"Good afternoon, Darren," Dr. Colfax said as he entered in his office. I was sitting in one of his chairs waiting for him to come in. "Sorry to keep you waiting, family problems."

I smirked softly. "Tell me about it." I said sympathetic. Family can cause some problems. I had problems with Anne and her college friends at home so I knew the feeling.

Dr. Colfax was my therapist, I've been seeing him for a while now. He's a good man and a good shrink, we're making some process, dealing with my problem.

Dr. Colfax sat down in the chair in front of me, taking off his slipon shoes and held up his clipboard and pen. "So, what happened to you since our last sessions?" he asked me.

I sighed, leaning back against the chair. "Well...Anne finally went back to her college with her friends." I told him. "She was staying with me for Spring Break and her and her friends crashed at my place." I bit my lower lip thinking what else might happened. "Work, same old, same old."

"What about Celina? the girl from your work?" He asked me.

Celina was a girl I work with at the market. She works at the cash register in front of me. She was pretty cute. I've been thinking of asking her out for quite some time.

But sadly, that was never going to happen, not until my problem has been eliminated.

"She, uh, is going out with Chet, from Management." I lied.

Dr. Colfax grunted before jotting something down on his clipboard.

"Have you thought of what we talked about last week? going back to school?" He asked me.

"Um...yeah, I-I've sent out an application to the community college a couple of days ago."

Reasons why he asked me that because several years ago, I tried to attend college, wanting to become an archaeologist, a Scientist that studies spiders, but I ended up dropping out halfway through the first semester. It sucked so bad, it disappointed my parents, never get let down by Anne.

My problem was, what the reason I've been seeing the psychiatrist, was because i was plagued with gruesome nightmares. As silly as it sounded, since I was twelve, I've had nothing but nightmares. I've became afraid of falling asleep because when I close my eyes, I get them. It was always the same thing, but it scares me all the time. My sleeping prescription helps out a little, but it doesn't do much against the dreams I've been having. My dreams were ruining my life!

I can barely hold down a decent job, relationships I had had fallen short, a disappointment to my parents, I'm sleep deprived. I wanted these dreams gone or otherwise I would go insane if I hadn't already.

"Okay then, we're making some progress here, that's good." Dr. Colfax smiled, setting his clipboard down on his lap. "Now, I think it's time."

I gulped. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." He said. "Darren, we won't be able to get rid of her night terrors unless you tell me. Only you can face your fears is to tell it. Conquer your fears and they well go away. If you tell your dream multiple times, they will disappear." He encouraged.

I held back a whimper before sighing. If I must, I must. As soon I get rid of these dream, I'm taking a long freaking nap.

I shook my head before sitting up straight. "My dream...i-it starts the same….the place where the old theater used to be."

"Go on."

"W-well...it was after this show, my best friend took off somewhere and I followed him." I explained. My chest tightened when telling the tale. "I ended up standing at the balcony…"

"Where the legends say a boy jump there?" Dr. Colfax inquired.

"Yeah, the same one. I heard voices from below before something jumped in front of me...a creature in this blue robe," I shuddered. "It scared the crap out of me and I took off running. I then…." my breathing heightened in retelling. "I-I can't continue…"

"You must Darren, you're doing a good job."

I took in some air before continuing. "I then fell into this dark abyss. I hit the ground hard before...before someone stood over me with a large knife, I also had a knife and we both looked like we've just been into a fight, both wanting to kill each other. But I didn't want to do this…"

"Who was the man, Darren? Who was it?"

"It...I...can't remember, his face was still blurry." I told him then. "I-I don't want to continue." I said, feeling a panic attack coming on. It usually happens after the nightmare and during the sessions when i tell it to Dr. Colfax.

Dr. Colfax sighed and setting the clipboard on the table and turning to me. "Darren, I believe in you. I believe you can get rid of your fears. but I believe in order to do so, you must go back to that theater, where it originated."

"But the theater got torn down after the fire years ago." I told him.

"But some of the building still stood. I want you to go there. Face it." It was hopeless, I don't want to. It scared the crap out of me just even recalling that awful place. "Face your fears, Darren, face them and get your life back."

When the session was over, Dr. Colfax prescribed me a new sleep medication and antipsychotic meds before sending me out on my way.

Going back? I can't go back to that place. There was no way! I rather lock myself in my room and never come out.

Then again, I don't want to sleep. If I sleep, I know that my nightmares will return. The same condescending dream. The creature in robes does scare me, but it was the person I was fighting against. That scared me because I know him personally.

He was my best friend...

With thoughts filled of what the doctor told me, I made my way home.

It wasn't a long walk, only fifteen minutes from the office to my home. The streets were calm so no noisy cars or people were on the street. All the way to my childhood home.

My dad had a heart attack a few years back so he and my mom moved to warmer weather, I live in the house ever since. Anne comes over often from college with a few of her college mates, other than her, I'm alone.

For the most part.

When I got to my door, I noticed that the front door was ajar. I blinked at sight of it because I know I had locked the door behind me when I left for work this morning. A sickly feeling came risen in my gut as I came to the door. I tapped it open slowly and entered.

I reached over a corner and pulled out a bat I had and quietly shut the door. My eyes casted at the TV, seeing that it was on Spongebob. Now I know I had turned to TV off when I left. I looked at the coffee table and saw nothing but trash like discarded pizza boxes, cans of beer and crumbs all over the place.

I froze when I heard sounds coming from the kitchen. With the bat in my hand, I tread slowly across the room. My heart beat slow as I came into the room. Inside, I was appalled to see the state it was.

It was in such a mess! trash on the floor, my sink was filled with dishes. It looked like a flour bomb exploded! What was worse was the man rummaging my fridge. His back was to mine.

Now was my chance.

I snuck up behind him, raised the bat and brought it down onto his back.

The man whipped around, he grabbed the bat with one hand and the other had a gun pointed straight at my face.

"Darren!?" i blinked when the man called me by my name.

When I got a good look of the man who was holding a sandwich in his mouth was…

Was Steve.