A Nightmare to Jolt you Awake

I have a vague memory of hitting the bed at midnight after staying up late for the new year party. The memory of the drive back home gives me some hazy figures and a lot of noise.
“Happy new year Krish,” was the only audible thing I heard before they started bursting crackers. The loud crackers, people shouting about and screaming everywhere is where my recollection of yesterday night ends.
I woke up in a surrounding which was completely new to me. I have never been here. This baffled me. More so, because it was still dark outside.
Now, did I sleep through the first day of my new year? Is it night again?
I should find my phone.
Getting up with difficulty I checked my jeans pocket for my phone. But I was not wearing jeans at all. I had a grey shorts with grey Tee. This surprised me greatly. I had no remembrance of changing when I reached my apartment. Trying to recall how and when I reached my apartment yesterday gave me a headache. How strange? I can't remember a thing about reaching my room yesterday.
I surveyed my surroundings. It was like a dungeon with no door.
Oh my God, Am I kidnapped? Or is somebody playing a prank?
“Hello, is somebody there? If you are playing a prank please stop it, I have a splitting headache and I need some rest in my room.”

There was no reply.
“Oh please, come forward guys and say it was all a joke. I am running out of patience now.”
There was no sound at all. The silence scared me. Where am I?
There was no window but the air was cold and a dull light was emerging from the ceiling, it resembled a halo. It then struck me I must be in the cellar.
But, whose cellar? My apartment did not have a cellar.
My abductors might be out of hearing range. Because the ceiling is high I definitely cannot make an escape and hence they are not even guarding the cellar door. But what kind of a cellar does not have stairs? Or maybe it has a drop downstairs which can be removed soon after.
Whatever the case, sooner or later the abductors will have to show themselves up unless they plan to starve me to death.

So, mustering patience, I waited confidently for the ceiling door to open up shortly. I had no watch, so there was no way to know the time. I could not even say if it was a day or night. If only I had my phone with me. Even after what seemed like ages, there was nobody at the door. I did shout once in a while to check if anybody responds but none responded. I did not know if an hour had passed or half a day had gone by. It is like I am in a limbo. Waiting for someone to rescue me.
Just when I was dozing off to sleep out of tiredness, I observed the ceiling door opening but then, my senses became too numb. I was losing consciousness. This can't be happening. At the crucial moment of knowing who are my abductors, I am falling asleep. I fought the closing blackness which engulfed me. Soon I came out of the blackness and saw a frightening figure leaning over my face and checking for my breathing. He wore a black face mask and resembled a poorly dressed Darth Vader. I tried to speak but could not.
Even though he had the mask, I could sense he was staring right into my eyes. And out of the blue, I hear a voice in my head. “You are now my pet. Since you cannot look after yourself or your home well, we have decided to take over what we gave you.”

This seemed strange, I struggled to speak but then realised thinking about a reply would suffice for when I thought “What nonsense!” the voice in my head replied,
“This is not nonsense, you were given this planet Earth because your ancestors pledged to safeguard it. You have broken the promise of trust, which is why we have returned.”
I must be mad because I am seeing strange things and hearing voices in my mind. Maybe yesterday at the party someone doped my drink. Yes, maybe I am hallucinating.
“Soon the truth will dawn on you.” said the voice before going silent and I was engulfed in blackness again.
I woke up again I do not know when for it was dark in the cellar.

Is there any truth in what the strange thing was telling me? It cannot be. I must be hallucinating. But, how the can drug cause hallucinations even after 24 hours have passed? Or has the day not ended? Is it still the new year's eve or the next day?

All the questions made my head ache badly. Even though sleeping would have done me good, I started exercising just to stay alert. I must not become so weak the next time the thing comes to me. I was hopeful he would definitely come, for now, I am his pet.
The next time the ceiling door opened I did not black out, I was able to look at the strange thing. That's when I heard the voice in the head again.
"You seemed to have gained mental strength fast enough. I chose you because you were almost blocking our thoughts and communications with you. I have now tamed you to communicate with me."
“But, why? What have I done to you?”
“It is not you alone, the whole human race is now a slave and pet to our superior race.”
“Who are you?”
“We are the ones who loaned you a home.”
“But, it can't be, this was our home for ages.”
“The realisation will soon dawn upon you.”
After this, he picked me up and flew to the ceiling out into another room which resembled a prison.
While I was being chained to the wall, I asked the thing “What are you doing now?” But there was no reply.

Soon it took out what resembled a huge nail and marked it on one of my palms and began hammering. The pain was unbearable, I struggled a great deal and was twisting and kicking him. All of a sudden I fell down and opened my eyes.
I was sweating all over. I observed I was in the jeans and Tee I wore for the new year eve. I looked around it was clear daylight and the apartment was mine.
It was just a nightmare!
I heaved a sigh of relief.
After half an hour I was soaking in the atmosphere with a hot cup of coffee in hand and watching the blazing hot sun and children playing around outside. I gave a serious thought about the strange dream. Aren't we spoiling our planet with toxic pollutants? Although this was a dream, I felt guilty of not taking care of the Earth.
That day, I resolved to work towards conserving nature. I got enrolled myself for the Clean Your Lake initiative. After all, a new year calls for a new beginning.