Gaining Her Wings: Realm of Insanity, #1

By Brianá Weilert

Irene Williams lives in a world of peace, but she still has her own battles to fight, namely mental illness that often pushes her to the brink. What begins as a struggle to get a good night's sleep becomes a journey that will change her life in ways she would have never imagined…or wanted.
 

Welcome to the Dreamworld.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brianá Weilert
• Release date: Apr 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224246397

Brianá Weilert

Brianá Weilert, who doesn't feel comfortable referring to herself in the third person, is a science fantasy writer who has been writing short stories since she was in the third grade and has been working on her imaginary world since she was in her preteens. She is happily married to a fellow nerd and a clown of a man who keeps her on her toes and she wouldn't change him for the world. When she's not wracking her brain for ideas, she's driving herself to drink being a healer in Final Fantasy XIV or talking to people as LadyIrene on Discord.

Book preview

Chapter One: A Not-So-Normal Day

The year is 2022 and the world is at peace. Following the Second World War, humanity came together to form the United Nations in hopes of fostering cooperation and diplomacy over bloodshed and conquest. The fact that World War II ended with Hiroshima vanishing in the detonation of the first (and so far, only ) nuclear attack probably had something to do with that.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on Earth even without humanity trying to kill each other over lines on a map. There’s still social issues, like discrimination, economic flux, and environmental damages; the lack of war just means we have more time and resources to focus on those things. And, if you look even deeper, there’s all the individual issues we face on a day-to-day basis.

Which is where I figure into things.

My name is Irene Williams, a black college student with an interest in chemistry and twenty-two years of life under my belt. At a glance, the only noteworthy thing about me is that I’m the spitting image of my mom; dark brown skin, emerald green eyes, and dark red hair that I keep loose and at mid-back length. (I could change my ‘do to reduce the resemblance, but I like the feel of this style.) Aside from chemistry, I like casual fashion – my favorite outfit being a red blouse with blue jeans – kittens, and making probably-witty jabs at acts of stupidity (including and especially my own).

More pertinently, however, I’m not an easy sleeper; more often than not, I wake up screaming from vivid nightmares in the dead of night. Which explains why, at this exact moment, I am currently fighting a losing battle against the urge to fall asleep in my World History class.

...And it’s also the day of my Chemistry finals. Fuck me running, am I right?

"Ms. Williams, since you clearly seem so interested in this discussion, why don’t you answer?" I immediately snapped to attention at Professor Oliver’s words, managing to stifle the yawn threatening to come out.

I missed the question. What? I winced as my classmates snickered under their breath. The professor sighed.

"I asked about the Ever Given and its effect on the world economy."

Um...didn’t it cost the world something like $9.6 billion in lost time, and another $5 million in electronics from being sunk because nothing could free it from the Suez Canal? I wasn’t completely certain about the costs; I rarely watched the news. I only knew about the Ever Given incident from jokes made about it by my classmates.

Apparently, it was good enough, because Professor Oliver crossed her arms and nodded. "Correct. You do pay attention, Irene. Now then, who else wan— yes, Jacob?" She glanced at the raised hand belonging to a boy sitting next to me.

"My grandfather is one of the last living soldiers from WWII and he hates the fact that we’ve become such infants about war. So what if something like 85% of the world is afflicted with some sort of mental illness — you should be able to give someone with anxiety a gun!"

Oh, for fuck’s sake, not again. I never did understand why Jacob wanted a war so much. What, is visiting a non-wartorn country too boring for you, Jake? To me, asking for war was like willingly drinking the neighborhood pool water; just... why?

And while we’re at it, what about the politicians calling for war!? Every single one ends up being mentally regressed to toddlers, even on live TV! Jacob slammed one palm on the desk in front of him as he stood up. "It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! Someone is lobotomizing the competition and I can prov—"

It was as if a switch had been flipped; Jacob suddenly fell to his knees, eyes vacant and drool pouring from one side of his mouth. Without missing a beat, Professor Oliver pressed a button under her desk; seconds later, a couple of men came in, grabbed the twitching guy, and took him out of the classroom.

Yet another one... The Professor muttered, before turning back to us. Class is dismissed. Remember to check your syllabus for when your essays are due! As we all exited the classroom, I pulled out my phone to check the time. Two hours until my Advanced Chemistry finals. Swearing under my