My eyes shot wide open as I bolted upright in my bed, sucking in a breath as though I'd never experienced the luxury of oxygen. That single deep breath turned into a hundred shallow, anxious, terrified ones. I rapidly looked around my small bedroom and I felt different parts of my body to make sure all of me was really there. I wrapped my hands around my neck for a long moment, trying to calm myself down and remind myself it was just a dream.

'Yeah, a dream that has been happening every night for 6 months.'

After taking some time to regulate my breathing and get a grip, my hands instinctively ran through my long, dirty blonde hair and pulled it into a messy bun. I moved my covers off of me, threw my legs over the side of my bed, and regrettably let my bare feet touch the cold hardwood, wincing at the bite of the morning air. Moving across my room, I smiled slightly at the sound of birds chirping their song to the rising sun out my window.

As usual, the first face I see in the morning is my own.

"Looking like a crazed insomniac, as usual." I scoffed and flashed the mirror a fake smile. Even though I get enough sleep to have nightmares, I don't get enough sleep to avoid under-eye circles. Honestly, I'm pretty sure my current version of "sleep" is more exhausting than many day-to-day activities.

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After taking a quick shower, brushing my hair, and putting on some makeup to make myself look less like a zombie, I grabbed some light-washed, high-waisted Levi's and an oversized emerald green sweater and put them on. I made my way downstairs to be greeted by my roommate as she ate some eggs at the table,

"How'd you sleep, Em?" 

I shook my head with a laugh and sarcastically responded, "Better than ever."

"Nightmares again?" she inquired blandly.

"Nightmare. Singular. It's just, every single---" 

She cut me off with a heavy sigh, "Yes, I know. 'every night it's the same.' Hun, don't you think you're a little old to be letting silly dreams scare you?"

I took a deep breath. She wasn't wrong. I'm a sophomore in college.

"Yeah, it doesn't change that the dream is really disturbing though. Like--"

Again, she cuts me off. 

"That's nice, I need to go to work now. Hope you have a good day."

She made her way out the door without another word. I stood in our kitchen, staring at the door she'd just walked out of. 

Raising my eyebrows, I nodded. "Will do."

We'll be honest: she really doesn't care that much about what I go through, what I do, or don't do. As long as it doesn't inconvenience her in some way, my life doesn't really matter that much. Still, she pays half the rent and she's not horrible. I wish we could be closer, but we're just not, and that's okay.