You fools . Bernold . Streuth . <| sep |> Thank you dude , <| sep |> Taxpayers are fine with that , I ' m sure . Something , something , drain the swamp . <| sep |> oh , it ' s you <| sep |> Allyson , sweetheart , you need to sleep sometime . You ' ve been up for two days straight , my mother said , concern wavering her voice . She was sitting on the edge of my bed , stroking my unwashed hair . I know , I know , I said , the words whispered though exhaustion . I just can ' t . I can ' t go through those horrible dreams again . Honey , I know you ' ve been having nightmares lately , but you really need to rest up . It ' s not good for the little one , she said , moving her hand from my hair to place it on my growing midsection . I was four months along and starting to show . Thank fucking god I had understanding parents who remembered what it was like to be seventeen and unintentionally reckless . Sam Bradson ' s parents were not quite as reasonable , and I doubt the high fives from his friends were worth the belt lashings doled out by his father once he heard Sam had knocked me up . Sam Bradson with his beautiful blue eyes and his fake smile and his football physique and his stolen bottle of gin and his perfect fucking auburn hair . I felt my cheeks flush at the thought of him , whether from adoration or anger I wasn ' t sure . But I was sure that this situation incubating inside me was messing with my head , causing the terrible apocalyptic dreams I had for the past week . Fine , fine , I consented , begrudgingly . I will rest my eyes for a few minutes , but I ' m keeping the lights on . Deal ? My mother sighed , almost imperceptibly , Deal . She got up from my bed and stretched her back . She looked especially tired tonight . Just let me know if you need anything , your father and I will be watching the news in the living room , she said as she tiptoed out of my room , softly closing the door behind her . I was practically asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow . The light from my bedside lamp shining through my eyelids , illuminating a dull redness in my mind . Slowly that redness grew dimmer and deeper , until I was wading through a crimson landscape of terrible familiarity . The dreams always began like this , with me walking down a mangled street , eerily similar to the street where I grew up , alone and scared and uncomfortably warm . The once suburban houses were devastated , the streetlights contorted into uncomfortable poses , the sky stained bright red behind acidic clouds . Overall , a massive fucking shitshow . I just had to make it to the neighborhood park , to see what this dream had in store for me tonight . In the first nightmare I had a week ago , the park was filled with giant bloodthirsty alligators , but I was able to scramble to the top of the monkey bars and wait it out until morning . The next night was populated by huge , angry gorillas with their fucking opposable thumbs and I had spent the entire dream running for my life . I woke up drenched in sweat . And finally , last time had the skinless , screaming corpses who wanted to eat my face and drink my blood . I wasn ' t quite clear if they were vampires or zombies , but it was by far the worst fucking one of the bunch and I vowed not to sleep ever again . But there I was dreaming again , sitting anxiously on the wooden park bench , waiting for something terrifying to tear my limbs off or burst out of my chest or tell me I ' m late for a math test I didn ' t study for . in Hell . But none of that happened . The visitor that did appear was not what I was expecting . He was a boy , maybe five or six years old , and adorable , despite the long scar running from his left eyelid down his neck . He sat down next to me on the bench , his hands stuffed in his pockets , and looked at me with his big blue eyes . Well hello , I said hesitantly . You ' re new here . My name ' s Allyson . What ' s yours ? Jacob , Jacob said , shyly . Jacob , are you lost ? Do you need help ? He stared at me blankly . What are you doing here ? Sleeping , dreaming he yawned . His tongue was black with soot . I ' m dreaming too , Jacob . I fall asleep at night and I end up in this place with all these terrible things , monsters , demons , whatever , that try and catch me , I said . But you know what ? They haven ' t caught me yet and I won ' t let them . I see the monsters too , he said , nervously , wringing his little hands . Just remember , they can ' t hurt you because it ' s just a silly dream and they ' re not real , I said , trying to reassure him . I reached over and tousled his thick , auburn hair . He looked at me , frightened . But . But they ARE real , he said , scared . The monsters are real , not just in the dreams , and they are bad , very very bad . No . That can ' t be . They are real and mean and will hurt you bad if they ever catch you , that ' s what you always told me before . Wait , me ? I said what ? Before what ? I asked , panicked , my heart pounding in my ears . Before the monsters caught you , Mom , he said , his big doe eyes looking longingly at me . You said if I needed to see you , I just had to dream of this place and you ' d be here . No , that can ' t be true , I said , standing up from the bench . My head was swimming , I heard a low noise off in the distance , like an approaching freight train blowing its horn to signal its arrival . It ' s true . You told me that it may take some time before you understand , but it ' s real , the monsters are real , I ' m real , Jacob pleaded with me . The sky darkened around us . The roaring grew louder , echoing off the demolished houses and barren trees . Sounding like loud , violent waves crashing against a rocky shore , foghorns blaring alongside . He reached out and clasped my hand . I ' ll see you next time , Mom . I tried to talk , but my voice was drowned out by the now deafening noise around us . The streetlights shook and exploded into cascades of bright tears . The sky opened and a thick crimson fog engulfed us , still holding hands , until my vision was reduced to a murky red haze . I awoke abruptly , the noise still ringing in my ears , as my mother ran into my room . Allyson , get up sweetheart , we need to get downstairs to the shelter ! my mother instructed , throwing off my covers . Don ' t you hear the warning sirens ? It ' s happening ! We need to hurry ! My father sealed the thick metal door behind us just as the world was beginning to end . My parents stayed awake that night , through the myriad blasts heard rumbling outside the shelter walls , searching for a radio signal to find out what was happening . And during it all , I was soundly asleep on the thin cotton mattress in the corner of the shelter , dreaming again of what was now left of the world .