The sky was dark with the exception of a few twinkling stars and the hovering crescent moon. The air had a slight chill, and the wind gently blew through the yellowing branches of ancient oaks. The crickets made a fast-paced melody that blended with the quick pounding of a heart and the thudding of feet on the soft earth.
Sam Winchester ran through the endless maze of trees, ducking around low branches and leaping over bushes and fallen limbs. His legs ached, and his lungs burned as he ran as fast as he could. Sam turned to look behind himself to see if he was still being chased when he tripped over a massive root, and he fell face-first onto the dirt, skidding across the ground on his stomach. He laid there in a daze, spitting out profanities between gulps for air. Behind him came the snap of a branch and the growling sound of heavy machinery, and rolling over onto his back, Sam came face-to-face with his pursuer, a tall, slender man shrouded in shadow with no features at all.
"No, no, no," whispered Sam under his breath. The shadow figure came forward slowly and kneeled in front of him. There was a loud crashing sound from far off in the distance, and instantly, the surrounding trees and bushes burst into flame. Sam sat in awe at the sight, but then he focused his attention on the shadow figure in front of him. The figure leaped forward and shoved him to the ground. It wrapped cold hands around Sam's neck and squeezed. Sam gasped for air as he struggled under the weight, but he was able to mumble one word before he saw nothing but black. "No!"
Sam woke with a jolt and was covered in a cold sticky sweat. His eyes darted back and forth, and then he realized he was laying in his bed in his bedroom, not on the ground in some unknown forest. He closed his eyes as he tried to slow his breathing. To his left, he could feel the bed moving, and he turned to see his beautiful wife, Jess, waking up. She looked at him with sympathetic eyes under a tangle of messy blond hair, and she gave him a faint smile.
"Another nightmare, sweety?" asked Jess with a soothing voice.
Sam took a deep breath, nodded, and smiled grimly.
"I'm sorry," Jess said as she pulled him into an embrace, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close for what seemed like hours.
"Do you want to talk about it?" questioned Jess.
Sam buried his face further into the crook of her neck and mumbled a quiet "no". Jess pulled away and cupped his face in her hands. With a glowing smile, she gently kissed him. Sam smiled under her soft lips and slowly pulled away from her.
Both sat up and stretched their stiff limbs. Sam groaned as he turned and put his legs over the side of the bed and pushed his knuckles against his eyelids. Jess shuffled up next to him and rubbed large circles on his back.
"Are you okay, Sam?"
"Just tired is all."
Jess frowned. "I'm sorry you have these nightmares, sweety. Really, I am."
"I'm just so fed up with them, you know. The same one night after night for over a year. It's driving me crazy!"
Still rubbing his back, Jess spoke softly, "I know, Sam, I know. Do you want to go to that doctor I talked about? Dr. Winsor, I think. My co-worker told me her husband had nightmares, too, and Dr. Winsor made them disappear completely."
Sam turned to face her. He was afraid to go to this doctor because he knew he would have to tell him what the nightmares are about, and he wasn't too keen on that. He hadn't even told Jess about the recurring dream and the frightening shadow figure. However, deep down Sam knew he needed help, and these nightmares weren't going to go away on their own.
"Yeah," said Sam hesitantly. "I'll go."
Jess smiled brightly and hugged Sam's neck.
"Good! I'll go call and make an appointment."