The Invite

6:30 am

Maria shot right out of the bed for the third night in a roll. Her restlessness at night was caused by a scary repetitive nightmare. For a very long time, she had managed to keep her nightmares at bay. 

Now she didn't dream about the accident that broke her family apart again, it was more about a certain predator that was hell-bent on dragging her off the edge of a cliff. She began to gasp for breath as soon as it hit her consciousness that she was finally awake. 

It felt like she was living the dream all over again but this time, she was conscious. She grabbed her sheets and tried to steady her breath but the constriction in her chest wouldn't let her be. 

All of a sudden though, everything stopped as she heard the sound of a blasting alarm down the hall. The sound had successfully penetrated her brain and rejuvenated her strength.