Bogleech.com's 2019 Horror Write-off:

Waking nightmare

Submitted by defenestraion

Today was not a good day. I managed to knock over my box of mineral pieces,

and even after I actually stepped on one, I couldn’t find one of
them; a rare piece I got off what looked like a buried meteorite, not
that I really knew the name of it. I don’t think I was supposed to
take it, but I figured, “What the Hell, it’s not like anyone will
notice.”


At least I’m not bleeding; it felt like I should be, but I guess not? Whatever, after I finish
writing this I’m going to bed.


Tonight’s dream is a simple one, interacting with people I’ve not seen in several years. For a
brief moment, there appears to be a figure who has no visible face,
but that’s just normal for dreams, isn’t it?


Today was not a good day. As I went in to work, my coworker told me over
the phone she was taking the day off after a bad nightmare. I’m not
entirely sure why she needs a full day off because of that, but
whatever, I don’t know her mental state, I just had to do more
stuff today. At least the boss is understanding about this sort of
thing.


Work was otherwise pretty much normal; a few regulars, mostly people where I can’t tell if they
were new customers or not. One of them also mentioned they had a
nightmare of their own, but they weren’t to fazed by it.


Tonight’s dream is a bit ominous. I hear the voice of my coworker, and the customer from
before. I don’t know where they are, just that they’re somewhere
nearby as we all attempt to navigate some sort of dark tunnels.


Today was not a good day. I heard in from my coworker, and she had to take the day off again.
Apparently one of my neighbours is also staying home thanks to some
bad nightmares. At least work was fairly uneventful. Feeling a bit
tired now though, will probably go to be early.


Tonight’s dream is very ominous. As I explore the dark tunnels from yesterday, I could hear
the people screaming in terror occasionally, and yet I still can’t
find where they actually are. I can also feel a presence at times,
but there’s no one there but me.


Today was not a good day. I heard my coworker had to be hospitalized, but I wasn’t told why and
neither was the boss. Work was mostly uneventful, but throughout the
day I had trouble focusing with all the nightmares I’ve been
having.


Tonight’s dream is terrifying. The presence is always there now, and I can’t find a
way to escape it no matter where I run.


Today was not a good day. My neighbour from before was taken away in an
ambulance, having apparently fallen into a coma. I wonder if it has
anything to do with my coworker, and worry about the customer from
before.


I myself had to take the day off work; the nightmares are just too much. I’ve considered going to a
therapist for help with this, but for now I’m not confident I can
afford it.


Tonight’s dream is, thankfully, pleasant. I got to buy cool stuff, live in a shop for
some reason, and play games.


Today
was not a good day. I had to take the day off from work again; I
found myself having a hard time reading, like I knew what stuff
should say but the actual letters didn’t make sense.


According to the news, more people were getting hospitalized over these nightmare comas. I was
kinda alarmed to hear that; just what was happening? When would I
need to go to the hospital?


Tonight’s dream is pure horror. I finally found my coworker in the dark tunnels, but they
were all bound up with shackles and chains. I couldn’t even tell if
she was still really alive or not before I had to leave. I finally
got to see what was chasing me, and with his dangerous fangs and
sadistic grin, I could tell I had to leave.


Today was not a good day. I finally got hospitalized; although I wasn’t comatose or anything,
people were coming around to take in anyone who’d been having
nightmares just in case.


At the hospital, I also got to see something relieving, at least; I
recognized my coworker. I think she got a new job here, but I wasn’t
able to get the chance to ask them, unfortunately, as she walked away
into a faceless crowd.


Anyway, while I’m here, I might as well sleep, since a hospital bed’s better than nothing.


Tonight’s dream is another nightmare. I’m getting chased around the dark tunnels, but they’re
changing shape and I know it. I run into the store I work at, and
then the back just leads back into tunnels. I think I pass by the
occasional other victim, already caught, but I don’t have time to
free them. Eventually, I run up to a door that will let me escape.


Today is not a good day. I wake up in the hospital, and the doctors are
amazed I was able to survive for so long. I’m quite relieved at
this, but the question becomes raised as to how they know I’ve been
able to go so long, and how they know it’s unusual.


Soon the faceless doctors leave the room, leaving me alone, As I get up to
try asking them, someone else comes in, and immediately I try to back
up in fear. The monster from my dreams, his characteristic face clear
as day, though now he at least has a doctor’s scrubs on.


With no other choice that leaves me safe, I have to pull a feint; when he
tries to talk toward me, I vault over the bed to rush out. As I run
around, the place becomes increasingly desolate, though it’s not
like anyone was actually responding to me anyways. I quickly check
behind me to see if the monster is still there, and quickly rush into
another room to hide.


The “room” is just tunnels, however. I can see my coworker again,
bound up, and finally get the chance to see what I can do, but the
chains are all fused directly to the wall and while alive she’s not
responding to anything I do.


Then, I hear the monster
again. Turning back at the tunnels, I can see him, and now he’s got
chains that I instinctively know are for me. I run, since I know I
can’t win against him, but soon I find myself lost again. He no
doubt knows where I am though. And then, I

wake up.


Tonight’s dream is absolutely frightening. I wake up, but when I step outside
my apartment, I’m back in the tunnels. I realize I’ve been
trapped in multiple layers of dreams, but I can’t meaningfully
leave them. Then I wake up.


Today was not a good day. I figured out that I was trapped in a dream, but
soon it was worthless as I got caught. I found myself bound by
shackles that appeared from nowhere, and couldn’t move or talk.


The monster appeared again. He thanked me for being his host, but then
just left without explaining further. I was left simply sitting them,
unable to react, to help the other people who would sometimes appear,
usually also having to run from the monster. I don’t know if they
were also real people or just there to torment me like the medical
staff. I eventually just stopped thinking, since it wasn’t like I
could just wake up this time.