NIGHTMARE

Mary was on her bed thinking about all the things that had happened in the day. Images of that extremely handsome gentleman kept floating in her mind and she couldn't fall asleep.

She recalled those alluring blue eyes that looked at her intently as if piercing into her soul and how her heart missed a beat...no, several beats when he stared at her like that.

Even though they had not spoken much, Mary felt warm when she was with him, unlike Dexter who made her feel uncomfortable the whole time.

She finally drifted off to slumberland

and when she opened her eyes again, it was morning.

She felt a minor headache and she raised her hand to touch the back of her head. Her face slightly twisted in mild pain.

The party had taken its toll on her and she felt exhausted even after sleeping for some few hours. She felt like sleeping some more.

She closed her eyes and the next moment she was fast asleep.

Mary opened her eyes and found herself in the dark. She sat up on her bed and squinted her eyes in the darkness and wondered why her room was so dark.

Her hands moved to find the switch to the table lamp beside her bed. When she found it, she flipped it down and the room lighted up dimly. The lamplight could not fully brighten up the room. She raised her head and saw a dark silhouette of a tall figure standing at her door.

She couldn't see the person's face because of the dim-lit room and her heart began to take pace.

"Papa? Is that you?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky."Rooney?"

The person at the door remained silent and she turned frightened.

The next moment, the figure started walking toward her bed and her heart and mind raced simultaneously.

As the figure got nearer, she felt her body go numb out of utter fear and she moved backward until her back hit the wooden headrest.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she questioned the figure with quivering lips.

Still, there was no response and the figure continued walking toward her.

Her heart was beating ferociously against her chest and beads of sweat snaked effortlessly down her forehead and neck.

As the figure approached her, Mary saw it reach out its hand toward her neck. When it came closer, the lamplight reflected on its face, and Mary was shocked to the bone at what she saw.

Half of the person's face looked like it was decaying and the other half was covered in blood. She recognized the other half of the person's face. How could she not?! He was dancing so close to her today and she had a vivid image of him registered in her mind.

It was Dexter!

Why did he look that way? Was that really him?

Her fear soared when the person's decaying hand reached her neck, the sheets beneath her hands crumbled and she screamed.

Mary got up abruptly on her bed covered in profuse sweat. She was breathing heavily and her hand reached for her thumping chest. Images of the disturbing nightmare flashed in her troubled mind and anxiety filled her up.

'Was that truly Dexter? why did he look like a decaying corpse? Maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her. She was so stressed out last night that her mind was conjuring up scary images of Dexter, right?' The thoughts ran through her mind like a broken dam. But it felt so real like it wasn't really a nightmare.

The sun was still up in the sky and just when she was about to climb off the bed, she heard a knock on her door and her mom entered.

"Good morning, sweetie" her mom greeted her with a smile plastered on her face but the smile was soon to disappear when she saw her daughter tensed up. She took hurried steps toward her bed and went to sit by her. She noticed the small beads of sweat that covered her forehead and she got worried.

"What's wrong dear,? Is everything alright?" she asked her daughter, concern laced in her voice.

She stroked her hair gently and used her hand to pat her head.

"I had a dream Mom," she said, finally calming down under her mother's soothing caress.

"Was it a nightmare?" she questioned her.

"Yes "

"Do you mind telling it? It will help soothe your mind." she carefully ushered her daughter to tell her about the nightmare.

Mary iterated everything she saw in her dream and her mother frowned after hearing it.

"Don't worry dear, I'm sure it's just your imagination. Don't overthink it." her mom reassured her making her feel a little bit better than before.

"Alright Mom" she uttered almost in a whisper.

" Now get up and get ready, come have your breakfast," she said, both of them climbing off the bed. Mrs.Portia walked out of Mary's room and Mary entered the bathroom in her nightdress.