Of Dreams And Obsessions

The Saviour

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, eyes still swollen with fatigue from yet another restless night. The apartment was quiet, the kind of heavy silence that made me feel like the world outside had stopped moving altogether. My reflection wavered in the dim light, and for a moment, I almost didn't recognize myself. My skin was pale, lips dry and eyes ringed with shadows. I reached for my makeup bag, my hand shaking slightly.

I hadn't had the courage to look back after passing the store last night. By the time I made it home, my heart was racing, my skin tingling with the sense that something-someone-had been following me. But when I turned the key in the door and shut it behind me, the feeling vanished.

Maybe no one had even been following me and it had all been in my head, I don't know. I just...don't know.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the clinging fog in my mind. Maybe I should talk to someone, I thought. But the idea of sitting in a therapist's office, explaining how I was waking up in strange places with no memory of how I got there, made my stomach churn. There was no way that wouldn't end up with me being locked away at an asylum.

My phone buzzed from the other room, dragging me out of my thoughts. I pat the towel on my face and padded over to the kitchen table, where the phone lay face down.

A new message blinked on the screen.

"You are still sleeping."

My heart skipped a beat. My thumb hovered over the screen, pulse quickening. Another unknown number. Was it from the same person as last night?

The unease from before twisted in my chest. I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to throw my phone across the room.

The message had disappeared yesterday, I am sure it will now too. I locked my phone and put it down on my kitchen table, I blinked at the white kitchen wall in front of me. I nodded to myself; I am awake, just as I was yesterday, the message would disappear just like yesterday and I will go to work and everything is fine.

I turn my back to my phone and take a step forward to my bathroom again and just as I am about to take another step, I hear another chime. I freeze again, and again my heart drops. I inhale sharply, "Are you kidding me?" I speak outloud to myself, like the crazy person I am.

I turn back around and angrily pick up the stupid phone and unlock it with my thumb print.

"YOU ARE ASLEEP."

I stared at the message, that stupid message.

Who in the world could be sending me these messages, I haven't spoken a word to anyone about what is happening.

Who could this be? How did they get my number? How could they know about all of this? How would they even know if I was awake or not? Am I being watched? Creeped on by some weird, old man?

So many questions, so many. But not a single answer.

I shook my head, "I am awake, I just woke up, I got up and was washing my face. I am awake-"

I was cut off by another chime from the phone still in my hands and my gaze angrily snapped down to the screen.

I didn't want to look, I really didn't. But, I just couldn't help myself....

"YOU ARE NOT."

I hesitated for a long moment, staring at the message. Just, who could this even be? Was it even a person? Or was it my subconscious trying to wake me up? Could I somehow still be asleep but a part of me aware of my state and trying to wake me up? Was that it? Is it just my subconscious manifested in my dreams as text messages?