"Mother" I called.
"Yes, sweet" She replied.
"T-These dreams I have each time I sleep mum. I'm scared" I said, hugging her tight.
"Don't worry, as long as you keep taking your medications you'll be fine" She said, her hands caressing my cheeks.
"I don't know, it's been a whole year now. I can't sleep alone, mum" I cried.
"Everything would be fine. I promise" She said, giving me a warm smile.
This was me, Ejiro Oghomena. The eight year old me, anyway.
About a year ago, my family and I got into a terrible car accident. My father died, leaving my mother, my two elder brothers and myself as the only survivers.
A month after the accident, I began to have a series of reoccurring dreams. Nightmares infact.
When I slept, there was always a boy. He came after me, everywhere I went. He wanted to kill me, he wanted to get my blood and hear my heartbeat stop.
The boy always seemed to grow each year. When I was 7 he was too, when I was 8 and 9, same thing.
My family became aware about it because I couldn't hide my fear. I was only seven.
They assumed it was as a result of the car accident and took me to a hospital where I got the medications I take now.
The nightmares actually began to occur less frequently and I believed it was the drugs.
Still, not having it at all would be much better.
I wasn't much of a prayer warrior or even prayed at all, but those dreams caused me to.
I wake up every night and pray, crying and begging for God's forgiveness of whatever sins I may have committed.
He never answered me but I wouldn't give up. I believed God had a time for everything and I waited impatiently for that day.
Till date, I never leave the house without a rosary. Neither do I stay on my own nor remain in a quiet place. The dreams affected me that much.
Each time, I wake up crying and kneeling on the floor. I didn't like such kind of torture for a dream.
I guess the dreams contributed to what I am today.
People say I'm saucy, rude and mannerless, but I say I'm sassy, nice and does not enjoy life at all.
I couldn't kill myself even if I wanted to. My mother and brothers needed me, they cared about me and I really needed them in my life.
The dreams still scares me a lot, but I've learnt to accept my fate and try to endure it.
Not sure how long I can though.