Luke tossed and turned in his bed, his auburn hair was was sticking to his pale forehead, while his chocolate brown eyes was tightly shut. The young man was having the same recurring nightmare that had been haunting him for weeks.
When in the dream, he found himself walking through the dark woods, the moonless sky casting an eerie glow on the twisted trees. He couldn't stop himself from moving forward like someone was pulling him, taking control over him.
As he pushed through the thick underbrush, he suddenly stumbled upon a figure lying on the ground. It was a petite girl, her body battered and bruised, her colorful clothes torn and bloodied.
Luke knelt down to check on her, feeling a sense of dread creeping up his spine. Just as he was about to touch her, she sat up, her eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of green eyes, her face twisted in fear, and whispered 'help me' in a coarse, barely audible voice.
Luke jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat like every time it happened. He sat up in bed, his heart racing as he tried to shake off the remnants of the dream.
After having some water the young man pondered about the situation he's in. He didn't want to speculate and mull over the nightmare by himself anymore. He checked the time. 3am. Regardless, he fired a quick message to his roommate and best friend. Surprisingly Mark replied almost instantly.
Mark: What's up?
Luke: Can't sleep.
Mark: Do you want to play some battle?
The offer was tempting but deep down Luke knew he won't be able to concentrate and he has lost it already.
Luke: I have to tell you something... Living room?
Fortunately Mark's current girlfriend hadn't stayed overnight and they could talk one-on-one without minding other person's presence. They didn't turn on any lamps as lights coming from windows were enough to see each other but the room still stayed relatively dark, perfect for upcoming talk.
They talked for a long time. Finally Luke told what is happening to him almost every night for the past month. He was reluctant to admit he was dreading the time to go to sleep but had to due to his demanding job. The worst part was that the nightmares were starting to take a toll on his mental and physical health.
Mark stayed mostly silent, asked some questions to clarify only. He knew it's difficult for Luke to open up if he had some problems. He was the same.
"So, in a nutshell, you see the same thing almost every night," Mark summarised, tapping his finger on armrest of a recliner.
Luke sighed and sank deeper in cushions of a sofa. He was staring at the ceiling without looking at anything particular. "Yeah and tonight I can't shake it off so easily as before. Something about it felt different this time."
"How?"
Luke hesitated for a moment, finding correct words. "The plea felt more urgent, more real. I shouldn't ignore it any longer."
"Maybe yes, maybe no. It's a nightmare," his longtime friend didn't believe in messages received in dreams.
"I know," Luke murmured.
"Tell me though. Did anything happen before it all started?"
There was a moment of silence. "It all started when I found a comatose girl in the woods."
"Say what?!" Mark exclaimed. He almost stood up in disbelief. "Better start from the very beginning!"
"One autumn evening I decided to take a walk in the woods to unwind after a messy meeting at work. It was chilli, quiet and peaceful, almost tranquil. As I walked deeper into the woods, I noticed a faint rustling sound coming from a nearby bush. Curiosity got the better of me and I cautiously made my way towards the source of the noise.
As I got closer, I could make out the figure of a girl around our age lying on the forest floor. She was unconscious and seemed to be in a comatose state. I was panicking a bit when I was looking for the pulse. To my relief, it was there, but very weak, barely there.
Without wasting any time, I called for an ambulance and tried my best to keep the girl warm until help arrived."
Luke went silent. It was tough to remember what happened, even harder to talk about the turmoil of emotions what went through his mind at that moment.
"It felt like hours before I heard the distant siren of an ambulance approaching. Luckily I was able to give precise location to the dispatcher. Paramedics quickly assessed the girl's condition and loaded her onto a stretcher. I couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility towards this unknown girl."
Luke swallowed hard. Mark was listening quietly, didn't even think to say something in between.
"And I still remember the coldness of her skin when I was looking for the pulse. It's been a month since the ambulance took her away to the closest hospital."
After Luke's confession the silence ruled in the room again.
"No wonder, you keep seeing the same dream over and over again." Mark carefully started. "Unconsciously you want to know more about the situation you stumbled upon. Who is she? Why is she in the woods all alone? Does she have any family looking for her? Is she alright now?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no." Luke didn't want to admit helping the unknown girl affected him that much.
The following weekend Luke visited the hospital where the girl was admitted as Mark suggested but didn't push for it. The young man explained everything to the receptionist, and she directed him to the girl's room. Luke took a deep breath before entering, not knowing what to expect.
As he entered the hospital room, he was greeted by the sight of machines beeping and tubes running in and out of the girl's body. Very slowly the young man went closer, reluctant to disturb anything by chance or mistake.
Luke couldn't believe the girl he found in the woods was still in this state. He hoped he would find some answers about what happened and maybe after confirmation the girl was fine his torment during the night would stop.
With trembling hands, he reached out and took her hand in his.
"Hi, I'm Luke. I'm the one who found you in the woods," he whispered.
Then, without thinking much, he squeezed her hand a bit tighter. "I heard you. I'm here now. I'll help you."
As if in response, the girl's hand twitched, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Luke's heart swelled with hope - maybe this is why he kept seeing that dream, maybe somehow he could really help her.
Luke stayed by her side for hours, holding her hand, talking to her about anything and everything what popped into his head. He hoped that somehow, she would be able to hear him and know that he was there for her. Eventually, he fell asleep by her side, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the day.
The next morning, Luke woke up to a commotion in the hospital room. The girl's parents were there, and they were ecstatic. The girl had woken up from her coma, and the first thing she had asked for was Luke. They couldn't believe it when they saw him sleeping by her side.
As the girl opened her eyes and saw Luke, she smiled weakly.
"You came," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Emotions bubbled in Luke's heart as he nodded. "I had to. I couldn't ignore your cries for help any longer."
The girl's parents were confused, but Luke explained everything to them - how he had found their daughter, his nightmares, his gut feeling he has to come to see her.
They were in awe of Luke, and they couldn't thank him enough for bringing their daughter back to them.
The next day Luke came to visit the girl again. He softly knocked on the door and opened it. The girl was sitting on the bed and looking through the window. When she turned to greet him, suddenly, Luke was taken aback by her beauty. It was like he was seeing her for the very first time.
The sun was dancing on her wavy ginger hair. Her face had delicate features with fair and flawless skin peppered with light freckles. Her lips were plump and pink, with a subtle curve.
Luke was speachless. He was drawn to her vibrant green eyes like never before to anything.
"Hi," he said, trying to break the awkward silence. "May I come in?"
She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and gratitude and slightly nodded her head.
"Thank you for saving my life," the girl said softly.
"May I know your name?" Luke asked, trying to make conversation.
"Ava," she cleared her voice. "May name is Ava."
And so, as the days went by, Luke and Ava grew closer. Luke visited her as many times as possible and stayed as long as was allowed. They felt a bond that they couldn't explain, and Luke knew that he had been brought to her for a reason. Ava had no memory of the accident or the events leading up to it, but she was grateful to Luke for being there for her when she needed him the most. Her recovery was slow but steady and the doctors were positive for the best in her situation.
From that day on, Luke's nightmares stopped, and he knew that he had helped Ava in some way. He had saved her, both in his dreams and in the real life. And as he held her hand, he knew that their connection was one that would last a lifetime.