I was somewhere in a very dark place. It looked as if the place was haunted. The sky was pitch black and there were weird looking stones everywhere. Suddenly, I felt as if someone was watching me from the back.

I turned around and saw the scariest scene ever. There were many dark figures surrounding me, they were wearing a black cloth with a hood. As i looked down at their hands, I saw that they were carrying a weapon,

it was a scythe. Oddly one of the figure was holding a weird looking book in its hands. I was trying to figure out what kind of book it was, when suddenly there was a big dark hole in the ground beneath my feet. I screamed as I fell down into the dark hole. I was falling deeper and deeper inside the hole. I was screaming for my life as I thought I was going to die.

I woke up on the floor beside my bed as i felt pain in my head. I must have fallen down from my bed. I heard the door of my room opening and saw my bestfriend Sara as she rushed towards me.

" What on earth happened here? Are you alright? I heard you screaming when I was about to take shower and then heard a thud noise." Sara said with a worried look her eyes.

I blankly stared at her while trying to proceed with everything in my mind. After blinking twice, I looked at her and replied.

"Uh......well, its nothing. You see I just fell off from my bed that's why I screamed, hehe." I awkwardly said.

Sara looked at me and started laughing.

"Gee.....you really scared me. You seriously fell down from your bed? Haha. How can you be so clumsy?"

She said in a mocking tone.

I pushed her away and got up from the floor.

"Shut up! I am going to get ready before we get late for the class." I went towards my bathroom as i could still hear her laughing behind me. I opened the door nob and went inside the bathroom while pouting.

**Sara and I were walking on our way to the university\, which is not really far from our house. I came to this place six months ago. My parents live in UK. I always wanted to study abroad for my further studies\, so I applied for a university in New York. As the university doesn't give dorm facility to the students\, so I decided to rent a house with my bestfriend Sara. Since then I moved in with Sara in the same house. **

Sara and I have different classes so we separated our ways.

I was siting in my class and looking outside the window. I was thinking about the nightmare that I saw the other night. It was really strange as I have never seen a nightmare like that before. It almost felt real,as if I really was in that situation. I am not the type of person who usually have many dreams. By the time I go to bed I am always so exhausted that I don't even see dreams many time.

I was lost in my thoughts when i got interrupted by the voice of the professor.

After the class was dismissed, I decided to go to the library to read a good book to set my mind off from my thoughts.

I was searching for a book that I hadn't finished last time, when suddenly my eyes fell on a familiar looking book. It was kept in the corner of the shelf in the library. I picked up the book from the shelf and looked at its front page.

The book fell from my hands when I realized that it was the same book that I had seen in my dream. How could this be possible? It has to be a coincidence, right? Maybe I might have seen this book in the library before and that's why I saw it in my dream. There is no way it could be same book. I was getting really confused. I picked the book up from the floor and put it back to the shelf from where I had taken it. As i heard a bell I decided to go back to my class.

After all our classes were our, I was standing at the gate of our university and was waiting for Sara to come out.

I was still thinking about what had happened in the library today, when I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

"Charlotte!" Sara shouted from a distance while running towards me.

"Took you long enough." I said with a annoyed face.

She laughed and said,

"Well, I always have to wait for you when you get late, so I think you deserve to know how it feels to wait for someone." She ended her sentence with a sarcastic smile.

I sighed and said,

"Anyways...... we should get going or else I will be late for my part time job."

"why do you always work so hard? You never even go to party with me anymore. You are no fun." She said with a bored face. I laughed at her statement.

We were walking on our way back while talking about the day. Then I parted ways with her as the cafe I work in was on opposite different to our house.

I was taking orders from the customers at the counter and taking money from them. I then felt as if I saw something outside the cafe but as I looked up I saw nothing. I got back to my work and started working again.

After finishing my work at the cafe, I was going on my way back to home. The streets were lonely and dark as no one was out at this hour.The cold breeze that was passing by me every second sent me chills. To get back to my home I had to pass by a alley. In front of the alley was my house. So, I was walking through the alley when I suddenly heard some noise. I looked around but I was all alone in the alley by myself. I brushed it off and started walking again.

I was almost at the end of the alley when I saw something standing at the end of the alley. As I got a clear view of it, I froze in my spot. I saw the same dark figure from the dream. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things.But when I again looked up at it, I still saw the figure standing there and staring into my soul. By this point I was really scared and confused. I didn't know what to do or what was going on. I thought there is only one way to get out of here, and that is to run. I ran as fast as I could while closing my eyes and passing through the figure.

I reached my house and quickly opened the door. I went inside and looked the door behind me.

I was panting heavily and started feeling dizzy.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ME?" I thought as I passed out.

TO BE CONTINUED.

I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times to get a clear view of my surrounding. As I was trying to remember what had happened, I got all the memories of last night, Dark alley........and....t-that figure. I sat up straight and looked around me. I saw Sara looking at me with a worried look.

"Are you feeling okay? Do you feel dizzy? What happened to you?" Sara showered her questions at me.

" Umm....I-i am fine. It's not a big deal. I must have over worked and got tired because of the work. I will be fine if I get some rest." I lied to her. If I tell her what had happened, she would not believe me and will say that I am crazy. It's best to keep this whole matter a secret for now.

" I told you not to work so hard but you just never listen to me." She nagged me.

" You know me, I like to earn my own money, I can't hep it. Don't worry, I will be fine. I will get myself a good nap for now." I said as I lied down on my bed.

"Okay, get some rest for now. I will make you some soup to make you feel better." She said. I gave her a reassuring smile as she left my room.

I looked at the ceiling, while thinking about the whole incident. That figure surely looked like the one that I saw in my dreams. It looked like a grim reaper, that I have read about in a book before. But grim reapers are just a mythical beings. How could I see a real one in front of my eyes? Its all so strange.

First I saw a horrible nightmare about it, then the book in the library........ and now this? Can it all be my imagination? But it's to real for an imagination, and why would I even imagine such things?

I sighed in frustration. How did this all happen?

I took my phone which was lying beside my bed and listened to some music to calm me down.

I wonder if I should call my parents? I probably shouldn't bother them, they must be busy with their work.

I will have to figure out this situation by myself. I have to find out whether it is my illusion or is it a reality.....

My bedrooms door opens as I saw Sara walking in with a tray and soup in her hand. I sat up straight as she walked close to my bed.

"Wow.... The soup smells nice." I said

"Ofcoures it does, I made it so it has to be the best." She said proudly.

I giggled at her statement and replied.

"I know. Thanks."

Sara kept the soup beside my bed and said,

" Finish up the soup and then get some rest I had already called your work place that you won't be coming today. I am going to University now. Take care of yourself until I come back, Okay?"

"Okay MOM!" I replied while laughing.

" Hey! Don't call me mom." She said angrily.

I laughed and said,

" Okay okay, I won't. Now get going or else you will be late."

She left my room after that. I finished all my soup and went back to sleep.

Darkness..... everything is so dark I can't see anything. Wait what is that?...............

A dark figure comes out from dark.

[ In deep evil voice ]

" Reality isn't an illusion, life is an illusion. Come back to the reality........DEATH..........BLOOD..........SOUL......

COME BACK! COME BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG!!"

"NO! STOP IT!!"

I screamed as I woke up on my bed. Sweat dripping off from my forehead, I was breathing heavily. A nightmare again.......I shook my head as I hold my head from both of my hands.

Stop Thinking! Stop Thinking about it Charlotte !! I said to myself.

After a while when I calmed down, I got up from my bed. I went to my bathroom to wash my face. I looked at myself in the mirror of my bathroom. My face was pale I looked lifeless. What is happening to me? Why is all this happening to me? Am I going crazy? Am I going to die or something?...........I am scared..........What will happen now?

I washed my face and changed my clothes. I toke out a sticky note from my table and stick it on the kitchen  table for Sara.

I went out of my house for some fresh air and to keep myself out from my thoughts. I went to a near by park where I usually go for a walk. I was walking around the park, there were children playing around the park, people walking and talking happily with there family. While everything around me was so busy and cheerful, I felt like only my time has stopped. I went to a coffee shop near the park and decided to get myself a cup of coffee. I was siting near the window of the shop while drinking coffee. People were passing by the shop. It started to turn dark. It was almost night time. I decided to take a small walk around the park before going home I had left a note for Sara at home that I am going out so that she would not worry about me. I decided to head home now. I was about to turn back when something made me froze in my step. I looked straight, shocked. There it was......again......the same figure.......No, this time I can't run away.

I built up all my courage and said to the figure.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

The figure slightly lift up it's face and what I saw was pure horror, a skull. There was an evil smile on it's face.

It spoke in deep evil voice........

" YOU ARE COMING WITH ME......"

 "WHAT?!!" I shouted with a surprise.

After that everything went blank....... I couldn't see or feel anything......... Is this it?

THE NIGHTMARE WAS ACTUALLY A REALITY NOW........

TO BE CONTINUED>