October 1st, 2017

Dear Journal,

I have awoken in the mist of the night once again to write about my dreams that I grow distressed from. This unconscious series of events of mine was gruesomely frightening. The term nightmare is better suited for such an encounter. My palms still sweat as I scribble notes within this journal. Why must this happen to me? Why must I wake up in such terror, where I think everything that happened was real life and not make believe? I have to recollect myself by switching on the bright light and staring at a screen till my consciousness finally notifies me that it was all in my head.

It was not like anything I had dreamt about prior. It was an intense panic than your orderly, brief night terror. I can still recall every last detail-I know once I drift off to a deep slumber and awake to the sunlight beaming through my curtains onto my pale skin-that I will fail to remember each and every specific fact that surfaced within the dream.

It began as normal, like a fantasy. I was messing around on a massive playground. The sky was glowing a radiate orange and yellow, and not a single cloud accompanied the flaming hot sun. Butterflies of all colors hovered about flapping their elegant wings effortlessly. Flowers sprung to life around the pieces of wood chips that held the playground. So many brilliant colors filled my headspace.

Vibrant slides of all sizes were attached to the monstrosity that arose toward the sky. Some slides were enclosed, some were open, allowing the wind to kiss your face as you slid down to plant your toes on the solid ground. I pondered what might have happened if I chose another color instead, but I chose the white slide. It was the highest one up, as if I were about to fall down from heaven.

I scaled my way up to the slide that was most appealing to me. It made my heart beat with excitement. Red bars were the obstacle to my desired destination. I climbed up them like a ladder waiting for the pressure of my foot to step on it. After each bar was ascended, they disappeared beneath my feet. Even if I wished to choose another slide, I could no longer reach them. I was floating through time just to reach the white slide.

Pure bliss piled into my heart when I arrived at the top of the slide. It was closed, unlike some of the others. I peered down into the black hole of an entrance, the bottom could not be seen to the naked eye. I felt fearless, so I sat myself down and pushed off. Everything was normal, until I saw him.

He was unlike anything I had ever dreamt about. A shadowed figure shaped like a human ahead of me when I got to the bottom. He stood behind a metal pole that held up a pair of swings, pointing at me. I could not see any face, I could not spot any emotion. His head shape looked like that of a raccoon, and what I assumed to be blood dripped where his eyes might lay. He was freakishly tall and slender.

All I could make out was the beating of his heart; pure red. A hole where his chest should be. Various veins and chambers were attached to the heart, a horrific sight. A dark liquid drizzled from his finger as he pointed. He was as still as concrete, as if he were a statue perfected to be creepy. The daytime sky was then darkened and gray. Fog surrounded the creature who continued to point.

My eyes could not leave his beating heart. I remained in place unwillingly at the bottom of the slide. Everything around me had vanished into thin air. It was just me staring at him, with a white slide that led to the clouds behind me, supported by nothing. Why was he pointing at me? Before I knew it, he charged at me, all while maintaining his slender finger in my direction. His animal mouth draped open, and I could make out the shapes of sharp, rigid teeth heading my way. A liquid I prayed was salvia and nothing more oozed from the cracks between his teeth.

I woke up as soon as his finger poked into my chest. Tears welled in my eyes, I felt frozen even after waking up. I cannot remember much more, too much time has passed. Goodnight for now, I hope this feeling of loneliness leaves my system by dawn.