The Dream!

“Nooooo!” Cassandra awoke with sweaty temples and a pounding heart. Her parents barged into the room to comfort her. “Are you okay, honey?” asked Mrs. Brown who simultaneously wiped her daughter’s forehead. “Perhaps you had a nightmare,” consoled Mr. Brown.

“I’m not okay. Mom! Dad! I saw something terrible. A figure in dark robes approached me and clutched my arm tightly. He had hazel brown eyes whose stare pricked my soul. I cannot describe the creepy blank expression of that apparition. It never spoke to me and began dragging me out of this room. I struggled to let myself loose of his sturdy grip but couldn’t succeed. For a brief moment, I managed to scan the room and was dumbfounded to see myself sleeping peacefully on that bed.

How in the world was I out of my body? Somehow I broke free of his grip and alerted him. However, he stood with his back on me but I couldn’t help ask- “Who are you and where are we going?” The apparition spun around in an instant and while tearing my soul with that creepy stare, it spoke- “You are coming with me. You will know that when we reach. No more questions.” Its voice boomed and echoed in the room. It still rings in my ears, father. I can’t describe his hideous appearance and authoritarian voice. Finally, we reached outta the house. The creature raised its arms up in the air as if intending to converse with someone. Sure enough, soon after the ritual, the concrete road broke apart to reveal a huge black hole. The apparition went closer to the hole with a tight grip over my wrist. I could sense his intentions and tried to break free. I begged him to let me go but to no avail. He wouldn’t budge. In fact, I was forced into the hole with him. The hole was narrow and I squeezed myself into it. The creature didn’t face any issue though and pushed me inhumanely without worrying about my pain,” cried Cassandra.

“Where did you land honey?” asked Mrs. Brown while caressing her shoulder.

“I did not land anywhere. I was literally pushed through the hole so that I would land with a bump on a rough surface and die. I crashed to the ground and was rendered unconscious. I don’t know whether I died or not since I awoke soon after that.”

“This is so scary. I can’t imagine seeing such a sequence,” said Mr. Brown who restlessly arose.

“Does this have any meaning attached to it?” asked Cassandra. 

“No honey. We have no possible idea why such a sequence should haunt you. I guess we should consult the priest,” said Mrs. Brown while rubbing her chin.

“I think I can agree with you,” said Mr. Brown.

“Honey, you can stay back and relax. We can go to the priest in the afternoon, narrate your tale, and get some help. Does that work for you?” asked Mrs. Brown.

“It does, mom. Thank you so much!” saying so, Cassandra kissed her parents’ cheek.

II

Mr. and Mrs. Brown entered. Cassandra shot a plethora of questions- “What did the priest say? Is the situation sound? Am I in danger? Was that apparition a dark force trying to strangle me? If yes, how can I get rid of it through any spiritual practice? I am ready to meditate and ward off evil.”

“Relax. Calm down sweetie. The priest said that it could be a product of your imagination. I can relate to this because you have been watching a lot of horror movies recently. Also, a possibility of demonic eye remains so in order to help with that, the priest has presented this holy cross which you can press under your pillow before going to bed. Problem solved!” screamed Mr. Brown.

“Thank you so much Mom and Dad! I love you!” Cassandra flung into her parents’ arms.

III

The weird dream however never stopped. Cassandra could see herself being dragged by this bizarre apparition every night. Eventually, she ceased confiding in her parents regarding the nightmare. She would falsely claim that her worries have disappeared due to the holy cross but deep down, in the heart of hearts, she knew the gravity of this haunting dream that snatched her beauty sleep.

One fine day, while lazily walking to school, she saw a beggar on the street sitting in desolation. Habitual as it was, she couldn’t control the urge of ‘murdering’ him. Yes, this was DAISY GREEN, the wanted serial killer. Nobody knew that DAISY was her fake identity to escape suspicion. Not even her parents! Her parents would see the news headlines about Daisy Green and curse her in the presence of Cassandra. However, she never felt guilty of her actions and continued to ‘murder’ people for fun. There’s yet another thing that her parents remained unaware of. Cassandra was also a psychopath! She couldn’t tolerate subjugation. Anybody expecting her to comply would die! Her friends Jake, Lina, Matthew, and Wendy weren’t missing. They had died brutally in the hands of Cassandra because they wouldn’t allow her to decide the location for picnicking. The school teacher Mrs. Roberts who was rumored to have left the job because of salary issues had been murdered by her aggressive student just because she insulted Cassandra for not completing her homework. 

Do you know how she kills her targets? She grabs them by the arm, drags them brutally while ignoring their pleas for mercy, and pushes them from an abandoned building situated in the Gross woods. Of course, nobody can know this spot since it is situated on the periphery of Nashville and thus out of police investigation. After killing them, she collects the bodies and squeezes them into an underground hole that she built right in the backyard of her house.

Cassandra killed the beggar and while disposing his body in the hole, she could draw some similarities in the weird dream and her life. She laughed like a maniac- “Are you trying to scare me with that dream so I stop murdering people? What a lame trick, God!” saying so, she continued disposing the body and bolting the hole.