Jamie awoke from a deep sleep with a sudden start. Icy sweat trickled down her back and her heart was beating a hundred mile an hour. Blinking rapidly, she looked around the dark and stillness of her bedroom. It must have been a bad dream. Sighing deeply, she burrowed deep into her covers and squeezed her eyes tight, willing her heart to slow and her fear to diminish. Her breathing settled slowly and she began to drift slowly back into slumber.
The comforter tugged weightlessly away from her calves... and then slipped away from her thighs, then slid off her hips. She jerked and sat upright again, heart hammering in her chest. She gazed wildly around the room. She felt like someone was there. Like somebody was just touching her. She looked down at the comforter pushed off to the side, and her eyes narrowed in confusion. She pushed the comforter away and stumbled into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. It is silly to be afraid of the dark, and she prided herself on being able to take care of herself. The last thing she is going to do is let some nightmare control her.
She padded back to the bed, and threw herself onto it. She punched the pillow a few times to get it fluffed up, and snuggled the comforter around her, trapping the ends under the weight of her body. She exhaled forcefully and concentrated her thoughts on taking a vacation to Hawaii. The sun, the sea, the sand.... Her chest began to rise and fall rhythmically, and eventually her balled up fist gripping the comforter corner slowly relaxed. She rolled onto her back and shifted her legs restlessly. Her hand tangled in her hair and slid across her cheek, her fingertips seeking her mouth.