A man in his mid 20's lied deep asleep on his bed. His pajamas were plain and ragged, while his bedsheets were scruffy from his twists and turns. On the outside, he seemed to have peaceful sleep but inside his mind, was only a prison. His eyes began to twitch and his arms moved. He twisted and turned and soon he became violent. The spine-chilling vision he's dreaming was his nightmare in a loop. He couldn't take it anymore and was startled awake.

Denzal woke up from what felt like a lifetime of terror. He hasn't felt this much fear since... eight years ago. The dreamscape was a desolate ruin with an eerie howl at every corner. He ran in search for any clues and then saw a crowd but as he did, their faces saw him fear. Somehow, he went angry and attacked. In a flash of black, bodies of the crowd laid near his feet and his hands were coated with blood. Overcome with guilt and horror, Denzal howled at the non-existent sky.

It felt so surreal yet so... real. Getting up from his sleep, Denzal pondered over the nightmare he dreamed. his body was coated sweat and his undershirt tore a few more holes. The bedsheet was scruffy and the odor from his sweat was still fresh. He shook himself, snapping himself from the trance. He still felt the fear and grief from it and hated it. Even though it was a dream, he hated himself for releasing such emotions. That felt like lemon in his mouth. Calming himself, Denzal dissolved those feelings and emptied his thoughts. If you panic in the face of danger, you'll endanger yourself even more.

Denzal peeked outside. It was still early in the morning, about 5:57 according to his clock! He internally cursed his nightmare before getting up. It was pointless to try and sleep again as well as being haunted by the dream again. Grabbing his ranger uniform, he exited his cabin to find the shower area. The feeling of warm water relieved him of the stressful feeling. Despite the easing sensation, Denzal never let his guard down, even in the shower, in the woods.

As he headed back to cabin, daybreak was approaching and the sun was rising above the hills. Its rays reflected on his cabin windows and the song of the critters became louder. He stood in front of his paddock, gazing at the golden sun. Down below, he saw a few rangers just woke up, out for a morning stretch. Denzal saw them chattering amongst them, smiling and chuckling. He rolled his eyes. Fools, he thought. He then went inside for the daily ceremony. Denzal then remembered this specific day. It was the first week of summer vacation, meaning a lot of tourists would be coming. He groaned, mentally preparing for the migraines.

*****

Up above Denzal's cabin, a transparent figure gazed at the stone-faced man. She gave a disappointing shook but she smiled, knowing very this is what Denzal Greyfield's like. 

"That's so you, Denzal... but you're not as stony as you look," she smirked.

At that moment she dispersed in a flurry of mist.