Reality I

The workday dragged on. After finalizing dinner plans with Andrew, Charity rushed home, her thoughts already turning towards their evening together. Her heels clanged against the ground loudly as she ripped them off the moment she opened her apartment door, breathing a sigh of relief as her curls loosened from the tight band she had used to restrain them.

Leah came to greet her with a warm cup of tea, and the two began to recount their day, a tradition they did practically every night. Leah worked as a nurse, and Charity listened intently as she told her stories regarding several of the patients she helped that day, from a young child with a scraped knee to an elderly gentleman who required intensive care. When Leah finished, Charity instantly began speaking of Andrew, a new and intriguing person who brought color to her otherwise gray day and the excitement she felt about going to dinner with him later on.

“Are you out of your mind?” Leah, always exasperated by Charity's impulsive nature, threw her hands up in the air. Her response only caused Charity to laugh loudly, a broad smile overtaking her face.

“Relax, Leah,” she said, still laughing, “Andrew and I are just going to dinner.”

“But you told a complete stranger where we live!” Leah rubbed her hand along her face and groaned. “I don't understand how you could be so nonchalant about this. You’ve never met this guy before today, and you were crazy enough to not only request he take you to dinner but also to give him our address? I don’t get you, Charity. I love you, but that’s insane.”

Charity shrugged, unmoved by her friend’s statement. “It’s only insane to you. If it were up to you, neither of us would ever leave this apartment.”

Leah shook her head, and Charity giggled once more before turning her attention to the dusty orange hues peering through their living room window. Charity sighed sleepily, thankful that the day was over while also wondering what tomorrow may bring. She sipped the warm, chamomile tea and enjoyed Leah’s company until the cup was empty.

Exhaustion came upon her like a heavy blanket, and Charity made her way to her room, each step becoming harder than the next as though her feet were made of lead. Too tired to change her clothes, Charity crashed into the pillow the moment she opened her door. One last deep, sleepy sigh left her chest before she finally succumbed to the drowsiness that had chased her all day. Darkness, however, offered no solace as a familiar nightmare unfurled, its icy tendrils snaking around her.

White vapor escaped Charity’s lips as she ran. She was not sure where she was going or what she was running from, but she knew she could not stop. Each crunch of leaves sent shockwaves of anxiety through her limbs. A tree crashed down. Before her, a woman lay still on the ground.

She gasped, realizing the woman was her mother. Terror rooted Charity to the spot. It was as if her legs were encased in ice. Rose scrambled to her feet and threw what appeared to be an odd, rectangular box into a distant tree. Before Charity could find the exact location of the strange object, a horrifying creature appeared. It looked unnatural, as though it should have died centuries ago. Its melting flesh and exposed organs made it seem as though it had just walked out of its own grave, and the sickening stench of decay twisted her stomach into knots.

Frozen in terror, she couldn't scream, couldn't even blink, her eyes locked on the horrific scene unfolding before her. Hot tears streaked down Charity’s cold cheeks as Rose’s body crumpled to the ground. Two more figures emerged from the shadows, their grotesque forms sending shivers down Charity's spine. One reached for her mother’s stomach, and its talons cut through Rose’s flesh as quickly as one could cut through butter.

A burning stream of fresh tears raced down her face. She wished she could scream, run to her mother’s side, do anything; yet she remained fixed firmly in the same spot, a fresh blanket of snow covering her feet. Her body trembled, but neither her voice nor her legs could escape. She couldn’t look away from her mother’s mangled corpse as it laid in a pool of its own blood beneath the murderous monsters. She couldn’t even wipe the salty streams that burned her cheeks in the bitter cold.

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Then, without warning, one of the creatures looked directly at her. Its red eyes burned brightly, as if hell itself lived in its pupils.

“No!” Charity screamed, jumping from her bed. She hugged herself tightly and tried to stop her body from quivering. Her face was wet with tears that had fallen during her terror-inducing experience.

“It’s just a dream,” she kept repeating. Yet no matter how many times she told herself that, the sense of unease twisted into a cold knot within the pit of her stomach. Those horrendous eyes were burned into her mind’s eye, and she could not stop thinking of her mother’s death. She breathed out a shaky, frustrated sigh and resigned herself to another sleepless night.

Charity tiptoed to the kitchen and made herself a glass of water before walking to the window she had glanced out of just hours before. The cool mountain air emanated from the thin glass and kissed her skin, leaving a tingling sensation along her tear-stained cheeks. Gleaming stars filled the black sky, and Charity breathed deeply, feeling her racing heart finally begin to slow as she took in the twilight landscape. However, the moment her eyes landed on the dark silhouette of what should have only been a dense, black forest; dread washed over her, chasing away any lingering peace.

Rather than seeing a familiar outline of trees, she locked eyes with the same crimson orbs that had haunted her in her dreams. Her breathing stopped, her skin paled, and all sense of reason escaped her. Were they moving? Was this real? Could they see her? She could not discern the difference between reality and imagination. She started shaking uncontrollably and did not know what to do. A mere second felt like an eternity, and she stood there, helpless and trembling with neither an understanding of reality nor any ability to move her body.

When frozen terror melted away, sensation flooded back into her limbs, allowing her to move. She stumbled backward, shattering the cup and cutting her hand on the broken glass.. The commotion was enough to wake her roommate, who came running into the living room.

“Charity!” Leah gasped.

“I’m...” Charity tried to inform her friend she was alright, but she could not form the words. Her mouth opened and closed, but nothing would come out. She continued trembling and holding her bleeding hand while fear-filled tears streamed down her flushed face.

“It’s okay,” Leah said, pulling Charity from the floor and directing her to the couch. With practiced efficiency, Leah cleaned and bandaged Charity’s wound. She then quickly cleaned the splattered mess of blood, water, and glass before returning to the couch to sit beside Charity. Leah said nothing, waiting patiently for Charity to speak or show signs of needing something else.

Charity was overwhelmed. Between the horrific dreams, the lack of sleep, and the awful, glowing eyes that now haunted her in her waking hours; she was not sure what to think, feel, or do. Could this mean her dreams were real? Are those terrible creatures real? Is her mother dead or in trouble? The room was spinning. She feared she may throw up.

Leah gently wiped the tears off of Charity’s face while Charity tried to calm her racing mind. Leah sat and watched her friend attentively, but Charity continued to keep her head down, afraid to see the same eyes still watching her.

“Leah,” Charity whispered, her voice still quivering, “can you tell me what you see outside?”

Without hesitation or questioning Charity’s peculiar request, Leah got up and walked to the window, “Nothing out of the ordinary. There’s just some trees and a few stars. Should I be seeing something different?”

“No,” Charity whispered.

“What happened?” Leah asked.

“I just… thought I saw something. I’m sorry for waking you.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that, Charity!” Leah said, “What were you doing up so late to begin with?”

“I just had a bad dream,” Charity said, hoping Leah wouldn’t push.

“Is that all?” Leah asked.

“That’s all. At least for right now.”

“Okay,” Leah pulled Charity into an embrace. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No,” Charity said as she shook her head, “I’ll be okay. Please go back to sleep.”

Leah gave her friend one last squeeze and returned to her room. Charity curled her knees into her chest and held her aching hand. How badly she wished she could reach her mother and ensure that everything was alright. The ominous feeling in her gut was agonizing, and the fear of what may be watching her made her quiver once more. She sat on the couch, unmoving, and waited for the first hues of sunrise to paint her living room floor.

Were those creatures real? Charity thought. Does that mean Mom is…? She shook her head. Surely, it was some exhaustion-induced hallucination. Surely, her mother is perfectly fine, and this would be something they could all laugh about once she returned from her camping trip. Right?