Henry awoke from another nightmare. He was paddling down stream when he struck a boulder, which caused the boat to topside. He was swirled around gasping for air, but only inhaled lungs full of water. The water however was not water at all, but a vast expanse of blood. He awoke to a sweaty forehead and shallow breathes. There it was again, that feeling of being watched. The feeling Henry said was an almost waiting for something to happen. Henry arose to see the dog over by the fire staring at him, most likely because of the screams. The dog laid his head down and closed his eyes. Henry now restless went to the kitchen to get a drink. He poured a glass of bourbon with two ice cubes and made his way back to the couch. Passing the closed window, Henry felt compelled to check the darkness. Henry opened the blinds to see that hat bouncing off in the darkness. Henry tried to keep quiet so the dog would not wake and start barking, alerting the figure outside. Henry snuck out and tiptoed on the freshly dewed grass. He was within twenty paces of the man with the small-rimmed hat. When suddenly, the man turned and looked into the eyes of Henry, much like the dog did on the night of the accident. His fear rose and that monster housed in the resemblance of man spoke a rhyme:
                                                          ­     DEATH is closer to you than you think,
                                                         ­                and he can smell your fear.
                                                          ­   DEATH is watching closer than you know,
                                                          ­                   and he is always near.
Henry was frozen from the chilling words. When he heard a noise to break him from his catatonic state. The dog was awake, barking, and heading straight for the source of Henry’s misery. Henry turned to see the dog sprinting right at him. Henry turned back to look at the man who spoke with such profound words, but alas the man was gone. The dog could not stop in time and toppled Henry over. The dog stood on Henry’s back declaring to the night’s darkness that Henry was his.
Henry awoke from another night of terror, but this time he died. The dream was black and white and lacked any other color, including grey. The scenery was a sharp contrast between dark and bright lines. He was being chased through the house but each room lead to another hallway to more rooms and so on and so on went the dream. Until this monster appeared out of the fireplace. It took two steps and then transformed into a train heading with full force to hit Henry. And it did. The train tore right through the skin, bones, and muscle of Henry’s body. He felt the full pain of it, and woke crying from sheer agony. Henry sat up in his bed and was motionless until he decided that work would take his mind off things.