Figment of Dreams
Ethan

The mall again.

I’m glad it wasn’t the trailer park but still. I was sick and tired of always ending up in this same place and not being able to actually buy anything. I had seen some cute things.

I knew Ethan was not far. I glanced to the ice cream store and there he was, like every other time I was in this particular dream. He looked up from his milkshake, swiping his long black hair behind his ears, and flashed those pearly whites at me.

I never could talk to anyone about my crush on this dream boyfriend of mine, but damn was he cute. My mind had concocted up someone I was madly attracted to and it was the only part of my dreams that I actually liked. It was the only thing that had gotten me through these last years without Jax, that at night, however horrible my nightmares would be, I got to see Ethan again.

I got to spend some time with him and that made me giddy inside. I decided a long time ago to just take my time being happy before I was murdered again.

‘Babe.’ He pecked me softly on the lips and I sat down next to him. My dream muffin was already placed in front of me, but I couldn’t eat it. Yet, I appreciated the gesture.

I glanced at the other people in the dream, but as always they were unrecognizable.

‘Still, nothing’s changed?’ he asked me.

I nodded.

He grabbed my hand. ‘Come here…’

He pulled me on his lap and hugged me while kissing my temple. ‘I told you I will replace a way.’

‘If you weren’t such a great figment of my imagination I would actually believe you.’

He chuckled. ‘For the millionth time. I’m real Jules.’

‘Sure you are.’ I kissed him back, still founding it strange he called me Jules and not by my real name. I had told him this many times and yet my dream boyfriend never got the memo. He tasted like mint and chocolate, like every other time I had kissed him no matter the location.

He softly put a strand of hair out of my face and kissed my nose. ‘I wish I could hold you.’

I slid higher into his lap and put my arms around him.

He sighed. ‘That was not what I meant-’ he winced.

Like he was in pain. He always did this in every dream. I really didn’t understand any of it.

‘Then what did you mean?’ I played with my straw and glanced at him from underneath my lashes.

He smiled softly and put a stray hair behind my ear.

‘One day… when-’

The coldness seeped in. It was time for the final act again. Every damn time Ethan was close to explaining anything about this dream situation we were in, he would come. It was almost as if a bell had been rung signaling his ominous appearance.

In this dream, the Mall Dream, I would always end up running. Away from my murderer. I had tried every single store and every single outcome but he always found me and gutted me from my stomach to my neck. I could feel the pain as I woke up. Every damn time.

Ethan would run with me, and try to help me. But he never succeeded. The Dark Stalker always found me, no matter what I tried.

The Mall was my favorite of all the nightmares.

Even though it always ended in pain, it hurt less than all the others.