Mike's Big Nightmare

A shiver shot through his unconscious body as he fought against the grabbing hands of sleep. His eyes opened and the darkness lessened. As his heaving lungs slowed, his wife, Kelly, stirred in her bed down the hall.

'Dear? Is everything OK?"

Mike took control of his racing thoughts taking note of his soaking wet bedsheets. He would need to make sure they were properly removed from the mattress, lest the sweat stain it.

"Oh," he started, realizing his thirst was overwhelming. "I had the most horrible dream, darling. Would you – would you come let me tell it to you?"

"I'll be right there. “

Her bare feet smacking the marble floor as she approached his door frame brought a familiar shake to his gut so severe he feared he may retch. Wiping the sweat from his forehead he forced a smile as she stood just outside the door and wrapped her nighty tighter around her.

"It was absolutely horrible,” he continued.

"Please tell me about it.”

As Mike swallowed he could feel the sandy walls of his throat scrape against each other.

"I was just finishing up a dinner with our Dear Leader and telling him about all his great victories when I had to use the restroom. I... I... must've taken the wrong turn because I soon found myself out in the streets. The wind was full of Smoke. I thought it had to be antifa fires down the street. "

"You know that antifa can’t hurt you, dear. Antifa isn't real."

The shiver that woke him returned. He clenched his jaw and continued.

"You’re right, dear. But it wasn't them. It was a squeak of wheels on gravel. Hundreds of wheels and pedals. Then They broke through the smoke ! And I saw them… OH! It was awful."

"Take a breath, sweetie. Who was it?"

"Portland… Hundreds of cyclists from Portland. All of them ... completely ... violently nude!"

Kelly shuddered and felt the shiver rush past his doorway to her shoulders.

"They circled around me. I tried to escape but their nude bodies blocked my way. What if one of them would have touched my arm? They circled round and round. I knew not what to do but Collapse in the road and cry out."

Mike choked at his words and broke down. His wife stood in his door way, debating whether she should cross the threshold to comfort her weeping husband.

"It was just another dream, dear! You should really start saying your evening prayers three Times before bed again."

Mike wiped his eyes and considered her measured words.

"Perhaps you're right. My soul must be screaming from these unclean dreams. "

She started to return to bed but stopped.

"Do you need a hug or anything to go back to sleep? "

Mike considered the proposition.

"No... we better not tonight. Thank you for listening, honey."

Kelly returned to her bed down the hall and Mike shuffled to the dry section of his bed and fought to return to sleep.

As his eyes grew heavier, outside his window he heard the creak of a gate in the wind. As the wind grew silent the creaking remained. The creaking grew closer. The wheels scraped the pebbles.