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“Okay, so let me get this straight. You say you are not psychic but you’re having dreams about being the serial killer on the loose. You told me exactly how each of the victims was killed, gave me information that even the police didn’t know, you have no alibi whatsoever, and yet you’re telling me you’re not the guy we’re looking for?” He leaned back in his chair and scratched his forehead. He couldn’t understand why a serial killer would surrender himself to the police like that.
“Yes,” I answered when told to vocalize my answer–they were recording our conversation.
He shook his head no. “I’m not buying it. I mean, for all I know you could be walking around in your sleep and killing these women. That’s considering your story about dreaming holds any truth to begin with.”
We sat in silence for a while, him tapping his pen on the table and reading whatever notes he had scribbled down on paper.
“Here’s what I think is going on,” he began roughly a minute later, having come up with a possible explanation. “You’re trying to frame someone else.” He pointed at some of his notes with his pen. “You came here with this stupid story of yours about dreaming to tell us exactly where to look for evidence because you planted them there. Yes, there’s no DNA on any of them but we both know who these clues aren’t really pointing at you, are they? Who is it you’re trying to frame, Donald?”
“That’s not true! I told you already, I just want to help.”
The door opened before the detective could reply and a police officer appeared from behind the wooden panel. “Sir, we’ve found another body.”
“You wait here.” He pointed his finger at me, grabbed his coat and stormed off from the interrogation room.
It all began about a month ago when I bought a dream catcher at a flea market. I’ve always been very interested in dreams, their spiritual meaning, and tried myself at lucid dreaming several times. At the same time, however, my purchase was strange for a man like me. I’ve always considered myself more as a man of science–if it couldn’t be scientifically proven, I didn’t believe it worked. The dream catcher that I bought, however, looked pretty and came at a price low enough for me to consider the purchase and forget about my scientific ego for once.
The first couple of nights I had it hanged above my bed I slept very poorly. I was waking up a lot, was covered in sweat in the morning, and woke up feeling even more tired than I went to bed.
I was certain there wasn’t any connection between my poor sleep and the dream catcher, so I brushed it off as being stressed because of work.
The next couple of nights I slept like a baby. I zoned out the moment I lay down and my dreams were far more vivid than ever. I also woke up feeling ready to take on the world without even having my morning coffee first.
Following that, I read more about the dream catcher and read somewhere that it wasn’t unusual for the first few days’ sleep to be poor. Supposedly you had to get used to the dream catcher and the dream catcher had to get used to you.
It didn’t take long for my dreams to spiral downward, however, and I started having very vivid nightmares of murders–starring me as the killer. Having just had similarly bad dreams and poor sleep a few days prior I didn’t think much of it until one day I saw a familiar face on the news. It was a girl from my dreams–a girl I had killed.
I turned the volume up and listened to the reporter describe what had happened. She was found tied up in her basement, killed by a wooden arrow through the heart and heavily disfigured, like all other victims of the serial killer known only by the name of Red George.
They described exactly what I had seen in my dream. The wooden arrow. The basement. Peeling the skin off her face.
I looked up all the murders by the same alleged killer and found both of the other two girls I had had dreams about–both dead.
Over the next few days I jotted down every detail I remembered from my nightmares as soon as I woke up, and over the course of about a month I had dreamt of all eight victims the killer had killed so far.
Knowing the value of that information I rushed to the police to help them catch the killer but they’ve taken interest in me as their primary suspect instead.
It took a little over three hours for the detective to return to speak with me, and the first thing he asked was who I hired to kill in my name while I was being held at the station.
We had some back and forth word fighting but we both knew they couldn’t prove anything–they had to let me go.
When I arrived back home the first thing I noticed was a piece of paper on my door that said my house had been searched by the police in my absence and that the warrant can be found on my desk.
The place was a mess. All the drawers were pulled out, there was stuff on the floor everywhere, and my safe had been opened by force.
I read the warrant and it said that I would be reimbursed for all the damage they had done had I been proven innocent. I chuckled to myself at that last sentence–it was quite the sum to be reimbursed with.
I didn’t do any cleaning that day because I was dead tired from the interrogation that had been well over twenty four hours long. I went straight to bed and fell asleep instantly.
That day I had no dreams whatsoever and when I woke up I noticed the dream catcher had been broken–the police must’ve broken it when they were searching the room.
Over the next few weeks my every move was carefully monitored by the police and when the murders still didn’t stop they had no choice but to admit their false accusations. I was happy to have been finally cleared of guilt.
Ever since that dream catcher of mine had been broken I have seized having dreams of Red George’s latest victims despite him still being on the loose.
Now, however, every time I close my eyes I see his former ones coming back to haunt me for not having stopped him.
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I knew this one would be good ;) there is so much mystery but then so much possibility, very well spun. Is the killer still killing, or just still at large..? Was the all one way, did he just see the visions of the killer.. or did the killer dream of him... was it really the police who broke the dream catcher..
but the real question, based of course on the hard fact science behind the effectiveness of dream catchers... is what was the dream catcher made from?
Oh my word! In all my dream catcher making, i never thought to make an evil one... I even have some of the body parts, sorry sorry, bit's, i'd need... I might have to set the intention and make this happen, would you like a cursed dream catcher? ;)
Only just remember this was still a draft :p
Still very much at large and killing. :3
You raise some great questions, @calluna. Would you like me to write the story from the killer's perspective, too? See if he had dreams of being a supposedly ordinary dude?
the threads and wood were dyed red, but there were also plenty of semi-precious stones embroidered into it that were white. Come to think of it, they could've just as easily been (human) teeth.
I think I'm plenty cursed myself, but sure. I'm up for more curses, always!
Do you only get to curse the dream catcher, or are you doing up-close and personal curses too?
Hey dear @davidkain, it looks like you are an excellent writer! It was me an pleasure to read this fiction story :-)
Awesome that you provides the steemit community with your creativity 👌 I leave also an little up for you, because I’m a little fish here.
Keep on writing ✍️ 💪🏼😀
Hey! ^^
Thank you! Very happy to hear you've enjoyed it!
No matter the upvote strength, your comment and opinion matters all the same. Thank you very much for stopping by and reading my work. Very happy to hear you liked it! <3
Will do! :D
Yeah and by the way, you got an fantastic mafioso profile picture ;-)
Hahahaha thanks! :D
I am so very happy to hear you noticed haha :D I love it very much :3
I must say, when i read the first 2 lines. I started to think, how this dream catcher title can lead to a story. Out of curiosity, I continue to read, and here it goes. i cannot stop reading until the end of your story in one breath. You are an excellent writer, you know how to attract reader in your story writing. And also a good fiction story.
Great! :D
That's exactly what a writer strives to achieve!
Thank you very much! I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Keep it up... and waiting for your next fiction. :P
Scheduled for wednesday/thursday, depends on when I get back home from the Netherlands :P
Maybe in the meantime I can interest you in some of my older works? ;P
Check the table and pick a title if the craving for fiction ever becomes too severe. ;P
Yes definitely will read it. Reading is my hobby. Always has a book on my hand when I am free :)
Very happy to hear, both that you will read some more, and that you enjoy reading in general :D
Is this your creative thinking or somehow based on a true story? You have written it very good that it seemed vivid.
I look at dream catchers to be cute decorations at home but have not really thought of its effect as it is told to be true. I wonder if experienced it yourself.
No true story that I know of, so as far as I'm concerned, it's pure fiction. :P
Thank you! Very happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I look at dream catchers much the same - they're a decoration. but who knows, they might in fact work? ;)
Hopefully not the way it did in the story
How about you get a dream catcher and try it for yourself? Then you come back here and tell us how it went? 😃
Hahaha :D Maybe, maybe I should ;)
Or maybe, since I've already done the dream catcher, I should try something else, like maybe a lucky charm - a rabbit's foot! :P
No. You just wrote about dream catcher but haven't tried yet so go ahead and try that before moving on to the next. 😃
Hmmm. And have two dream catcher stories? :P
Maybe one should end happily.
Maybe...
Who knows the second one will end happier? You will never know until you try... 😉
The first time I heard of a dream catcher was in a movie a few years ago. I loved the idea of it but now I dread it. Reading this piece gave me the shivers. Dream catchers could turn nasty if we imagine it or maybe not. I would definitely read your other stories. I look forward to reading more of your work.Keep it up.
Yeah. Any such one artifact could turn out the wrong way just as nuch as it could turn out the "good" way.
Thank you very much! I'm very glad you enjoy my work :D
Dude Congrats on another curie vote, someone up there is really digging your storylines.
As usual man, its a great story with some awesome character building. I guess he learned a lesson, if it's hard to believe don't tell the Po Po, either that or if you want it done right do it yourself. Probably where all the vigilante shows come from... lol I do like the fact that you are publishing the stories. It's always awesome to turn things into multiple streams of income....
Thanks! And yeah, I guess, and hope, so. ;3
I am so very happy you enjoyed it!
And well, yeah, i primarily want my work to be read - so i will continue publishing stories for free. ^^ if it prompts someone to buy my book(s), all the better. There's always going to be exclusive content, but also always free content ^^
Thanks for stopping by. ;D
You need to pick up a copy of the Garyvee book Jab Jab Jab Right Hook. It could help to form a stratagy to utilize the free to sell the paid.
Hmmm. That actually sounds like an interesting read. ^^
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Thank you! :D
Hi davidkain,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Hi!
Thank you very much for the upvote(s)!
You have a great day too! :D
Hey @davidkain, thank you for your story, I am a crime and mystery fan, that is why I enjoyed reading your story. Many different nations believe in dream catcher and in some houses you still find them, I love htem as deco and to tell the truth necer had any bad or good or true dreams, and I am really glad for that.
The style of your writing is good, it is easy to read through and to track your idea, it is not too overwehlming with description adn keeps reader really interested :)
Cheers, from Art-supporting blog @art-venture
This project is supported by : @alexanderfluke , @brianhphotos , @xpilar , @slowwalker , @sultan-aceh
Very happy to hear you enjoyed it! :D
Yeah... dreams can go either way - they can be beautiful, or they can be the worst nightmares you've ever had.
But you never know 'til they happen ;D
Thank you!
I am often left wondering if I'm not paying enough attention to the little stuff and am omitting too much of the details... So this comment is very, very much appreciated! :D
You are really good, keep doing it, there are many mystery and sci-fi books but still your style is good, it catches the reader :)
Thanks! I try to include just enough of the details to provide the necessary background but not take away from the pace of the story. If I manage(d) to get that - I'm very, very happy! :D
I like this style of writing. Needs more push on the tension building but this ain't bad at all. I enjoy the mystery and some gaps the reader has to fill in with their own interpretation of the events. Any plans on extending this to a full blown novel?
Glad you liked it! And will keep your critic in mind for future works. Thanks for it! :D
This story per say.... No.
Don't currently have the luxury of time, sadly, to focus in writing a full out novel from start to finish.
Though that doesn't mean I don't get to edit my existint one ;)
This is splendid, the theme of your book suggests Crime/drama fantasy I'm not truly certain how ever it was presented in a prosaic form, I love the way you narrated in first person point of view, it allowed me to see things the way you saw them.
These dreams about the crimes committed and how you had premonitions about them, I sensed a lot of suspense in your poetic work and it made me feel like having another read on the continuation of this thriller. Beautiful piece here
The stories in the book belong in the same genre as this one.
So very happy to hear you enjoyed it! And I do very much love writing in first person - it makes me feel one with the character(s) :D
Thanks again for reading, and very happy to hear you enjoyed it! :D
Yeah writing in first person can be eye opening for a reader and thrilling my friend, you're welcome, I'm glad I read again
I have always seen dream catchers as pieces of decoration, can the really have that much of an effect on someone??
Well, Donald got himself into some deep trouble, how is he gonna get out of it now? Being haunted doesn't seem like a nice feeling at all. Maybe there should be a continuation to the story? It will be really cool!!
This is your second work that I have read, and I must say that your writing is captivating. I enjoyed it!
I see them as decoration also, but took the idea for a spin. :P
I have no idea whether they have any effect whatsoever, but they do make for a good story. :P
Hmmm. Maybe how he tries to catch Red George on his own so that his nightmares would stop? Hmm hmmm hmmm. The idea is right up my alley ;D
I am so very happy you feel that way! Thank you!
Hope I don't disappoint in the future ^^
Its a "spin in the right direction" lol. Oh yeah, they do make great stories, incorporating it in this story definitely made the story interesting...
Oh yeah, that! It would be great to see you right about that...
Oh no, I doubt you will ever do that!!
I'll try and fit it in somewhere when I get back home - my schedule is stuffed 'til October :|
With good things, though!
I have a book I want to publish by the 1st, which in turn also means loads of free content for you - I'll be posting most of the contents here, free of charge. ^^
But do expect me to go on a writing spree as soon as October begins and I get me some more writing time.
Hopefully I get to write enough that you won't be able to keep up with reading! ;)
Hope so! I'll try my very best! :D
Your schedule is filled with so much great stuff (I am guessing it has a lot to do with the new book you will be publishing). Hopefully, when you get back home, you will work on that...
I can't wait to read from this new book. What's the book about?
I am looking forward to reading a lot of good stuff during this writing spree. I will try and keep up, trust me! Hahahah!
It actually has nothing to do with the publishing of the book hheh. I mean, I've been intending to publish it before the 1st of october, and has I been free it would all have gone smoothly... But so many things came up I had to finish the book's text before leaving to Amsterdam (where I am right now ;p), when I get back home I need to get it editted into the correct format and akl that mumbo jumbo and publish it before I leave for Zagreb for work. Ugh. I thought my achedule would clear a bit, but stuff just keeps adding up! And I only have a couple pre-written stories to post left >.<
It will be different - it will be non-fiction and will basically be about what I spens all my time (that i dont spend writing and for work) educating myself on. It will be titled:
Do I really need another diet?
A psychological approach to your relationship with food
And will basically be written a lot like a manual that will help you unfuck your relationship with food, be based on scientific facts, and have some humor inside, too.
Its more so to helo teach the tools to succeed in life no matter your goals but through diet related examples ao you get to see the tools put to action.
The next book (likely by end of year) will be similarly fiction as Bits if Dread. :P
Ill get to writing as soon as I get five minutes to myself and a keyboard. Its merely been a day and i miss it already! :3
I guessed wrong then. lol. You have alot to do. I hope everything goes smoothly because I can't wait to check out this new book!
Looks like it will be an interesting book.. Diet and humor? i would love to read it, it won't only be entertaining but educative as well....
Hopefully, you will get the "5 minutes of freedom" , so you can put down some creative piece!
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