Twisted Dreams

She was engulfed in the arms of darkness, only awoken by the smell of burning flesh and the screams of unfamiliar voices. She struggled to move and found herself hindered by a rope that bound both her hands and legs. With no time to think, she panicked trying to break free from her binds, desperately wanting to escape her unknown fate.

A door was flung open and with it came clouds of smoke with such a foul smell, she choked and hurled. Someone had walked in and travelled along with the ashes that rushed into the small room. Walking barefooted towards her, their clothes were torn and covered in soot and dried blood. On their face was a mask, made by the skins of different faces seemingly stitched together.

They stopped right in front of her, head held high above her petite frame on the floor.

“You’re next.”

The deep icy tone of their voice laced with venom froze her in place. ‘I’m going to die,’ She thought.

A hand reached out to grab her hair and roughly dragged her outside where, to her dismay, other bodies were flung in a pile, burning. Some beheaded, and others clinging on to whatever life they had left writhing in pain in the dirt.

“No!” She screamed, “Please no!”

The masked assailant ceased their steps and turned back to her, words inconceivable. She struggled to hear what the masked person was saying. It was as if someone was slowly turning up the volume as she swore she heard the word ‘wake’ fall from behind the mask.

“WAKE UP!”

She shot up, torn from the dream, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Hands were on either side of her shoulders when she looked up to gaze in eyes full of concern.

She almost didn’t recognize her best friend Jungkook, still crippled with fear from how real her dream felt. Still feeling the heat from the fire, still smelling the foul stench of burning flesh, hearing the screams of the people she did not know.

“Another one?” He asked.

“Yeah, another one.”

“Josie,” He started, “Don’t you think you’ve been having these nightmares a bit too often now?”

“I have been having them too often.”

He sighed, “Look I don’t want you to have to go to see someone anymore than you do but I can’t stand seeing you like this every day either.”

“I really appreciate you staying with me this whole time Jungkook but seeing someone for this is the last thing on my mind.”

Finally being able to adjust and recognize her surroundings, she relaxed into the touch of her best friend who still had his hands on her shoulders. In light of her current state, Jungkook had offered to stay with Josie after witnessing her thrashing around in her sleep and yelling about an unknown perpetrator, with hopes that it would help if someone was around.

It didn’t.

“Josie come on,” he said with sad eyes, “I hate seeing you like this I really do.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Jungkook climbs into the bed and wrapped his arms around her, “It’s okay. Let’s try to go back to bed then. We have work in a few hours.”

I nodded in agreement and allowed myself to be comforted by his touch and prayed I may fall asleep and be dreamless.