The Dream Catcher

8: Dream-Catcher

I saw him. Nobody would’ve believed me, but I swear of it. I saw the Dream Catcher.

I tend to think of the negative sides. If anything, everything haunts me at night where I’m alone and the world is at sleep. This had led to some terrible insomnia in the past, can’t say that’s disappeared until just recently. I fell asleep after a week of none, a miracle it seemed.

The sleep was much less comfortable, especially the dream. Dream… nightmare. I was in a black abyss… the only visible thing was me. I took a step forward, feeling ground beneath me. I took another step; the ground rose upwards. As I retracted my foot, a man rose from the ground with terrible red eyes.

More groans entered my ear, a mass number of black blotches formed around me. I couldn’t tell their sizes, they blended into the background too well. But the eyes, they pierced me. I recognized some eyes, the round brown eyes of my friend. The brown was a tad dark, but still noticeable. I slightly shorter eye level was a cool blue tone, squinting at me. That had to be my sister, her eyes are incredibly detailed in the light blue colors. Though, eyes popped everywhere. Each pair was unique. I could decipher most of the eyes, though struggled with others. Mom’s eyes, the green kind eyes. Dad’s eyes, dark blue and flat. Though the eyes formed around me as if they were a dome. They surrounded me, they watched me. They stared with an indignation, I couldn’t understand why.

Then the eyes focused onto me. They wobbled closer like they were walking to me. I back a little, trying to stay in the center as much as possible, but something grabbed hold of my foot. I looked down, my jeans were being grabbed. A black claw gripped my leg, making me fall. Upon this, more arms grabbed my arm. I couldn’t move. “Help!” I screamed out, no one listened. “Help! Somebody! Stop, please!” Nothing in return. I could only cry, I was helpless. I couldn’t do anything. The gripping was growing intensely tighter. I felt my arm turn numb, strangled to numbness, become immovable. “Stop!” I just wanted to get out.

I felt horrible pain. I heard voices. The voices, I hated those voices. They acted as whispers that drilled into my head. “Nobody’s there” one would snicker. “Give up” another one would remind. “Stop trying” was mixed occasionally. Sometimes the voices would be together in such a layered cluster of voices, I gave up trying to decipher them. They were pestering most of the time, I thought nothing of it. Sometimes, it affected me more than it should have. All I could do now, was cry. Cry like a fool, cry like a child missing her mother. I was indeed helpless now, I had no where to go.

The eyes had inched so close, the eyes started covering each other. Each eye pair was a new whisper. No two sounded alike, they varied in an incomprehensible ball of sound. They got louder, the whispers became a normal conversation, then screamed in my ear. I was stuck.

Then I saw a light behind the eye blobs. A tiny speckle poked through the blackness until I felt my right leg free from the gripped claw. I looked up, stopping my tears for a good second, then saw a brisk flash of white swing just about my face. The eyes disappeared, any sort of blackness has dissipated. I saw a person in a white glowing hoodie carrying a staff with a skull on the end. The claws on my arms let go then I was finally released. The hooded person swung its skull staff once more, killing any dark blobs from reach me. I could breathe. I could loosen up and not feel bound down. I felt free.

I picked myself up, slowly. I felt numb above my joint, I felt a speckling pain if I put pressure anywhere. The hooded man reached for my arm and yanked me to my feet. I fell back down on my knees as he stabbed his staff into the ground and stunning more eyes. I looked around, the eyes were a deep bloody red. They were crying blood at this point.

His weapon shrunk to what I could only assume was a pen. He stuffed the pen in his pocket and dashed off. The man picked my back up as well as my legs. He carried me like a child, I guess I was like one in the first place.

“Think!” He yelled at me. I gathered a better look on his face, he was pure white. His face glowed faintly just like the hoodie. “Think of your bedroom! Think of waking up!” He spoke aggressively, frightening me a little more than it should have.

I couldn’t think of my room, it had become a blur of what had just happened. I felt like I couldn’t leave, why should I leave if I belong here. “I can’t!” I yelled back, hearing the voices become increasingly louder.

“What would make you happy!” He yelled back. “What makes you feel comforted! Think about th-” He was caught off and a man of darkness gripped onto his leg. He stumbled down and dropped me. I tumbled, just enough to view him getting consumed by darkness. “Think!”

I felt terrified, hopeless again. I saw a shine to my right and saw his pen. I reached for it and the staff enlarged to my size. I braced myself for the sudden weight as I swung at the pure white savior. The darkness evaporated with a piercing shriek. I fell on my knees again, having the weight of the skull staff pick me up and throw me. The man looked up, shocked, but sprang back into action. He took the staff and picked me up, lacing my arm around his shoulder. “Think of a happy moment.” He calmly announced.

I thought, my cat. My cat would be laying at the fireplace while I pet her. The subtle purr made the moment worthwhile, the fluffiness of her fur was priceless. She’d occasionally wake up from the trance and looked at me with her bright yellow eyes. She gives a huge purr and rub her head on my head. She was there to help, even when she’s not here anymore.

I felt my arm tug suddenly and I was forced to keep pace with the hooded man. He dashed into a sprint to what was a rectangle of pure glowing white. I felt happy, I felt joyous again. I found myself sprinting faster than the man and reached the door first. I reached my hand out. Though, there wasn’t the pure white hand. I turned back, the man was fighting the darkness.

“You ready?” I yelled out to him. He looked at me, fearful. “Come on! We’re right here!”

The man looked concerned, he tugged on the staff that he’d fight with. He hesitantly ran to me. “Go on!” He yelled.

I froze. Make the decision, think! I ran up to him and forced him to keep up with me. I yanked him into the glowing rectangle with me, an audible “No” faded as I entered the realm.

I woke up with a shock. Panting, sweating, and a cold shiver had shaken my entire body. I looked around, it was my room. My crystal cat lamp was on, shining a happy yellow glow that always had comforted me. I sat myself up, regaining myself. I saw a small note on my desk. I forgot, I had done homework and fell asleep. I picked up the note.

You saved me, but I must go on. Think of the happier moments, not the belittling ones. I must thank you once again. You should get back to sleep, I promise it’ll be a happier dream.

- The Dream Catcher

The Dream Catcher. Everyone had noticed a sudden decline of nightmares in the block and no one could understand why. I looked around, could he be here? Nothing. I looked at the time: 3:37 am. Alright, I took a deep breath and fell back asleep.

Start time: 10:20 PM 1/8/19

End time: 11:34 PM 1/8/19