Reality Rift

Ryan’s eyes opened, he turned over and sat up. He was in a bed, in a straightjacket, he panicked, violently convulsing, struggling with his bonds, someone came toward him, syringe in hand; they injected him, he fell asleep.

***

Ryan had been in bed for an hour. It was a warm night; he and his wife had an argument earlier. She kept telling him he needed to calm down, he wasn’t thinking straight. He crept out of bed and opened the door – a cool breeze crept in. Ryan slipped back beneath the sheets and closed his eyes, seconds passed, maybe minutes; he was in the twilight between sleep and conscious.

Ryan’s eyes shot open, fixing on the window opposite him as a sharp, instant pain, dove into his back; his body went limp - cold, sticky and wet. The knife began chewing his spine, skin parting in its wake while he lay helplessly, face down in bed. A road map of blood flowed over his body; expanding with each carve of the knife. He froze in terror, mouth agape in silent screaming.

***

Ryan’s eyes opened. He turned over and sat up, it was another nightmare. Ryan’s wife lay asleep beside him.