Short Stories

Never Stop Running

"When did these dreams start?" the blonde haired woman in a tight bun asked.

"It started around three months ago" I whispered to her.

"Okay, and what happens in those dreams?" she asks as she continues to write on her notepad.

I look down at my lap, playing with my fingers, staying silent.

The woman speaks up again,

"Miss. Powell, can you please tell me what happened in your dream?"

I look up staring right in her eyes, still silent. She clears her throat, clearly nervous.

"Miss. Powell, I am just trying to help you, but In order for me to do that I need you to tell me."

I looked back down at my lap, I finally spoke up.

"The first one came on the 19th of April, I was watching a movie not intending to fall asleep but I guess I did. It was dark, and I was scared, and I was alone...  or I thought I was until I heard something behind me it was like a deep growl mixed with a howl I looked behind me and there was a man" I stopped, I felt like I was going to vomit, my eyes started watering but I continued.

"There was a man, I didn't see his face but I didn't care about it much until he started walking towards me and I started walking backward, we kept doing this until I broke out into a run. I ran and ran and never stopped to look behind me. I could hear him running after me, every step I took he took two. I could hear the leaves rustling on the forest floor, the wind hitting my face. Then it stopped; the rustling, the wind, the steps. I quickly hid behind a tree I peeked back to see if the man was there... he wasn't. I then looked up and I woke up."

My tears were flowing down freely. The woman's face looked to have no emotion but her eyes seemed to be filled with them.

We stayed silent until she spoke.

"Can you tell me what happened in the last dream you had?"

I nodded "I was in a red room, and like the forest it was dark but I wasn't scared in this one, every dream I have I'm always scared but not this one. The room was small but cozy, I then saw a door on the other side of the room. I walked up to it and grabbed the handle, I then walked out of the room into a long hallway filled with weapons like they were on display." My voice cracked "I took one just in case. Holding it in my hand I walked to the end of the hallway and what I saw frightened me." I was trying to continue telling her my story but sobs were all she could hear.

The woman spoke, "What did you see?".

I tried to calm myself to tell her what happened next.

"I saw me... It looked like I was covered in blood and I was trying not to laugh. I was hiding behind the wall seeing everything. Then I saw him, the man, he came from behind and put his hand on my shoulder telling me ''It's all over, you did very well, you have bought your freedom''. I didn't understand what he meant by what he was telling the other me. I then saw the body on the floor. It was my husband... ex-husband. I looked up to see my face again and saw that I was smiling, I was happy, next I saw the knife in my hand the same one I had at that moment."

My tears stopped, my voice had no emotion, I was drained, I continued the story.

"Out of fright, I ran, and like in every dream, I heard him behind me coming after me. This time he caught me, he grabbed me by my waist and told me to do something."

"What did he say?" the lady in the bun asked.

"He told me that it was time to hide the body."

"Ever since this one time he has caught every single time since. I try to run but it always ends with me staring at myself killing my ex-husband and laughing hysterically."

Blonde just continues to jot down notes acting like this doesn't phase her but I know it does. The fear in her eyes says it all. Her phone rings and with that it ends the session. She rushes out of the room leaving me alone in my white padded cell. A lot of people may say that I killed him but I promise you, it wasn't me. At least I don't think it was.