The Darkness

He heard her scream for help. Over and over. There was smoke every where, smothering him. He strained his eyes to see, but there was blackness. She is upstairs; he groped around for the bannister. He just needed to get to the first step. He knew that once at the first step, it was just a quick dash, up 12 little steps, past the doorway that stood between himself and her.
He found the little sphere that marked the start of the bannister.
There was too much smoke. Pitch darkness. He tried to blink away the darkness, but nothing. He tried to run up the stairs, but his legs were heavy. He tried to heave them one at a time. He must. He must get to that door, prise it open. She is there. He must get past that door, so that he can get her. He must save her, bring her to safety. He must save her and tell her everything. But she's in danger and she's screaming; the screaming for help did not stop. He tried to shout to her, to tell her ntto be afraid, that he's coming, but there was no sound. No sound from his throat.
He found himself at the door, and as he reached out to the doorknob, it melted away like it did not exist. And there was a blinding flash of light...
He found himself drenched in sweat, breathless. He was sitting up in bed. It had been a dream.. a dream after all.. He looked around and familiarity began to come into focus. He saw his wife, in deep sleep next to him. The tv, still on, was showing the end of the cd he had been watching.
He pullled himself off the bed, weary. He stole a furtive look at his wife and quietly left the bedroom.
In the darkness, he dialed. A familiar voice, groggy from sleep, answered. "Are you ok?" he asked.
"yeah," she answered sleepily. "Why?"
"I love you. " And he hung up the phone.