Chapter 20: I am just no one.
Dylan found himself trapped in the grips of another nightmare. The scenes were chaotic, not clearly visible anything, but the panic pressing down on his chest felt all too real, suffocating him as he gasped for breath.
In the dim haze of his dream, sweat dripped down his face and neck, soaking his sheets as he tossed and turned, desperately trying to escape the terror closing in around him.
A shadowy figure loomed above him, its features were obscured—there were no eyes, no nose, no mouth. It was frightening, and his restlessness grew. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see the face clearly, but he could feel the rising dread. His heart raced as he sensed the danger this figure represented.
"What did you do to me?" he asked.
Desperation surged through him as he attempted to rise and flee, but his body felt heavy and anchored to the place as if invisible chains held him down. The echo of a woman’s laughter reverberated in his head, chilling him to the core.
With a sudden jolt, Dylan’s eyes flew open, the remnants of terror still clinging to him. He sat up abruptly, his chest heaving with exertion. A cold sweat coated his skin. His body was still shaking from the horror and struggle in his dream. It was as if he had experienced that terror in the past.
"What is going on?" he whispered, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled deep within him. Every night he couldn’t sleep properly because of these nightmares.
"Why am I having nightmares these days?" Dylan wondered, restless and bewildered. The restless nights had taken a toll, leaving him bleary-eyed and unfocused during the day, often dozing off at his desk, much to his dismay.
"Shit!" he cursed softly, rubbing his forehead as if trying to massage away the stress that had built up. "I can’t continue like this. I’ve got to see a doctor."
He drank some water, hoping it would soothe his frazzled nerves. He then tried to sleep, but the night was spent in a restless, light slumber.
The next morning...