The dream

'I wish I had something to say too', I cribbed to myself as I trudged towards my room.

An hour ago, we 4 friends had sat in front of a bonfire and exchanged 'horror stories'- describing our experiences that included a supernatural element. Like every other time when others narrated their adventures, cracked jokes, or just sang songs, I could only muster up something lame, or, like this time, nothing at all!

I entered the room to find that Ed had already tucked himself in. He was feeling quite tired and had begged off around a half-hour before me.

I took the bed between him and the door. The room had a large window on three sides and Ed took up the fourth side that opened into a bathroom. The mild snores coming from Ed confirmed that he was already in deep sleep. I looked at my watch- it was a little past midnight.

I could feel the temperature fluctuate in the room. It must have been only ten minutes after I curled up to sleep that it began to get unbearably warm. Realising that a sweater was useless in the warmth, I took it off and slept with a thin sheet. Then heavy rain followed and I began to feel cold again. I wrapped the sheet tightly around me and somehow managed to fall asleep.

All of a sudden, a tug on the sheet woke me up. The tug grew more persistent and began to pull me towards one side. I yelled in fright and the sheet fell back on to me. I broke into a cold sweat, and did not dare to open my eyes. I slowly reached out for the sheet and quickly pulled it up to my face, breathing rapidly.

It was only a few minutes, but felt like eternity before I dared to open one eye and squint at the room around me. I could sense weird shapes in the room, but told myself that the darkness in the room was playing tricks on me.

I looked at my watch- it was a few minutes past two.

'Ed?’ I called out in a low voice.

'Hmm?’ he responded.

I was not sure what to say next. Would Ed believe me if I said that I felt something tug at my sheet? Before I could think anything else, the words spilled out of my mouth.

'I heard you whimpering. I thought you must be dreaming. Looks like you were', he said and got up.

I looked around the room after Ed switched the light on. The room was exactly how it was supposed to be. Our bags were stacked in a corner, my slippers were by the side of my bed, and the door was bolted from the inside. No one could have broken in and tugged at my sheet. Why would an intruder want to wake me up at all?

'See, you were dreaming. Those horror stories we talked about by the bonfire must have been playing in your head', Ed said and went back to switch off the light. 'Relax and don't think about it. Just go to sleep'.

'Alright', I said unconvinced. That tug felt quite strong yet it could have been just a nightmare.

Yes, it was just a nightmare. I fell asleep again.

I woke again when I felt another tug on the sheet. The tug was stronger this time and it looked like I was going to get yanked off the bed. I yelled again but did not dare to look to see what or who was tugging at the sheet.

I slowly turned towards Ed. 'I felt the tug again, and this time it was stronger' I mumbled.

'I heard you whimper again, it is just a dream' he replied sleepily.

'It was quite freaky' I mumbled to myself.

I grew cold when a voice whispered at me from the opposite end. 'It is, isn't it?'