The Welcome to another edition of Nightmarefews and Peepers.

I'm Dan Cummins, and today I'll be sharing another original short story of the fictional horror variety.

I highly recommend

noise cancellation headphones for the ultimate experience. This one might have been the most fun I've

had writing these so far. Hope you enjoy this new nightmare. Time now for the tale of dissonance.

Seeking paid participants, neural interface and consciousness study,

explore altered states, help shape the future of perception.

AR Innovations, a privately funded cognitive tech research group, is recruiting adult volunteers 18 plus for a limited experimental study involving neural mapping, biometric monitoring, and synthetic dream state induction.

Selected candidates will undergo two short sessions, approximately 60 minutes each, under light general anesthesia, while connected to a prototype neural interface. These sessions will be conducted in a controlled facility under

professional supervision. Eligibility requirements. Healthy adults, 18 plus, in good physical

condition. Must pass an on-site vitals check, heart rate, blood pressure,

toxin screen. No history of epilepsy, psychosis, or cardiac irregularities. Must not be currently

using psychoactive substances. Participants will receive full briefing upon arrival. All data is anonymized.

Sessions may involve vivid dream recall, temporary disorientation, or minor memory lapses.

Most volunteers report a deeply immersive or lucid-like experience. Compensation, $750 following first appointment,

$500 upon completion of study following second appointment. Transportation not provided,

spots limited. To apply, text, ORA test, to the study coordinator at 844-887-8899 include your name, age, and general availability.

Step outside yourself. Be among the first.

33-year-old Duncan Briggs paused, took another sip of his morning coffee, and read the posting again on his laptop.

As he sat at the dining room table in his cookie cutter suburban home, shortly after his wife, Isabella, had left to go teach high school kids algebra, geometry, and maybe calculus.

It had been six weeks since Duncan's compensation package ran out after he unceremoniously

lost his job as a data analytics manager during an unexpected round of layoffs. He hadn't been

...