Dreamer

-Dreamer-

-By L.C.H.K.-

            “Brad?  Bradley, wake up you’re gonna be late for work.” Jessie yawned.  “Five more minutes,” I groaned. “Come on, wake up!  You can’t be late again, or you’ll be fired!” said Jessie in grievance.  When she said that I decided, I had better get ready for work otherwise I would probably regret it later.  “Okay, I’m up.” I said. “Finally,” Jessie sighed in relief.  As I got in the car to leave I realized that I had forgotten my new gloves Jess had got me for my birthday, so I hopped back out of the car and ran back up the stairs.  “I forgot those gloves you bought me.” I chuckled, “they’re on the counter Hon’.” Jess sighed.  When I found my gloves, I finally headed off to the shop.  “Good old ‘Ray’s body and oil,” I laughed sarcastically.

            Over the course of the day only about three people came to get their car checked on, and it was mainly just emissions testing.  When my ten hour shift was over I went home, showered up, and made Jess and I dinner before she came back from school.  “What smells so good?” asked Jess, “It’s your favorite, my homemade pizza.”  After dinner we sat down and watched “Tales from the Crypt”, a show we found on Netflix, before we went to bed.  I didn't actually fall asleep on account of my insomnia.  So I walked down to the gas station down the street, to get some Tylenol pm, because I had recently ran out.  As I was walking I passed a group of skater D-bag teenagers.  When I passed them I heard one say, “Look at this guy, I bet he thinks he’s so cool with his hair covering his eye.”  Naturally I ignored him, because I didn't want to get in a huge fight.

            When I got home, I took some of the sleeping pills and went to bed.  Only to wake up about two hours later because of a nightmare, I seem to be having this same nightmare repetitively.  I wake up in a room only to see Jessie laying lifeless next to me, so I check for her pulse and if she’s breathing but find nothing.  Only to look up at a tall silhouette of a figure staring at me, who would later slash my throat and rip out my intestines.  But instead of waking up upon my death I lay there as lifeless as Jess, feeling each cut and finger enter my body.  Once Jess woke up she saw me sitting beside her with my hands gripping my head in fear, “Did you have the same dream Hon’?” Jess had asked.  “Yeah, but it was worse this time.” I cried “How so?” quarried Jess “It lasted even longer this time.” I sighed.

            Jess eventually convinced me to go see a doctor or psychiatrist or whatever he was.  When I came home Jess was making some tea for the both of us.  Upon seeing me she asked, “What did the doctor say?” “Was everything okay?”  As I opened my mouth to say that the doctor said that my dream was just a “Random occurrence” and that I “Shouldn't worry.”  I was cut off by Jess saying excitedly “The tea is ready!”

            That night I pulled an all-nighter, just so that I wouldn't wake up Jess because she had a big exam the next morning.  I had to call in sick at work just so I could sleep while Jess was at school.  Again; same dream, same fear, same pain, and the same wake-up call after all the blood has been drained from my body.  Once I overcame the aftershock of the dream I had gotten in the shower, to wash the cold sweat away.  Then I realized that I wasn't actually out of the dream, because it was three in the afternoon.  Jess was back, she wasn't supposed to back for another hour and half.  As I scrambled out of the shower I saw her, but it wasn't her, she had her eyes stitched shut and a smile carved in face.  All I could muster up to say was, “J-Jess a-are you okay.”   She looked at me, tilted her head, and cackled “Of course, I've never been better,” “I can’t feel a thing.”  As I looked around to find something to use as an excuse to get away, I realized that we weren't in the apartment any more.  But an empty room cold and gray as a horror movie scene.

            As I noticed this, Jess had started to move toward me with a limp saying, “Look at me, don’t you think I’m beautiful?”  You could hear the lie in the tone of my voice as I said, “Yeah, you’re more beautiful than I've ever seen before.”  “I don’t believe you Brad!  Why are you lying to me,” she screeched deafeningly.  “What are you talking about,” I protested, “You look amazing.”  “Enough I can tell you’re lying to me,” she cried, her voice distorted now, “If you don’t think I’m pretty any more, then I’ll just have to make you look like me too,” she said now screaming and motioning the blade of a knife my way.  “If I can’t have you than no one else can either,” she yelled as she began to carve my face like hers later moving to the lower portion of the throat, slicing both the jugular vein and carotid artery.

            Just like that I woke up in a bed, with a nurse looking over me.  “Oh, good, you’re awake now,” stated the nurse, “I’ll be right back, I’m just going to go get the doctor.”  Before I could ask where I was and how long I've been her, she was gone.  “Mr. Melanchov is it,” the doctor asked in question.  “Yeah, that’s me, where am I,” I quarried.  “You’re at St. Grady memorial hospital,” he stated.  “How long have I been here?” “Three days, going on four now.”  As he said that, Jess had just busted through the door crying, “Brad!  You’re awake,” “I thought you would never wake up!”  She said now gripping my upper body.  “Yeah, but Jess, you’re kind of hurting me,” I gasped.  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she sighed while releasing me, “I’m just so happy you’re awake.”  “Okay that’s enough for now,” the doctor stated.  “You’re boyfriend needs to rest,” the nurse had added.  “I hate to rain on your parade, but don’t you think I've done enough resting,” I questioned.

            After that they gave me some meds for the pain.  Apparently I had ‘self-inflicted’ injuries on both my wrists and neck.  But I knew, these weren't self-inflicted, they were done by that horror image of Jessie.  The one in the dream, the one with the carved up face and stitched eyes.  After about an hour I was able to see Jess again.  But I wasn't able to go home; they had put me in the psychiatric ward for ‘observation.’  When visiting time was over Jess had left me alone, in the care of the doctors and nurses.  They had tried for hours trying to give me medication to get me to fall asleep, but I sternly refused each and every time.  I told them that if I go to sleep I’ll wake up with more injuries.  So they assigned me a ‘stay up buddy,’ someone else with insomnia to watch me, and stay up with me, so that I wouldn't do anything ‘regrettable.’  After about a week I was allowed to leave with Jess and return to work.

            I still can’t look at Jess the same way after the dream, because all I see is the hellish Jess from the dream.  The one who had un-mercilessly, stabbed me to death and bleed me out….