Chapter 2: Reality

I woke up gasping in shock to see the ceiling of my room, the round light fixture in the middle of the white rectangular ceiling staring back at me like it did every morning.

The dream is over. I sat up on my bed and felt around my bed and body. The bed was normal, I felt like I sweat and bled enough for a pool to form but it was dry and clean, the flower patterned duvet cover and light gray sheets unstained. My body was intact too, no wounds anywhere to be seen. I ran my right index finger over the area of my abdomen where I felt the pain and tugging. I felt nothing as my finger traced the area, but my mind seemed to remember the feeling.

Sighing with relief, I pulled my blackout curtains open and let the sunlight into the room. The glow of the sunlight flooding the room. It was already the afternoon. I'd missed my morning classes again. I looked at the alarm clock blinking 7:00 on my headboard shelf. I must've turned it off in my sleep. Reaching over to my smartphone next to the alarm clock, I checked the time and swiped away the notifications without looking. It's probably Amy asking me where I am.

My phone suddenly started buzzing while I was scrolling through some local news. It was Amy calling. Not wanting to answer I swiped decline and threw my phone back onto the headboard before getting out of bed.

I'll call her back later, I just don't want to talk now. I thought to myself as I grabbed a change of clothes before jumping into the shower.

Warm water ran down my body from my head, coating all the places where I was unable to feel or move just last night. I ran my finger over my abdomen again, rubbing it lightly. The shower was warm and helped me relax a bit more. It seems to pull me out of any remaining feeling of that nightmare and settle me back into reality, confirming that all my limbs were intact, could be felt and moved, and that I wasn't sawed in half.

I stood like that, just letting the water affirm my existence for a good thirty minutes before stepping out to continue the rest of my day. I stared at myself through the foggy mirror, once again affirming my existence with the reflection. My brown eyes staring back behind hooded lids that always made me look sleepy. A large, slightly crooked nose anchored my face and my thin lips twitched slightly as I reviewed myself. I had slept a lot but my dark eye bags were still noticeable, almost like I had received two black eyes over my pale, colorless skin. I wasn't beautiful, but I'm glad that I am me.

I checked the time again after leaving the bathroom. 2:30pm. I wrapped my wet hair in an old shirt and called Amy back.

"Where were you, I tried to call you earlier but you declined me didn't you? You know that midterms are next week so you should at least come to class this week!" a high-pitched voice sounded on the other side.

"Sorry, I overslept. I'll be in the rest of the week, I promise" I replied back while putting her on speaker.

"Rea you always say this but you rarely actually come to class. You know you pay for the classes right? You should make the most out of the lectures but right now you might as well be self-studying and just challenging the class for credits." she continued.

Amy had a way of speaking, her high-pitched voice hurriedly going through all the words she wanted to say in one breath before taking a second to inhale again. She liked to nag and she always needs to let it all out first before she can relax and let go. It was oddly comforting, since my parents never nag me about anything.

"Anyways, make sure you come to class this week at the very least. Don't make me go over there and drag you out of bed!" I heard a sharp inhale as she finished.

"Yes mom" I giggled back while grabbing the milk in the fridge.

"Oh that's right, have you heard? Apparently there's another missing student, this time from the business department." Her voice had calmed down and she was speaking slower now.

Another missing student? That's the second one in the last few months.

"They said he'd gone missing for at least a few days before anyone notified the police. He lived alone so no one knew when he disappeared. You live alone too so take care okay? There might be some serial killer on the loose.

I poured the fruit loops into my bowl before topping it up with milk.

"Did they say where he was last seen?" I asked.

"They're still investigating. It'll probably be on the news later if you want to see. Anyways I have to go, class is starting. Make sure you come tomorrow!" she hung up before I could reply.

I placed my spoonful of fruit loops in my mouth. Savoring the cold, sweet flavor rolling down my throat. A second disappearance. The first one was also a student who lived alone. I dug my left thumbnail into the other fingernails on my left hand, cleaning the nails out.