Chapter 1: Nightmares
680 Words
Chapter 1: Nightmares
Usually, it was the alarm that woke Lyrielle up. But this time, it was the sirens.
They blared through the early hours of the morning, forcing her eyes open. Outside, people were running, shouting—chaos unfolding. A loud bang on her door jolted her fully awake.
She sat up, a dull headache forming as she ran a hand through her hair. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she tried to process what was happening—until flashes of her dream came rushing back. Was it real? Or just another illusion?
The muffled thunder of footsteps—some rushing up the stairs, others storming down—pulled her back to reality.
"Sis!"
Scarlett’s voice.
Lyrielle gasped, throwing off her covers and slipping into her shoes. She hurried to the door, yanked it open—only to find nothing.
The hallway was eerily empty.
"Scarlett?" she called out, stepping forward. No response. Her chest tightened. Something felt wrong.
She rushed down the stairs, hoping to see her family—her mother, her sister, anyone—but the house was deserted. A sudden thought struck her. Maybe everyone’s outside?
She sprinted toward the front door and flung it open—
And froze.
The street was empty. The police cars were still there. The neighbors' cars were parked as usual. But the people? Gone.
Lyrielle’s breath came in short gasps. The air was cold. Too cold. A strange, unsettling sensation crawled up her spine.
Then, she saw it.
Behind her, part of the house was covered in something black— a web-like growth, twisting and pulsing as if it were alive, devouring the walls inch by inch.
Her stomach churned. She whimpered and instinctively took a step back.
That’s when she felt it—
Warmth.
It came from behind her, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. She exhaled in relief, turning toward the source—
But the sun wasn’t there.
Her breath hitched. She looked up, and that’s when she saw them.
Figures. Suspended in the sky.
'No… not small figures. Just... far away.'
Her heart pounded. 'Those are people. They were down here before—why are they up there now?'
The moment she tried to process it, darkness swallowed her vision.
A suffocating force gripped her chest, tightening like invisible chains. She gasped, struggling to breathe, her knees hitting the ground as her fingers clawed at the air.
"No!"
She couldn’t die. She refused.
Summoning the last of her strength, she reached toward the sky—
And everything went black.
---
Morning
The alarm clock jolted her awake.
Lyrielle sat up with a start, gasping for air. Her hands clutched at her chest, her heart hammering wildly. Her sheets were damp with sweat. She took several shaky breaths before collapsing back against her pillows, staring at the ceiling.
A dream. It was just a dream.
Right?
Her gaze drifted to her arms. She still felt it. The cold. The suffocation. The warmth. Her skin prickled with unease.
She swallowed hard, then forced herself out of bed and into the bathroom. The shower did little to wash away the lingering dread, but by the time she finished dressing, she convinced herself that nothing was wrong.
It was just a dream. A horrible, vivid nightmare.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, she glanced out the window. The sky was still dark, the clock reading 5:30 AM. Her thoughts drifted back to the dream. Or was it dreams?
It didn’t feel like one. It felt like a memory.
Lyrielle sucked in a breath, a sudden fear creeping into her mind. What if I’m still in a dream?
Panic surged through her. Her fingers pinched her arm—hard. She winced. The pain was real.
She exhaled shakily, pressing a hand over her racing heart.
"It’s fine… It was just a dream. Nothing more."
She whispered the words to herself, but the doubt still lingered.
Lyrielle flopped onto the bed, burying her face in her pillow. She stayed like that until she heard Scarlett’s voice calling her down for breakfast.
- Writer
