My name is Nia. (pronounced ‘nee-ah’ in case you’re having trouble with reading it,) anyways, I had a really scary dream not long ago. Well, hang on, I’ll give you just a little bit of background about me really fast. So I’m 14, and I was born in japan. I moved to America about 3 months ago, but I had been learning english for a few years before that. I used to be obsessed with the idea of living here, I knew I’d be able to go to a better school considering the school I went to in Japan was way too easy for me, but I miss my best friend, and our friend group a lot. Okay, that’s enough background, I’ll tell you about the dream.

On the first night, it was just a sound I’d hear in the background of other dreams. Most of the time I didn’t even hear it or realize it meant something, but the sound started to change my dreams slowly over time. It sounds like a knock, or a tap on my window. The second night with this sound, I’d be lying in my bed in the dream, and  all I’d see is my window, and all I’d hear is the knock. I wasn’t scared at first, I thought maybe it was a tree branch scraping the window, or a bird wanting to get in. The third night changed everything.

As I went to bed on the third night of my dream, I wasn’t concerned. In fact, I had forgotten the dream had even happened the past two nights. When I fell asleep, I had normal dreams. Until I heard the knock again. It flashed to my window, and I was suddenly in bed facing it again. This time, after the knock, an entity, black and large swiftly moved past my window. It wasn’t a bird, or a branch. I know that for sure. I instantly felt my body get cold and my hands sweat. My eyes widened but I said nothing. I didnt move. I woke up the next morning with a text from my best friend saying she had a weird dream too. I pulled my curtains shut.

On the fourth night, I had a quick thought about my dream again, but decided I could easily change it by thinking about happy things before I went to bed. This had worked previously when I was younger and had nightmares often. I thought about Japan and my old friends. I’m certain I fell asleep with a smile. However, this didn’t last long. I heard the knock and the thoughts of my hometown were ripped away. There I was, laying in my bed and looking out my window again. My window must’ve been open in my dream, because my curtains were flowing with the slight breeze entering my window. I felt goosebumps race up and down my body as the cold air flirted with my skin. Tonight, I was certain the black blob that had passed by before was back again. As much as I wanted to look away, something in my gut told me not to. I continued to look forward towards my window as the breeze turned into a heavy wind, and as my curtains began to fly around without control. I heard the knock again. As the curtains flew away from the window for a second, there stood a figure with two dark red, glass-like eyes staring directly at me. Once the curtain blew back down and away again, the eyes were gone and I woke up immediately. As I frantically looked over to my window, I noticed my curtains were opened again. 

The fifth night. I knew something wasn’t right after this night, but I didn’t choose to tell someone. I should’ve. As I fell asleep, I was instantly transported to this recurring nightmare. My heartbeat began to get faster as I looked out the window. No breeze, but my window was still open and my curtains were still pulled back. I tried reminding myself that this was only a dream and that it’d all be over soon, but it didn’t help the deep feeling of fear that overwhelmed my stomach. I blinked, and suddenly the eyes were back, looking at me. My heart was beating hard enough for me to hear it, and my eyes opened so far that it hurt. I still didnt move, and I still fell silent. I watched the eyes shift towards the small gap my window had created by being open. They shifted to the crack, then back at me, then back to the crack. I started to think about what could happen next. My eyes started to slowly leak and my pillow was soon wet underneath the side of my face. I felt my jaw clench down as I began to prepare for whatever this thing was planning. Then I watched what I can only assume is its hand creep through the crack slowly, before I woke up again. I gasped for air as I sat up fast. I looked down at my pillow and saw a damp spot, and looked to my window to see a gap. 

On the sixth night, I was angry. Angry that this thing had begun to invade my space, even if it was only through a nightmare. I looked up how to get rid of recurring nightmares, and all I found was to either stay awake, or do my best to change the dream. The dream was affecting more than just my night time routine. I was scared to look at windows, scared of hearing knocks. I was nervous to talk, and scared of the people around me in public places. I stopped talking to my friends from my hometown. My mom noticed I wasn’t eating as much, and I was sleeping less. It was time to put this to an end, so I tried to change the dream. 

It didn’t like that. 

I went to bed knowing what was going to happen, and knowing what my plan was. I was going to move. I was going to look away. So I did. When I fell asleep and the window appeared, I simply turned over in my bed, facing the wall. I had genuinely thought this had worked, I thought the dream was over and I could go on with my life, but I soon found out I was wrong. I heard the knock, and I ignored it. While doing my best to pretend I wasn’t afraid, I tried thinking of my hometown again. Soon, I heard the knock much louder. I ignored it. The knock turned into an angry pound, and I could feel that it wanted me to look at it, but I didn’t. I was determined. That made it angry. I heard the arm reenter my window, and slide it up slowly. My stomach sank as I heard the window screech up, and something shuffled it’s way though. After I heard the creature plop onto my floor, and my window screeched back down, the room fell silent. I heard nothing. I refused to turn over at this point, too terrified I’d be greeted by the eyes in my own space. I stared into the awful darkness as the silence pierced my ears. Then I woke up. 

The seventh night, was more than most definitely the worst. This time I entered the dream facing the wall, as if I was in a video game and began where I had left off. It felt as if my insides were twisting as the fear instantly set in. was it in my room? Was it standing still? What does it want? What is…it? My fists balled and my nails dug into my skin as I held them as tightly as I could. I closed my eyes hard, and tried to think of anything better, but it was as if my thoughts would disappear as they came. Soon I surrendered to the situation I was in. I relaxed my eyes but kept them closed. I breathed deeply and let it go. I felt the same thing on my neck behind me. A deep breath in, and the breath releasing. I froze. It was behind me. I began to cry silently again, frozen still with the hot air still releasing on my neck and ear. I could hear it struggling for air, and its teeth chattering as if it were cold. Its finger traced my spine and I almost let out a whimper of fear, but I kept it inside. it whispered to me. The voice felt like it didn’t belong with the creature i had seen. The voice was soothing and calm, but it had no emotion attached to it. It only said, “I’m your only friend now” before I woke up again. Relieved and terrified, I slammed my window shut and didn’t sleep the next night. 

That was a month ago. That was the last of my dreams. Once things seemed to have ended, I talked to my best friend from Japan again. We talked about school, and how everyone was, but soon the vibe of the conversation shifted. She told me about her dreams, and they were almost identical to mine. I didn’t tell her about my experience, I don’t know why i kept it to myself, but I’m starting to think I need to tell her. Do you think she’ll be mad that I didn’t tell her when I had the chance? I heard the knock again last night, except, this time, I was awake. I’m scared.