1 Nightmare - |

Once again I am here Trapped in this cursed place, as an observer. as a spectator, merely as a watcher,

Here, within the border of my nightmares, no one can see me except for the final entity of this torturous dream.

The origins of this traces back to my childhood. Since then every nightmare has followed a familiar pattern, and concluded with an different ending,

Moreover, with each recurring episode, they become more horrifying.

The key points of this nightmare is a family.

I find myself irresistibly drawn towards this particular family,

I am always observing them.

Their interactions, their conversations -- there is an uncanny familiarity to it all.

Frustration engulfs me at the role of observer, forever standing on the periphery.

It's as if I am an unspoken presence, an unnoticed entity, and silent wind.

Almost like a ghost.

I am forced to witness their joys, their sorrows, their triumphs and challenges.

We're in the same dream world, but I can't talk to them or be part of it.

I can only watch quietly, from my distant stance,

A 10-year-old child, accompanied by his parents, playing a game of football, from time to time passing the ball between them. The family revels in their shared moments, creating memories that will last eternally.

Why am I fated to witness this scene?

Maybe someone is watching me enjoying my suffering.

This scene has become an eerie opening to my daily life.

"Enough!" I scream, with a wave of frustration spreading around me.

Yet The family remains clueless about my presence, only one person can see me here, a chilling entity that will make his final appearance at the end of this dream.

Dread fills me with just the mere thought of that entity.

I scream into the void. Wanting to prevent the inevitable.

"stop! You fuc*ing phantom!"

The nightmare continued to ignore my curses and pleas as I watched the family's time together.

"I want an ice cream, Mom," the child looked up with teary eyes, Leaning toward his mother, eagerly awaiting his mother's answer.

"No, baby, you can't have one," the woman beside him answered firmly while her black Eyes gazed downward as if trying to avoid eye contact.

The orange-eyed child pouted, his tone turning angry as he repeated, "No!, buy one for me right now!"

"Someone is following us." the father's voice echoed, breaking the moment between the mother and the son.

Ignoring the distractions, the child persisted in his plea for ice cream.

Instead of granting the request, the mother spoke anxiously, "Honey, I will give you it when we get home."Her hands clenched into fists,

I observed her frown and searching eyes that travelled left and right like she was searching for someone. Her sharp and piercing gaze, burning with intensity and a hint of danger.

Like she will kill the one who is intruding on her time with her child.

I heard the man, the child's father.

"I will activate the illusion," he whispered.

This activation of illusions is carved in my memories if ever magic becomes real on Earth,

I am sure I will be the best illusionist.

"Fast!" the mother quickly answered, wanting him to cast the illusion. And he did.

The couple ran at full speed with the child in his father's arms.

The child's expressions gave me an idea of his thoughts. I knew what he was thinking.

The child thought his parents didn't want to buy him an ice cream, which was why they were running.

As I stood by their side, witnessing their interactions, a wave of regret washed over me.

How I longed to warn them, to let them know what awaited them, but alas, I am unable to communicate with them.

In this cursed place, my attempts to warn them had been futile.

Every time, I tried tirelessly to stop them, but all my efforts were in vain.

Neither the man nor the woman could see or hear me; sense my presence

I was but a mere spectre in this desolate place. There was only one entity I could interact with, but meeting him was something I dreaded.

Nonetheless, the crux of the matter is this: I knew what that child was thinking. The expressions on his face were etched into my memory after countless observations.

That path is forever engraved in my mind like an indelible memory, I knew every inch of it, every twist and turn.

The dark alley exuded an aura of gloom, akin to an endless abyss. It instilled a sense of foreboding in anyone who ventured through.

On the other side of that darkness lay the exit of the alley, where light beckoned from afar, representing hope.

I knew precisely what they would say, every sentence, every word, having heard it countless times before.

I can even predict their steps.

I uttered a word,

"Just a little more,"

As the words left my lips, the duo, mother and father, repeated them faithfully. "Just a little more," I urged, and in unison, they echoed. And so, they emerged from the dark alley into the realm beyond.

It felt as if an unseen force compelled me to watch, listen, to them. At this point, I felt a part of me pulling away, no longer wanting to accompany them.

It wasn't for the sake of the family but for my protection. For at the end of this dream, that entity would materialise.

.

When their feet touched the ground outside, a magical glow came from their footprints.

In a path in the place they just crossed, The footprint glowed brightly, akin to stars, as if announcing their presence, as if warning others not to cross the line they had crossed.

Upon exiting the alley, A wide, genuine smile spreads across their face, from ear to ear A sense of pleasure washed over both adults, erasing their previous worries as if they had achieved a long-desired goal.

How I longed to warn them that this feeling of satisfaction is temporary, that something much darker is ready to greet us.

Yet, they remained unaware, unaware that I was powerless to alter their fate.

At this point,

I do not want to accompany them, not for the sake of the family, but for my well-being.

"I don't want to hear those voices!" I exclaimed silently.

As the child saw the glowing footprints his eyes started to gleam with curiosity, it was understandable that he found them fascinating.

After all, who wouldn't be fascinated by such radiant marks left behind in their path?

He turned towards his mother, his eyes sparkling. "Wow, Mom, that's so... cool!"

"Teach me how to do it, teach me!"

I observed both adults wearing satisfied smiles, pleased to receive compliments from their children,

While the child stayed captivated by the glowing footprints, unaware of the smiles the parents exchanged, The intensity of the glow increased steadily, almost threatening to turn from blue to white. However, instead of a transformation, a booming voice echoed.

The footprints the child had admired exploded like fireworks, leaving behind a trail of blue and white particles that sparkled in the air.

Boom, boom, boom!

All the footprints in the alley burst simultaneously.

Excitement filled the child's eyes once again, and he spoke with uncontainable enthusiasm, jumping up and down in his

place and directing his words to his father.

"Dad, it's fireworks! It's fireworks, Dad! Mom, did you see this? It's cool, it's so cool!"

The parents returned his genuine smile, the worries, anger, and frustration melting away.

I couldn't stop wondering if they knew what awaited them.

As the explosions subsided, a crimson liquid began to rain from the sky. The sound of each impact echoed through the alley. Tip, tip, tip.

The child witnessed each droplet as it fell,

"Dad, it's raining your wine! Your favourite wine is falling from the sky!" He turned to his mother and then his father, anticipation glimmering in his eyes.

Filled with hope in his voice, he said,

"I want it. I want to see ice cream falling from the sky."

"Can you make it happen, Dad?"

"Creamy white stuff falling with a chocolate cone. I want it!"

The father coughed, ignoring his son's comment and continued walking towards home, an embarrassed expression lingering on his face.

Meanwhile, I stood outside the house, my inner plea echoing, "Not today. Please, not now. I'm begging you," desperately hoping to avoid what was coming.

"I know what is about to happen. I don't care about the family;"

"Just.. Let… Me. Stay… Here, Ple.. ase…, …,. Just.. For.. Today.," I continued, aware that my plea would fall on deaf ears.

However, I still tried. "I don't want to witness what is about to unfold. I don't want to see that figure. No, no, not today." Despite my wishes, an invisible force dragged me forcefully toward that house.

As I was flying in the air, I struggled against the unseen power, grasping for anything that could resist its hold.

But with a resounding boom,

I suddenly found myself inside the house, standing in front of the door.Ready to Observe the events that would unfold, which I had witnessed countless times before, my goosebumps multiplied, for the fate of this family. It was indeed tragic.

Yet, their misfortune wasn't the scariest part of this story. The scariest part is the nightmare entity that will come for me in this house