7.
   I woke up terrified. My eyes darted around the room. A sickly light peed through the window. I let out a yell and waved my arms. I jumped up from the couch and scared the hell out of Birdie who had been sleeping next to me. He shot straight up in the air and came close to hitting the ceiling. When he fluttered down and landed on the arm of the couch, there was a scowl on his face. I clutched the couch and stared straight ahead as the dream rolled around in my head. It had been more horrible than ever. Each time it got worse, more vivid, more real. I was dripping with sweat. The sweat turned cold. I grabbed my arms and shivered. The room came into focus. It was small and claustrophobic. The windows overlooking the city seemed blurred and cheap like scratched Plexiglas. It was as though the dream had infected reality. I ran my fingers through my hair, and they caught in it. My clothes stuck to me. I itched all over. My head pounded. I felt like I was going through some sort of withdrawal.

   Birdie was staring at me with wide eyes. “Come on back home. It was just a dream. You’re alright now.”, he said in a calm voice heavy with concern.
   Slowly the empty flatness of the sounds of nightmares began to fade. Their carnival ride images began to flicker out. My pounding heart calmed. I was breathing easier.