I've Had This Dream...

Annie

Everyone has dreams. Each night, little movies playing in our heads as we drift off to sleep.

I remember this dream. Repeating itself every night like a broken record player.
I'm with a little girl, and we're in a small room with nothing but a toychest and a couple of stuffed animals.

The little girl and I are sitting on the floor with toys in hand. The toys look old, like they've been there for a while. Stained teddy bears, broken porcelain dolls, dirty Barbies. No doubt that there was a spider lurking about in one of those dolls, or even in the chest.
As we play, the little girl begins to speak. "When I tell you this, Jess, you have to, HAVE to keep it a secret!"
I smile and nod as she asks, "Do you promise? Like really, really promise?"

"Yes, Annie! I really, really promise!" I say with anticipation, wanting to know so badly of what she had to say.
Suddenly there's banging on the door. An angry sort of banging, like we weren't supposed to be in there.

The door had a rusty padlock on the knob, but it's no use to the door now being kicked by what seemed like a very strong force.

The door burst open as a large man glared at us. Eyes full of anger and hatred.
The large man spoke, his voice booming all about the small echoey room.
"I thought I told you girls to STAY. OUT."
Fear filled us as he started towards us. The girl, who's apparently called Annie, scooted towards me and fell into my arms. We hugged as the man picked us up by our shirt collars and dragged us out of the room.

The dream ends with the man dragging us to a balcony, tears streaming down our faces and dread eating us up.

It felt so real.

I always wake up wondering what Annie had to say. Questions filling my head like, "Who was that man?" "Who's Annie? I don't recall having a sister.." or "What is that place? What did she wanna tell me?"

It always ends up with me waking up confused. Always forgetting where I am. Wondering where I was and where I'm waking up.

I always wake in a sweat. Sometimes I think I'll never know who Annie or the very angry man is.
But maybe I'm wrong.
As I wake from the events that transpired in my head, I rise out of the sheets and my feet meet the cold hardwood floor.

I sit for a moment as I try to recall what happened. Small details slipping my mind the more I try to remember.
It happens every time.
I check my phone and the time's 6:37 a.m. Like clockwork.

DING!
Is that my doorbell? This early? I thought to myself, as the early bird at my door continued to ring the bell relentlessly.
DIIIIINNG!! DING DING DINGG!
"Okay! Geez, I'm coming!"
I quickly slip on a pair of shorts and a plain white tee and make my way to my white apartment door.

I open my door and see a very disappointed face meeting mine.
Fuck.
"Well, well, well. LOOK who it is. The girl who forgot we had coffee to get together this morning!"

The man standing in front of me, the very impatient one, is named Josh. Joshua James Pinwood if you want the full name.
He's my best friend.
And I forgot about today.

My face falls into a regretful expression as his eyebrows lift and he speaks.
Entering my door, he says, "Yep. That's right, COFFEE! Coffee that you forgot about. For what, the fourth time this week?"
Holding two cups of coffee, he hands me one with a very reluctant face.

"Don't look at me like that, Josh." I say, sipping my coffee and looking at him with a sorry face.

"Did you have it again?"

I look at him and sigh.
"Yeah.. like always."

"Same dream?"

"Yep.."

Josh looks at me with dread and curiosity.
"Who do you think Annie is?"

"Don't know.. I don't think I ever will."

"Don't talk like that, Jess. What about the man? Still no name to his face?"

"Nope, no name. Just an angry man with an angry voice."

I set down the coffee as Josh plops onto my grey couch.
"Nice, comfy couch you have here Jess. Maybe you should try sleeping here. Maybe a new sleeping place will give you some new dreams."

I look at him with a sad face. He already knows what I'm about to say.
"Tried that, remember? I've tried everything... New jobs, new house, new beds. New everything! Nothing works. Nothing makes sense! I want it all to make sense! For once!"
I put my head in my hands as I sit at my kitchen table. Trying to make sense of it all.
There's silence before Josh speaks up.
"I'm sorry, Jess."

"For what?"

"For... all of this. For nothing making sense. I wish I knew what to do."

"Look... Josh.. I-"
I'm interrupted by a sudden ringing.

"Is it my phone?"

"No, I think it's mine. One second."

He takes his phone out of his pocket and turns wide eyed as he reads the caller ID.
"Oh.. Listen, Jess, I gotta take this. But coffee tomorrow, yeah?"
I nod as he picks up his phone and slips out of my apartment, leaving me with wonder and my thoughts.

Alone.

Again.