heather.

"Kinda," Heather said. "I get to see diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires every day, though I cannot keep them. I love polishing them and displaying them in the showcases!"

"I love my job," Ria added. "Klaudine mans the cash register. I'm upstairs cleaning the fabrics, checking if there are any mess-ups from the conveyors."

Klaudine came back with her cheesesteak. "Hey, Bruno and Valinoti!"

They waved.

The group continued to eat. Bruno looked around and did not see Anzalone anywhere. The amber-haired boy must've still been sleeping in Eleven-D or just ditched school (either option Bruno would not have been surprised about).

That was when he saw Rina. She was sitting at a table alone, surprisingly. Bruno got up and told the group he'd be right back. He walked directly to Rina; she noticed him right away.

"Hey, Bruno."

"Hey, Rina," he said. "Why are you eating alone?"

"Kinda still freaked out about the Pines yesterday," she answered. "Faulkner and the Grizzly. Thanks again, Bruno."

"No problem," he grinned. "Do you want to sit━"

"Did you look at the piece of paper?"

Bruno was caught off guard yet again. "What?"

"I saw you pick up the paper as the copter flew off," Rina said. "Did you unravel it?"

Bruno couldn't lie.

"I saw the drawing."

"And?"

"And?" Bruno repeated. "Well, it was really good...But why did you draw me?"

"I'm an artist," Rina answered. "I tend to draw things that catch my eye. Things I like."

"Wait..."

Bruno didn't know what she meant by that.

"Who do you think got you to have the same classes as me?" Rina asked.

Bruno was speechless.

"I'll talk to you later, Bruno," Rina smiled, getting up from the table. "Keep the drawing."

And the President's daughter left the cafeteria.

But not before she kissed Bruno on the cheek.