Dreams Become Cold

Every night, it's the same haunting dream for Conrad Penner. He walks into a room to find a young woman, frozen solid on a couch, a thin layer of ice covering her body. She clutches something small, but he can't make out what it is. Pleading eyes meet his, and she manages to utter, "Please lift me," before her face turns motionless, and she stops breathing. It's a recurring ordeal, and Conrad, unemployed and without family, has given up figuring out its meaning, hoping it would fade away.

Picking up his cell phone, he feels the familiar markings made by his ex-girlfriend, Helen, over a year ago. Those times seem distant now. Alone and tired, he turns on the TV, hoping for a distraction. The events of the dream play out twice in one night, leaving him with a pounding headache as he wakes up in a car that crashed on an unfamiliar gravel road.

Confused and without his phone, he finds a note with his handwriting directing him to a house. The surreal journey, guided by his past scrawls, takes him over a bridge and to a mysterious house. He enters, hoping for shelter, only to find it empty. Frustrated, Conrad contemplates braving the cold again but decides to stay, exhausted from the strange events.

As he rests on the couch, Conrad discovers a folded paper with unsettling words: "Have we done something to feel the need for you? Can't hear anything when your eyes bleed." The unease intensifies when he realizes the place might not be safe. Dizziness returns, and he loses consciousness, only to wake up, sunlight filtering in.

The disconcerting reality sets in. The piece of paper on the table, once neatly folded, is now crumpled and blank. Conrad questions his sanity, wondering if this is a dream. Relief washes over him when he realizes he didn't see the recurring nightmare last night.

Feeling hunger pangs, he explores the empty kitchen, discovering a mysterious brown bottle with a faded label. The sharp smell triggers a sense of familiarity, though he struggles to place it. The freezer becomes his next hope for sustenance, and he unlocks it to find a chilling sight—Helen frozen inside, a note accusing him of betrayal.

The shock sends Conrad into a spiral of agony. Contemplating escape, he leaves the house with a dead cell phone. The outside world, bright and calm, is engulfed in flames for him. As he reaches the bridge, memories flood back, and a chilling realization hits him. The freezing wind picks up, and with a blank expression, Conrad embraces the cold, contemplating his actions and the darkness within.

I'm 19, aiming to erase all debts and gift my parents a happy home. The path? Far from easy. Jumped into work in 2020, tackled a chunk of debt, but a $2404 shadow looms. Jan 31st – deadline. Miss it, face a 20% interest slap. The struggle? Still on, but my promise to the family? Rock solid.

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