NIGHTMARE
CHAPTER ONE
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I will return for all of you." The boy ghost whispered ominously.
"No, no," I gasped, my heart racing in my chest.
My name is Alexander Martinez, but everyone calls me Alex. This haunting nightmare has plagued me for years, ever since a group of bullies took the life of a classmate right before my eyes during high school—a traumatic event I was too terrified to report. Now, nearing twenty-eight, the memories cling to me like shadows. That horrific incident occurred eleven years ago, and the faces of the bullies are etched in my mind as if they were branded there. There were four of them: Nemiah, the ringleader; Jack, notorious for his brute strength; Moon, who thrived on instilling fear; and Drake, the silent enforcer.
Like many at school, I lived in constant dread of them. They tormented me mercilessly, coercing me into stealing from my parents, only to turn around and blame the maids when the thefts were discovered.
I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The darkness of my room enveloped me, but as my eyes adjusted, I caught sight of my computer screen glowing faintly. Someone was seated before it. Panic surged through me as I yelled, bracing myself to confront the ghost from my nightmare. To my surprise, it was my older brother, Anthony, using my computer since his was broken. His startled expression mirrored my own fear.
Our parents, alerted by my outburst, rushed into my room.
"Alex, are you okay?" my dad asked, genuine concern etched across his face.
"It's nothing, Dad," I replied, still trembling. My mom glanced at the clock on my bedside table.
"It's only 2:00 AM," she murmured softly.
"I think he had another nightmare," Anthony chimed in, his voice tinged with sympathy.
"Are you alright?" my parents asked in unison, their worry palpable.
"Yes, I am," I insisted, forcing a smile to reassure them. I just wanted them to leave my room so I could gather my thoughts.
"Since he won't tell us why he's been having nightmares for eleven years, maybe we should stop bothering him," my mom suggested gently.
My dad is my biological father, while my mom isn't; she adopted me after my birth mother passed away. She has always treated me with love and kindness, never once making me feel like an outsider.
Once they left, Anthony resumed his browsing, and I slipped into the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. Yet, even the bathroom felt eerie, shadows lurking ominously in every corner.
The next morning, I prepared for work with a heavy heart. At the office, I spotted Diva, the girl who had been harboring a crush on me since high school. We both worked at the same company, and just days ago, she had given me a love letter filled with misspellings. I valued punctuation and grammar, and I wasn't ready for a relationship.
"Alex!" she called, her smile brightening the otherwise dreary entrance.
She gestured for me to wait.
"Why would I wait for her?" I thought, quickening my pace. Yet, she began walking toward me, undeterred.
"You're a coward, proud and arrogant," she taunted as I approached the stairs. Before I knew it, she raced in front of me and blocked my path.
"Why are you running?" she asked, her voice teasing and melodic.
"I love you because you're handsome and smart," she added, her words jarring against her fractured grammar. I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.
"Why are you laughing?" she demanded, her brow furrowing.
"Nothing," I replied, nodding to suppress my amusement.
"I love you, I really love you!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing down the hallway, drawing attention from our colleagues.
Suddenly, a glass cup shattered nearby. I turned to see our colleagues staring at us, including Helen, the girl I secretly liked. We had shared glances that hinted at mutual feelings, but we had never confessed. The cup must have fallen from Helen's hand, and I felt my face flush with embarrassment as whispers floated through the air about my supposed romance with both Helen and Diva.
Unable to bear the scrutiny, I dashed after Helen, my heart racing, while Diva wore a defiant smirk, unrepentant for her outburst.
And thus began another unpredictable day in my life.