#24 OF 100 STORIES
These Dreams of Him Rise Up When I Close My Eyes
And then, at that peculiar time, there he was …

Senzada jolted awake. Her body was drenched in a cold sweat as if the tendrils of a nightmare still clung to her skin. She reached for her iPhone on the bedside table with a trembling hand. The screen illuminated the darkness, revealing 3:07 am, the witching hour when shadows held their darkest secrets.
“Argh!” A deep groan escaped her lips, a primal reaction to the remnants of her dream that lingered in her mind.
It had been a dream of an evil forest, its twisted branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. A roaring bonfire had blazed in the heart of the darkness, casting eerie shadows on the shifting ground. Bits of charred paper danced in the air, carried by a mournful wind.
And amidst the chaos stood a man, his presence hauntingly familiar yet unknown. Senzada rocked her head back and forth, desperate to dispel the images and regain control of her racing heart.
In defiance against the lingering terror, she cast off the oppressive weighted blanket, feeling a fleeting sense of relief. Determination surged through her veins as she strode towards the window, yearning for fresh air to banish the residual unease.
But as she drew open the curtains, her eyes locked — with — his.
Alex, the man from her dream and the previous evening, stood there, his countenance transformed into something hauntingly desolate. The sight of him sent an electric surge of terror coursing through her veins, freezing her in place. Panic clawed at the edges of her mind, urging her to flee, to scream until her voice gave out.
Yet, she took no movement and made no sound. Senzada could not tear her gaze away from him. His features were twisted, contorted by a profound sorrow that seemed to seep from his pores. The weight of his grief etched lines upon his face, casting a pallor upon his once vibrant complexion.

Dark curls now tumbled wildly, mirroring the disarray of his shattered spirit. Once filled with life and curiosity, his eyes now held a haunting amber glow, reflecting the depths of his torment. And that thin, evil smile curled upon his lips, revealing a row of teeth that defied nature itself.
Seeing this, Senzada’s scream coagulated and welled up within her, choked at first by a mixture of terror and morbid fascination. Then, it tore through the room’s silence, reverberating against the walls as her heart threatened to burst from her chest.
The man’s smile widened, an abomination of sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. Slowly, deliberately, he raised a hand, beckoning her towards him. She stopped screaming.
“What do you want?” she managed to whimper, her voice trembling. “I already told you last night I don’t want to go with you.”
Alex’s gaze pierced her being, his voice dripping with an icy malevolence that sent shivers racing down her spine. “Senzada, I can’t take no for an answer. I am compelled to have you by my side,” he uttered, each word slithering through the air like a venomous serpent.
Senzada took a half step back and then blacked out.
© 2023 K. Joseph, All Rights Reserved
