Tonight, I won't tell anyone...
The nightmares had been a plague. Coming and going for weeks, they were uncalled for. There was no traumatic event that would have caused such horrid things to appear. And still, every night, the nightmares were the same. His face, above her, in that same twisted smile. Every night. The voice she could barely recognize, so hoarse, so rough. The torment was so real, she could almost feel his hot breath on her face, telling her that it was okay to give in, nobody would think anything less of her....
Then she would awaken, same as always. Heart in her throat, the heavy pounding making it hard to breathe. She would struggle to return to reality. Her voice wouldn't return for a minute or so, and when it did, she wouldn't be able to hold back the screams. The terror, fear, sadness, all echoed into the empty room, all around her, engulfing her once again. And then it would all be over. The fog would clear, and she would be home.
It would take about an hour for her breathing to regulate itself. The room would begin to lighten as morning slowly crept its way into her room, the walls turning a pale shade of blue. Finally, the adrenaline quit pumping, and her heartbeat would slow. Turning on her side, she stared at the picture on her bed stand, her last shreds of sanity left. A sudden calm swept her, and she lulled herself back to sleep. Into a dark, dreamless sleep.