Unleashed

Nightmares

Four Months Earlier

“Anna.” I hear a lyrical voice whisper my name but it’s so dark that I couldn't see anything or anyone.

“Annabelle.” says the voice again sounding deep and raspy.

The room was dark and as the walls began to close in on me. A burning orange light shined under the door as I looked up. No I thought, Not again!  My door was flung open as a cloud of smoke engulfed the room. I froze, unable to move as I grasped absently at my throat.

“Help,” I strained, “Somebody help.”

The flames licked my floor, inching closer and closer to me as I saw a shadow hovering near the door, “Help!” I said straining my voice to go louder.

“It’s a dream Anna, wake up.” says the voice coming from the guy who was now standing at my door. The flames licked past him still making its way to me, like he wasn't standing there.

I shook my head, this couldn’t be a dream, everything felt so real. The heat of the air suffocating me, this wasn’t a dream, I was really going to burn. Closing my eyes I tried to focus on my room.  My midnight blue curtains, the dangling stars that hung from my ceiling, my cold and comfortable bed set, the smell of berries.

“Anna wake up!” He yelled with so much bass in his voice, I jumped as if the he was standing next to me.

My eyes shot open as I took in a deep breath and sigh, It was just a dream.

Sitting up in the bed I glanced around double checking my room to see nothing was there. I pushed my sweat drenched hair out of my face as I looked out my window. The smoke in my chest seemed to calm and there was only a faint scent of something burning in my hair. The moon was just about to reach its highest point as I glanced at my clock, “11:50pm.”  I read.

Groaning I rolled out of the bed, slipped into my slippers that were covered in hearts, and went downstairs.

“Annabelle?” called mom as I made my way downstairs.

“Hmm.” I hummed, stepping off the last step, making my way into the kitchen.

“I thought that you were going to sleep in, it’s almost midnight.”

Rubbing my eyes I say, “I know.” I grabbed the dog bowl, and steak from the fridge, I placed them in the normal spot on the floor off to the side of the counter, as I took a seat.

“How did you sleep?” asked mom as she pours me a glass of lemonade.

“It was okay. I kept having dreams about that creepy girl from the grudge crawling through my T.V asking me to wash her hair.” I lied as I take the glass and have a drink.

She laughs, “Annabelle maybe you should stay away from the scary movies for a while.”

“Kind of hard to do, since I have no choice, but to sit and watch television since you banned me for going to the library this week.”

“You got 10 books last week and finished them within 5 days, I think I’m doing you and your brain a favor.”

“Yeah because ‘killing us’ of boredom is actually doing something right.”

Looking outside the window mom stares at the full moon, obviously not listening to what I just said, as she was lost in thought. As if looking to the moon would answer her question she shakes her head as she turns to me.