Last Night's Nightmare

I don't remember why but I was chasing after him with one of those big knives most people use for cutting meat and vegetables in the kitchen. He was running, and rightly so, because I had no intention of letting him live. It was for some just reason or another. I pursued him from the kitchen to a staircase which he ascended impossibly fast.

From the top of the stairs he reached for something I couldn't see until he held it up and grinned. And from the bottom of the stairs I looked in terror at the knife he held and the intention in his eyes. His knife was also of the kitchen variety, yet thinner, longer, and curved along the edge and back like a saber. He lunges down the stairs and laughs maniacally. I black out.

My eyes open; in the dream. Not in reality. I'm still at the bottom of the stairs and I'm unharmed. Lying next to me is not the knife I had before but on of those small, dull knifes we use to eat our dinner. I walk around the house looking for something I can actually use to defend myself. Wherever I look the potential weapons have been replaced with the same kind of knife I awoke with. I find my sister reading on the couch; unworried and undisturbed.

I figure he must have left. But I walk into the living room and I know he is behind me. I turn to see him holding both of the deadly kitchen knives from before. He grins and releases a light chuckle which sends my falling over myself into the kitchen and on the floor. On my back, staring at him as he approaches, fear is causing me to breath loudly, heavily, and quickly--working my way up to a terrible scream. He lunges at my fallen self-- both blades driving towards my chest.

I awake; into reality this time. My girlfriend asks if I'm okay and comments on my strange breathing up till I awoke. I assure her I'm okay. She falls back asleep and likely forgets altogether. But I have to give one long, slow scan of my room before I can rest. I need to make sure there are no crazed men with knives waiting for me to let my guard down. I consider locking the door, but write it off as silly and fall back asleep.