Dream the Dream, Live in Hell

You awake from a dream in a cold sweat.
Thinking over what just happened you crawl out of bed,
get dressed and walk out the bedroom door. Trying to find the
lightswitch to find a time piece, your toe hits a chair
and you scream in pain. A digital watch lies on the table
in the kitchen, you pick it up and put it on. It's 2:37a.m.

Looking outside the window, you notice the sky has a red tint
to it. You walk to the front door and open it. It is silent.
You think back to your dream and realize how familiar this is,
and head upstairs. ~the door is still open~ Finding the attic ladder
you climb it. In the attic you search for the pull string for the light,
but after pulling it the light bulb doesn't work.
Walking past the front door you shut and lock it and continue to the kitchen.
Finding a new light bulb would prove to be hard so you take one
out of the living room lamp. After taking out the old light bulb you place
the new one in the socket. The light comes on and you look around the old attic
Things up here are older than the house itself. You look for something of value
or importance and come across an old black chest.

Do you dare open the chest?