Thirty

Chapter I -The Dream

Every night I have the same dream. I am completely surrounded by darkness. Drops of blood slowly fall on the floor, and I can see nothing but the
pool they created. There's no sound but the dripping noise of liquid falling into liquid that in the deep silence hammered my ears like a Jackhammer. I don't know where the blood is falling from, but I always assume It's mine. In the dream I always feel emptiness, like all the
happiness in the world is being sucked out of me each time a drop falls on the floor. I stand there motionless, for what it seems and eternity until my legs give up and I fall to my knees.
At that moment, the world around me crumbles like broken glass and I wake up. The emptiness I feel every time I wake up is a constant reminder of my loss. My wife had left me, and my career is going down the shitter, all because of the damn dream.
I had gone to a shrink so many times I lost count. They always feed me the same bullshit.
"Its your subconscious reflecting events of your past." They don't know shit... You see, this is not your normal recurring nightmare. I have never dreamed anything else but the same thing for the past 29 years of my life.
My dad told me, even when I was a baby I would wake up crying hysterically in the middle of the night, and he felt helpless to console me. I have come to the conclusion I will forever be haunted by this nightmare. Today was Saturday April 3rd and tomorrow I would turn thirty.
My best friend Matt called me at 7am to remind me.

"Hey!!! morning Bobby!" Matt yelled in my ear in a enthusiastic tone.
"It's 7 in the morning on a Saturday Matt what can possibly be so important you had to call?"
"Well tomorrows your birthday bro, and oh lord do I have news for you!"     
"I told you I don't want to make my birthday a big deal Matt, I have enough shit do deal with already."
"Aw come on Bobby you deserve a little fun bro, after all its been three years since you had a relationship, I think is time you start looking for someone who can make you happy."
"Look Matt, I appreciate the sentiment but I'm not In the mood right now!" And without realizing, I was raising my voice at what I could possibly be my only friend in the world. After a few seconds of silence Matt answered.
"You had the dream again didn't you?"
"Yeah.... *sigh* Look I'm sorry Matt I ... I'll do whatever you have planned today just say what time."
"That's my bro! OK, I'll meet you at "The Burner" around 7pm, try to look somewhat decent this time Bobby."
"Ha ha funny." I answered sarcastically as I hung up the phone.

Time escaped me, before I realized It was almost seven and I was still half dressed. I called Matt and told him I was going to be a little late. I scrambled towards the car as I finished dressing. As I go down the stairs of my apartment, I felt as if the noise around me was slowly fading.
A cold pocket of dread filled my belly, like drinking cold water with an empty stomach. Everything around me seemed to slow down in time, and all I could hear was the sound of liquid falling on liquid.
Was I dreaming? No, my dreams never felt like this. I didn't feel the typical emptiness of my dreams, this time I felt horror. Each step I took felt like an eternity has passed me by. My surroundings faded like paint fades in water. I finally reached the parking lot and all I could see was a puddle of blood.
"No... This can't be real..." I think all the years dreaming the same thing are catching up to me. I must be snapping.
I look again and notice that next to the puddle stands a silhouette of what seems to be a woman. I can't make out her face, but I can tell her head is upside down. She was wearing a blue dress with a white apron, her high heels were black as the night and looked brand new.
I could hear her sobbing and mumbling, but as I try to ask her if she's OK, my voice is lost in the deep eerie silence I was trapped in.
I tried to get closer, but my feet were frozen in place. Whatever was happening, I had no control. She began screaming at the top of her lungs as she fell on her knees.
My ears were pierced with her high pitch screech, until it became unbearable. I had to cover my ears to try and muffle the screech but It was no use, the scream filled the air like a nuclear alarm, bringing me to my knees and forcing me to shut my eye tight shut, as if doing so would help the sound go away.
After a few seconds of pain all went silent, and slowly the noise of the night came to be.
"Are you OK bro?"
It was Matt's voice that made me open my eyes again.

To be continued...