When I woke up a splitting headache greeted me. Disoriented didn't even begin to describe my mind at that moment.

"Fuck"

I tried to remember what had happened last night. Everything was a blur. I had been with Jen last night. And we erh.. , the headache intensified. I tried to concetrate.

We were hitting up some bars. I think. That would certainly explain my headache plus my spontaneous amnesia.

Finally I opened my eyes to the dark ceiling above. I'd been sweating. My whole body was slick with it. I got up. Slowly. Everything was spinning but I shouldered on. I staggered the few steps to the window and grabbed the the windowsill. As I opened the window, a blast of frigid winter air rushed in, hitting my face. The coldness snapped me back to reality, even if only momentarily. I took a deep breath, allowing the crisp air to wash over me and clear some of the cobwebs in my mind. Looking outside, I noticed that everything was covered in a thin layer of snow. Beautiful.

The icy air invigorated me, and I stood there for a moment, gathering my thoughts. So I'd been with Jen. And we'd hit up some bars. I tried to scour my mind for any more information it could come up with. It was unlike me to drink too much. I liked to think of myself as a fairly responsible person. Never before could I not remember what happened the night before.

With a sigh I decided to leave it at that for now. Probably call Jen later. I closed the window and made my way down the stairs. My head felt somewhat better by now. It still hurt like a bitch, but at least I could think straight now.

In the kitchen I pointedly ignored the dirty tableware that was piling in the sink. Instead I headed straight for my little medicine cabinet. I grabbed an aspirin and downed it with a glass of water.

I sat down with my forehead resting against the cold wall, waiting for the effect to kick in.

The peace didn't last long. My obnoxious phone decided this was an opportune moment to start ringing. I was about to mute it when I saw the caller name. Jen.

With a sigh I picked up the call.

"What's up", I said without faking any ethusiasm.

Jen's voice crackeled out of the speaker, "Yo Josh. About last night. I must've blacked out or something but I can't remember shit."

"Ah" I said. "Not you too."

"What do you mean? Don't tell me you can't remember either. You never even get drunk." He sounded almost worried.

"First time for everything eh?" I said sarcasticly. "But if you tell me what you remember I'll fill you in on what I know."

He seemed to calm somewhat, but maybe I just imagined that. "Alright, so basically we went out to check out that new bar on 6th street. I know we got there at around eleven. There was that cute girl behind the bar, remember?"

As he was speaking memories slowly came back.

"Wait a second", I interjected. "I fucking drove us to that bar. And I never drink and drive."

"Well I guess you must have right? You don't lose your memories from water eh?"

He had a point. But fuck, I never drink more than maybe a beer if I'm the driver. Its not like I never got tempted, but I was certain that I wouldn't drive drunk.

"How did we get back home then? You know damn well that I would never drive when I'm slammed. Don't wanna end up like my old man."

He sighed. "Fuck if I know man. Is your car outside?"

I quickly took a peek out the window. At my empty parking lot. "Nope. Has to be at the bar still."

"Alright I'll come by later. We get your car and figure out what happened. How about... in 3 hours?"

I groaned and pressed two fingers on each side of my head. In 3 hours I should be at the gas station doing overtime.

"Yea whatever. 3 hours works.", I finally said.

I hung up and stumbled towards the bathroom. The reflection that greeted me in the dimly lit room was jarring. My face was ghostly pale and gaunt, shadows cast upon my hollow cheeks. Strands of dirty hair stood off in all directions, obscuring my face.

Skipping work would be bad. The manager, Mike, didn't make a secret out of what would happen if employees didn't show up. He'd never outright told us, but from past examples I knew that missing a day unannounced was good enough for him to fire you on the spot. Not like there was any shortage of other desperate fools who needed a job.

But did it even matter now? Even if I jumped into a car on the spot I would be half an hour late. And considering I didn't have a bloody car that calculation fell flat.

I bent over, my hands digging in the cold ceramic of the sink. I wanted to scream but I had no energy left.

"Fucking hell", I whispered.

I turned on the faucet and held my head under the running water. The cold sensation of water had always been my method to stop myself from spiraling. It felt more real than the thoughts of my impending unemployment. Kept me grounded in a way.

Once I composed myself somewhat I went down again to search for my phone. I dialed the number with shaking hands. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try.

Someone picked up after the 2nd ringing. "Kaczynski? What do you want?"

I winced slightly at the pronounciation of my last name. "Ah, sorry boss but I can't come in today. I ahh", I quickly looked around the room. "My car was stolen."

"Well? Then take a taxi?", he huffed.

I tried to think of an excuse but I came up empty. "I'm afraid I can't do that.", I said lamely.

"Why not Kaczynski?", he asked. "You know what day it is today?"

"Uh no. Is it a special day?"

"Yes Kaczynski, it's a special day. It's monday. You know why monday is a special day?"

I didn't answer.

He continued undeterred. "Because on mondays, the heavy duty trucks are coming through. And they are going to need fuel. How do you suppose they are going to get fuel without someone at the gasstation?"

This time he didn't even give me the time to respond. "They don't Kaczynski. They don't. So if you don't come in today, you better not be here tomorrow."

"I'm sorry boss, I promise I'll make it up to you anoth.." I stopped.

He had hung up.

"Fucking shit balls". I threw my phone onto the couch. After all that I did for that bastard. After all the overtime, after all the shit I took from customers.

I knew I shouldn't be that surprised. He'd always been an asshole. I just hoped I was indispensible enough for that to not happen. Guess I was wrong.

I let myself fall onto the couch. Whatever. No use crying over spilled milk as they say. I was just going to get another job. No problem right? I had qualifications too. A degree in philosophy. Had to be good for something.

For the first time in quite a while I turned on the TV. It was one of those old shitty models with massive backends to store all the electrojunk. As everything in the house, it had once belonged to my father.

I zapped around for a while until I found the news channel. No better way to distract myself from my own misery than watching others misery.

"...in prisons all over the country. Experts say a new cult might be involved. So far, law enforcement has not confirmed this. I'm hearing right now, they have put out a notice, asking citizens who know anything about this picture", the news reporter paused as a picture of a crimson moon symbol was inserted, "or the phrase 'Red moon rising' to please share that information with their local police department."

My brows furrowed. A new cult mainstream enough to get into the news? I hadn't seen that since, well scientology probably. The picture of the moon did look quite menacing though. Blood red, with craters lining its surface. Looking at it made me feel... strangely uncomfortable. No, uneasy was the word. Like watching a news story about some great tragedy or something.

"In other news, pictures have surfaced of a current presidential candidate and mayor of Louisville Michael Schwartz, blackout drunk on parties that were allegedly funded by tax-payer money."

I turned of the TV. They should have shown more actual news instead of stuff most people did their very best to ignore.

My headache had receeded into a constant dull ache. Annoying but bearable. I set myself an alarm and went back to bed, hoping to catch an extra hour or two before Jen would be knocking on my door.

Usually it takes me quite a while to fall asleep. My therapist used to say it was a combination for my lack of excercise and an overactive mind. He was probably right, but I never found the motivation to change that. That's what made the sudden shift so strange. As I laid down, fatigue washed over me like a sudden wave, and before I knew it, I was slipping into sleep. The most peculiar part was that I remained conscious during transition.

With a subtle flutter of my eyelids, I opened my eyes to a place somewhere else. I was standing amidst an expansive field, stretching endlessly in every direction. The sun stood high, radiating warmth and casting its golden rays upon the vibrant landscape. Almost instantly, beads of sweat formed on my forehead at the heat. It was a sensation so vivid that I could practically feel the dampness on my skin.

Everywhere I looked, a sea of green meadow unfolded with hundreds of colorful flowers that danced gently in the breeze. Their fragrances intermingled, filling the air with their delicate scents. The sheer variety was insane – velvety red roses, delicate purple lavender, vibrant yellow daisies, and countless others I couldn't even begin to name.

It wasn't my first time having a lucid dream, but this felt different. More real somehow.

A sudden voice from behind startled me. "You're coping quite well with your new cirumstances, I must say."

I jerked around. Behind me stood the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Her pearly white skin seemed to glow, accentuating her flawless facial features and captivating blue eyes. Dark, wavy hair cascaded down her back, drawing my gaze irresistibly. Wait. The dress she was wearing felt awfully familiar. It was my ex girlfriends favorite.

How the hell did it get here, into this increasingly weird dream?

My voice croaked as I mustered the courage to speak, "Who are you? And why are you wearing my ex-girlfriend's dress?"

She looked at me with pity in her eyes. "Oh dear, you don't remember last night at all do you? As for that delightful form?" She did a little twirl as if to show it all off. I tried my darnest, but couldn't stop my eyes from roaming her body. "Well I figured, since I invaded your dreams without permission I could at least take a form that you would find pleasant."

She really was beautiful.

Suddenly her words hit me. "Wait what? You invaded my dream?"

"Regrettably so," she confessed. "I wouldn't usually resort to such tactics, but recent circumstances have left me with no choice."

Suddenly, it all began to piece together in my mind. The whispers and tales of recurring dreams, of enigmatic beings offering bargains. Was this the truth? Was I face to face with one of those entities, tempting mortals with unimaginable promises? "People have been talking lately. About strange dreams, and sometimes even about beings offering them things. Is that what's going on here? Are you going to offer me eternal life for my soul or something?"

A wry chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm afraid I can't offer you eternal life, but if you're determined to trade away your soul, we could perhaps strike a deal," she teased, a predatory glint sparking in her eyes.

"So, that's it? You're some powerful being that preys on helpless fools like me," I retorted.

She looked at me with a disappointed expression. "Are you a helpless fool? Perhaps I have chosen wrong then."

She waved her hand and suddenly we stood inside a white pavillion. My eyes almost popped out at the casualness of it all. It was magnificent. Inside were a large table surrounded by eight exquisitely crafted chairs made of dark wood.

"What?" she chuckled at my expression. "This is dream. Manipulating it is quite trivial, despite certain... limitations I am placed under."

She waved for me to take a seat at the far end of it. I didn't move. All this was getting increasingly concerning. Whoever that woman - or rather being - was, it was clear to me that she wanted something. All that grandeur, the beautiful landscape and most importantly her apperance was here to butter me up. Get me to do something without properly thinking about it. In a way it reminded me of the military recruiters, that got increasingly pushy lately.

"What do you want?" I snapped, my frustration seeping through my words.

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A sly smile curved on her lips as she took a step closer, her presence becoming more overpowering. "My, oh my, someone is in a foul mood today," she whispered, her voice a tantalizing caress. Despite my instincts urging me to move away, I found myself frozen in place as she reached out, her fingertips delicately grazing my cheek. A shiver ran down my spine, a mixture of both apprehension and a strange, undeniable allure.

"I want nothing, my dear," she continued. "It is you who desires something, or rather, you're going to want something. And when that day arrives, you will think of me. You will know deep in your soul that only I can grant you what you seek."

I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. Come to think of it, I couldn't even breathe. Not that it mattered in a dream, but still. My thoughts were racing to make sense of the situation, but I couldn't focus. She was too close, too much for my thoughts to work out.

Uncaring to my internal struggle she continued. "Your world, Joshua, has been chosen," she declared, her voice carrying a mix of excitement and grandiosity. "Isn't it simply marvelous? Your humble, magicless backwater is destined for far greater things. Yes, the path ahead may be tumultuous during this transitional period, but fear not, for the rewards that await you shall exceed your wildest imagination."

With a casual turn, she began to walk away, her presence receding like a wisp of smoke. "But for now, my dear, it is time for you to wake. Someone is waiting at your door," she added, her words punctuated by a snap of her fingers. In an instant, everything plunged into darkness, engulfing me entirely.