Choose Your Own Quest to Dream World: Navigating Nightmares and Finding Hope
Introduction
How to Navigate This Adventure?
For the best replayability and enjoyment, try to commit to your initial choices throughout the journey. Most pages include hyperlinks that direct you to the next part of the story based on your selection. Many pages are intentionally left blank or contain a placeholder image to improve book formatting and avoid spoilers. To maintain the story's integrity and avoid confusion, it is strongly advised not to scroll down and spoil upcoming events. Each playthrough offers unique interactions and hidden tips.
Why Should You Read This Book?
An Interactive Adventure: Immerse yourself in a captivating journey where your choices shape the story.
A Blend of thriller, Fantasy, & Scientific Tips: Experience a unique combination of thrilling horror, enchanting fantasy, and practical scientific advice.
Multiple Endings: Enjoy a story that offers numerous possible conclusions, ensuring a new experience with each read.
Over 30 Black & White Illustrations: Visualize the narrative through beautifully crafted illustrations that enhance the storytelling.
Backed by Medical Research: Gain insights into mental health and healthy sleep, supported by credible medical research.
Urban Contemporary Fiction for Young Adults.
Chapter 1: Into the Abyss of Dreams
You are in your apartment late at night after a grueling delivery shift. Your body is heavy with fatigue as you drag yourself to bed. The moon, half-full, casts a silvery glow through your window, illuminating the sparse furnishings of your room. The air is thick with the smell of industrial smoke from the passing trains, a constant reminder of the bustling city just outside.
You glance at the clock – it's nearly midnight. With a sigh, you remember the energy drink you left on the table. It was supposed to help you stay awake, but now all you want is a few precious hours of sleep before the next shift. You take a last sip, feeling the cool liquid slide down your throat, and collapse onto your bed.
As your eyes close, the world fades away. Sleep takes you swiftly, pulling you into a deep, heavy slumber. The stillness of the night wraps around you, and for a moment, everything is peaceful. But then, something shifts.
You wake suddenly, or at least you think you do. Your eyes are open, but you can't move. A heavy weight presses down on your chest, pinning you to the bed. Panic rises as you realize you're paralyzed, unable to call out or even turn your head. The room around you feels strange, shadows seem to shift and twist in the moonlight.
Your breath catches as a figure emerges from the darkness, moving silently towards you. Its presence is menacing, and a cold dread washes over you. Your heart races, pounding in your ears. You're frozen, trapped in a nightmare that feels all too real.
What will you do?
Fight the paralysis: Summon all your willpower to break free from the invisible grip holding you down.
Scream and call for help.
You try to scream for help, but no sound escapes. Your mouth is open, your mind is screaming, but there is only silence. Horror grips you as the shadowy figure draws closer, filling the room with an oppressive dread. You struggle to control your body, but it's futile; you're held captive by an invisible force.
Minutes stretch into an eternity as you fight against the unseen bonds. The figure looms over you, and just when you think you can't endure the terror any longer, something inside you snaps. With a gasp, you break free from the paralysis, your body jerking upright in bed.
Sweat drenches your skin, and your heart pounds wildly in your chest. The room is unchanged, silent and still, with moonlight casting gentle shadows on the walls. The figure is gone, but the memory of its presence lingers, leaving you shaken and breathless.
Fight the Paralysis
You muster all your willpower, trying to break free from the invisible grip holding you down. You focus on moving your fingers first, willing them to twitch. Slowly, agonizingly, you regain control of your hand. The effort feels monumental, but you manage to move your arm slightly.
With each small movement, the weight on your chest seems to lighten. You push harder, focusing on your legs now, trying to kick them free. The shadowy figure inches closer, its oppressive presence making it difficult to breathe. But you refuse to give up.
Finally, with a great surge of effort, you break free from the paralysis. You sit up abruptly, gasping for air. Sweat drenches your skin, and your heart pounds wildly in your chest. The room is exactly as it was before, silent and still, with the moonlight casting gentle shadows on the walls. The figure is gone, but the memory of its presence lingers, leaving you shaken and breathless.
Eerie Aftermath and Lingering Questions
You look around, and nothing is out of place. The room is exactly as you left it, apart from the static on the TV. You reach for the remote and turn it off, the sudden silence almost deafening. The stillness of the apartment is broken only by the occasional sound of a man walking around the streets below.
Your heart still pounds in your chest, the fear slowly ebbing away but leaving a lingering unease. You walk to the kitchen, your footsteps echoing softly in the quiet. Reaching for a glass, you fill it with water and take a sip, hoping to calm your nerves. The cool liquid soothes your dry throat, and you feel a little more grounded.
You lean against the counter, taking deep breaths, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. Was it just a dream, or something more? The questions swirl in your mind, but no answers come. For now, you need to relax and regain your composure.
Strange sounds come from the alley, where two familiar cats are fighting again. A one-eyed black cat and a chubby orange cat battle for dominance. You’ve heard their clashes many times before.
You look at the clock, it is late, and you really need to rest.
You have two choices:
1- Go back to sleep.
2- Call a friend.
Back to Sleep
You decide to go back to sleep, but this time, you leave the lights on. The warm glow fills the room, pushing back the shadows and making you feel a bit safer. As you lie down, you focus on your breathing, taking slow, deep breaths to calm your racing heart. Surprisingly, the comfort of the light and the rhythmic sound of your own breath help you relax, and soon enough, sleep takes you once more.
This time, it's a deep, dreamless sleep. The hours pass quietly, and you wake up feeling surprisingly refreshed. The first light of dawn filters through the window, casting a soft, golden hue over your room. You stretch and sit up, the events of the night before feeling distant, almost unreal.
You glance at the clock and realize you still have some time before your next shift. The memory of the shadowy figure still lingers, but the daylight brings a sense of normalcy and reassurance.
Call a Friend
You decide to call your friend Alex, needing to hear a reassuring voice. The phone rings a few times before Alex picks up, sounding groggy and slightly annoyed.
"Hey, Alex."
"Hi, you know it's late at night!" Alex responds, clearly confused by the late call.
"Sorry, I really had this weird experience of something choking me while I was asleep!"
"Relax. It's only a nightmare," Alex replies, trying to soothe you.
"But it was real. I couldn't move or scream."
"I really have to sleep. Why call about a nightmare? Are you a child?" Alex says, clearly irritated.
"I think it..." you start to explain further, but suddenly the phone cuts off. You stare at the screen, feeling a mix of frustration and fear.
Left alone with your thoughts and the eerie silence of your apartment, you decide to turn on all the lights. The brightness fills the room, banishing the shadows and making you feel a bit safer. You climb back into bed, the glow from the lights offering some comfort.
To your surprise, you manage to get a few good hours of sleep. The morning light eventually streams through the window, and you wake up feeling more rested than you expected.
Rise Up
Morning arrives, and the room is filled with soft, golden light. Outside, you hear dogs barking and someone coughing harshly below your window. You wake up feeling groggy and tired, the events of the night still weighing on your mind.
With a heavy sigh, you glance at the fridge, hoping for some breakfast, but it's empty. The only things left are a few empty bottles of energy drinks scattered on the ground. You need something to kickstart your day, so you quickly make yourself a large, dark coffee.
As the bitter aroma fills the kitchen, you sip the hot drink, feeling a bit more alert. You hurry to get dressed in your delivery work clothes, knowing you can't afford to be late. The fatigue lingers, but you push through it, determined to get on with your day.
Suddenly, your phone buzzes, breaking the morning silence. You glance at the screen and see it's the delivery application Z-courier. An order has come in from a customer wanting scissors and tape delivered. You look at the clock and think, "What's a weird order for this early in the morning?"
Before you can process it further, the phone buzzes again. Another order pops up, this time for flowers and a mega-size burger. You shake your head, finding it even stranger than the first order.
Choices:
Accept the scissors and tape order: Maybe someone is in urgent need of these items for a project or an emergency.
Accept the flowers and mega-size burger order: This order is odd, but it could be someone trying to make a special breakfast surprise for someone they care about.
Which delivery will you choose?
