It was dark and cold, I tried to run away but instead I ran into the very reason I had even started. I looked up and a black figure with burning red eyes was standing before me. It called my name with it's airy, and raspy voice followed by the stench of it's breath that hit me like a thick cloud. All I could think to do was to retreat backwards. As i did so it started to smile, showing yellow decaying teeth. It began to reach for me, the fingers were long, crooked, and skeletal. I shrieked and then HIS voice was calling to me.

I woke with a start. Every dream this month was the same and they were horrible and terrifying. I always woke up covered in sweat, the only good thing was the voice that always saves me in the end. Of course I didn't know who he was but i was grateful none the less. I looked at the clock and realized I had to get ready for class or I was going to be late and my best friend Kate would wonder why I didn't meet up with her like I always do. During class I couldn't pay attention no matter how hard I tried. My mind kept wandering to my dream and the mystery man. Kate leaned over and whispered;

"Earth to Freya, what's up with you today? You're just...so...not you."

I laughed "Well don't you have a way with words." She sighed and rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm serious you've been acting weird." Her face full of concern.

"It's nothing I swear, I just haven't been sleeping well that's all. I've been having nightmares so real they freak me out." She lets out a puff of air as if she were holding her breath.

"That's it?!" she looked around in panic to see if anyone noticed her outburst. "Phew you had me worried that you were on drugs or pregnant" she said with a chuckle.

"Oh god no, first of all I would have to be in a position to get pregnant and I'm not, second I just can't stop thinking about those dreams."

"You're only having them because you're stressing out over mid-terms even though we both know you passed with flying colors." I thought about what she said and maybe she was right but I wasn't entirely convinced.

"Yeah I guess you're right." I gave her a small smile as the professor dismissed the class. I said goodbye to Kate and headed to my car to start the journey home for winter break so I had to hurry in order to show up on time. While starting my drive I kept going back to the dreams and what Kate said. Maybe she was right and it was stress over mid-terms. I mean I was a senior in college and this close to graduating, so it's perfectly logical for me to stress. And stress can play funny tricks on the brain, but as I'm trying to rationalize everything something didn't make sense still. The voice, I heard it every time, it saved me every time. Somehow I recognized it like it's someone I've known my entire life but I've never seen his face. Maybe he's someone my brain created for me to cope. My car then alerted me to the fact that I needed to get gas so I pulled into a station. While pumping I kept thinking and once the handle clicked I shook my head feeling silly that I was overthinking about these dreams which all but proved Kate was right, I was stressing. 'Don't be stupid they're just dreams! Why am I taking this so seriously?' I laughed at myself for being so focused on them. I made sure to call my mom and tell her I had stopped and was about to head out. I considered the long drive and decided to buy some snacks and energy drinks when I payed for the gas. I knew energy drinks were bad but at that point i had drank so many they ran through my veins. Besides as far as habits go it wasn't that bad. I hit the highway and put on one of my favorite playlists in hopes that my brain would be distracted by driving and the music so it wouldn't sway to it's earlier topic. Especially since it did no good to keep obsessing over the same thing when it got me nowhere. So I took a deep breath and concentrated on the road and the song playing.