Chapter 2: Dream

Sarah smiled and nodded, her eyes bright with excitement.

They left the bar and made their way back to Dave's apartment, their hands intertwined.

As soon as they stepped inside, Dave's nerves started to get the better of him. 

He had never been very experienced with women, and he was afraid of moving too fast.

But Sarah seemed to sense his hesitation, and she took charge.

She pushed Dave up against the door, her lips crashing into his.

Dave felt his body responding immediately, his hands roaming over her body as they kissed passionately.

They stumbled towards the bedroom, their clothes falling to the floor as they went.

The rest of the night was a blur of ecstasy and pleasure as they explored each other's bodies, their passion reaching new heights with each passing moment. 

He felt like he was on top of the world, and as he drifted off to sleep with Sarah curled up in his arms, he couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn his day had taken.

...

The next morning.

Dave was jolted awake by the blaring alarm clock, all those feelings were quickly replaced with a pounding headache and a groan of frustration. 

He fumbled for his phone to shut off the incessant beeping, his head throbbing with the intensity of running a marathon.

Slowly but surely, he managed to silence the alarm and dragged himself out of bed.

But as soon as he stood up, a sharp pain shot through his head and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his temples in agony.

"What happened last night?" he wondered, struggling to piece together the hazy memories from the night before.

He could vaguely recall Sarah's smiling face but everything else was a blur.

He stumbled into the bathroom, desperate for relief.

The hot water from the shower cascaded down his body, providing some respite from the throbbing pain.

With each passing moment, it slowly began to fade away and Dave let out a sigh of relief.

As he started to lather up his hair, flashes of last night's events began to surface in his mind.

Dave couldn't stop himself from smiling. 

He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and let out a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

...

30 minutes later.

Dave finished dressing and grooming himself for the day ahead.

With a final spritz of cologne and a quick glance in the mirror, he made his way to work.

The city streets bustled with activity as people rushed about, some on foot and others in cars.

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm orange glow over the buildings and sidewalks.

Dave felt a sense of determination and purpose as he made his way through the bustling crowds towards his workplace.

As he walked to the office, he noticed all of these things for the first time.

He was amazed at how different life could be for people if they just tried to be happier.

Dave's day had begun with a promising new relationship, and it ended with a newfound appreciation for life.

He stood outside with his eyes closed, savoring the moment's warmth.

Dave smiled to himself, unaware of the mysterious wisp of light floating above him.

Then suddenly something a bright light blinded his eyes, disorienting him.

...

He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the ground, cold and alone in an alleyway.

Jolted by the sound of an ambulance closely approaching, he notices a stab wound to his chest, a puddle of blood was present and his clothes drenched in it.

His mind starts racing.

What just happened? How did this happen?

As he struggled to regain his bearings, he noticed certain memories were returning back to him.

Then a struck of realization hits him, everything was a dream.

He had never met Sarah, everything that happened last night was all but a figment of his imagination.

It was the result of his brain protecting himself from the harsh trauma he experienced after he got stabbed.

His encounter with the burly man he met at the gaming cafe didn't end peacefully.

No, it ended up in a scuffle which gradually escalated to the point that the man and his group of friends dragged him to the alley.

They ganged up on him and the intoxicated burly man eventually stabs him.

The gravity of the situation sank in, and it was clear that the assailants who had been here just moments ago had fled in fear.

A grandma who was passing by witnessed this and quickly called the ambulance.

He was stunned, unable to process his feelings.

Looking back to his dream, he had been a fool to believe that such a person like Sarah existed.

For his whole life he had no luck with girls, even though his colleagues had told him many times to be happy with what he had.

Because he achieved becoming a software engineer at his young age, a feat not many people can accomplish.

It was something he planned and worked tirelessly to accomplish.

But the driving factor of why he did that, was that he hoped it'd increase his chances with women.

Ironically, it never did, instead he was once scammed by a crossdresser who had ulterior motives.

Fortunately he found out in time and escaped.

Then an epiphany dawns on him, that he had subconsciously used an imaginative person like Sarah to cope with his lonely life.

Stunned once again and by this shocking revelation.

He had finally made up his mind, he will never waste his time on such trivial things like love ever again.

All that would matter would be his own success in life, to become a powerful figure and a target of envy.

It's unfortunate that it came at the cost of his life to realize that.

Flashing lights and the sounds of sirens echoes, a sign that the ambulance is about to arrive.

The weight of his mistakes and regrets pressed down upon him, his once clear consciousness slowly began to fade away.

The world around him blurred and faded into darkness as his final breath was about to escape from his lips, until two paramedics suddenly appeared above him.

"Shit, quick before it's too late!", one of them shouted.

The two men quickly got down to work, placing a heart monitor next to him.

Attaching it and then performing CPR on him as they prepared him for the operation.

"Clear!", one of them shouted as they used a defibrillator on his chest passing an electric current through it.

"No pulse! Again!", the other paramedic yelled, frustration and urgency in his voice.

A high dose of electricity crackled through the air as it was quickly sent into his chest once again, a last-ditch effort to jumpstart his heart.

Dave's chest rising and falling with each attempt to revive him.

Time seemed to stand still as they waited for any sign of response from the heart monitor.

It remained silent, like a flickering candle, his life ended in an instant leaving behind a heavy feeling of remorse, regret, and unfinished business.

Moments later, the mysterious wisp of light appeared and flew inside his body.

...