nightmares

Chapter 16: The Awakening

I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. I was in my bedroom, safe and sound in my own bed. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over everything.

It was all just a dream, I realized with a sigh of relief. The monsters, the killings, the endless terror - it was all just a product of my own fevered imagination.

I lay back in bed, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. It was just a dream, I told myself again. I'm safe now.

But as I looked around my room, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The shadows seemed darker than usual, the silence more oppressive.

And then, I saw it. A piece of paper on my nightstand, with a message scrawled in red ink:

"They'll always find you."

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the message. It was the same words that the clown had whispered in my ear, the same words that had haunted me throughout the dream.

But it was just a dream, I told myself again. It's not real.

Or is it?

I looked around my room again, feeling a sense of unease growing inside me. Was it really just a dream? Or was something more sinister at play?

I didn't know, but I was determined to find out.