I wake up with a bolt from sleep, I am panting and sweating. My head is aching badly, I just had a nightmare and I seem not to be myself.

Disarray, I get up from the bed and go to the bathroom. I face the mirror and stare at my reflection, my face is pale and ashen. I splash water on my face and lean on the tiled wall as I am still shaken by the nightmare.

I brush my teeth and try to recollect the dream. Recalling the dream is a problem, it seems like the memory of the dream disappeared as I woke up from sleep. All I know is that I just had the most scary dream of a lifetime. Anyway, I'm glad I can't remember what happened.

However, I shower quickly, dress up in a polo and pants and put on my sneakers. I try combing my wet hair, as I don't have much time to get it dried up properly, but decides to pull it into a ponytail. Likewise, I apply some lipstick and mascara and head downstairs.

The smell of coffee greets me as I enter the kitchen. Margaret, my best friend, is preparing coffee and some toast with peanut butter.

Margaret and I have being best friends since high school. So, we moved in together when we started college.

“Wow… My favorite,” I said as I sit on the chair beside the breakfast bar.

“Good morning, Laura, how was your night?”

“Terrible, I had a nightmare,” I respond dejectedly as I begin to help lay the table.

“Come on, girl, it's just a dream. You don't have to be this sour this morning, and you will get better”. Margaret said in a cheerful and motherly tone.

Well, lucky her, I'm anything but cheerful this morning.

Sincerely, I am a bit shaken. I really need to pull myself together. I so hate nightmares, and she knows that. So anytime I have one, Margaret always tries to cheer me up.

“ I'm okay,” I lie. “Besides, I can't remember what happened”.

“That's good to hear”

“You should eat something,” she places the food on the table and sits next to me.

I roll my eyes as she sounds like my mother.

I take a sip of my coffee. It's very hot, but I keep drinking. The coffee seems to help as I begin to relax. We both eat in silence, and I really need a distraction from my nightmare. It still affects me so much, even though I can't remember what happened. So, I spit out a topic that I am not meant to talk about.

“How's you and Jason?” The words are out before I can stop myself.

There's a momentary silence, and I curse myself inwardly for bringing up such a sour topic this morning.

Jason is Margaret's boyfriend, and they were really in love with each other, not until she caught him kissing another girl. He has been trying to apologize and explain things to her, but Margaret has refused to hear him out. I've also tried talking to her to let him explain because the whole charade seems strange and so unlike Jason.

Maybe it was all a setup and the gentleman just needs a listening ear. I feel sorry for him though because he kissed someone, not like he had sex with the girl.

Well, I know nothing about relationships, I should have just kept my mouth shut.

“We broke up” she answers sadly after what seems like decades.

“And don't think of talking me out of this, I wonder why you don't see this as a big deal. Maybe when you start dating, you will finally understand that you don't just see your man kissing another girl and keep quiet. You're supposed to be on my side and not his Laura, for crying out loud!”

“Oh no, Maggie, you don't get my point, I didn't say you should keep silence, but I expect you to listen to him first. I know I've never being in a relationship, but am not a novice in this kind of situation. I want you to hear him out because the whole thing doesn't make sense to me. Not only that, but I know he loves you and wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, delibera…”

“Okay… okay, you never told me you were a love expert but without experience. Can we let this slide? I mean, it's too early to be discussing this, this morning”.

“Yeah, but you should consider what I just said”

“Maybe”

Maybe??? I'm about to interject, but decides to let her be. She's yet to come over it, maybe with time. I love her so much and don't like seeing her sad.

I eat hurriedly because I am getting late for work and I wouldn't want to see a stern and angry Mr. Pedro, who is my boss, on a Saturday morning. Likewise, I will be working all day today because I usually take night shifts on weekdays.

“Am off to work, take care of yourself” I said and get up as soon as am done eating, and head towards my room to get my bag.

“Bye, see you later” she said.

*****

Two weeks from now and I will be a college graduate with my degree. I'm convinced that I will get a good job in one of the top companies in the state after graduation because of my high GPA. It has always been my dream to work in Wellington enterprises. It is owned by a prominent billionaire, Mr. Wellington. The stakes are high, and it's difficult to get a job there.

I walk around the restaurant where I work, receiving and placing customers order. Twenty minutes to break, and I can't wait. I am so famished, and I can barely walk properly.

“Laura, how are you doing?”

I can recognize that voice from anywhere, and my day just got better. Well, I'm just being sarcastic as always.

Kelvin, my coworker, comes to give me a bear hug while beaming at me with his contagious smile. Kelvin is an attractive guy with blonde hair and hazel eyes.

I can't help but smile back at him. “Famished”.

“We can go out together for lunch”

Oh, no, … not again. Kelvin has been asking me out for a date, but I've refused to accept his proposal. I'm not ready to commit myself into a romantic relationship yet. I've being so focused on school and don't have the time to be nursing a broken heart after breakups. Maybe I can start a relationship now since am done with college. Maybe a lunch with him doesn't seem bad, I guess.

“Okay” l said.

“Okay??” He seems surprised.

“Yeah”

“Alright, see you in ten minutes”. He mutters and smiles at me.

Wow… I hope it doesn't seem like I am leading him on. Though Kelvin seems to be a nice guy, but I don't feel attracted to him, his just not the type of guy I would settle for.

I'm heading to the kitchen when I notice three men in dark suits and shaded glasses sitting at the extreme. They look like the bad guys we see in movies. It would have being easy to dismiss their dressing attire, but I feel like they are all staring at me even with their shaded glasses on.

I shake my head to clear off my jumbled thoughts. I'm just being paranoid anyway.

I am about to go to the kitchen when I hear noises from behind. I turn around and am shocked at what I see.

As I stand frozen in place, viewing the scenery before me, memories of my nightmare comes flashing in.

*****

The whole restaurant is in chaos, I'm astonished as I see men in blacks fighting. They seem to be two groups, one fighting against the other. I want to know what's happening, but everyone is running away from the restaurant.

My feet are stuck to the ground, my eyes wide open and my mouth is agape. I'm bewildered and utterly confused on what's happening.

“Run!, run!, run!” It seems to be the only thing people are saying, or rather yelling.

I then realize my stupidity, instead of me bolting for the door since the beginning of the crisis, I've being standing here trying to understand what's going on.

Few people are left, and I race to the door as I felt adrenaline rush through my body.

“Get her!, That's her!” I hear as about to get to the door.

I thought they were referring to someone else until am thrown roughly to the floor with a gun pointed at my head.

**

A gun is pointed at me now, not from the dream I just recalled, but in reality.

The whole escapade makes me daze as voices around me gradually fades, I lose consciousness and everything went black.