The Nightmare

The Nightmare
 
 
Lucy awoke.
Sirens, I can hear sirens in the distance!
Then she heard something else.
A rushing sound, like the sound of intense waves smashing themselves against rocks on a shore!  It’s coming from the next room.
She looked around the room by the light of the bedside lamp. Just then her cat Sammy leaped of the bottom of the bed and stood by the closed bedroom door.
Lucy got out of bed, slightly dizzy and unsteady on her feet.
God! I feel like crap! The room is spinning.
She steadied herself by placing a hand on the wall.
“Meow!” 
Lucy slowly staggered over to the closed bedroom door. With shaky hands she opened it. 
Sirens, I can hear the sound of sirens and they are getting louder! Smoke? Is that smoke I can smell?
Sammy gave another meow, and walked across the landing to the other closed door from which the sound of crashing waves was coming.
“Meow.”
I feel so nauseous, like I’m going to pass out.
Lucy slowly but determinedly staggered over to the door that Sammy was sitting in front of.
She pushed it open very slowly.
The sound of waves increased.
Burning? I can smell burning?
Inside the room, it was dark except for a rectangular door made of white light.
What the hell is that?
“We are waiting for you Lucy.”
 The sound is coming from that door.
She stared at it a short while, unsure what to make of it.
It’s pulsating.
 

#

 
Lucy awoke. She looked to the sleeping body of David, her partner. She heard his soft gentle snores and felt reassured by them. 
What a horrible nightmare!
I can still hear the sound of sirens, how odd.
She saw by the clock on the bedside draw that it was 6 A.M..
Best let Sammy out.
When she got to the kitchen door, she saw Sammy sitting next to it.
“Meow.”
She let Sammy out.
The Sun could just be seeing rising over the horizon. Sammy quickly disappeared into the early morning light of dawn.
After breakfast, Lucy sat at the kitchen table, switched on her laptop and started to write.
A short while later David descended down the stairs and she made him breakfast as he got ready for work.
Whilst eating, Lucy asked him.
“Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“That...The sound of sirens?”
“No I don’t.” David looked at her quizzically.
“Are you feeling ok?”
“Yes. Fine.”
“Look I don’t have time to talk about it now.” Said David perplexed, “We will talk about it later when I get back from work.”
 

#

 
Lucy awoke.
Sirens, I can hear sirens in the distance!
Sammy jumped off her bed. Then she heard the sound that she had heard before, the sound of waves crashing against rocks on a shore.
Sammy sat by the closed bedroom door. She looked at Lucy.
“Meow.”
Lucy got out of bed feeling unsteady on her feet.
Smoke! I can smell smoke!
She managed to open the door, and then pushed open the door from which the sound was coming from.
Burning! I can smell burning!
 Like last time she saw the bright white shimmering door, pulsating.
Then she heard it again, but the sound was lower, less audible.
“We are waiting for you Lucy.”
The door is not as bright as before, like its losing power?
Sammy sat in front of the door.
“Meow.”
Sammy looked straight at Lucy then stepped through the pulsating doorway and disappeared.
The sirens in the distance are getting louder. I can smell the stench of burning wood!
 

#

 
Lucy awoke.
The nightmare! No don’t think about it!
She remembered.
Oh no! God no!
She remembered how she had been doing aromatherapy.
I retired to bed...The candle...Oh God no!
She looked around the room by the light of the bedside lamp.
Sammy! Where’s Sammy?
She heard the sound of waves crashing against rocks.
The sound of waves is getting fainter and fainter but the sound of sirens is so loud now.
Then realisation hit her.
The door! I need to get to the door!
Lucy jumped out of her bed as fast she could.
God! My head is spinning.
She rushed into the room with the pulsating door just to see it go out.
Downstairs I can hear the sound of shouting.
She descended down the stairs to the front door.
The fire and smoke had no effect on her; she passed through them as if they were not there.
Then she saw Sammy. Next to Sammy was a fireman, bent over.
She walked closer to get a better look.
C.P.R. he’s performing C.P.R.
She walked even closer, like in a black nightmare not wanting to see what she knew she would see.
My body! He’s performing C.P.R on my unconscious body! I must have jumped out the window!
There was a scattering of broken glass around her body.
Oh God no! The nightmare...
Then realisation hit her.
It wasn’t a nightmare!
Living with David, was the life I could have had! 
 
 

The End.