A Nightmare or Reality?

Sia was always a light sleeper. So, it was usual for her to wake up at night for no reason. One day, she woke up in the middle of the night, feeling thirsty. She got up from her bed and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she sipped her water, she noticed something strange in the lounge. But as it was dark, she shrugged and made her way to her bedroom.

As she walked back to her bedroom, something caught her eye in the lounge. She couldn't quite make out what it was, but it looked like a dark, ominous shape lurking in the shadows. Curiosity and fear took hold of her, and she slowly walked toward the living room. Her heart was pounding, and her palms were sweaty.

In the dim light, she saw what looked like blood stains all over the floor, walls, and furniture. There was a dagger placed on the center table with blood dripping from it.

She gasped and tried to back away until her back touched the wall. She froze in her tracks, unable to move. She closed her eyes and screamed with all her might, thinking that someone had broken into their house and there was a gruesome scene in the lounge. She kept on calling Daniel. Suddenly, she felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Sia, what's going on?" Daniel asked, his voice laced with concern.

Sia did not open her eyes and turned around to face Daniel. She pointed at the lounge. Daniel looked in that direction but was confused.

"What?", he exclaimed with confusion.

She looked at him.

"There's blood everywhere," she said, her voice shaking.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

Sia looked back at the lounge. To her surprise, there was no blood and no signs of any struggle or disturbance. It was as if nothing had happened. Sia's eyes widened. Had she been hallucinating? Was this all in her head?

"Daniel, there was blood in the lounge," Sia said, her voice shaking.

Daniel looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "Sia, there is no blood in the lounge," he said firmly.

"I saw it, I swear I saw it. Believe me!", said Sia.

She started sobbing. Daniel cupped her cheeks and made her look at him.

"It was just a nightmare, honey. Let's go back to bed, you need some rest. it's not real."

Sia shook her head. "But it was so vivid," she said. "I saw it, Daniel. I saw the blood."

Daniel held her close, trying to calm her down. "It's okay," he said. "It was just a bad dream. You're safe here with me."

Sia took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. "I don't know what's happening to me," she said, her voice quivering. "I feel like I'm losing my mind."

Sia tried to protest, but Daniel's words were comforting, and she felt tired. He held her hand and led her back to their bedroom. He pulled the covers over her, tucking her in. He sat beside her, rubbing her back until she fell asleep.

With Daniel's reassurance, Sia eventually calmed down and went back to bed. But the image of the blood stains lingered in her mind, haunting her dreams and making her feel like she was losing her grip on reality.

The next morning, Sia woke up feeling groggy. She remembered the nightmare, but it felt distant and unreal. As she got up, she noticed that Daniel was already up, preparing breakfast.

She went to the kitchen and hugged him from behind. "Thank you," she said softly. "For being there for me."

Daniel turned around and smiled. "That's what I'm here for," he said. "To take care of you."

"Why are you making breakfast, by the way?"

"Well, apparently Audd has a parent-teacher meeting. So, nobody's home.", he smiled.

As they sat down to have breakfast, Sia couldn't ignore the feeling that something was wrong. She tried to push it away, thinking that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

But as the day progressed, Sia couldn't shake off the feeling that the nightmare was more than just a figment of her imagination. She was aware that something was going on. She could not have possibly imagined everything.

Daniel noticed that Sia was not her usual self. He asked her if everything was okay, but she didn't say anything. She just stared blankly, lost in her thoughts.

As the night approached, Sia went to bed, feeling restless. She tried to sleep, but her mind was racing. She couldn't let go of the feeling that something was wrong. She tossed and turned, unable to find peace.

Daniel noticed that Sia was having a hard time sleeping. He held her hand and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. "It's okay," he said softly. "I'm here with you."

Sia tried to relax, but she couldn't let go of the feeling that something was wrong. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that it would help her calm down.

Days passed. Sia was convinced that it was all her imagination. Little did Sia know that this was just the beginning of a much bigger problem, one that would test her and Daniel's relationship in ways she never could have imagined.