the dream

"Ahhh!" I scream. I'm running as fast as I can but there's no hope, he's gaining on me. I chance a glance behind me, hoping to find him further away than before, but he was not. A branch reaches out, grabbing my ankle, sending my flying into the mud and leaves. I shouldn't have looked back, what a rookie mistake!

"I have you now!" he yells, excitement ringing in his voice along with relief and fear. This man hasn't killed before.

suddenly I notice everything is still. the leaves aren't rusling in the breeze, I can't hear the wind itself eifher. there had been a light mist falling from the tree tops, maybe rain, maybe just thick humidity, either way the droplets aren't hitting me now, instead they're suspended in mid air! I glance to my left and see a halted line of little carpenter ants, to my right I can see a beautiful little red bird paused at take off. I roll over 👀 ng the sky and admire the beauty of this place for a moment, I wonder if it's real. I would bet there's not a stream babbling along, not a dog digging for a bone, it feels as though earth itself had stopped spinning. no, it's definitely not real.

then just as quickly as it stopped, my world flew into motion again. I could see my victim clearly now as he put his icy fingers on my throat. "you killed my daughter, you took my baby girl from me!" he yells, spitting on my face, letting his emotions take over. "you took her and now I'm going to take you!" he says crying, squeezing tighter.

with a snap of my fingers I woke up. looking to my night stand I see my clock, the little glowing green digits say 3:15. I sigh.