Dream Walker

Prologue

The night air was temperate, with a soothing warmth characteristic of early fall. A young woman, Eva, bid goodbye to her friends as she left the lively café. She was glad for the pleasant weather as she began the short journey back to her dorm. It somewhat relieved the worry that had crept into her throat.

Only a month into college, Eva had already begun to fear that the bonds she formed on the first day were superficial and would fade. She worried that her wonderful, funny, cool new friends—all residents of her same dorm—would slowly start to leave her behind. They had grown close on move-in day by helping each other unpack and decorate. Later that night, they gorged themselves on food and watched movies in the common room until an irate RA yelled at them for making too much noise at three in the morning.

As time went on, her friends had continued to plan things together, like they were one large organism that could not function without all its pieces. Yet, Eva felt like her piece did not belong. The others wanted to stay up late every night, and weekends were apparently meant for getting drunk until the wee hours of the morning. She wanted to spend time with them, but the pace of her classes had started to pick up, and she couldn't risk falling behind. Her parents would kill her if she let her social life ruin her academic standing. Plus, she didn't even like drinking.

So, while the rest of her friends spent several more hours laughing and having fun in their booth at the café, she would return to her room to study. Eva could tell she was already labeled the "good girl" of the group. They teased her for sipping soda at parties instead of vodka. Their smiles were patronizing when she left early or turned down an invitation to hang out on a weeknight. She could feel her bond slipping away from the rest.

As those thoughts swirled through her head, a sudden realization stopped her feet and her heart: the pocket where she kept her phone was empty. She patted down every pocket of her jeans and jacket, but she felt only the outline of her keys. Her eyes closed in frustration, tears welling up. Her phone case contained her student ID and her credit card. Without it, she would not have access to her building.

Resolving to push past the exhausting emotions that arose when she thought about her friends and about her own stupidity, she turned on her heel and walked back toward the café. She was sure she had left her phone in the booth. Eva guessed no one had seen it—otherwise, they would have chased her down to give it back. Right? She shook her head to dispel the questioning thought.

Her pace quickened as a breeze brought a sudden chill. She shivered without thought, assuming the cold was merely an indication of the changing season. Spotting the small street that spanned the distance between the café and the neighboring building, she stepped into the narrow space, grateful for the shortcut. The dull thuds of her sneakers on the concrete echoed in the quiet alley. Then, a low growl came from the darkness behind her.

Eva's head whipped around, looking for the source of the noise. She expected to see a stray dog looking for scraps in the dumpsters, but the alley was empty. Staring intently into the shadows, she searched for anything out of place. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the air beside the dumpster appeared to shimmer with a soft light. She blinked, and the illusion was gone.

Keeping her head turned to look behind her, she slowly eased her feet forward, waiting for something to jump out. When nothing happened, she let out her held breath and resumed her fast pace. Just a few more steps and you'll be inside. Stop freaking out about imaginary monsters hiding in the shadows.

A second, louder growl caused a jolt of adrenaline to flood her. She looked back again, and this time she could see the creature that pursued her. She had been so wrong in thinking that monsters didn't exist. There was one right behind her. Though she told her feet to run, her entire body was frozen in place.

It had to be a dream. She just needed to wake up, and everything would be fine. She was safe and sound in her bed having a stress-induced nightmare, nothing more. Can you smell the hot stink of garbage in dreams?

Even as the beast stalked forward, claws scraping the ground, Eva was paralyzed with fear. She knew she should scream, run, or fight for her life. She wanted to live. She wanted to see her family, who she missed more than she had thought possible. She wanted the chance to become someone that made them proud.

In the second it took her to regain sensation in her legs and prepare her muscles to sprint away, the creature pounced. She felt its hot breath as its mouth closed around her ankle, and suddenly she crashed to the ground, pulled back into the alley. The fall knocked the air out of her lungs, leaving her unable to cry for help.

Her body flailed as she attempted to escape from its grasp. When her movements accomplished nothing but flipping her into a supine position, she was able to see its horrific face up close. Its soulless yellow gaze consumed her. She couldn't look away even as it bared its teeth and lunged for her throat. She only hoped to wake from this nightmare before it was too late.