CHAPTER 01

MARSHA'S POV:-

I was standing by the coffee machine, preparing myself my fifth cup of coffee since I stepped into the office. I was not able to concentrate at all. Even if I would blink, I was seeing her face. I did not sleep at all. I was worried because I had a case to take care of but I was not able to work on that. Even four cups of coffee were not able to wake up my mind to work on something other than my nightmare.

It was strange, ever since I had turned sixteen, I had been having the same nightmare. Especially when Halloween is near. "Happy Halloween everyone. I wish you a lot of sweet memories and sour happinesses with your family." My friend and my partner, Sara Danish greeted everyone as she stepped into the main hall of the precinct. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and filled my cup with the coffee.

I pretended as I really did not remember if it was halloween. Definitely, I knew it was halloween but I really never liked halloween. Halloween always dug up all the wounds I had bore years ago. And until now, things were not fine as well. Sometimes, it really felt as if I was missing a piece of me. Something that was precious but long lost. Something that makes you feel incomplete. Something that was closer to you than your beating heart.

I went back to my desk and Sara followed me behind. I took my seat and Sara wrapped her arms around me from behind. I rolled my eyes again and tapped on her arms. She broke the hug and pulled her chair. She sat down beside me and studied my face thoroughly. "Oh my God, don't tell me it is back again. Don't tell me you had that nightmare again?" She asked me in a panicked tone. I sighed and looked at her. I held the cup of my coffee in front of her eyes.

"This is my fifth cup since I stepped into this precinct." I replied and she snatched the cup from my hand. She took a sip then spitted it out. I sighed again as I knew she was about to start her lecture over how dark my coffee was and why was I having this much strong coffee and all? I held my hands in the air. She opened her mouth to say something but she immediately shut it in a few moments. I grabbed the papers I had in front of me and started reading them. I knew I was not really in a good state but I had to do my work.

"But how? I remembered doctor Brian saying that it was the last time you had that nightmare. There will be no more nightmares for you. He claimed it pretty confidently. So how is that possible?" She asked and I gritted my teeth. I was really angry with that good for nothing doctor. His claims were as lame as the claims every politician makes before they win the seat they desire. And after that, they forget everything as if they were not the ones who had made promises with the people. I grabbed my coffee cup that she had set on our desk and took a huge sip.

"That is because he can not understand my problem at all. He is handling my case as I am a psychopath. I am not a psycho, I just needed his help so I could get rid of these stupid nightmares. But guess what, I think soon I will lose my job as well. I can not concentrate on my work at all." I replied to her in an annoyed tone and she rubbed my back like a sister. I held my head in my hands as my head again started throbbing with the pain I had been feeling ever since I had woken up. I really was not able to sleep at all after that stupid nightmare.

"Why is it happening with you? Even after three years of therapy with the best phycologist in Bray city, how is it even possible that you are still having those nightmares?" She asked me and I looked around. Then I signalled her to come closer. She also looked around then pulled her chair closer towards me.

"This time, it was not just a nightmare. I saw her. She was standing right in front of me. I saw someone else as well, but in the dream. Fir the first time, the nightmare ended with a dream. He was someone who felt like I have known him but I can not seem to remember him at all. My life is fully fucked up. Do you know when I stepped into the precinct?" I replied then asked her and she shrugged her shoulders. Of course, she had just stepped into the precinct. How could she know when I entered that fucking place.

"I came here at five o'clock in the morning. I am telling you. I saw her standing right in front of me." I replied and she gave me a confused look. She stood up and went away. I knew she must be thinking of me as a mental patient. For years I had been telling her every single time I had that nightmare but it was too much. Even I would have said that if anyone would have told me something like that. But I knew I was not lying.

Sara came back to our desk with two cans of coke in her hands. She grabbed my coffee and emptied it in the plant vase. She handed me one coke can and took her seat again. "What if, it was not a dream but a signal. What if Sierra is not just a delusion as you have been thinking about her? What if you never really needed any help from Brian? What if Sierra is someone real and she needs your help? What if it all signals she has been giving you so you would help her?" She replied and I looked at her with my mouth agape and my eyes widened. I went all pale as if I had seen a ghost. But in reality, I was just thinking, what if Sara was actually right.