When I was younger, my friend sent me an interesting article on lucid dreaming. I read it and decided to attempt such a dream. My first attempts were futile, however I still tried every night.

On the night of my birthday I set a cup of water I usually brought on my nightstand and closed my door and windows. I locked the windows with both latches, laid down, turned off the light, and went to bed.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a white room with a single door that was identical to the one I had in my room and a behind behind me which was also identical to the one near my bed. The room was devoid of all furniture. Immediately I grasped that I was dreaming. I looked at my hands and the rest of my body and saw that I was clothed in boxers and a white t-shirt–my normal night attire. The only discrepancy was that my clothes were soaking wet.

I suddenly felt very cold and alone. I walked forward and tried the doorknob with no luck, as the door was locked. I turned to try the window and froze in terror. Two deathly cold blue eyes stared back at me from a grotesquely horrifying silhouette.

I could not move as I watched the figure. Suddenly its long, gnarled hand crept towards the window, its bony claws scratching at the glass. It began pressing on the window and cracks began to snake through the glass as it creaked and moaned under the pressure.

Just as the window was on the verge of shattering, I heard my door burst open. Golden rays of light flooded into the room and caressed my back.

“WAKE UP QUICKLY!” a commanding voice bellowed from behind me.

I awoke from my nightmare with sweat beading down my forehead. My cup of water had toppled over on me and my bedsheets were soaked. My heart sank as, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a long hand reaching for me. I turned to face it, only to hear something scurrying off into the night.

My window was shattered. Glass peppered the floors and long shards still clung to the window frame.

My own fear placed me in a paralysis that I couldn’t shake myself out of. Eventually, I collected myself and ran out of my room through my already open door and locked myself in the bathroom.

I stayed in there with the lights on all night. I heard scratching on the window and walls outside, but I kept myself crouched in the shower stall and eventually it stopped.

Looking out the bathroom window that night, I could swear I saw two blue orbs of light hanging below the moon against the cold, black sky. I looked away, making sure the bathroom door was still locked. When I looked back, they were gone.