The Dream

When I opened my eyes, all I could see was darkness. It was as if the darkness engulfed me whole.

I started walking, hoping to find some light. I walked straight, I walked left, I walked right, I tried to search for even a little light in this darkness where I could not even see my own body but I could not find it.

After hours of walking, I felt like going insane and I started running. I ran in every direction but still could not find an exit to this darkness. Even though I could not find an exit for hours, I did not succumb and finally, I could see a ray of light from a far away.

I ran towards the light and I finally reached it. The light that was visible from a far was from a door. A bright white color door that was emitting light like a sun in the darkness.

I opened the door and my eyes shut because of the intense light it radiated from what was beyond the door.

"W-What is this? Where am I?"

I couldn't believe my eyes. What greeted me beyond that door was definitely not something I have ever seen before. There were people screaming everywhere. No matter how far your eyes could see, all that greeted them was the pain and agony of people.

Suddenly something or perhaps someone touched my shoulder. I was scared to death to move even a muscle. The scenery unfolding before my eyes was something that I could have never even imagined in my wildest dreams.

I started trembling the moment something or someone touched my shoulder. I tried to look back but for some reason my guts were telling me to avoid it and run away. Run as fast as you can. No matter what else my life would be in danger. But I couldn't move. My legs gave in. It was like I was a living corpse who couldn't say anything or move anywhere.

"Wh-Who is…?"

I tried to ask. I mustered up all the courage and energy I had in me to let those 2 words come out of my mouth. But what came as an answer to my question was something I couldn't understand at all. I could tell they were speaking. I could tell they were replying to my question but the language they used was something I could not understand at all.

-" ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐… ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ , ☐!"

Once again, I froze at my place. I couldn't understand what was going on. I couldn't tell who it was who touched my shoulder. I couldn't even ask them anything anymore. Not because I couldn't understand them but because I couldn't get even a single word out of my mouth anymore. I was too scared to even turn back to look at what was behind me.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking. The thing that was on my shoulder was now gone. I snapped out of my fear and looked back but I couldn't see anyone behind me. Only the scenery that was making me feel nauseous.

"What the hell?! What is that!"

The moment I turned back and saw the ground that was shaking intensely, I saw 'something' crawling out of it. It was something that I could not describe in words. Not because I did not understand it, but because I could not even see it clearly. All I could see was 'something' crawling out but its appearance was obscured. I could not see what it was but my heart started to race fast.

"I need to run…"

Humans are creatures who instinctively realize what is dangerous and try to run away from what threatens to their life when it is in front of them.

I knew instinctively that if I do not run, something really bad is going to happen. So, I ran. I ran in the opposite direction from where that 'something' crawled out of. Without looking back, I kept running. I had a feeling that something was following me. I did not dare to look back and kept running and suddenly I tripped over someone's corpse that was lying on the ground.

"N-No! W-Why is this happening! What is even going on! Why is everyone here dying like this! Where the hell am I!"

I needed answers but I felt like I am not going to get any answers anymore because the thing that was chasing me is definitely not going to let me off. I am going to die. Just like all these people on the ground.

---- x ----

"Seems like that idiot is still snoring on his bed. It's time to have some fun hehe"

A high school aged girl, laughing mischievously as she approaches a room with a bucket full of water. She opens the door and pours the bucket over the boy sleeping on the bed.

"Wakey Wakey~ It's time to wake up idiot!"

I suddenly woke up and saw the familiar place and the familiar face of my sister. I was still in my room, on my bed.

"Was that all a dream? I thought… I was about to die?"

"What are you mumbling about, idiot. Get up. You are going to be late for school."

I tried to now show any signs of confusion on my face. I knew if my sister heard me, she is going to spend an eternity making fun of me and that's the least I want right now. So I told her like my usual self.

"Yeah Yeah. Would you stop pouring a bucket full of water on me like every other day? It's annoying."

"But it's fun, y'know~ I love to tease you hehe"

"No wonder you have no boyfriend. With that personality of yours, I doubt anyone would even wanna date you."

"Hey! You're the one to talk, Mr. Idiot. You haven't been confessed to even once in your lifetime! At least a few guys had the guts to confess to me. Hmph!"

"Whatever. Now get out. I need to get ready for school!"

I pushed my sister out of my room and closed the door.

"What it really just a dream? It felt so real. A lucid dream? Everything was so real… And what even was that place to begin with? God! It couldn't be anything but hell! I better not think more of it. It was just a nightmare. Thank God Rina woke me up…"

Rina is my sister. She is pretty, cute, good at schools and almost everyone praises her.

"If only she was not so damn irritating… oof!"

After thinking about the dream for a while, I got read for school and went downstairs where I have had my breakfast ready on the table and Rina was already eating with my dad who was reading newspaper like usual.

"Good morning, Ken! I have your breakfast ready for you. Come and sit on the table. I'll serve it to you."

Who greeted me was my mom. She is a sweet and beautiful lady and a great mom. I can see who does my sister takes after for her appearance but I still have a hard time understanding who does she take that "irritating" personality of hers from.

I took my seat and had my breakfast and went to school with Rina. We both went to the same school. I was a year older than Rina so naturally we were not in the same class.

"Honestly, if we were in the same class, I would have begged my parents to let me switch my schools. I can not tolerate her irritating me all day in school!"

I thought so, sarcastically. In reality, I do adore my sister of course. She is the only sibling I have after all.

"By the way, Ken, what were you dreaming about? When I got to your room, I saw you making a scary face. Were you having a nightmare?"

Rina asked me. It caught me by surprise because normally, Rina doesn't ask me about my wellbeing. Seems like I was really scared to death for me to make a scary face that would make my sister worry, huh?

"It was nothing. Just a nightmare. Dreams are dreams so there is no need to worry about them now, is there? Now stop talking about my dream else we are going to be late for our classes."

And so, we both arrived at school and went to our classes. It was History class going on. The subject I hate the most.

"Ugh why do we need to study about something that has happened in the past?! This is so boring!"

I was never a fan of the history they taught us in schools. About the wars and the politics of the past, etc.

"Why study something that is not of any use today?"

Is what I thought. But to pass the grades, I had to study so I tried to keep my focus on what our teacher was teaching.

I was not as good in school as my sister. I was more of an average student. I mean, I could have done better but I was not concerned about the school as much as my sister or those top students of the class. I just wanted to pass the grade with average scores and live an average life. I did not want attention of others.

After history, came mathematics then physics then chemistry. Later when we were in Chemistry lab, I started feeling a little weird. It was then that something weird actually happened with me.

I heard a similar voice. The voice that I heard in my dream. But this time, not in dream but in real life. I thought I was feeling sleepy so I rinse my face with water but I again heard the voice. My legs started to tremble in fear, once again wondering what is happening.

"Wh-What is going on! Why is this voice…. Ugh! My head is going to burst! Wasn't it all just a dream?!"

I looked at everyone present in the lab. Students and teacher. Everyone was normal. As If they could not hear a thing. Then again, the voice echoed in my ears. This time it felt like it was excited. The moment the voice became louder in my ears, I could tell it was excited to see me. I don't know if that excitement was because the thing this voice belongs to was happy or was planning to kill the one who saw the scenery… What if it was the one responsible for all the pain in that weird place?

"Wait wait wait… Does… Does that mean the dream I had wasn't a dream but reality? But no… how could it be? I was definitely sleeping and my sister woke me up from that dream. But if… only if… that wasn't a dream then what even was that place? Why was everyone screaming and dying like that? What the hell is even happening?"

-"☐☐☐ ☐☐☐ ☐☐, ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐!! ☐☐? ☐☐!!"

That was when I realized something very basic yet important…

"I am definitely going insane now. Aren't I?"