DREAM
988 Words
Claire’s mind was a foggy mess as she struggled to sit up, her limbs sluggish and uncooperative. Everything felt wrong—her head spun, her body ached, and her vision swam in and out of focus. The room was dim, eerily quiet, and the air felt too heavy, like it was pressing down on her chest.
She didn’t notice the shadowy figure in the corner until it moved.
A sharp jolt of fear shot through her.
Her phone buzzed weakly on the nightstand—Sebastian. He was calling again. She needed to answer. But her arms wouldn’t respond, her fingers wouldn't reach. Why can't I move? she thought, panic rising in her throat. Why does everything feel so... slow?
Then—click, click, click—the unmistakable sound of high heels echoed softly against the tiled floor.
Claire froze. Her heart pounded violently in her chest. She hadn’t heard the door open. So how was someone inside?
Her thoughts raced. After Brad left… Did I forget to lock the door? A wave of nausea twisted in her stomach as realization dawned. She might have left herself vulnerable.
The footsteps grew louder, closer, and deliberate. Each one sent a cold ripple down her spine. An overwhelming, suffocating aura filled the room. It wrapped around her like a vice, choking her voice before it could escape her lips. She wanted to scream, to cry for help, but no sound came. Her throat locked up in fear.
Claire’s body trembled. Her limbs screamed for movement, but still, they wouldn’t respond. The figure moved closer, and the oppressive presence was unbearable now.
And just as everything turned darker—her vision blurred completely.
Claire’s body jolted as she snapped out of it, her breath hitching, eyes wide with panic.
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of heels... now only a few feet away.
She turned her head, slowly, every nerve in her body screaming.
A tall woman stepped into the moonlight seeping through the curtains, her face partially veiled in shadows, but unmistakable. It was Olivia. Claire’s stomach dropped. No... this can’t be real. Her chest heaved, panic roaring back in full force.
“What… what did you do to me?” Claire whispered, her voice barely audible.
Olivia said nothing. Her lips curled into a cold, amused smile. The kind Claire had seen too many times during her childhood—the one that always came before something cruel.
“Still weak, aren’t you?” Olivia’s voice was calm, almost gentle. But the malice underneath was unmistakable. “You always were.”
Claire tried to move again, this time with more urgency, but her body still wasn’t cooperating. Her arms trembled as she tried to sit up, but her muscles refused to obey. What’s wrong with me?
“What did you do to me?,” Claire whispered again. This time more audibly,horror dawning.
Olivia’s smile widened. “Of course I did. I couldn’t let you run off to your precious Sebastian before we had our little talk.”
Claire’s heart thundered. Sebastian, how did Olivia know? No, how did Olivia get to know about Sebastian. As she was wondering, Olivia's voice came again.
“You can't take anything away from me Claire. You can't even leave this room. You can do nothing to fight me.” Olivia burst out laughing. It was like the laugh of an evil step mother in one of those Disney cartoons.
Claire’s blood turned to ice.
But suddenly, there was a loud bang.The door burst open, causing Olivia to spun around, startled.
Sebastian.
His eyes locked on Claire, then shifted to Olivia with blazing intensity. “Step away from her,” he growled.
Claire’s heart ached with relief, but fear still clutched at her. “Sebastian…” she croaked.
“I’ve got you,” Sebastian said, rushing to Claire’s side with desperation in his eyes. Without hesitation, he brushed Olivia aside, his focus solely on Claire. Gently, he scooped her into his arms and stormed past Olivia, his jaw clenched,
But just as he reached the door, his body jerked, and he collapsed to his knees.
Claire gasped as she felt his arms loosen around her. She looked up, horrified, only to see his eyes—wide, bloodshot, and filled with pain. A knife protruded from his chest, its hilt glinting ominously in the dim light.
“No!” she screamed, her voice breaking.
Olivia burst into laughter—a cold, maniacal sound that echoed through the room like a curse. Sebastian hit the ground with a heavy thud, taking Claire with him as he fell. Her body landed hard, but she barely noticed the pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she crawled toward him, her limbs trembling.
“Sebastian, please… no. Don’t leave me,” she sobbed, her voice barely holding together.
How had it come to this? So quickly.
“Olivia, you monster!” Claire screamed, but the words barely left her throat. Her voice cracked and died in a whisper, lost in the chaos of grief.
“You'll never beat me Claire.” Olivia screamed, and continued laughing.
Just then, Claire jolted awake, her body trembling as she gasped for air.
“Oh my God... it was just a dream. Just a dream,” she whispered over and over, trying to steady her racing heart.
She scanned her surroundings, eyes darting around the room to confirm she was still in her bed—still in the safety of her room. Yet, the lingering panic made it hard to breathe.
Her hand hovered over her chest as she hesitated, unwilling to move. A strange dread crawled over her skin.
Am I okay? Am I dying?
Frantically, she checked herself—no injuries, no blood, just the wild thumping of her heart. She glanced at the clock.10:00 a.m. “I'm fine she said” she assured herself.
Suddenly, a knock echoed on the door.
She froze.
- Writer
