Dream Demons

"Come with me" he said.

I could not yet tell who he was but obediently I followed. I knew not where we were headed but it was a familiar place. Even still, it all felt too wrong. My feet were moving even though I willed them not to. It felt as if I was being lead into a trap; What was going on?

"Come, come, do not be scared. The more you try to fight the less control you will have" the mysterious shadow said to me.

Question's still tossed around in my head, Who was he? Where were we going? Something inside me knew I didn't want to reach our destination. We drew closer and I could feel we were almost there. Too close now. Right as my mind started to wonder we stopped moving. All I could do is stare into the nothingness before. I was in a confused daze. Was I brought here for a reason or was this my inevitable doom? Then, out of no where an image started to appear. Then everyone started moving. It was a scene from my past, I was a child. I could see the pain and the suffering in my eyes. I was on the outside, looking in through the front window. It was night time and my silhouette framed on the window. The child version of myself saw me and was instantly scared. I could see I was pretending to sleep. I tried to yell to him everything was okay, that it was just me. How could my younger self ever understand anyway?

"Come, we must go and let nature take its course" the stranger said.

As much as I wanted to stay, I had no choice but to follow. I floated back as everything started to fade away. It was like we were every where, but no where all at once. It felt like an eternity I was floating until finally, another picture formed. It was a still frame of my family and again, all at once, everyone started moving. They all looked so sad. I realized I was not there. In the center was a coffin. I saw a face that looked like my fathers but as I approached it all started to get further away. I burst into tears as it all disintegrated.

"Do you understand yet?" I was asked.

I didn't understand nor could I speak to ask questions. I was struggling to understand the purpose. Again, we were forced to move. This time, it was almost instant. another picture formed. It was me, standing there, frozen in time. I could see I looked happy but I could see I was missing something in my life. Then I came to life suddenly. I was looking around now, searching for something. Then my mother appeared through thin air. She looked sick. Too sick. She was looking at me and as we caught eyes, she turned. She mouthed "you're no son to me". I fell to my knees and responded "what did I do"? She mouthed back "you left them. You left them all alone". Before I could respond or comprehend what was going on everything evaporated again.

"This is the end of the road" the stranger said, then continued "it's time to wake up now".

I was finally able to speak. "Who are you" I asked abruptly?"

Without turning around he responded "I am the demon in your dreams, and I am here to stay".

It echoed continuously until my eyes finally opened.