One Dream Matters

I wake up with a scream, gasping for breath.

My eyes move quickly around the room in panic as I try to make sense of where I am. It takes a while before I become familiar with my environment. I am covered in cold sweat and goosebumps. I am so frightened and my hands continue to shake like it has been jinxed with paralysis. I try to recall why I am so frightened. I just had the scariest dream ever.

Squinting my eyes, I try to recall what the dream is all about, but nothing comes to mind. Trying only makes my head throb. I feel like I am in a thick haze, trying to find my bearing in the dark room.

I lift myself, letting the sheets sweep through my skin like water. What kind of dream was that? I try to understand why I cannot remember anything. Why I am so frightened, and why my body feels hollow like I have suffered a terrible loss.

I stretch again and reach for the bed stand. My phone beeps simultaneously, startling me. It was my mother on the phone.

“Hello, mum?”

“Yes Dear, how are you?”

“I’m good, Mom,” I reply.

“I had a vision about you, and I’ve called to tell you to stay clear of any man this season. I dreamt that you got killed.”

“Haa mummy,” I exclaim, rolling my eyes at my mommy’s incessant dramatic visions.

“Do you have a man in your life now?”

“No mummy. I’m single like singlet.”

“Okay, are you angry with someone? Or is someone angry with you?”

“There’s nothing of that sort, ma. ” I yawn.

“Ok, please stay careful. Don’t even go out to work today.”

“Do you understand me?”

“Alright mommy, I’d be fine.” I lie to avoid her paranoia. “There’s no reason to be worried over me.”

I drop the call and look at the wall clock.

I am late for work.

I quickly jump off the bed. I wonder why I did not hear my alarm go off at 8. I am usually a light sleeper. What kind of sleep did I have? What kind of sleep would be so deep as to numb the sound of the alarm.

That was strange.

The time was 9:30 and work was officially supposed to kick off by 8:00 with all staff ready at their respective stations at 8:15.am

“God I’m finished today,” I say to myself.

I hurry into the bathroom to run a quick bath. The water is so cold that when it touches my back I yell out like a frightened cat.

I decide then that I cannot have a shower today, and run straight away to my closet. I choose fitted black trousers, a chiffon shirt, and my signature blue four inches heels. I look into the mirror and I am satisfied with my choice of outfit for the day. I breathe in, mutter a few girl–power quotes, and step out into the brightly lit streets of Mayflord City.

I reach into my bag to dig out my car keys, then I remember that I left them off last night at the repair shop. I think of what happened last night. I shake my head and wish I could get the day off. I feel so tired and rusty like there is no life left in me. I hail a taxi and book a ride immediately to the office.

It takes a whooping 25 minutes before the ride reaches my destination. I pay the cab driver, do a thousand signs of the cross and slowly mutter a Hail Mary to ward off any evil as I enter the elevator straight to my department.

I work in a billion-dollar jewelry company called Reeves. Two years ago, I had joined the company as a sales intern, an opportunity that allowed Graduate trainees to retain long-term offers with a bigger role in the industry.

Until recently, I had worked in the sales department, out of the need to earn a living. Only a few months ago, I had been surprisingly transferred from sales to the Design team— my dream team. The only good thing about leaving sales to Design is my head of department, Mr. Cortex.

Mr. Cortex’s one rule is “never be late to work”. He hates lateness and I dread falling into his “trap” as he fondly calls it. I feared that today, my impeccable record would be altered and I’d receive a stern warning from my new boss.

I chastise myself mentally as I consider what I have put myself into.

Today, I was supposed to accompany the head of the design department and the CEO of Reeves to the newly launched factory where the new jewelry designs are brought to life.

How unlucky I’d be if the CEO of Reeves found out about my lateness to the workplace today. He’d deem me unserious.

The latest masterpiece we were working on would improve our partnership with a sister company, and this needed serious inspection to attain ultimate perfection.

I was supposed to be at the forefront of making this happen. Now here I was, ruining my opportunity at an early promotion with lateness to work.

I sneak in quickly and hurry towards my cubicle, with hopes to settle in before anyone else spots me.

Unsurprisingly, I fail terribly at this. I get into my office and sit quietly, trying to arrange my desk. The next minute, the office line rings and it’s Miss Anna, the secretary, on the other end. She informs me that the Head of the Department would like to see me at once.

I say another hail Mary and walk apprehensively into his office as I hope for the best. Mr. Daniel, The Head of Department, stares grimly at me as I enter his office. He has no smile, and I can see he’s summoned me for strict business.

Despite his hard gaze, I don’t stop myself from admiring his flawless skin. I feel his emanating charisma from behind the desk. He is a man whose bodily structure speaks volumes into the air before he utters a word.

He has a well-sculpted nose, a beautifully sculpted oblong face, and well-tanned brown skin that looks like burnt chocolate. I want to taste it. I wonder whether it’d burn my tongue, or be as irrevocably irresistible as it appears.

“You have disappointed me today, Evelyn.” He says this and squints his eyes.

I think that he looks very cute when he does his face like that, but I don’t tell him. I quickly admit guilt and tell him with the calmest voice that I had overslept.

I think of a lie to make it more irresistible and tell him that I had suffered from rough migraines the previous night, and hence the drugs I had taken had affected my sleep routine.

He sighs.

I am glad inside of me. I am happy he is buying the story completely. I feel a little guilty for telling a white lie but I brush it off.

“I would not have this happen again.” He says and I squirm. “If you come in this late again, I’d have you queried. I’m exempting you only because you have shown excellence and have an impeccable record with us.”

I nod.

“Are you ready for the product analysis and site survey today?”

“Yes sir, ” I answer timidly.

“Great. The CEO will be here shortly. Stay prepared.”

I nod and excuse myself, saying a quick thank you to the gods up there.

I leave his office and return to mine. Not long after, the clock strikes 12 and I hurry to the cafeteria to get something for lunch.

I order a huge plate of deep-fried chicken wings. I instruct the woman to include the ofada rice to my meal. I am so hungry, I feel like I could devour a horse.

After lunch, I return to Mr. Daniel’s office. We head towards the CEO’s block together. This is my first time here and I am very excited to be given such an honorable task.

I am made to wait outside while Mr. Daniel goes in to inform the CEO of our arrival.

The CEO and Daniel spend about fifteen minutes chit-chatting and discussing private matters. I feel a bit left out but I understand they need their time. After all, they were old-school colleagues.

They forget that I am outside, and this aggravates me even further.

The CEO eventually acknowledges me with a nod of his head, and we all leave for the site a few minutes later.

The production department is a separate building from the main company but in the same location. When we get there, we enter the factory and I marvel at how expensive everything looks.

All the workers on the site have protective helmets and suits with funny-looking boots.

We put on the necessary safety gear but I don’t agree to wear the boots. They are so ugly, I tell the guy in charge that I prefer my heels. He does not make a fuss, and I am happy.

Before long, someone leads us to a separate room where the masterpiece for the partnership is produced. I take notes as a lady in red boots and stiff collar shirt briefs us on the progress made so far.

As she continues to speak, I compare notes with the reports given by the design company earlier and make sure there is no error in the specification design.

A few minutes later, the CEO instructs me to deliver my reports to the production manager in the next block. The factory site is so big, I feel like I could go missing for days without being found here. I shudder at the thought and try to ward off such an ominous feeling.

I ask around for the head of the production team, and I am immediately redirected to his office.

I get to his office and find that he is not present. However, I see a lady pass by the corridor and she tells me to find the assistant production manager instead.

I look at her like she has lost her mind. She ignores my rude gaze and gives me directions on where to find him. Everything happens suddenly after that.

I reach into my bag and try to call my boss, Mr. Daniel. It is then I notice that my phone is dead and I curse out loudly in frustration. At this point, I am left with no other choice than to follow the lady’s direction.

I curse again because the building is still in construction mode and my legs are starting to hurt from the pressure of having to find my way around.

I keep wandering for a while before I realize that I am lost. I hear strange noises, I follow directions and I enter a corridor with a lot of people. I sigh in relief and quickly hurry over to join them hoping to inquire my way out.

Before long, I notice what the commotion is about. They’re fleeing and not having a friendly chit-chat.

The production site had caught fire, and the entire department was caving in with the heat.

Everyone is trying to run out at once and the chaos is terrifying.

I ask the first lady that pays me any solid attention

“What’s..going..going..on?” I stutter.

“Hurry, we need to exit the building through the safety door. That’s the only way out. The normal exits are already on fire. Follow me.”

She runs out almost immediately and I follow her like the rest of the other workers.

I soon begin to lose sight of the workers. I realize that I cannot match their pace, they were all in protective boots while I had to grapple with my four inches heels.

I try to stay calm and avoid panicking. I contemplate taking off my heels to keep up. I decide otherwise immediately as I begin to feel the heat of the burning building through the sole of my heels.

The fire is so strong, the floor of the industry is starting to melt fast like wax. I am terrified.

“Oh for Pete’s sake!” I exclaim in frustration. “All the other workers have successfully left me behind.”

I reach for my phone again and try to reach for help. The phone is dead completely.

There is nobody in sight.

I throw the stupid phone back into my bag and start to panic immediately. I am so scared, I want to scream out for my mother instinctively.

Instead, I mutter a quick Hail Mary and keep running in no direction. I yell for help and hope that someone hears and finds me. The heat was beginning to sting my back and my legs and I knew the fire was coming.

I hear a loud explosion go off suddenly and I realize it is one of the industrial gas cylinders exploding to the heat of the fire. The building shakes frightfully following the explosion and I yell for help in panic.

The lights suddenly go off, and before long, I am trapped in a room with no idea how to find my way out. I scream again, this time tears muffling the clarity of my words but I don’t care.

“Help me…”

“Somebody?”

“Anybody?”

“God please, let me not die.” I beg.

I try to stand up and grope my way around in the dark. The smoke soon begins to creep in and paralyzes lungs as well. My chest constricts within itself, and I choke loudly, my nostrils begging for a gasp of fresh air.

Soon the smoke begins to accost my eyes, and my mouth, and my ears, numbing my senses, leaving me to pass out painfully.

I slowly start to slip into unconsciousness, choking on my pleas for help and mercy.

My mind suddenly flashes back to the memory I had lost. I remember the dream like the smoke has brought it all back.

I had dreamt of this entire scene. I had died in a fire, that is why I had felt so weak after I had woken from the vision.

Here in this same place, I remember the scenes from the dream clearly in my head.

My eyes sting with a mix of tears and smoke. I want it all to end quickly.

Just like it had ended quickly in the dream.

I lose all hope as I realize that the dream had been a warning.

I feel the heat of the fire approaching and I wish I had tried harder to remember my dream. I think of my mother and her prophetic warning. She had not been so wrong after all. She really would lose her only daughter today. That is if the remnant of my body is ever found in this rubble.

If only I hadn’t resumed at the office today…

If only I had refused the proposal to visit the production site.

If only I had just remembered that dream

If only I paid attention to my mother.

My mind swallows itself in a thousand countless ‘if onlys’.

The last word I utter before I slip into unconsciousness is a prayer to God to save me from this mess and stinging fire.

“If only I had paid more attention,” I say wistfully as I close my eyes in inevitable surrender to the smoke and the fire. I stare at the door and slip into unconsciousness waiting for an angel to come down to this hell and rescue me.

All images are sourced at pexels.com