Lunatic, Strange

Introduction

I gasp for air as I am wrestled awake by my own body, at first confusion sets in, disoriented by the darkness. The dream lingers in my mind for a fleeting moment before it vanishes, leaving me in a deepened state of confusion. It's on the edge of my subconscious, yet some how I cannot conjure the dream back into my mind. Although tout of nowhere I get this sense of familiarity as if I've had this dream before, reoccurring inconsistently. Then, just in that instant it all comes flooding back into my mind. It's like a sudden wave of energy and adrenaline has whirled it's way through my body, rendering me fully awake yet unable to move.

I am wandering through the darkness, uneasiness sets in, sending chills up my spine. The fog lingers and rises, almost like it's breathing life into the mesmerizing forest, large trees looming over me tracking my every moment. The fallen leaves and dead twigs crunch under my feet echoing through the nothingness. It all seems familiar yet so unfamiliar, like a place from a past life. Just beyond a row of trees there is a small clearing seemingly void of any fog, I slowly approach it. An old Victorian style door appears before me. I study the cracks and filthiness of the door, gently caressing it's brokenness. As soon as I lay a finger on the door it gives with a little groan, opening ever so slightly.

Fright and curiosity are coasting through my veins as I come to a cross roads on whether to fully take a peek or not. I side with my curiosity gently pushing the door open enough to see what's on the other side. To my disappointment it's absolutely nothing, emptiness and hollow. Then just as soon as those thoughts run through my mind I feel it; the sorrow, the pain and aching, crashing down on me threatening to take every single breath from me. Suddenly then there was a dim light off in the distance, it was approaching slowly. I couldn't make out what it was but the closer it got I recognized the shape. It was a person, holding an antique oil lamp.

"Come this way." the old man said in a deep voice. He took my arm and lead me into the darkness. I heard screams of complete agony. "Jane!" I heard. "Jane why didn't you help us? Jane!" I heard the voice scream again. It sounded like a mans voice. Somehow it sounded so familiar. We took a sharp right turn and I saw faces faintly with the lantern. We were in a prison or an insane asylum. There were people behind bars.

"Jane why didn't you help us? You were supposed to be there." I heard a man and a woman now and they were weeping. The old man stopped at one cell abruptly. There was a person in the corner sitting there rocking back and forth crying and a woman on the floor. Everything was dirty and broken. so filthy and disgusting like it had been abandoned for centuries. But I recognized the people in the cell.

"Mom, dad?" I asked. Both looked up at me. "Oh sweetie we were worried sick about you." they said putting their hands through the bars to hug me. "Why did you kill us?" she pulled back and said in a deep evil voice. "What?" I said in shock. "You killed us, you weren't there!" she launched herself at me but the bars held her back.

Then that's when I woke up. It was all so fast. I had never had dreams like this. Why was this happening all if the sudden? My dreams are always of past tragedy. I'm only 26, how could I have that much tragedy right?