It all started with a nightmare, and that nightmare became my reality.
A recurring dream where my house was on fire and I had to escape it before it blew up wasn't something an 8-year-old should be dreaming. I've been having that dream for many months never getting past the front door. Every time I've managed to reach the door with my hand barely touching the handle, it's like I've lost all motor skills in that hand or the knob is covered with grease making it difficult to grasp it. And then the house blows up waking me from that dream.
When I told my mom about those dreams she paid no mind to it, but my grandma often reprimanded her for not taking my dreams seriously. She would say "Child, God is sending a message through your daughter's dreams and the message seems to be a warning." But mom never truly believed in those superstitious myths told by the older people. Well, it seems that grandma's words were somewhat true.
My grandma would try to help the best she can. She would give me bitter teas to drink to help me sleep better and even though those teas were terrible, I would do anything or drink anything to have a normal dream, a dream about unicorns and fairies, or whatever the other kids my age dreamt. Did those teas work? Nope.
I would often chant to myself "No scary dreams, no scary dreams, no scary dreams" like I'm doing now, in hopes of dreaming something happy again.
"No scary dreams"
"No scary dreams"
"No scary dreams..." I trailed off as slumber took over.
The air was cold, the night was still young, and the rain had just begun to drizzle as I unconsciously brought my second pillow closer to my body, hugging it tightly with my lips slightly open as soft snores left my mouth. It felt like minutes passed where I was just laying in a void and then my eyes opened. Sitting up on the bed I found myself in the midst of a dream. You're probably wondering how can I tell that I'm dreaming. Well first I look at my surroundings and the room I woke up in was the same as my room in the waking world. The one thing that stands out is the body-length mirror resting on my door which was opposite my bed. The mirror gives a perfect view of the bed but the only thing is that there is no reflection of the person sitting on the bed. I have no reflection in any of my dreams. That's how I know when I'm dreaming. Leaving the bed and walking towards the mirror I stopped a few inches in front of it. As my left hand came in contact with the mirror, it ripples like water. And then, I dive in.
It felt as if my body was underwater as my body sank deeper into the abyss with the current pulling me. I was then thrust out of the mirror landing back in my bedroom. But this time it was different. A sizzling sound fills my ears and I smelt the burning of wood. The air around me was extremely humid and red and orange hues filled my vision. My entire bedroom was caught in flames. I quickly rushed out of the room and navigated my way down the stairs all while inhaling a lot of smoke. As I made my way through the kitchen and passed the living room the door was in sight but before I can reach it I heard a blood-curdling scream followed by two more. This has never happened before. I checked the other rooms in previous dreams and no one else was there but me.
"Someone please help me! SOMNIA! MOMMY! MOMMY!" I heard my little sister cry out.
"MOM! MOM! HELP US!" my brother's voice followed as I was frozen where I stood.
"No one's supposed to be here but me."
"No one's supposed to be here but me."
I knew it was all a dream, I knew it wasn't real and yet something felt so wrong that night. As I went to turn around to get my siblings I realized my body could no longer move. My bones felt extremely heavy and it felt like someone was pressing on my stomach, preventing me from breathing. As the flames neared my body, I felt it getting hotter and hotter. Gasping for air as I looked widely around me, I noticed the kitchen where I was standing kept flickering with the walls of my bedroom. It felt like I was blinking and every blink shifted between the kitchen and my bedroom, but my eyelids hadn't close one bit.
YOU ARE READING
Recurrent || ONC2023
Science Fiction"It started with a nightmare, and that nightmare became my reality." Somnia, a young dreamer must put an end to her recurring nightmares as she realizes that her friends who died in her dreams are now in a coma. ⊱─────── ∘°❉°∘ ───────⊰ Based on pro...
