Premonition

Chuck has us choosing a strange photo off Google. I picked mine from 'Doctor Strange'... it looked interesting weird to my mind as a story worked out immediately as I looked at it.

enjoy.

The glass was cold to my touch and the cityscape appeared as dead as my mood. But I wasn’t sure when I was...

...where I was...

Alive or dead... awake or dreaming... this place seemed familiar, and yet it wasn’t. I raised my dirty face to the sky as I beat my fists against the glass and started screaming a scream nobody heard...

“Help! Help me please!” My voice cracked as the rain beat against the windows of my house and the thunder drum rolled overhead. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I sighed, “Just a storm.”

I’d been suffering through similar nightmares for weeks and yet had no idea what they meant. Swinging my legs over the edge of my bed, I rested my hands on my knees and looked outside as the lightning flashed and thunder responded.

I wasn’t going to get anymore sleep tonight – not with a storm around – so I rose, padded across my room and picked up my dressing gown and pulled it on. It was time to see if we had electricity, see if the storm had knocked out the power yet.

Flicking the living room light, I found nothing came on, “Yep, nothing.”

I walked out to the floor to ceiling windows taking in the cityscape and had the feeling of déjà vu. It wasn’t a comforting feeling either. Slowly I walked over to the windows and peered out across the city of darkened windows and found only a few lights were on.

This wasn’t because of the storm.

This was something else.

Looking down into the street, I noticed cars were on the streets. But most were burnt out, still smouldering as the rain poured from the storm skies.

I wondered: Am I still dreaming or ... am I awake?

Placing my hands upon the smooth glass in front of me, I felt the chill of the outside greet my fingertips. But then, in my dream, I could feel that as well... so really, am I awake right now or not?

My gut cooled as I pulled them away quickly and my mouth turned dry, “Shit.” I had spotted that the garden beyond the glass was dead, not from neglect, but from... “...acid.” I whispered to myself, “This is no ordinary storm.”

“No it’s not, Peter.” A voice said behind me.

I spun to find a well-dressed man standing in the gloom of my living room leaning on an ivory walking stick. Looking him up and down, “Who in the hell are you?”

“Well, I’m a bit like you... this is no ordinary storm, but then, you and me? We’re no ordinary humans; and to stop this thing, we have to work together.”

“Aren’t you my enemy?”

Turning, he smiled in the gloom of my living room, a diamond glinted from his mouth, “I might be, but then, I’m not the enemy to everyone. I can help you... you did scream for help, didn’t you?”

“I was sleeping.”

“Were you?”

“Yes.”

“Come back to your room and let’s see if you were.” He walked back to my bedroom, and I followed him to find somebody was in my bed, “Who in the hell...” I stopped as I stepped closer and the man turned on the bedside lamp, “How come that didn’t work before?”

“It won’t for you, but it does for me.”

I wasn’t sure about what that meant, and didn’t wish to ask as I looked closer at the person and found it was me! I was in my bed still!

But how could I be if I was...

I turned and looked at him, “I don’t understand... how can.. I’m here.. and I’m there... and...” I took a step back, stumbling and backing away from him, “You’re not real, I’m dreaming this!” I ran out to my living room, where I spotted a helicopter passing overhead. I raced over to the windows.

“Help me! I’m here! Please land and get me!” I pounded against the dirty glass of my condo. I raised my dirty face to the sky as I beat my fists against the glass and started screaming a scream nobody heard...