”Wake up.”

The words floated like a whisper over my consciousness as I emerged from a deep sleep. Strange - I don’t usually dream in words.

I got up, got dressed, and headed out to get my morning cup of coffee before work. As I was standing in line, thinking about the morning, I heard those words again. ”Wake up.”

“What did you say?” I asked the man behind me in line surprised.

“I said wake up, man! They called your name thirty seconds ago. Some of us have places to be, here.”

“Ah, right, sorry,” I replied sheepishly as I moved forward and paid for my latte.

As I left the coffee shop, I had a strange feeling, as if I were missing something, but I couldn’t place it.

I continued my walk into work, following the same routine I do every day. I got to the office and headed into our regular morning meeting, but I was having trouble concentrating on what was being said - something about this day really had me on edge.

”Wake up!”

My eyes darted toward my best friend Sam, who was surreptitiously nudging my shoulder. “Wake up, Mike!” he said, nodding toward the end of the table.

I sat up straight and looked across the table to find my boss’ eyes sliding over me. Crap. I needed to focus.

The rest of the morning went normally. The team and I went to the place across the street from the office for lunch. As we sat at a table, a server walked up to take our orders.

“You ok, sir?” she asked, looking at me.

“He’s just a little out of it today,” Sam replied.

“Well I’ve got just the thing for that. Try our patented Fireburger with hot peppers - it’ll wake you right up!”

My eyes widened as I stared at her in disbelief. “What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I responded. What the hell?

I ate my food in silence - I could tell that everyone sensed something was off, but they left me alone. When we went back to work, I tried to dismiss it and go on with my day, but it didn’t stop. “Wake up” said the receptionist at the entrance to the building. “Wake up” said the doorman as I left for the day. On and on it went. The mother pushing her child in a stroller. The elderly couple waiting at the bus stop. The kid twirling a sign on the sidewalk. “Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.” I couldn’t escape it. My head was pounding like a freight train, and my vision was going black. What was happening to me? It got worse and worse, until there was only darkness, and pain, and two words, endlessly.

And then there was nothing.

I woke to darkness and a pain in the back of my head. I tried to stand, but something was holding my shirt. I looked down, and in one horrifying moment everything came rushing back.

The loud crash from downstairs. The dash to the kitchen to check on my wife and daughter. The look of fear on my daughter’s face, and the sudden, sharp pain in the back of my head. And now my wife lying unmoving on the floor, soaked in blood, and my daughter, terrified, faintly gripping my arm and whispering to her mother over and over…

“Mommy! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake…”