His only hope was to hit the ground running. He knew how to wake himself up to the unreal world, and he had to prepare his mind, and his legs, to cope with it. He started to run, and only then did he pinch himself.

... and realise it was that ghastly dream back again, he called for his Ma.

"Oh young Michael" laughed his mother, "are the bad dreams troubling you again?"

The young teenager looked upon his mother with sheltered eyes as the early morning sun poured through the window goldenly. His heart brushed away the coating of terror as it basked in the warmth delivered by his mothers beautiful smile.

As a single tear rolled down the youngsters face his mother wiped it away with her wonderful gentle touch and hugged him with every last strength in her arms.

He was so happy

But when he took off his pyjama top.. there they were!
My God!

Had he awoken from his nightmare?

No

Michael slowly opened his eyes once he felt her arms loosen and her body strangely falling away quite freely, as they widened he saw his mother collapse to the fall in a violent heap, the smile was gone and so was the happiness...welcome back terror

In front of him now stood his father, draped in his mothers blood and reaching for his son

Michael had not woken up; Michael was just starting a new nightmare

Michaels father seemed for a brief moment to stand motionless, frozen in time, as was his mother who now laid on the floor with her hair opening now inter mangled with the shaggy white carpet, tainting it red with her thick gushing blood.

As he tried to comprehend all that was happening and depressed to why he couldn’t run, he didn’t notice his hand scratching at his naked chest, scratching the digital clock ticking away: 21.08.22 Day 00001 Stim. 00001