He feels a pain in his leg but keeps running as fast as he can. Thoughts flow through his mind faster than he can comprehend. Where is he going? He doesn't know.

Then he sees the trees.

Faster than he had before, he runs into the forest. Branches slap him in the face, stinging his skin. Leaves make noise under his feet. He curses them under his heavily escaping breath.

"This has got to be a dream" he keeps thinking. Then he hears the dogs, and the crowd behind him.

"He's in here, the dogs are on his trail!" Someone is shouting. He can feel the fire of the torches warming the cold air as they get closer.

He trips.

His body slides across the dead leaves and water slaps him in the face. The lake. He forgot about the lake.

He tries to spit

the water out of his lungs quietly, although the splash he made kept the dogs hot on his trail.

He can see them now. The white hot lights, the angry faces. He made out the face of Tom Barton, his fathers business rival. The man was running toward him with a spear.

He's getting closer. Still choking, the boy tries to swim away. He feels a splash next to him and something grabs his arm. He gets pulled under the water to blackness.

He opens his eyes to see his mothers face. She is smoothing back his hair. He franticly looks around and sees his room.

"Breath, son. It was just a nightmare. Everything is alright now." She tells him.

He feels water on his face and realizes he was crying. He feels for his pocket.

He touches metal.