SPAWNS OF ABOMINATION

CHAPTER 4 - FIND ME!

The jarring sound of my alarm clock echoed through the room, jolting me awake. But this was no ordinary awakening. I didn't linger in bed, admiring my reflection in the mirror. The vividness of my dream still held me captive, its tendrils of fear clinging to my mind. I sat up, my body drenched in cold sweat, and reached for the pack of cigarettes on the nightstand. With trembling hands, I lit one, inhaling the smoke deeply, hoping to quell the inner turmoil.

"It wasn't a dream, I'm not going insane..." I muttered to myself, my voice barely a whisper.

I lit another cigarette, attempting to hold both between my fingers. However, my unsteady grip failed, and one of the cigarettes slipped from my grasp, falling onto the bedsheets. A gasp escaped my lips as I noticed the flames spreading across the fabric. Panic surged through me, and I scrambled to extinguish the fire. Thankfully, the damage was minimal, the flames extinguished before further harm could be done.

"Oh no, the sheets! The sheets are ruined!" I exclaimed, my voice laced with dismay.

The gnawing paranoia in my mind, though absurd, held a chilling truth. The dreams I had been experiencing lately were far from ordinary, sending shivers down my spine. "It's just a dream..." I tried to convince myself, but a deep-seated unease lingered within me.

As I disposed of the remnants of the burnt sheet, my thoughts drifted to the enigmatic brunette man. This mysterious figure had become a recurring presence in my nightmares, haunting my sleep and leaving me with a lingering sense of dread. Where had I encountered him before? Was this somehow linked to a paranormal event?

"Of course, I'm the master of the universe," I muttered to myself, a hint of sarcasm laced in my voice.

My mind was a battleground of paranoid thoughts and bizarre dreams, leaving me utterly exhausted. Yet, I pushed myself out of bed, determined not to be late for work. However, my journey to work was marred by a series of mishaps, triggered by fleeting glimpses of the brunette man that I couldn't shake off. I dropped cigarettes, bumped into people, and even managed to knock over four glasses at the office. By the end of the day, I had earned myself a dubious badge of honor for my clumsiness.

I knew I needed to share my experiences with Cemre. I rushed out of the office and made my way to her apartment. As she opened the door, her eyes widened in concern. "Asya, what's wrong? What happened to you?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

"Cemre, I need to talk to you. I'm not feeling well. I think I'm losing my mind," I confessed, my voice trembling with anxiety.

After bringing me a glass of water, Cemre settled in beside me, her face etched with worry as she listened intently to my every word. I recounted the details of my dream, painting a vivid picture of the enigmatic brunette man and the bizarre events that unfolded. As I spoke, I noticed a growing pallor in Cemre's complexion, and a fear gripped me that she might faint before I could finish my story. When I finally reached the end of my tale, she swallowed audibly, her own throat parched. I offered her the water, but my hands trembled so violently that I ended up spilling it all over her lap.

"Let me clean it up," I exclaimed, reaching for a cloth.