Nightmare

James lay silently in bed as his zen music played at a low soothing tone, the ionized air filter was at near full power and the hemp gummies he took were well on the way to working. All in all, he was fully relaxed sleeping soundly. Then the dream started. It was peaceful at first, a nice stroll through the park with some blonde haired beauty, they were holding hands smiling and laughing as they went along. Then there was shouting, yelling hitting, a knife cut between him and the girl then into the girl's chest with blood... lots of blood. The knife that cut her appeared in his hand, his fingers wrapped tightly around it. Then--.

Then that's when James awoke in his bed with a raging scream gripping at the sheet that covered him up to his shoulders. He tried to remember the details of the dream, but could only remember the blonde haired beauty covered in blood with him standing over her with a knife.

“Oh God,” he cursed as he looked at the clock to see what time it was, which was just after midnight. He heard the sounds of yelling coming from the living room down the hall, so he cautiously climbed out of bed and opened the bedroom door to find the main door open. As he moved closer to the main door, the yelling grew louder.

“I belong here,” a decidedly female voice said in protest of something that was previously said.

“I doubt that very much,” a gruff sounding male said. “I live... I live... I live just a few apartments down... and I never saw you here before.”

“What's going on here?” James placed his hand on the woman's shoulder, as he looked at her he realized that it was the same girl from his dream. He positioned himself between the girl and the man.

“Will you tell this...” Melissa looked at the huge brutish man who barely stood outside the apartment door, she sized him up and down, all 6½ feet of him, “...man that I belong here?”

“Robert,” James looked at the man, a half empty bottle of Vodka dangled precariously from his fingers, “this is Melissa, she is staying with me for a while, so you'll be seeing a lot of her.”

“I just... I just saw her lurking... outside your door,” Robert spoke in a slur.

Melissa presented a pack of cigarettes. “I wasn't lurking, I was smoking a cigarette.”

“Not that it should matter to you,” James said, “now go home, and let us get back to bed.”

Melissa watched as Robert walked towards his apartment and James close and lock the door. “I'm sorry if you were awakened by what was going on.”

“It's OK. I was having a bit of a nightmare anyway.”

“Oh,” Melissa sighed, “wanna tell me about it?”

“That's the thing about dreams and nightmares, you don't always remember what happens. All I remember is that you were in it.”

“And what were we doing,” Melissa said playfully.

An image of Melissa covered in blood came to mind. He checked Melissa for any signs of blood, but there were none. “It doesn't matter, it was just a nightmare.”

“Alright,” Melissa climbed into the bed with James.

“Do you think that outside noises can influence dreams?”

“Of course they do. This Zen music your listening to creates a relaxing and peaceful environment which helps to reduce stress and anxiety.”

“So, the argument you were having with Robert could have invaded that peaceful environment and turned my peaceful dream into a bloodfest.”

“Bloodfest?” Melissa scoffed. “I think that those horror movies you watched before going to bed may have been an influencer in that. A double feature of the Conjuring movies will do that to anybody!”

“I guess you're right.”

It took James almost a full hour to get back to sleep, and when he did, the same dream as before began; a nice stroll through the park with Melissa, they were holding hands smiling and laughing as they went along. Then there was shouting, yelling hitting, a knife cut between him and her then into Melissa's chest with blood... lots of blood. The knife that cut her appeared in his hand, his fingers wrapped tightly around it. Then--.

James awoke and Melissa wasn't asleep next to him, there was a violent knocking on the door.

“I know...I know that girl is still in there.”

“Robert...” James said almost as if the name itself was a curse as he flung the door open. “What the hell do you want?”

“I want you to...” Robert had to stop and think for a moment. “Oh yeah...”

“You don't even know what you want!” James said after a brief pause.

“I do. I want you...”

“I'm sure you do,” James looked at the now empty bottle.

“I didn't mean it that way. I just want you...”

“You already said that,” Melissa said.

“Shut up bit--.”

“I wouldn't finish that sentence, if I were you.” Melissa glare at Robert.

“Listen,” James demanded, “go home, sleep it off and let us all forget about this conversation. It's 1:00 on the morning!”

“Listen man,” Robert whined as he stepped inside the doorway and wrapped his arms around James, then pressed his forehead against James'. “I love you, you know that, right?”

“You only say that when you're drunk,” James pushed Robert back and away, back outside, “the rest of the time you don't give a rat's ass if I live or die.”

“I mean it,” Robert stepped back through the door so he could embrace James, “I love you!”

“Get your hands off me!” Again, James pushed Robert back outside. “And I don't remember inviting you in.”

“Sorry,” Robert apologized, “but all I want is for you to get rid of that girl!”

“Girl?” Melissa scoffed. “First of all, I'm well into my 20's so I'm not a girl.”

“Besides, who I allow into my apartment is my business; not yours.” James ended by slamming the door into Robert's face.

“James, please,” Robert called through the door, “I have a bad feeling about her, and it's not going to end well for one of us!”

“For God's sake, leave us alone and go home!” James yelled back, then went off to bed.

Again, it took James almost an hour to get himself to go to sleep. When he did, the dream began again, only this time it was different as Robert played no small part in it. He and Melissa were having their walk and Robert came by and began pestering him to get rid of the girl then the knife was produced.

James was awakened by a violent pounding on the door. Followed by an angry voice. “Open the damn door, I know you're awake!”

“At 2am I shouldn't be,” James mumbled, then looked at Melissa, “stay in here and lock the bedroom door behind me.”

“What are you going to do?” Melissa asked.

“Something I should have done two hours ago.”

“Don't do anything you'll regret on my account!” Melissa shut and locked the bedroom door

“I won't,” James called back as he made his way down the short hallway, then pulled the door open with a thrust and stare Robert in his glazed eyes. “What you are doing is harassment!”

“No!” Robert protested. “It's not. Just get rid of the girl and I'll leave you alone.”

“What do you have against someone you haven't even seen before two hours ago?”

“Who says I have anything against her? She can do whatever it is she does somewhere else.”

“GO HOME!”

“Not until I get rid of the girl!” Robert tried to push his way into the apartment, but James was standing in the way and was trying to push the door closed.

“Get out of here!”

“She's going to come in between what you and have!”

“And what is it that we're supposed to have that she's going to get in between?”

“Just let me in!” Robert punched at James hard enough to knock him to the floor and stepped over him before he could react. He pulled out a butcher knife and kicked the bedroom door in.

“James!” Melissa cried out as she backed up against the wall.

“I will... give you... one chance... to get out of here!” Robert waved the knife in Melissa's face.

“Why are you doing this to someone you don't even know?”

“It's because he's drunk,” James said, “and not thinking clearly.”

“Oh, I am thinking very, very clearly!” Robert erratically swung out at Melissa with the knife, cutting her, just like in the dream.

“That's it, I'm done playing around,” James flung himself out at Robert and knocked him to the floor and the knife out of his hand.

“Just let me deal with the girl!”

“You're drunk, psychotic, and a murderer!”

“Oh, she's not dead,” Robert slurred out, “at least not yet! Look, she's... still alive!”

“Are you OK?”

“Yes I am,” Melissa responded, “he did cut me though.”

James had located a long heavy zip-tie and fastened Robert's wrists together.

“What's that for?” Robert asked as if he had the right to be confused.

“To hold you until the police get here,”

“There's no need for that!” Robert slurred out.

“They're already on their way,” Melissa waved her cellphone in the air.

“You can't prove that I was here to do you any harm!”

“Really,” James looked at the bloody knife on the floor, the door that was kicked in, with his shoe-print where it counted.

“Aw come on, don't do that to me!”

“But wait,” Melissa played back a video of him swinging the knife at her, “there's more!”

“It's not a major cut, a few stitches and you'll be fine!” Robert scoffed. “It's not like I was out to kill you!”

“Try telling that to the police,” James said as he heard a knock on the front door.

“Tell them... tell them to go away they don't need to arrest me.”

“They're going to arrest you,” James guided Robert and I'll have them send a copy of the police report to the property manager.”

“Not the property manager, even if I'm not convicted, I'll still be evicted. You know they have a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women!”

“No shit!” James popped the door open and two police officers stood there, he began to tell them what happened over the previous two hours.

It took all of the rest of the night to deal with what was going on, which included Melissa going to the ER to get stitches, then to the police station to officially press charges for breaking and entering and attempted murder. Then it was off to the property manager to give a copy of the police report.

James finally lay back in his bed, despite the fact that it was well after noon and tried to get in a few hours sleep with his Zen music playing and Melissa with him.

“Pleasant dreams,” said Melissa.

The dream began as it always did, only this time it continued on and on peacefully without intrusion or interruption.