Word Count: 2077

Dawn Turner

I have never regretted being born as much as I do right now.

If I had the choice to either relive my life or die completely, I would gladly jump in front of a train.

I'm ready to go.

Any type of death seemed good to me in my head except the gruesome type of death I was about to experience in just a few seconds.

I was crouched under the table and I was regretting my life choices, regretting the day I went to the convenience store, and regretting the day I first met Alexander.

This is not the way I expected my life to end.

Everything was quiet around me but so loud at the same time. The silence has never felt so deafening before.

"Come out come out wherever you are, Rapunzel." His malicious voice echoed throughout the dark and empty hallway of my house. Something about his voice left me frozen in place as if I was stuck in a trance that I couldn't get out of. It took me a minute to shake off the agonizing feeling I was experience and I brought my knees closer to my chest. It took everything in me not to burst out crying so I brought my face down to my knees and sobbed as quietly as I could.

I hoped that crying would take away some of the pain but it was in vain.

I forced back the bile that was threatening to come out. My lungs felt like they were about to collapse because of how fast I was breathing but the sound of glass shattering beside me made my heart stop.

I looked around quietly, making sure not to let out any noise. He was nowhere in sight. I quickly backed away further under the table and clenched my first before he could come back.

I knew he could hear my heart beating.

I knew he could hear my thoughts as well.

Most importantly, I knew he knew exactly where I was but toying with me before striking seemed like a more fun option for him.

My heart was beating in my throat. Tears shimmered in my eyes as they darted back and forth between the kitchen door and the entrance to the living room until they landed on the shards of glass on the floor next to me. I was starting to wonder if it would be easier to just grab one of the broken pieces scattered on the floor and ending all of this myself.

It would be better than dying in his hands.

I reached out for one piece, praying to God he wouldn't be able to see my hand from underneath the table. With caution, I made sure to grab a sharp piece. Fear pressed against my skin, sending goose bumps along my arm when I heard the sound of his footsteps coming closer to me again.

The closer they got, the faster my heart was beating.

"Dawn." His voice was taunting, it sent chills all over my body. "Come on, I just want to play with you." His wicked laugh made me shut my eyes tightly to stop the tears from spilling out.

The kitchen drawers opened and my breath hitched in my throat. That drawer had all the kitchen utensils I owned...including my knives.

I looked down at the sharp piece of glass in my hand, taking a deep breath. You can do it Dawn. Just a little scratch and it will all be over.

A blast of cold air sent shivers down my hand. If I'm going to surely die tonight, I'm not giving him the satisfaction of killing me himself.

Even in death, I will win.

Dawn.

My eyes darted around the room in relief when I heard Zach's voice.

I couldn't see him anywhere.

Zach, can you hear me?

Dawn, this is all a dream. You have to wake up.

I felt the tears rush down my face as I shook my head frantically. It's not a dream. It couldn't be.

I felt actual terror. My hands were actually sweating. Real tears were falling down my cheeks.

I can feel them. I can feel every single emotion that can't be felt while dreaming. I can hear his voice very clearly. I can hear him tormenting me. He gave me a promise and he came here to deliver it. This is all real. He's going to kill me.

Dawn, listen to me. He is doing this to you intentionally. He couldn't get into your house because both of us filled all your rooms with crucifixes. He's trapped outside.

"It's not true." I let out a sob, pressing my hand against my mouth tightly. He is going to find me. I have to end it now before he does.

Dawn, you can overcome this. Stand up for yourself. This is your dream, not his. This is all in your head. You can control it. Don't let him have that advantage over you. Are you listening to me?

Alexanders' head popped in from the doorway of the kitchen.

"I found you."

He stalked towards me, the sound of his footsteps coming closer and closer. He was so close now and I could feel his breath violently invading my skin, leaving me struggling for air. I let out an ear piercing scream.

My legs were frantic as I bolted from under the table but he was quick enough to catch me and back me up against the wall. My sobs were heard clearly now. My vision was blurry from the tears.

He saw how terrified I was and it brought him pleasure.

"You said you wanted to kill yourself before I could kill you?" I tried avoiding eye contact. He didn't allow it.

He grabbed my face tightly and forced me to look at him closely. I was breathing so hard, trying not to throw up. He brought his face closer to mine and I watched as his eyes turned from a deep shade of brown to a light shade of red. I have never hated the color red as much as I do now.

"What are you waiting for? Do it." He whispered, looking straight into my eyes.

How can someone be so cruel?

Dawn, you know what to do, right?

I took a deep breath and slowly raised the glass to my wrist. I can do this, just like Zach told me.

Alexander smiled and motioned for me to continue.

I do.

With one swift motion, I slid the glass against his throat instead of my arm and shoved him away.

He stumbled back to the ground while holding his hands to his bleeding neck in shock.

"Go to hell, back to where you belong." I whispered and closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in my bed. Zach was sitting on a chair next to my bed, staring at me intently.

Did I mention he was eating popcorn?

"You slayed your own demon." He nodded, impressed.

I looked around me in a mixture of shock and relief.

Questions filled me head and I didn't know which one to ask first.

Is it over now? Am I safe? What happened to Alexander after I did all of that?

Just thinking about it makes me shiver in disgust.

I turned to look at Zach as calmly as I could. "Let me get this straight. I was trapped in this whole nightmare thing with the most dangerous fallen angel to ever exist haunting me and tormenting me while I tried to kill myself and then him and you're just sitting here, probably watching all of this in your head, eating popcorn?" I asked in disbelief.

He stopped moving and a single popcorn dropped from his mouth "No?"

I shot him a glare to which he shrugged off and continued eating his popcorn.

He's literally unbelievable.

"Do you mind explaining everything to me now? Like how he even did that for example? And how you were able to communicate with me through that? And what happens now that I killed him in my dream?" He placed the popcorn bowl on my nightstand and straightened up.

"Angels have a lot of powers, as you might've already seen." I nodded. "Our powers are dominant over evil but devils also have powers. Not greater than ours, but still significant. A fallen angel is a mix of both. He has the power of all the angels and the power of all the devils mixed together. It's what makes him so powerful." So that's why Zach told me he can't defeat Alexander easily. I motioned for him to continue, "Fallens have been trying to take over heaven for centuries now but they were never able to because no matter how strong they are, God is even stronger. And if you trust God, he will protect you, just like he protects us." I nodded at that.

"So his powers from both his angelic and demonic side allow him to do things like haunt people in their dreams?" I asked.

"Yes, his powers allowed him to haunt you in your dreams but it's not that easy for him though. Since it takes a lot of his energy, he will be drained from his powers for a while until he feeds and gets back to his normal state." My heart sped at the word 'feeds' because I knew exactly what he fed on.

"How long will Alexander remain vulnerable then? Will you be able to fight him now that he's weaker than you?" I know I sound way too greedy but after what happened today, I want him gone once and for all.

I have to defeat him.

Zach shook his head. "When Fallen Angels become weak, they usually seek shelter in Hell. That way they would be protected by the demons that made him evil in the first place."

"And how were you able to talk to me in my dream even though you're not a mix of both like Alexander?" I asked him, curiously.

"Well I was able to communicate with you through our angelic bond. Not all angels can do this but greater angels and guardian angels such as myself can not only read people's thoughts but also play the scenes a person is dreaming of in our heads if we put enough of our powers into it. However, it also makes us weaker temporarily. That's another reason why I can't take Alexander down besides the fact that he's probably hiding in hell now. My powers are weaker now, just like his." There's a lot that I need to know about angels apparently.

"So what good does slaying my demon in my dream even have then if we can't defeat him anyway?"

He becomes temporarily weak but he will recharge his powers in hell and come back to haunt me as he usually does, won't he?

"Once you've slayed the demon in your dream, he won't be able to have access over there again. It means that Alexander will no longer be able to haunt you in your dreams or even read your thoughts any more. We couldn't take him down but at least we're one step closer now."

I don't think I'll ever be ready for what will come when Alexander feeds and regains his powers.

Somehow, I managed to piss off an already pissed off fallen angel.

I looked at the clock to my left.

It read 4 am.

Zach stood up from his chair and sat next to me on the bed. "You should sleep." He whispered softly. I nodded, laying back in bed and closing my eyes tightly.

They fluttered open again.

"I don't think I can go back to sleep even if I wanted to." I laughed nervously.

What if Alexander somehow comes back and I'm unable to get rid of him? Zach told me he won't be able to but I'm still paranoid.

Zach gave me a warm smile and placed his hand on my forehead. "He won't be able to and I'm going to stay here until it's safe to leave either way." He closed his eyes and started whispering words I could not understand. My eyes started fluttering and I felt sleepier by the second. My breathing slowed down, allowing me to relax. "Sweet dreams, Dawnery." I fought back the urge to slap him as I finally fell asleep.