Sasha Chernyshova

Forgotten Dreams

The bed sheets formed a labyrinth around Lexi’s legs, constricting her movement, as she gasped awake. She grasped at what little bit of reality she could reach, digging her nails into her thigh with enough strength to almost draw blood. The gesture was meant to be grounding, but did little to ease the frustration she felt, as the terrifyingly vivid experience she had just moments ago was already fleeting. She woke for the 37th night in a row with nothing but a faint recollection of the essence of her dreams. It felt as if each night she was abducted, taught the secrets of the universe, and wiped off her memory shortly before her return. She couldn’t abandon the thought that she was supposed to remember something. That somehow, her life hinged on understanding a journey she could not recall, and that absolutely devastated her ability to function during her waking hours.