Between Dreams and Reality

W-what?... Isn't that...me? I thought, my heart pounding in disbelief. There I was, floating near the ceiling, staring down at my own body, peacefully sleeping on the bed below. The surrealness of the situation gripped me, a paralyzing fear rooting me to the spot. What was happening? How could I be here and there at the same time?

Before I could make sense of it, an overwhelming force yanked me downward with an incredible strength, pulling me back into my body with a jarring impact. The sensation of falling was so sudden, so intense, that I had no time to react. I hit the bed with a force that sent shockwaves through my consciousness.

The sound of my alarm ringing loudly in the background jolted me awake, my eyes snapping open as I lay wide awake on my bed. The memory of what had just happened swirled in my mind, a mix of confusion and dread. "Another dream? Or was it something more?" I whispered to myself, a shiver running down my spine. Is my house haunted?

With a long, weary sigh, I reached over to silence the alarm, the relentless beeping fading into silence. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes as I tried to shake off the remnants of the bizarre experience. "I wish I could just make these nightmares stop," I muttered, my thoughts heavy as I got ready for school. Every morning felt like a battle against an unseen force that refused to let me rest.

I, Aisha, a 15-year-old girl who has been plagued by nightmares for as long as I can remember, have spent countless nights trapped in the eerie world of my dreams. Each one more disturbing than the last, leaving me exhausted and drained. God knows how desperately I want to rid myself of them.

As I stepped out of my house and onto my bicycle, the cold morning breeze hit my face, bringing with it a wave of calmness. The sun's rays pierced through the cloudy sky, casting a warm glow on the fruits and flowers at the market. It was a beautiful sight, and I couldn't help but hum a tune as I pedaled towards school. The tranquility of the morning was a stark contrast to the turmoil inside my head.

When I finally arrived at school, I made my way to my classroom and took my usual seat. My friends, Anna and Shera, who sat beside me, were already deep in conversation.

"Do you know anything about the test? I haven't read anything," Anna asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.

I froze for a moment, a sense of panic washing over me as I realized I'd completely forgotten about the test. "Oh, crap!" I thought to myself.

"It's alright, it's not like it's going to be included in our final exams," Shera replied, her tone reassuring.

"Yeah, let's just write whatever we can. No one's going to kill us for that," I agreed, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

The bell rang, signaling the start of another school day, and we settled into our routine. The hours passed in a blur of lectures and assignments, my mind still haunted by the morning's dream.

Fast forward to the end of the school day, I found myself at the mall with my mom, Rose, shopping for groceries. As we strolled down the aisles, my mom pointed to an item on the top shelf.

"No, not that one. The one on the top shelf. I want that one," she instructed, her voice firm.

I tried reaching for the item, stretching as far as my short height would allow, but it was just out of my grasp. Frustrated, I was about to ask for help from the staff when I felt someone standing beside me.

I looked up and saw one of my classmates, Dane. We hadn't spoken much before, and I knew little about him. He was taller than me, with black hair and glasses that, surprisingly, suited him. Without a word, he reached up and grabbed the item I was struggling to reach.

"Oh...he's actually pretty nice," I thought, feeling a small smile tug at the corners of my lips. I extended my arm, expecting him to hand it to me, but to my surprise, he turned away and walked straight to my mom.

"Is this the one you were trying to get, ma'am?" Dane asked politely, his voice calm and composed.

"Thank—" my mom began, but a strange noise interrupted her. We all turned toward the sound, finding two boys goofing off with a shopping cart, making a ruckus.

My mom shook her head and laughed softly. "Kids these days...but you, young man, are a true gentleman," she praised Dane, who simply smiled and thanked her before walking away.

I stood there, dumbfounded. "Did he just ignore me this whole time?" I fumed inwardly. "How rude! But...he did help out, didn't he? Hmph! Not that it matters—he's definitely not my type. I hope I don't run into him again."

With that, we finished our shopping and went about the rest of our day, but the encounter with Dane lingered in my mind, leaving me with more questions than answers.