I HAVE A nightmare two days after the dinner party.
The first thing I register about the dream are the trees. They're everywhere, a deep green in color, looming over me as they stretch up to the starless night sky. A fog encompasses the woods, caressing my skin, weaving through branches and winding around tree trunks. My breath comes out in a cloud of smoke in front of me, and everything is quiet. Too quiet. There are no crickets chirping, no leaves rustling, nothing.
Something feels off about the night, but I can't put my finger on what it is. A twig snaps in the distance, and it strikes a cord of fear within me. I know I should run but I don't know why.
Springing into action, I dash in a random direction, my heart racing, limbs shaking as I step over roots and dodge branches. An indistinguishable voice calls out for me, and it sounds wrong, and distorted.
Quick footsteps follow behind me and I try to hasten my pace but I can't go much faster. My foot catches on a root, and I send myself careening to the ground with a yelp. I'm wounded momentarily, before remembering that I'm being pursued.
I drag myself further away from my unknown attacker, turning onto my back so I can see them coming.
They are merely a silhouette veiled in shadows, but in their hand, I see a blade glinting, and it causes me to whimper in fear.
"Please, no," I whisper, feeling a deep sense of dread.
Instead of respecting my wishes, they raise the knife up above me, tension throughout their arm.
"Sleep tight, Allie," they say, voice dripping with malice.
I let out a bloodcurdling scream as the knife plunges toward me.
And then I wake up, panting and in a sweat.
The contrast between reality and the dream is shocking, and in the darkness of my bedroom, it takes me a few seconds to decide which is which. I sit up quickly, my chest rising and falling at a rapid rate, and I flick on the lamp on the bedside table. It lights the room in a warm glow, helping me control my breathing, and I close my eyes, swallowing and running a hand through my hair. My throat closes up and my eyes prick with tears at how real it all felt.
Thinking of the nightmare, my eyebrows crease in a frown. Slowly, I curl my fingers around the hem of my tank top, pulling it up to reveal the bandage.
A stab wound.
The idea that I was in a car accident doesn't feel right to me, but I don't know why everyone would lie about it. A stab wound aligns with the injury a lot more, but is a thousand times more frightening. I let go of the shirt, letting it fall across my skin again, not wanting to look at the wound anymore.
Instead, I tuck my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and preparing to stay awake for the rest of the night.
YOU ARE READING
Blackout
Mystery / ThrillerBlackout is now published as a Wattpad Book! As a Wattpad reader, you can access the the Original Edition for free and the Books Edition upon purchase. Allie doesn't believe the car crash that caused her amnesia was an accident. She knows the truth...
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