Deniz woke up screaming. He was drenched in sweat. His heart was pounding as if it were too big for his chest. He looked around, trying to catch his breath.
Morning had come. Sunlight spilled into the room through the edge of the curtain, casting a warm glow. The TV had turned itself off. His phone was still on the table, the screen black. No messages. No audio recording.
He slowly got up and walked to the bathroom. Looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were a bit tired, but otherwise normal. He splashed cold water on his face and sighed.
— It was just a nightmare, he said to himself. Just a bad dream.
He imagined the smell of coffee from the kitchen, though he hadn't turned the machine on yet. He put on his shirt, checked his bag. Tossed his keys into his pocket. As he stepped out the door, he realized he had forgotten to put on his shoes, chuckled to himself, and went back to grab them.
The street was cool, but refreshing. A sign in the pharmacy window advertised a new promotion. His neighbor Sibel waved at him from across the road. Deniz nodded back. Everything was ordinary. Familiar.
As he walked along the sidewalk, he thought: He'd just gotten too caught up in his own head. Maybe he'd been spending too much time alone. Maybe it was time to take a break from social media. A few nights of good sleep and he'd be fine.
Yiğit was waiting for him at a nearby café. They'd sit at a table, drink coffee, and talk about everyday things. Work, shows, the weather…
Life was what it was. In the morning light, the real world felt clearer.