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May
Your Dreams Come True
by Melody Lee |
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I have this dream again. For the
past few nights, I have been having it. The image is always vivid in my
mind. I tried brushing it off but it continues to haunt me come night
after I hit the pillow. I am terrified of going to sleep, but of course
one couldn’t go without sleeping. I am the type who will have a
splitting headache if I am sleep deprived. It’s that bad, I have to
accept it. “You look terrible, Mae.
You’ve dark circles under your eyes. Didn’t you sleep well?” Amy, my
work colleague asks me the moment I step into the office. I whip out a compact mirror from
my handbag after settling down in my seat. She is right. I’m as pale as
a ghost. Perhaps one might guess I dreamt of ghosts to portray a ghostly
impression but it isn’t. Ghosts are not that scary in my opinion. I
always believe that if one has a clear conscience and didn’t do anything
wrong, one shouldn’t worry too much about them. I didn’t tell anyone about my
dreams. I don’t think they would believe me anyway. It’s – well, too
absurd. Given the chance, I wouldn’t believe myself too if it didn’t
happen to me. It is that bad. I fake a smile and put the compact
mirror back into my handbag. “I’ve had a bad night. Maybe I drank too
much coffee.” I used to be allergic to caffeine.
Tea, coffee, and sometimes even a few cans of cola will keep me awake
effectively. Previously and sometimes to an extent, I will drink lots of
these to prevent sleep from coming; until one day it doesn’t work
anymore. My body system has become immune to them. I have no more
solutions to prevent myself from dozing off. Amy gives me a sympathetic look
and pats me on my shoulder before she goes off to her own workstation. I
then feel the need to go to the restroom, so I leave my desk and walk out
of the office. The restrooms – male and female – are situated in the
common area of the level. Anyone can use the restrooms provided you have
access to the keys. This is to prevent the outsiders from using the
offices’ restrooms. This time it isn’t any different
from my other visits. I insert
the key and twist the knob. The door creaks as I push it wider. The
creaking sounds always make my hair stand on end but no one seems to
complain about the rusty hinges that need to be oiled. I step into the
restroom, my heels clicking loudly in my ears. I am alone. Then I notice right at the far end
of the cubicle, a closed door. Someone is probably in it so at least my
heart doesn’t accelerate so much now, I am no longer alone, and someone
is probably in the cubicle. I choose a cubicle in between and shut the
door. While I am in the cubicle, I hear the flush of water in another
cubicle. I take no notice because I know there is someone in there. I wait
for the sound of the door to open but it doesn’t come. I wait some more
but to no avail. I’m finished and flush.
The water flushes the cubicle with a roar. It still amazes me that
the restrooms in this building still use the pull flush system, it seems
so obsolete to me. I click the lock and open the
door. I look at the mirror the first thing I leave the cubicle. The mirror
is long; I can see the other cubicles as well. I notice the door of the
cubicle at the far end is still closed. Shrugging, thinking someone must
be still in there; I walk to the sink and wash my hands as I look at my
reflection in the mirror. Under the dim fluorescent light, my face appears
even paler. I make a face when I hear another flush of water in the
cubicle again. This time, I expect someone to walk out from the cubicle
any time soon but the door remains closed. The scene strikes me as strange,
but I wonder about the woman inside the cubicle, is she alright?
I clear my throat and ask,
“Hello, are you all right?” No answer. Thinking she might not have heard
me, I ask again, this time louder. “Hello, are you all right?” Still there is no answer. I’m starting to feel a bit
uneasy, and anxious of what’s happened to the woman inside the cubicle.
Perhaps she’s fainted. I walk to the cubicle and push the
door. It doesn’t budge. It is locked inside. I peek underneath the
cubicle. It’s empty! I take a deep breath and try to
calm my nerves. I have to get out of here fast! This is what exactly I
have dreamt over the past few nights. Someone will flush the water in her
cubicle but no matter how long I wait, the door will never open! This is
what worries me in the dream - I never get to see the person in the
cubicle - there must be some kind of logic in it. That night, I toss and turn in
bed. I have drunk a cup of tea and before I go to bed another two cups of
strong coffee. I am keeping my fingers crossed that even if I do doze off,
I will have a dreamless night. The clock ticks as time goes by.
My eyes are open until I feel my eyelids are getting heavier until they
cover my eyes. The caffeine doesn’t work. I drift off. I am in the restroom. I notice
right at the far end of the cubicle, a closed door. I choose a cubicle in
between and shut the door. While I am in the cubicle, I hear the flush of
water in another cubicle. I take no notice because I know there is someone
in there. I wait for the sound of the door to open but it doesn’t come.
I wait some more but to no avail. I chose a cubicle in random and
shut the door. While I am sitting on the cubicle seat relieving myself, I
heard water flushing in one of the cubicles. I take no notice because I
know there is someone in there. I wait for the sound of the door to open
but there isn’t. I wait some more but to no avail. I’m finished and flush.
The water flushes the cubicle with a roar.
I click the lock and open the
door. I look at the mirror the first thing I leave the cubicle. I notice
the door of the cubicle at the far end is still closed. I walk to the sink
and wash my hands as I look at my reflection in the mirror. I then hear
water flushing in the cubicle again. This time, I expect someone to walk
out from the cubicle any time soon but the door remains closed. I’m starting to feel a bit
uneasy, and anxious of what’s happened to the woman inside the cubicle.
Perhaps she’s fainted. “Hello, are you all right?” I
asked. No answer. I ask again, this time louder.
“Hello, are you all right?” Still there is no answer. I walk to the cubicle and push the
door. It doesn’t budge. It is locked inside. I peek underneath the
cubicle. It’s empty! Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me. I look up and
before I realize what happens, a pair of strong hands clasps my mouth and
hauls me towards the center of the restroom. I struggle but I feel myself
getting weaker and weaker until I am knocked unconsciousness. Before I
surrender to the darkness, I thought I saw a glimpse of nose ring pierced
on the man’s nose. It glittered under the light, mocking me. It is at that moment I wake up
from my sleep. My shirt is drenched with sweat. Usually my dream ends when
I notice the cubicle is empty, but tonight the dream goes further. I saw
the man, and I know what he is trying to do to me! With trembling fingers,
I switch the lamp on the nightstand beside my bed. The next day, I go to the office
with a heavy heart and darker rings around my eyes. I don’t think I will
ever go to the restroom alone again. The thought is too terrifying. “Mae, you look much worse than
yesterday! I think you better go and see a doc!” Amy then even offers to
accompany me to visit the clinic. I refused until I broke down and told
her the truth. Her eyes are as wide as saucers
and her face is as white as a sheet after she heard my tales. Finally she
pulls me to a corner and in a hushed tone, she says, “You know, two
years ago, before you joined the company, one of the female staff was
raped and murdered in the restroom. Till now, the rapist is still at
large. Perhaps you can offer some assistance to the police. In the
meantime, you’ve got to find someone to accompany you when going to the
restroom until the rapist is caught.” Still in a shock but I agree with
her plan. I return to my workstation and pick up the phone. I press 9-1-1. |
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