Full Moon Rising

Nightmare

Its pitch black, my heart is pounding, it's all I can hear. I can't stop. I have to keep running. Go faster! My legs wont catch up. I am stumbling over tree branches and rocks. The forest is lined with trees that the full moon can't penetrate through. I can see the moon reflecting off the water in the distance. I look back to see if I can see the shadow. I can't see anything...

I tripped again, this time it was enough to make me fall to the forest floor. I throw my hands out to catch myself. I hit the floor hard making a thudding sound. I want to give up. I've been running for so long. I hurt so bad. Is this the end of me?

A voice inside me screams for me to get up and keep running. I listen and pick myself up and start running again. I am not able to go as fast as before. Limping my way into a half jog I can feel where I scraped my knee burning. I can feel the warmth of blood slowly going down my leg. I can feel my body starting to pick up momentum and now I am running faster. The moon is getting closer.

"Corrrrdeeellliiaaaaaaa" I hear someone mocking me. "Corrrrdeeelliiaaaaa" I dare not turn around to see if they are there. I hear someone laughing menacingly behind me. It's shifting directions so quickly I can't figure out where it is. I stopped.

The voice is getting louder and louder. It's circling me, I don't know where to go. The laughter is getting louder. I cup my hands over my ears to stop the voices to try and think. It wont let me. It's too loud to block out. I panic and start running again. The moon is getting closer. I have to keep going. The moon is safe! I push myself even harder. Ignoring the laughter and keeping my focus on the moon that is straight in front of me.

I'm inching closer and closer, I'm moments away from reaching safety. "Keep going, come on so close!" I tell myself I push my feet harder into the earth so i can get there sooner. I feel the hard ground turn into nothing. The moon has surrounded me. I can finally see what's around me, Water.

I start panicking realizing I had just ran off a cliff and now I am falling to my doom. I barely had enough time to panic or even realize I was falling before I hit the water.

I jolted up gasping for air, opening my eyes to realize it was just a dream. A terrible, god awful dream. I place my hand over my heart, searching for my necklace. I rub my thumb over the gem that is encrusted in the bottom of the pendant. I count out loud "1..2..3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10..." taking deep breaths in between each number.

My heart rate was slowing down. I could finally start breathing normally. I still feel like I am in a nightmare, it feels so real. I keep having this dream. Over and over. Each time it gets more and more detailed and goes a little bit further. I just want it to end. I want the constant nightmares to be over. I am always so tired. I fear going to sleep now because they happen so often. I just lay in my bed and wait for the sunrise so I can start the long day of moving.