The Sandman's Daughter

Five

Five

Cassie stood in a long, white hallway. It stretched out as far as her eye could see. The same view greeted her from behind as well. She stood there, puzzled. She'd been pulled there for a reason.

She was here to help someone, but where were they?

She took a step forward and stopped. The eerily quiet hallway wore on her nerves. Usually, she knew right way what she needed to do. This time was different.

"Hello?" she called out. A muted echo of her voice stirred weakly down the hall, then faded. She stood there, barely breathing as the echo died out.

What was she supposed to do?

A scream ripped through the hallway, shattering the silence. She turned, staring wide-eyed as she looked for the source. Fear trickled down her spine as the scream faded, then started again.

This wasn't a dream.

She was in someone's nightmare.

That never happened. Nightmares were intangible things, moments in time meant for the dreamer alone. She'd never been forced to watch one play out before.

The screaming grew louder. It rattled the walls as it grew in intensity. Cassie hunched over, holding her hands to her ears. It was as if the screamer was standing in her head, sounding their terror for her alone.

Her vision blurred as her eyes watered, the pain growing too intense. It had to stop. If it didn't, she was sure her brains would paint the walls of this nightmare. She bit down on her tongue as she tried to brace herself for the mental onslaught of horror. She tasted copper, gagging slightly as it slid down her throat. It was no use. Her body was going give out. She realized it as she coughed up the blood clinging to her throat.

She would never survive the screaming.

Her eyes squeezed tighter as she fought the pain in her head. She could feel the life slowly draining from her soul. The screaming in her head tore through her, shredding all it touched.

Just as she was sure her mind would shatter, the screaming stopped, silence filling her like a soothing balm. She straightened up, taking back the dignity that been stripped from her, and looked around.

The hall was silent once again, but she eyed the passage with fear. What horrors might it spew next? She needed to find her way out of the nightmare. She wasn't strong enough to fend off another attack.

She took two steps forward when the floor shook underneath her. She staggered, barely catching herself before a growl erupted from the hall. The guttural noise echoed in the empty space. She stayed her ground, her eyes darting nervously around as she tried to determine the origin of this new attack.

The walls shivered suddenly as if preparing to disappear altogether. A thick darkness formed in the wall in front of her. It was a complete absence of anything, a void in the dream. She backed up quickly, afraid of what could happen if she ventured too close.

The darkness stretched suddenly, the fabric of it reaching out for her.

She stumbled backward, throwing herself against the far wall. The void shifted violently, quivering madly. It stretched towards her again and the screaming revived. Only this time it wasn't in her head.

It was all around her.

The gaping maw of darkness opened even farther. It shuttered in the middle, causing her to flinch in fear. The center burst suddenly, giving away as it birthed a body to the floor.