Unfamiliar

1

The leaves blew past me as I ran as quickly as I could. My legs felt like they would give out at any moment, but I couldn't afford stopping. I only stared straight ahead as the shadows closed in on me, dashing from left to right, up and down. My head pulsates under all the pressure and constant movement, I knew they were close, I knew I didn't have much time. My eyes got heavy and it all went dark.

Shhh.....

I woke up in a jolt. Sweat beaded on my face and fell onto my pajamas. Why does this dream keep coming back to me? What does it mean? When will I win? Who is after me? I sigh and pull the covers off of me, then rotating my body to the side of the bed and slipping my feet into a nice pair of fluffy slippers. The cold winter air had entered through my broken window and it bit at any section of my exposed skin. I really need to move out of here, but not like that shitty job at that shitty restaurant will get me anywhere. If grandma hadn't passed away, I would've been able to go to college but she went to the grave and took the money with her. Though I'm mad about it and still don't know why I couldn't have received some, I still miss her so deeply and her death is like a fever dream to me. It was like yesterday I was sitting in a high chair as she fed me some kind of yucky vegetable. Those days she'd take me out for a drive so I could practice for my license we're always some of the best as we'd laugh out of fear of my ignorance. Sometimes it's like she's still with me, I can sense her, sometimes even smell her favorite perfume and the lingering aroma of the incense she used to burn all the time. While I had been reminiscing about the sweet memories, I got dressed for work in my usually striped attire and skirt.

I haven't been able to buy anything new since I'm saving up for a new living space. I am starting to rethink my saving decisions and buy a new pair of heels because the ones I've been using for years are starting to fall apart and the heel feels like it's sticking into my leg. I wish I could just get this over with, but now that I'm at work, I have 10 hours of more agony ahead of me. Or so I thought...

"You're fired"

"I'm sorry?"

"I said you're fired"

"That's unbelievable, this must be a joke. I'm the only reason you get customers?"

"Yeah well, we have received a payment from the city to allow them to abolish our restaurant and make room for a modeling agency."

"A fucking modeling agency? MODELING AGENCY? How does that make ANY SENSE in this bumfuck area"

"Ay, watch your language in my restaurant."

I couldn't believe my ears? A modeling agency? Like honestly, why here? I can't wait to see how this will turn out. Maybe I'll even apply, but for now I need to figure out what I'm going to do.

When I got home, it was already dark outside. The broken window left my apartment as cold as ice and I feared I would catch a cold. I quickly started cooking some hot chocolate and I opened the oven so it could heat up a little as I burrowed into blankets and listened to the radio. It was so peaceful, I found myself thinking about the past and it all somehow brought up my dream. My grandmother was a strange woman who was very skittish, she would tell me these stories about shadows that would be after her all the time and she would even talk to them. Maybe she would've known what I was dreaming about. It kinda gave me goosebumps. I turned off the oven and finished my hot chocolate and went to bed. The covers were cold but my body warmed them up quickly and I fell asleep.

It's dark. I feel sweaty. The air is too thick, I can almost suffocate. Please, where am I? I can see the silhouette of something...a man? A tall man who seems to be dressed very expensively. His body begins to move, turning into my direction, but before I could see any details, a sly sinister grin was displayed on his face and the darkness covered the rest of him.

"Soon"

I woke up with a sharp pain in my side. After a few seconds it went away. I tried to recollect my thoughts and I remembered my dream. A man in a suit, I wonder if he has any relation to my past dreams. I can't get him out of my head, and that terrifying smile.