SLEÆP

The morning sun would always dispel the night’s horrors, but no matter how much coffee I had and how much I told myself I was fine, this terrible cold would linger where my heart was

It was almost nine in the morning, and I took off my shirt, which was still damp with sweat, and ran my fingers over my face in irritation. “What a nightmare,” I muttered to the silent room.

I barely managed to fall asleep, and even then, the moment I closed my eyes, the nightmare would begin. It chased after me, making me feel so terrified that I would wake up in the most uncomfortable state. It took me hours to fall asleep after that, and when I did, it was already three in the morning.

Those horrible dreams, those wonderful dreams, began when I turned eighteen. Two years have passed since then and my dreams do not lie – every time I fall asleep, I’m in another world, where the first world is a beautiful land with an unknown girl. The second is a living nightmare, where a shadowy figure looms over me. I thought it was just the severe sleep paralysis, but it seems that it is not. In this world that should not exist, I have full control and can communicate with whatever that thing is. It was hard to explain, even to myself.

I dragged myself out of bed and began my morning ritual, which consisted of unfinished homework before I got dressed and left for school.

As I entered the class, I took my usual seat at the back of the classroom. My friend turned around and looked at me, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why do you look so pale?"

I slumped against the backrest of the chair and sighed. “You know those crazy good and bad dreams of mine? The bad one got to me last night.”

“Poor you,” he said with a sympathetic smile. “Have you thought about consulting a psychiatrist? Something is definitely wrong, man. You may be stressing too much since your parents passed away two years ago.”

“I thought about that,” I said quietly. “Maybe that’s why all of this happened? Since they died, but I went to a psychiatrist, and my mind is healthy. That’s not the reason for those dreams.”

He narrowed his eyes in concern, slumping back in his seat. “I’m just concerned, man. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always here. It must be really hard for you to live alone all the time.”

I smiled, shaking my head. “Just calm down, bro. I’m not alone, Kiru keeps me company.”

Kiru is my dog. I found him two years ago, when he was just a little puppy left at the front door. I assumed that his previous owner had abandoned him.

When I walked in, Kiru was already waiting for me at the front door.

"Hi, Kiru. Did you miss me?"

He barked enthusiastically in response, wagging his tail furiously.

We walked inside, and as I passed the side table in the living room, I stopped in my tracks for a moment, gazing longingly at the picture of my parents. It had been two years since they passed away, but the sadness in my heart never faded away. They knew something about my condition, didn’t they? Was everything before my eighteenth birthday a lie?

Throwing those thoughts away, I walked up to the kitchen and began preparing meals. I opened the can of dog food and poured it into his bowl, and then unpacked the fast food I ordered on my way home. We ate in silence in the empty house, and as I finished, the feeling of heaviness consumed my whole body.

My eyes felt so heavy, and the moment I laid down on the bed, Kiru barked loudly, as if trying to prevent me from falling asleep.

He ran out of the room and came back, holding his leash in his mouth, looking at me with expectant eyes.

I groaned, sighing heavily. “ Fine, Kiru, I’ll take you out , but only for a few minutes, okay? I’m tired.”

He gave a soft bark that seemed to confirm that he was satisfied with the deal. Actually, that dog was almost human because he understood everything that I said, probably because I often talked to him as if he was one of us

We walked to the front door, and as we were about to go out, Kiru suddenly stopped. He turned around and barked furiously at the empty room, which made him turn back and run to me at the door, cheerful as if nothing had happened.

We went out for a walk in the park. The cool night air was energizing, but my body was dead tired. Sitting on a wooden bench, I watched Kiru explore the park’s grassy areas while still holding his leash in my hand. I only needed a little nap to feel well-rested

But it seems that my body had other plans. I had fallen asleep with such a strange environment around me.

When I opened my eyes, everything was different

A strange breeze tickled my skin, carrying an unfamiliar scent. It smelled so good, like crushed wildflowers, ozone, and fresh soil, completely different from the smog that usually polluted the city’s air. In fact, the atmosphere felt so heavy that it gave me goosebumps, humming with some unknown energy.

Kiru was right in front of me, sitting in front of my knees. His ears were perked up, and he was watching the sky, where the night had almost fully fallen.

I rubbed my eyes, blinking a few times. “Man… how long was I asleep?”

Kiru whined gently, pulling the leash toward him, closer to the house. Whatever that strange atmosphere was, it made me feel itchy.

We ran back to the house, and as soon as I entered the room, Kiru laid down on the floor at my bed, acting as my bodyguard. I laid down on the bed, and as soon as my head touched the pillow, I fell asleep.

Darkness melted into golden sunlight as I opened my eyes. I was on a grassy hill overlooking a lovely civilization. There was a village built on stone paths, nestled between mountain peaks that sparkled in the light of the two moons. It was absolutely breathtaking, and I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I belonged here.

I saw her.

She stood at the very edge of the hill, and her silhouette danced in the soft glow of the dusk. She turned around and faced me, raising her hand as if her lips formed my name.

I took a step closer, wanting to see her face

Suddenly, I was back in my room, and the dark walls surrounded me. I sat up in the silence of the night, still catching my breath. The only indication that I was dreaming was the warmth that clung to my hand, like I just touched someone.

“I dreamed about that girl again…” I whispered to the silent room, running a hand over my face. “But I still can’t remember what she looked like. Damn, it was so real…”

I leaned back against the headrest of the bed, staring at the place in the room where the darkness was the densest.

I whispered to the night, “What if it really is real?”