revealed another monster.
Erin swallowed in terror. Why couldn't she control this dream? Ever since she'd been a child, she'd been able to wish herself out of bad dreams. But for some reason, she had no control in these nightmares.
It was as if something other than her was directing them. As if she were nothing more than a marionette whose strings were being pulled by the monster.
The newest monster appeared in the form of a giant snake. Only in place of a head, she had a woman's upper body. Her scaly green complexion looked craggy, and her bluish eyes glowed.
The she-snake slithered toward her, smiling a fanged smile as she raked her eerie gaze over Erin 's body. "What a tasty little morsel she is."
"She is mine!" the dragon roared. "I will not share her."
The she-snake licked her lips as her long tail slithered across the floor. "She is strong enough for us both." Then she turned toward the dragon, her hideous face a mask of rage. "Besides, I saw her first and well you know it. You found her through me and I won't let you have her."
The dragon attacked the snake.
Terrified beyond belief, Erin took advantage of their combat to pick up a rock and pound at the cave's opening. "Let me out," she demanded between clenched teeth.
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the wall opening and her running through it.
It got her nowhere. Not until the tail of the dragon whipped around trying to sting the snake. The snake ducked, as did Erin, and in one resounding crash, the tail splintered the wall.
Trembling, Erin ran out into the darkness again. The screaming howls intensified.
"Please," she begged out loud, "please wake up! C'mon, Erin, you can do it." She* pinched herself and slapped her own face as she ran, and did everything she could think of to make herself come out of this nightmare.
Nothing worked. It was as if the monsters wouldn't let her go.
She rounded a corner and found herself sliding down a small slope. At the bottom was a boiling pit where the snake-woman waited. The heat of the pit burned Erin as golden-red lava percolated.
The snake rose up before her, smiling. Those demonic eyes with their diamond-shaped pupils watched her eerily. "That's it, little prize. Come to me. It's my turn to feed off you."
Erin turned to run again, but her feet were locked to the ground. They wouldn't move at all.
The snake drew closer.
Closer.
So close Erin could feel the flick of the snake's tongue. Smell the greasy slime of her body and hear the rasping of her scales moving against the rock floor.
Defenseless, Erin closed her eyes and called out with her mind for help. She tried to summon a protector. Tried to imagine a champion who could come and defeat her monsters.
Just as the snake reached her, the cavern shook.
The snake pulled back an instant before a man appeared between Erin and the beast.
And he wasn't just any man. Clad in a suit of black armor, he had incredibly broad shoulders and long jet hair. Erin couldn't see his face, but she could feel the power of his presence. Feel the warrior essence of him as he prepared to fight the demon.
The snake shrieked in outrage, "Stand down, V'Aidan. Or perish from your stupidity!"
Erin's summoned champion laughed out loud at the she-snake's anger. "I'd perish from your breath long before my stupidity killed me, Krysti'Ana."
Screaming in outrage, the she-snake increased to ten times her size. Her massive jowls snapped and she hissed as the cavern walls around them shook even harder than before. Loud crashes sounded as pieces of stone broke free of the cavern and formed into stone men.
Erin's savior turned to her, and her breath caught at the sight of his face. More handsome than anything imaginable, he held eyes that were so clear and blue, they seemed to glow. A shock of jet-black hair fell over his forehead and contrasted sharply with his tawny skin.
Before she could move, he wrapped his lean, muscular body around hers in a protective cloak, shielding her as
Erin swallowed in terror. Why couldn't she control this dream? Ever since she'd been a child, she'd been able to wish herself out of bad dreams. But for some reason, she had no control in these nightmares.
It was as if something other than her was directing them. As if she were nothing more than a marionette whose strings were being pulled by the monster.
The newest monster appeared in the form of a giant snake. Only in place of a head, she had a woman's upper body. Her scaly green complexion looked craggy, and her bluish eyes glowed.
The she-snake slithered toward her, smiling a fanged smile as she raked her eerie gaze over Erin 's body. "What a tasty little morsel she is."
"She is mine!" the dragon roared. "I will not share her."
The she-snake licked her lips as her long tail slithered across the floor. "She is strong enough for us both." Then she turned toward the dragon, her hideous face a mask of rage. "Besides, I saw her first and well you know it. You found her through me and I won't let you have her."
The dragon attacked the snake.
Terrified beyond belief, Erin took advantage of their combat to pick up a rock and pound at the cave's opening. "Let me out," she demanded between clenched teeth.
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the wall opening and her running through it.
It got her nowhere. Not until the tail of the dragon whipped around trying to sting the snake. The snake ducked, as did Erin, and in one resounding crash, the tail splintered the wall.
Trembling, Erin ran out into the darkness again. The screaming howls intensified.
"Please," she begged out loud, "please wake up! C'mon, Erin, you can do it." She* pinched herself and slapped her own face as she ran, and did everything she could think of to make herself come out of this nightmare.
Nothing worked. It was as if the monsters wouldn't let her go.
She rounded a corner and found herself sliding down a small slope. At the bottom was a boiling pit where the snake-woman waited. The heat of the pit burned Erin as golden-red lava percolated.
The snake rose up before her, smiling. Those demonic eyes with their diamond-shaped pupils watched her eerily. "That's it, little prize. Come to me. It's my turn to feed off you."
Erin turned to run again, but her feet were locked to the ground. They wouldn't move at all.
The snake drew closer.
Closer.
So close Erin could feel the flick of the snake's tongue. Smell the greasy slime of her body and hear the rasping of her scales moving against the rock floor.
Defenseless, Erin closed her eyes and called out with her mind for help. She tried to summon a protector. Tried to imagine a champion who could come and defeat her monsters.
Just as the snake reached her, the cavern shook.
The snake pulled back an instant before a man appeared between Erin and the beast.
And he wasn't just any man. Clad in a suit of black armor, he had incredibly broad shoulders and long jet hair. Erin couldn't see his face, but she could feel the power of his presence. Feel the warrior essence of him as he prepared to fight the demon.
The snake shrieked in outrage, "Stand down, V'Aidan. Or perish from your stupidity!"
Erin's summoned champion laughed out loud at the she-snake's anger. "I'd perish from your breath long before my stupidity killed me, Krysti'Ana."
Screaming in outrage, the she-snake increased to ten times her size. Her massive jowls snapped and she hissed as the cavern walls around them shook even harder than before. Loud crashes sounded as pieces of stone broke free of the cavern and formed into stone men.
Erin's savior turned to her, and her breath caught at the sight of his face. More handsome than anything imaginable, he held eyes that were so clear and blue, they seemed to glow. A shock of jet-black hair fell over his forehead and contrasted sharply with his tawny skin.
Before she could move, he wrapped his lean, muscular body around hers in a protective cloak, shielding her as
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