Dear Nightmare

Dear Mom and Dad,

You've probably wondered why it's been so long since I've written back home. School's been rough, to say the least. My classes were fine, and the people were nice, even most of the professors knew what they're talking about. They didn't give out much homework, so I spent a lot of my time in the library on campus. That's how it was before; now I can't even bring myself to leave the dorm. Everything started a few months ago, shortly after I got your last letter, I did receive it, by the way.

I first noticed the mark after swimming at the rec center. It was dark purple and shaped oddly, like parted lips opened wide to bite my knee. No one I knew had lips that big, or a strange desire to bite my knee, so I brushed it off, thinking it was a bruise from bumping it on something. Eventually, I forgot it was there.

Three days later I had a nightmare. A murderer slaughtered students on campus in a massacre, wielding a gun like it were a toy. He was close, but I didn't know where. As I looked around, heat was coming from somewhere close. It caressed my cheeks warmly, and I was deceived by its comforting warmth. When I turned around I saw fire burning as red as the bloody carnage scattered across the university, devouring the lecture halls, libraries, sports fields, everything! I was searching for the perp, and praying he wasn't coming for me. I never realized how dreams could be so real until that night. My roommate told me I was screaming. She tried shaking me and saying my name, but I couldn't wake up. The next morning she was too tired to go to her classes. She had stayed awake until I stopped crying in my sleep. I miss her.

Tragic to say, it wasn't the last nightmare. The next night was dark and dreamless, but the night after that I had another one. I was lost in a forest this time. It was after sunset and the animals were all hiding, except for wolves whose howling cries echoed off the barren trees. I also wanted to hide. The wolves yipped in the distance, making my blood run cold. Their howling got louder the longer I stood around so I took off in no particular direction. Soon I heard barking too. It was worse than hearing the neighborhood dogs at midnight back at home. The wolves yelped and snarled savagely. My ears started to ring from the commotion. I almost didn't notice that the wolves were running towards me. They were far in front of me, but closing in quickly. I stumbled to a clumsy stop as I covered my ears with my hands to block out the awful racket. No longer could I will my legs to move. My knees were weak and my ears were screaming above the savage barking.

The wolves were getting closer and I could see them better now. Their jaws were snapping at me as they growled, showing off their razor sharp teeth, and their demonic eyes were pale yellow. I was paralyzed by fear. Eventually, the wolves got to me. I felt pain surge through my bruised knee and screamed into the darkness, but then everything stopped. It was all black and quiet, except for the laughter of a wicked man echoing. It's loud and demands my attention, like the dogs' howling, but more sinister. The cackling makes my stomach feel bottomless and oddly warm. I wanted to throw up when I first heard it, but soon I was awake, panting as I tried to steady my aching heart. My roommate was sitting by the bed, again, half asleep, when I turned around to vomit over my bed. There was a bit of blood on her hands. I lifted my hand to my face and soon realized why, then later, she told me I was scratching my face in my sleep.

These aren't like the nightmares I had after leaving home. They're not abandoned amusement parks or dead rabbits, like before. Now I see gigantic monsters, too ghastly to explain, taking lives of people I know for pure amusement and "family dinners" ending in bloody cannibalism. Worst of all, that demonic laughter plagued every one of them. Who laughs so joyously at my horrified cries?

One night, in the middle of a nightmare. I saw his face as he laughed and I begged for mercy. His skin was red and scorched, from Hell's unforgiving firestorms, and horns that were pierced through a bloody forehead. As he laughed I felt his hot breath seep through his sharp, yellow teeth and hit my face. His teeth; the size of his mouth; they were the same as the bruise on my knee, which I then realized, had began to throb. I could feel it growing and burning as it spread over my leg.

Even now, as I'm awake, I can feel his hot breath on my face as he says to me: "you're mine". When I look away, I still see his hungry eyes look me over, eagerly imagining all the things he can do with me. I've been possessed. He reminds me every night of what we're going to do together and I'm trapped in nightmares that start to come to life. I've woken up, twice now, sprawled across my roommate's bed with my small hands wrapped around her neck. When I realized what I was doing I told her to run away. That was a week ago; she hasn't returned since. That's the kind of thing I see and fear at night! I'm afraid to close my eyes and sleep because I know that's when the demon is awake. When I sleep, my dreams are real.

He has something big planned for me. It's been three days since I've slept but the longer I'm awake the more tired I am; the more tired I am, the stronger he becomes. As I write to you, Mom and Dad, I can hear him preparing for a bloodbath. There's going to be a lot of carnage, smeared in crimson, as he takes over.

After this you won't hear from me again. Remember, I love you. Lock the doors at night and be careful when you go outside. Keep going to church on Sundays to be safe. I'm just the first of many, he keeps reminding me. If you see a bruise on your skin, pray you just hit it on something. If they start growing... RUN

Sincerely,

Your daughter