The Dream: Chapter 1

 He was running and running but he had no idea what he was running from. He just knows that he is being pursued by something or someone and if he stops running, his life might be at stake.  Thump thump thump. James knew that whoever or whatever that was pursuing him was getting closer and he might be dead at any moment. Smack. James knocked into a tree. His head starts to turn. He is getting dizzy. In his mind, “If I don’t start running now, I’ll be dead. I’m sure of it”. With all of his willpower, he begins to run with a dizzy head. Every now and then James would turn his head behind to see whether that thing is catching up to him. Everything is a blur to him. He is getting double images. Branches smacking him in the face as he keeps on running.  THUMP THUMP THUMP. It is getting louder, which means whatever that is pursuing James is catching up to him. One glance back by James and out of a sudden, swoosh. A gigantic hand lands on his face and James went down immediately and landed on his back.

Whatever that had hit him wasn’t human at all. James don’t even know what his eyes are telling him. He is looking a mutated creature that looks like a combination of both an ape and a tiger. “What the hell is this thing?” thought James. It had intense eyes that was staring at James like it wanted his soul. Black and orange stripes all over its body, hands and legs. It was standing on its feet. At least 8 feet tall and currently standing over James. It was now, at this very moment, he knew that it was over. That this was it. It was the end. His life was going to end. Memories flashed by. His beautiful wife, his two kids, Michael and Stacy, both just in their teens, seventeen and fifteen of age. They were going to lose their beloved father. Lisa was going to lose her husband. He imagined all of them and in his mind“I love all of you”. The creature jumped at James, it was going to crush him. There was loud thunderous stomp! It felt like an earthquake.

“It is over? Where am I? Am I dead?” James asked himself. He feels a great sense of pain. He slowly opens his eyes. He realizes that he is on the floor. He looked around, he sees a bed together with some other furniture all around the room. He is in his room. Sound of a door opening. ”Honey, what are you doing on the floor?”. James glances back. It’s his wife, Lisa. She is still as beautiful as the first day he met her. Long shining black hair, the most beautiful brown eyes that he had ever seen, a heavenly smile. She is the most beautiful woman that he ever knew. An Aphrodite of his own. “I have no idea. Am I dead?”. “Yeah. You will be, if you don’t get up off your lazy ass and help me with breakfast. I still need to bring the kids to school ya know?". Lisa leaves the room and heads down the stairs. “I could do with some help!” shouts Lisa. James is still shocked. Did he just had a wild dream? But it seemed so real. It was like he was living the dream. He thought that he was going to die. James shrugs it off.  “Okay hon, I’ll be right down.”

He goes to the bathroom to wash his face. “It was just a dream James. It’s not real. You just had a bad night. That’s all.” James told himself. He turned the water tap and is greeted by the sound of running water. He washes his face thoroughly. He cleaned his spectacles. As he took off his shirt, he sees scratches. Minor wounds near his abdomen and all over his chest. He recalled that he never had all of this wounds. “The dream!” James thought. “I was punched in the face as well. Why isn’t my face affected by that punch? I’m sure that a punch that powerful can even knock a tank of its wheels but my face is perfectly fine.”. James is now confused. Is it real? Is it a dream? Why only certain parts of his body was affected? Is he going crazy? “What is all of this? What does this mean?” James questions. “I better get down, this is insane.” James wears a new shirt. He goes out from his bedroom and as he begins to close the door, he took a glance back at his room, suddenly there's a man appeared out of nowhere. Perfectly suited. Staring at James and gave him the most wicked smile he had ever seen. James blinked. He was gone. The mystery man disappeared. James fainted.