The Dream Catcher

The Dream Catcher (4)

I woke up standing in the middle of the road, I roamed my eyes around but the street was empty and it was gloomy. Hindi ko alam kung nasaan ako ngayon but one thing's for sure. I'm in my nightmare... Dahan-dahan akong naglakad, pinagmamasdan ang paligid at napansin kong walang ibang kulay na makikita dito kundi kulay abo lang, I even looked at myself para bang black and white lang lahat. It seems like I'm in a different realm, the realm of nightmare.. The road seems to be endless but not until I saw a door at the end of it, pinihit ko ang pinto at pagbukas na pagbukas ko nito I was greeted with millions of doors and I heared screams everywhere na para bang nanggagaling lahat sa pinto, napaupo nalang ako habang tinatakpan ang tainga. Everything is so loud and the screams were like in fear and in pain, it was creeping me out. Please make it stop! make it stop! I shut my eyes and bit my bottom lip so hard that it started bleeding.

"Paige! Paige!" nilibot ko ang paningin ko, I heard someone calling my name.

"Paige!" at first it was just muffled voice but it gets clearer and clearer, tumayo ako, sinusubukan hanapin kung saan nanggagaling ang tinig na 'yon.

"Paige!" the voice was getting louder and I am now following where it was coming from, and there I stood in front of a gray door, hindi ako nagdalawang isip na buksan ito, I just want to get away from this place.

The moment I entered, the setting changed, I'm at the beach and God knows how much I regretted going in, lumingon ako para lumabas ulit pero wala na ang pinto, saan na napunta 'yon? at kahit saan man ako tumingin walang pinto o kahit ano mang pwede kong ma puntahan basta't malayo lang ako rito. I flinched when I heard the ocean waves, sobrang lakas nito, umatras ako papalayo rito saka umupo as I hugged my knees and prayed for this to be over, naririnig ko pa rin kung gaano kalakas ang pag hampas ng alon, hanggang sa dahan-dahan na itong humina na siyang pinagtaka ko, I raised my head, tuluyan na nga itong tumigil.

Nanlaki ang mata ko ng unti-unti itong binalot ng itim. Marahas akong tumayo, desperately looking around for help even though I know that I'm alone here, gusto kong tumakbo at mag tago pero wala akong mapuntahan, maging ang paligid ay unti-unti na ring binalot ng itim.

I froze ng mapansin ko na parang unti-unting lumalapit ang dagat sa kinatatayuan ko, umatras ako ng umatras pero palapit din ito ng pa lapit and then it happened again I'm starting to have difficulties in breathing and I tried moving but I can't, isa lang ibig sabihin nito. Nandito na siya.. the shadow.. sumigaw ako ng sumigaw kahit wala ng boses na lumalabas rito ng makita ko ang kabuuan nito, claws that are sharp as a knife and it was smiling, sobrang haba ng ngiti niya na para bang pinunit ang bibig at wala itong mata. Sigaw pa rin ako ng sigaw habang umiiyak nag babasakaling may maka rinig. Is this gonna be the end of me? The shadow's face was now inches apart from mine when it whispered in a distorted voice that sent shivers to my spine.

"I will get you soon..."

"Paige! wake up!" napabalikwas ako ng tayo upang habulin ang paghinga ko, nakita ko si Liz na alalang-ala sa akin habang hinahagod ang likod ko. Nang mahimasmasan agad naman niya akong binigyan ng tubig, nangiginig pa rin ako, muntik ko pang mahulog ang baso pero buti nalang na alalayan niya agad ako.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, kita pa rin ang pag aalala sa mukha niya.

"I thought I'm gonna die Liz!" sagot ko rito habang umiiyak dahil sa takot.

"Can you tell me what happened?" malumanay niyang sagot habang hinahagod pa rin ang likod ko. I composed myself and faced her.

"I saw the shadow again, and he said something to me." nanginginig kong kuwento, I can still hear his distorted voice over and over again.

"He?" she asked confused, I gave her a nod.

"Yes, he. Nakita ko siya Liz, nakita ko ang mukha niya and I heard his voice." tinakpan ko ang tainga ko dahil pakiramdam ko ang lapit pa rin niya sa akin. Liz hugged me while I was sobbing.

"What did he say?" biglang nanindig ang balahibo ko ng maalala ang bawat salitang binitawan nito.

"He said he's going to get me soon." I sobbed after telling those exact words, takot na takot ako, I don't know what's really happening, kung ano ba talaga 'tong nangyayari sa akin.

"Shh I'm here Paige I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. We're gonna figure this out." mas hinigpitan niya pa ang pag yakap sa akin habang hinahaplos ang buhok ko.

"Nakatulog nga ako pero parang dalawang oras lang naman." biglang sabi ko rito, she broke off the hug and she looked at me with a confused expression.

"What do you mean? you were asleep for like 10 hours Paige and you were having your nightmare for 20 mins. before you woke up." I checked my phone and it was already 11:20 in the evening. I did sleep for 10 hours pero ba't ang bilis lang ng oras sa panaginip ko?

"That was weird, pagkatulog na pagkatulog ko Liz, nanaginip na agad ako and everything happened less than 15 minutes bago ako nagising so how come 10 hours akong tulog?" I asked really confuse.

"Iba ang takbo ng oras sa panaginip at reality, if in your dream it lasted for an hour then, in reality, you're asleep for more than 20 hours, I guess?" so sa bawat panaginip ko unti-unting humahaba ang oras ng pananatili ko doon which means humahaba rin ang oras ng pag tulog ko rito. Hindi na ako nagsalita pa, sobrang gulo na ng utak ko and if there's a way para masagot ang mga tanong ko, it's to continue reading Nathan's book.

Tumayo ako at tumungo sa drawer, I opened it and took the book. After publishing it, I bought one for myself to read.

"What's that?" takhang tanong ni Liz habang pinagmamasdan ang librong hawak ko.

"It's a book about Nightmares and Dreamcatchers, isa 'to sa pina

-publish sa amin at noong binabasa ko na, I realized whatever the main character is going through, it's the same for me and I think masasagot nito ang mga katanungan ko." I opened the book kung saan ako huminto. Chapter 20 The Dreamcatcher.

"I hang the dreamcatcher beside my bed, I have no idea if it's gonna work but I have to try, I need to save myself. fear crept into me as I lay in my bed 'cause anytime I might fall asleep and it's risky if it didn't work. The shadow said he'll get me the next time I fall asleep, I just hope if it'll happen, I will still be able to run away from him."

My breath hitched reading the last lines "The shadow said he'll get me the next time I fall asleep." kinabahan ako 'cause he also told me those exact words. I continued reading.

"Words can't describe how happy I was when I woke up without having a nightmare, it worked! the dreamcatcher worked! I am saved! it has been weeks since I fell asleep soundly!"

"I told you dreamcatchers would work!" Liz suddenly exclaimed na kinagulat ko. It honestly slipped to my mind na nandito pa pala siya.

"I didn't buy one 'cause I didn't believe in it." I confessed saka yumuko ng bahagya.

"It's okay, bumili ka nalang bukas, I'm gonna stay with you tomorrow para subukan natin if gagana nga." she suggested, agad naman akong tumango, hindi muna ako mag ta-trabaho bukas. I sent an email to our head to inform them I'm gonna need 1 more day to rest. Biglang nag ring ang phone ni Liz and I saw the screen and it was his husband calling. Lumabas muna siya saglit and I'm left here thinking where should I buy a dreamcatcher. I don't think random ones would work, it has to be special.

Bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa si Liz na nagmamadaling kunin ang gamit niya.

"Paige, are you gonna be fine alone here? I'm really sorry but I need to go home." tumango ako at ngumiti, ang laki na ng pasasalamat ko sa kaniya 'cause she really stayed with me the whole time.

"I'm gonna be fine, besides nakatulog na din naman ako and I'm not sleepy right now." sagot ko rito to ease her worries.

"I'll be back tomorrow okay?" she hugged me one more time before leaving.

Tumayo ako at tumungo sa veranda ng apartment ko, I took my blanket with me saka binalot sa katawan, nag timpla na rin ako ng kape saka umupo doon at ipinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa ng libro. I just hope everything will work fine tomorrow. I just want this to be over...