The 11th Floor: Awakening by Charles Culver

Chapter 1
     
    “You have to help me, Doc. I think I’m losing my mind,” said Luke, staring up at the ceiling fan. “It’s all I can think about. Every time I see a mirror or reflection, I panic thinking I’m going to see him again.”
    “By him, you mean the hooded figure from your dream?” asked the doctor. “What was his name again? Nate, wasn’t it?”
    Gently shaking his head from side to side, Luke corrected the Doctor. “No, Nate wasn’t the hooded man. His name was Lou. Nate was the boss.”
    “Oh, right. My mistake,” said the doctor, consulting his notepad. “So this Lou guy, have you seen him since that day?”
    “Not since the car mirror.”
    “And how long ago was that?”
    “I believe it was about three months ago.”
    “You do realize it was only a dream. You know that, don’t you, Luke?”
    “It felt so real. How do you explain the dead people with the missing heads? They died in my dreams the exact same way.”
    “I can offer you a possible explanation,” said the doctor. “Perhaps you had the radio or television on while you were sleeping and heard the news, which worked its way into your dream.”
    “Maybe you’re right, but I still have trouble sleeping since then. I’m afraid of what might happen if I dream again. What if I have a recurrence?”
    “Luke, have you ever heard of the phrase ‘lucid dreaming’?”
    “I have heard of it, but I can’t say I know what it is exactly.”
    “I won’t bore you with the details, but basically it describes a state in which the dreamer realizes he or she is having a dream and is then able to exert some kind of control over it. The realization is typically triggered by noticing some anomaly or impossibility. By this, I mean things that couldn’t happen in real life, such as: pink elephants, garbled text, people flying, or conversing with deceased relatives or friends. These are called ‘dream signs’ and like the name suggests, give you a sign that you are in a dream.”
    Luke sat up straight in the chair and looked the doctor right in the eyes. “So wait, you’re saying I can control my dreams?”
    “It’s not as simple as that, Luke, but ultimately if you learn to spot your dream signs then you may be able to control what’s happening at least a little bit. Perhaps with time, patience, and experience, you may be able to entirely control the dream itself. Like many other things in life, it is ultimately a skill that has to be developed.”
    “This sounds like a bunch of nonsense. Thanks for everything, Doc, but I think I’ll be fine on my own from here on out.”
    Luke walked across the office heading towards the door.
    “If you decide that you no longer need to see me, that’s fine. I do believe you’re making a mistake; however, the choice is yours,” said the doctor as Luke reached for the handle.
    Luke grabbed the handle and paused for a moment before pulling it open.
    As the door opened, the doctor added, “At least consider what I’ve told you for next time, if there is a next time. Take care, Mr. Williams.”
    Slightly annoyed, Luke let out a huff sound and stormed through the door out of sight. As the door was closing behind Luke, the doctor saw a strange reflection in the glass. It was brief, but it appeared to be a shadowy figure wearing a black hooded cloak. Unsure if the light was playing tricks or Luke’s stories got the better of him, he jumped up from his seat and ran over to the door, pulling it open. He looked around the waiting room to see what might have made the reflection. The only person out there was his secretary, Betty, who was wearing pink and white. There was nothing obvious that could have made that kind of dark reflection.
    The doctor asked, “Betty, was there someone out here a moment ago wearing a black coat or something similar?”
    “No, Doctor. Mr. Williams just left, but he didn’t have a jacket and was wearing a yellow shirt. Is something wrong?”
    “I thought I saw someone,”