'Leo!' She calls from my bedroom, cautiously I approach the doorway. Peering in, I spot her, lying on my bed. Naked. 'Is this where you dream about me?' I nod; she stands up and walks to my cupboard. 'And this is where we kiss in your dream, am I right?' I nod again; she is standing in the doorway of my ensuite and beckons to me with a perfectly manicured finger. I don't move, 'Oh! That’s right!' she giggles 'This is where you die isn't it,' I lean against the doorway. She slowly strolls to me; her face is inches from mine. 'What if we were to kiss here? Do you think it would be different?'
I sigh. 'Nothing will be different, I know you're going to kill me and I know how,'
'Or do you?' She winks, a cunning smile appears. 'What if I were to kill you with this knife?' I never noticed that in her hand before.
'You won’t, I'm not afraid of knives,'
She sits the blade against my throat and leans closer, 'What about now, are you scared?' I raise one eyebrow; she's inches away from my mouth. 'Kiss me Leo,' I turn, I can feel a head ache coming on. 'Don't turn your back on me now. We've had every night of the last five years to plan this out. Do you think that if you're careful nothing will happen?' Her lips graze against my ear, 'You're going to die tonight Leo, and there's nothing you can do about it,'
'Nothing?' I slowly turn to her, ‘In every one of my nightmares you’ve killed me by luring me into the bathroom and drowning me, what if I don’t go in there?’
'Oh? So you just admitted your greatest fear, do you feel weak? Does it make you feel vulnerable?' She lowers her voice 'Are you scared?' I laugh,
'No. I think it is you who should be scared.' I brush her black hair back behind her ear, 'You're scared you'll lose control,' I stroll confidently back to my bedroom. Lying on my bed, I fold my arms comfortably behind my head.
'Hold on! You believe that you can get out of this?' She pulls on a robe from my cupboard.
'No,' I sigh, 'I just know how to shut myself off from feelings. Especially fear.' I shut my eyes; I know this isn't just another bad dream.
'Come on Leo, I'm the Nightmare Thief. I can take your life however I chose.'
'No you can't, you need my fear. You need to see the look of utter hopelessness on my face. You get off on it don't you?'
'I can see you’re going to make this hard for me,' She rests her lips on mine; they are so hot I can feel my lips blistering. I push her off and run to the bathroom. Something on the wall moves, black lips, black eyes pale skin. The mirror shatters, I touch my skin. It’s ice cold. I've had this dream before, the bitch giggles. 'This is what I've been waiting for Leo,' I shake my head, and push past her. I make it to my bed before my eyesight fades black.
I feel a twinge of doubt that I can save myself. A flood of fear engulfs me, 'You won't get me! You can't get me! Someone will come, they will come for me! You'll see!'
'Scream! Show me your fear! Doubt my power! Pull out every shard of hope! Look into my eyes and see your demise! You aren't as brave as you thought are you Leonardo? You are weak!' I let out a tear, this is what she wants. I squeeze my eyes shut and wipe my face with the back of my hand. As my fingers cross my skin I get a grip in reality, I put on a brave front. As I've done every morning for the last five years but this nightmare won't go away. My thoughts fade and my eyesight comes back. She stops giggling.
I let out a laugh and open my eyes, 'See? I told you, the fear doesn't affect me,'
She smiles, 'Yes it does. I can see it does. Listen, you've put up a good fight. I'm actually proud of you. This has gone on for too long, just give up. You're not losing much. Come on, you hate your life; just think how insignificant you are, you’re a cook. It’s the only title you have. Even your customers won’t care; they’ll just find somewhere else to eat. You are a speck and that's fine but I want your life. Give me your life Leo; it won’t even hurt, much.'
'Just one more thing before we go on.' I sit up and with one swift move I stab her in the chest, 'I keep a knife under my pillow, I knew you'd come for me and so I did a little reading,'
Her eyes widen, 'No!' She tenderly touches her wound.
I smile, 'Yes, "The blade is to pierce its heart and the fears are to disappear." Oh yes, I know.' she crumples on the floor weeping, she mumbles something. Black blood is pooling under her torso, staining my carpet 'What's that? I can't hear you over you dying,' I tease. She sits up against the bed, her face even more pale than before. Her weeping turns to laughter,
'"The slaughterer is then to become the slaughtered" Ironic isn't it?' I crouch in front for the dying demon,
'What is?'
'It was in the text you read wasn't it? You thought that stabbing me in the heart would kill me and set you free. I thought that too,'
'And, what does it actually mean?' She pulls me closer and whisperers into my ear,
'You take my place as the Nightmare Thief,'
