The Tower of Nightmares: Where Dreams Become Reality

Saturday, June 16th 2032, In Korea, Busan. I kicked my feet under my blanket as I gasped for air. It was a dream, but it felt like a reality. I kicked my feet continuously beneath the blanket. I couldn't endure anymore, I jolted awake, my lungs burning as I dragged in air. The room was dark, quiet and warm. I knew I was awake. “Another nightmare,” I muttered to myself, but it felt exactly like the others. Ever since I started high school, I’d encountered strange nightmares, they weren't random but reoccurring. Every time I laid my head down to sleep, I’d end up in the same dream. In fact the real nightmare was the thought of closing my eyes to sleeping and going through the same loop as it was something I've expected ever since I turned 16 till it became the only thing I feared. I gently turned my head, fixing my gaze on my alarm clock. 5:32am. Twenty eight minutes until six, the time I usually leave for work. I climbed out of the bed, the floor was cold beneath my feet. Crossing the room I reached for the curtain and slid them open. The sun hadn't fully risen. But pale light spilled into the room and I could see my reflection in the glass. I was shivering. I slowly lowered my head to look at my hands to confirm and it was true, I was shivering. With a sigh I turned away from the window as I made my way to the bathroom. I twisted the silver handle to the right. A cold bath was what I needed at that moment. I sat in the foaming bathtub, my mind replaying fragments of the dream. Slowly, I sank into the tub. By the time I stepped out, the sun had risen halfway. Its warm light scattered in my room, filling it with warmth. After putting on my suit, I adjusted the black tie at my neck and picked up my hand bag. I was ready to leave for work. My footsteps echoed as I made my way towards the door. With a twist of the handle, I pushed the door open and walked out. Just as if it was waiting for me, a taxi slowed to stop at the curb. I reached out for the handle and I walked in. “Where to?” The driver asked me. “DD cooperations,” I replied, resting my bag on my lap. He stepped on the pedal. With a press the car drove off. A few minutes later, I arrived at my destination. I stepped out of the taxi and I walked into the office building The sounds of my footsteps echoed as I climbed the stairs. When I opened my office door I saw one of my coworkers Ji-hoon Lee already at work. He sat in front of his laptop. His eyes locked onto the screen. “Ji-hoon,” I called to get his attention. He looked up immediately, surprise flashing across his face before his lips curved into a smile. “H-Ha-eun, good morning,” he replied, slightly stuttering through each sentence. I narrowed my eyes, Ji-hoon isn't the type of man to come to work early, I knew something wasn't right. Noticing my stare, he attempted to gently close his laptop as if hoping I won't suspect a thing. I walked over, to stop him, only to find out he was playing a computer game. “Seriously?” I asked. He turned his gaze towards the window avoiding eye contact. I chuckled as I made my way towards my desk. “I-it’s not my fault, I rarely have time to play games on this laptop, a-and I can't stay up late either,” Ji-hoon said. “Well you do know that your laptop can't run most of the games you play right?” I asked as I rested my laptop on the desk and gently opened it. “Actually, I bought a new one, the ram’s good, the graphics card is decent and so is its storage as well,” Ji-hoon replied. “How much did you buy it?” I asked. “Three million won,” Ji-hoon replied, laughing nervously. “You’re unbelievable,” I laughed. As we talked, more employees filtered into the office. The day was fully underway before I even realized it. Never did I imagine that I would be absorbed in work. By the time I glanced at the clock, it was already five in the evening. Ji-hoon stretched, arching his back with a yawn. “I guess I'm done for today,” he said. “Alright, you can go on ahead, I still have a lot to do,” I replied, my eyes fixed on the screen. “Do you have to finish everything today, you still have tomorrow, you know that right?” Ji-hoon asked as he spun his chair to face me properly. I stayed quiet for a moment as I considered it. “Fine, but just go on ahead, I'll be done in thirty minutes,” I said at last. “Well I guess I'll be off then,” Ji-hoon said as he rose from his chair. “Wait.” I paused, and so did Ji-hoon. “Aren't you walking me over to the bus stop?” I asked. “Hmm?” He slightly tilted his head, confusion written all over his face. “It's dangerous for a woman to walk home late all by herself you know; I see you don't know how to treat a lady,” I added with a smirk, knowing he won't refuse. He stared at me for a second, then he chuckled before sitting back down to wait for me. Eventually he walked over towards my desk to help. A few minutes later, we wrapped up half of the work and agreed to finish the rest tomorrow. We stepped out of the office and Ji-hoon locked the door behind us. We both grabbed a drink on our way out as we walked towards the bus stop. “Man, I'm so tired,” Ji-hoon said with a sigh. “So am I.” “I can't believe I was planning on pulling an all-nighter,” I added, laughing softly as I took a sip of the orange soda in my hand. “Good thing I was there to help out; you would've fainted,” Ji-hoon said with a grin I lightly punched his shoulder. “Hey watch it,” I laughed again. Our conversation deepened and before we knew it we had arrived at the bus stop. I sat first down, Ji-hoon sat beside me. We didn't exchange words. Silence settled between us, and it lingered till I decided to break it. Maybe these nightmares won't stop because I'm still keeping them to myself. My lips parted as I decided to speak. “Ji-hoon,” I called, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Yeah,” he turned to look at me. I hesitated. I didn't know how to begin; I inhaled and exhaled before I found the courage to speak. “Promise not to tell anyone, okay?” My hands shivered, despite my efforts to steady them. Ji-hoon reached out to me and held my hand. I slowly looked up, meeting his gaze. He nodded. I swallowed hard before I began. “The thing is… I’ve been having nightmares.”