I finally fell, landing on my back, and the guy straddled me. He wrapped his hands around my throat and started to squeeze. I struggled to breathe as his hands wrapped around tighter and tighter, preventing me from doing this simple action. I scratched at his hands trying to get him off of me but that only made him squeeze the harder.

Guy: We told you to drop the case.

I heard him say but it was muffled. I was starting to lose consciousness and everything was muffled.

Guy: You had plenty of time to drop the case or get rid of the evidence.

His hands kept squeezing and tears rolled down my face. It hurt. The only thing that flashed through my head was Ashley’s face. It hurt too much.  

Guy: Didn’t you get the message? Now look what has to happen?

He says. My body began writhing underneath him and as he kept his hands firmly around my throat. I felt my face bulge at the pressure and the blood rushing.  He took one of his hands from around my throat and I finally caught a ragged breath as he reached in his pocket. He pulled a switchblade out and as he raised it, I caught a breath, only to let out a gurgled scream as he plunged the blade into my stomach.  He twisted it and I released another gurgled scream. It hurt so much. The feeling was as if someone had set my soul on fire. It burned from the inside out and when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, he pulled the knife out. I screamed again. It seemed that was all I could do as he was placed on top of me.   

My vision started to black and the pain was beginning to be too much to bear. It was then that I heard her key in the door.  The man on top of me looked at me with wide eyes. He was afraid and he should be. I was slowly starting to fade and the sound of my own ragged breathing drowned out any other sound that might have been. He quickly got off of me. Her key turned in the lock and it clicked. The sound, although barely there, was music to my ears. Maybe she could save me. The guy took off out the back way of our house and the door finally opened, revealing my beautiful brunette. She dropped her keys and rushed over to me. It was as if she was running in slow motion. She skidded to a halt and dropped to her knees beside me, immediately trying to stop the blood. My eyes started to drift closed.    

Ashley: Spencer, Oh God, baby, you have to stay with me.

She said her muffled voice full of fear, worry, concern and even love. I couldn’t take it any longer. The pain was too much and I felt like throwing up. I was trying to hold on…for her.

Ashley: Spencer! Spencer! You have to wake up!

She cried as my eyes closed for a brief second.

Ashley: Spencer, Spencer, Spencer, wake up.

I heard as she shook me. Suddenly I shot up out of the bed, Ashley staring at me wide eyed.

Spencer: Holy Shit!

I exclaimed, grabbing my throat, trying to pull in all the oxygen I could.  It was only a dream. Jesus Christ it was only a dream. I then began to cry. Tears of joy and tears of fear and sadness. It was only a fucking dream.