Nightmares

Jennifer’s POV

“Mom?” I called my mom, who was next to me. I looked up to see if she heard me. She was talking with someone on the phone.

She informed me that since Dad was working his late-night shift at the hospital, we would go out to eat. I haven’t seen Dad much lately. He claimed to be constantly busy. I asked him twice what he did for a living, but each time he changed the subject and forced me to leave. I stopped asking him, even though I knew something was wrong because I was too afraid to push further.

“I know it’s hard, but we have to do it…” I heard my mom say to the person on the other end of the phone.

“Yes, bye,” she hung up the phone and sighed. She looked at me and gave me a weak smile.

“Honey, I have to go. I will drop you off at home first, and then I’ll do something. I’ll be home by midnight,” she said, and I nodded.

She grabbed my hand and led me to her car.

But we didn’t make it that far. I heard gunshots being fired, and I crouched down, screaming in fear.

I barely had time to check where the gunfire was coming from because everything happened so quickly. I was too afraid to look up and see who was responsible for this. I made the decision to stumble toward our car, which wasn’t too far from where I was. When I finally reached the vehicle, I saw the fog surrounding me and the bright light coming from my right side. I quickly got into the car and hid.

As the fog gradually dissipated, I saw a body lying on the ground. I strained my eyes to make out the person’s silhouette.

My eyes widened when I saw the lifeless body of my mother lying there. I gasped and tried to crawl towards her, but my focus changed when a tall figure dressed in black hovered over my mother’s dead body. I tried not to move or sob, but it was impossible at that moment. I placed both hands over my mouth and tried my best to hold back my tears, focusing on my breathing. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. When I finally caught my breath, I opened my eyes to see what was happening. Once again, I saw the tall figure standing in front of the lifeless body of my mother. He was holding a gun and pointing it at her. I heard his faint voice, but I couldn’t make out the words.

As the tall figure pulled the trigger, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I screamed while my mother was shot. The figure inspected my mother’s body briefly to determine if she was still alive before walking away. I waited for him to leave before I approached my mother.

Suddenly, I started coughing due to the smoke outside, and they noticed me. They were about to run from where I was hiding. I wanted to run, but my feet felt frozen. Out of nowhere, the police arrived.

I scurried out from beneath the car when I heard a car’s engine, and it sped away. I hurried to my mother and crawled back under the car, still screaming in fear.

“Mom?” I cried.

“Mom… please!” I screamed and stared at her. I noticed her hand move up toward me. She weakly opened her eyes and looked at me. She started coughing blood, and I didn’t know what to do.

“M-mom… please. Don’t die…I need you,” I whispered and cried at the same time. She reached her hand out and wiped away my tears.

“D-don’t cry… y-you know what I’ve told you,” she coughed. “Crying makes you weak,” she whispered, and I immediately wiped away my tears.

“Mom, please… hold on, don’t die. I need you,” I said, trying to calm down.

She started coughing heavily. “Just know that I love you, and if you ever need me, I’m always here.” She pointed her index finger to my heart. That’s when I couldn’t hold back my tears, and I let them flow.

“Mom, please! Don’t leave me,” I cried again.

She closed her eyes and took her last breath. My eyes widened, and I shook her shoulders.

“No, Mom! Please, don’t leave me, Mom!” I screamed.

I lowered my head and screamed, begging her to come back to me, but she didn’t respond. I screamed at her for leaving me alone. I screamed that she didn’t love me. I screamed with all my soul, but she wouldn’t respond.

What did I do to deserve this?

“Mom… please…”

I opened my eyes and saw nothing but cold and complete darkness. I wiped away tears from my face and tried to regain control of my emotions.

“It was just a dream,” I whispered to myself. Even though I knew it was more than just a dream because I knew she wasn’t alive anymore. I witnessed her death. And the death of my mother still haunts me.

Dreams are a state of mind in which someone is or seems to be unaware of their immediate surroundings. Dreams often reflect our conscious or unconscious need to escape or deal with something passing or upcoming in reality.

Have you ever experienced “falling dreams”?

A falling dream is when you fall from a high point. Some people say that when you fall in your dream, it means an angel lets go of you while guiding you to heaven.

Some say that falling tends to signify a loss of control over an important situation. It also indicates fear, terror, and anxiety stemming from losing your grip on significant outcomes.

But dreams can also be positive or negative experiences.

However, you know that nightmares are the worst. Having such dreams can make you feel vulnerable. It can make you fearful of sleeping because you know what might await you in your dreams.

Nightmares are often caused by anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.

Sometimes nightmares feel so vivid and real that you’re scared to wake up, fearing that you’ll face the same thing or situation you envisioned.

But that’s not the point. To confront your fears, you need to take some time for yourself. You cannot face them when you’re feeling anxious. You have to distract yourself from the anxiety.

Breathing is the most effective way to calm down, and you can do it when you’re trying to face your fears.

Don’t fight it; just let it be.

After you confront them, you’ll feel oddly satisfied, with a sense of relief coursing through your body.

Talking about your fears doesn’t make you weak or vulnerable. It simply shows how strong you are. It reveals what you’ve been through and demonstrates that you can overcome those fears.

Life is hard enough as it is, but it becomes even harder with numerous heavy burdens on your back. It’s time for me to move on and start a new life with a fresh journey. Don’t let yourself suffocate from the weight of the past.