Between Sleep and shadow

red her dreams-until the

der her pillow. Her dreams, when they did happen, were blurry flashes-shadows that melted with morning

e crime cases while snacking on salt and vinegar chips. Her laptop glowed beside her, Spotify still open, half a dozen t

for it without looking. A notificati

R DETECTED. Ope

tiny symbol: a crescent moon with a slash through it. A prank? Maybe Jasmine-her best friend sin

Nothing happened. The

like someone had left a window open. She checked, but all the windows were locked. She even pulled back the curt

tered. She crawled back into bed, pulling the blan

t, her dream

as ru

, the surface beneath her cracked, spiderwebbing like a windshield after a crash. The air was thick and si

n-he ap

ke that moved like ink in water. His face-or what should've

y with a pale blue glow. Her name was c

V

inted at her. Just as she reached the door, th

awake, hear

the wall was the only sound in the room. Her sheets were ta

en she

n't dropped it. She was sure of that. The window behind her desk was wide open, thoug

her breath catch

asn't

-

ning, school

hroom, staring blankly at her untouched bagel sandwich. She scrolled through her phone, checking her texts. Nothing n

ted her

call me. kinda

red. N

st: five days ago. Instagram? Silent. A

she noticed

le over-Maya and Elise-we

he transferred,

thout sayin

ghosted e

up and walked over to them. "Wa

er mom came to the office yesterday. Said she was

nse," Ava said. "She

ed. "Guess i

e would've told her. They talked every day. They w

Ava didn't s

out dreams. Reddit threads, obscure blogs, even YouTube video

eft phys

or dream

an in dre

eird symbols. But one thread caught her eye. It was buried deep

those who dream

ed a thre

That Knows

d five years ago. But

n it but something blocks me. Tall. Shadowy. Like it's made of TV static. I'

eply was a

Door. Stay out of i

was

a deep breath and clicked New Thread. She creat

peared. I have scratches. I think something's foll

hit

utes pas

reply a

w the Sha

ed. She typed b

e you? What

ans

eshed th

as g

re post-

-

the dream

floor. Same door. But this

aiting. But beside h

bo

ilver eyes that seemed to shimmer like mercury. He wore a dark hoodie an

eady yet," he

aced a hand on it, and whisper

lway sh

e up sc

ket was on the floor. Her window-lo

one screen wa

on with a sla

tapp

ed, then displayed

talled. Welcom