My whole body hurts again.
It happened right after I woke up. I hadn't dreamed at all, and the bed was soft, but my body ached as if a pair of giant hands had repeatedly squeezed, pounded, and attacked me. It wasn't quite that bad, though. It was more like the way he teased the rabbits at home: a touch laced with malice.
Malice took physical form. A blade flowed smoothly, slicing away my clothes, and a chill seeped into my bones. A pair of invisible hands suddenly clamped over my mouth and nose. Unable to breathe, I woke from the dream again. Terrified, I fumbled for the bedside lamp switch, but after feeling around for ages, I touched a dagger that nearly froze half my body stiff.
I woke from the dream again. The nightmares wove together like a spiderweb, layered with fear like nested dolls. My face was deathly pale. Lightning illuminated the sky. I practically launched myself out of bed and ran to the living room to turn on the lights, then rushed into the kitchen and the spare bedroom to turn on every light.
The rabbits at home were frightened. Several of them huddled together, trembling.
The corgi was gone, and so was the Dalmatian. Even the goldfish in the tank on the balcony had disappeared.
Suddenly, with a "snap," a bright rose lying in the water pierced the vase and fell into my field of vision.
"Found you."
Behind me came a sinister voice, each word bitten out through clenched teeth, flecked with blood.
No one can escape.
Theme: Break through your limits.
