and moved under her fingers. Disgusting though it was, at least it gave her some support, something tangible that might lead her home.
And she had to find a way home. The frightened voice in her head told her that if she didn't get out of this now, she'd never be able to escape it.
Panicked, she saw a dim light flickering up ahead. She ran toward it as fast as her legs would carry her.
The light. It would save her. She was sure of it.
She ran into a large cave where the light was shining over the veined and broken walls that oozed some kind of gelatinous muck. The smell of sulphur burned her nose and the screams grew louder.
Erin skidded to a halt. If she had been terrified before, it was nothing compared to what she felt now.
The dragonlike monster, with shimmery blood red scales and jet-black wings, rose up in front of her, snarling. His long teeth snapped as he eyed her hungrily.
He moved closer to her, lulling her with his eerie silver-blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to see more than just her physical self. It was as if they saw all the way into her mind, her soul.
And she knew the beast wanted her. That he longed to possess her with a fevered madness.
Oh God, this was it. The beast was here to take her. To consume her.
There was no escape.
Erin stumbled back, toward the entrance. She wouldn't just lie down and die. It wasn't in her. She was a fighter. And she would fight until the last breath left her body.
Turning around, she ran to the opening, but before she could escape, it closed up, sealing her in.
"You're not going to leave me so soon, Erin," the scaly dragon lisped, his talons scraping the floor as he drew closer. "I need the light inside you. Your thoughts. Your feelings. Your goodness. Come to me, and let me feel the warmth of you wash over me."
He lunged for her.
Erin closed her eyes and imagined a sword in her hands to fight him.
She got a tree limb. Not her weapon of choice, but it was better than nothing. She swung it at him, catching him hard across the face.
Laughing, he shook his scaly head as if he didn't feel the blow at all. "Such spirit. Such intelligence and ingenuity. And you wonder why I want you so. Show me more, Erin. Show me what else you can come up with."
She forced him to step back while she wielded her tree limb. It was a stupid weapon, but it was all she had for the moment.
As if growing bored, the dragon jerked the limb from her hands. "I want your mind, Erin. I want to feel your fear of me."
He moved even closer.
Before the beast could reach her, a bright light flashed between them, stinging her eyes even more. It grew in intensity until it appeared brighter than the sun. When it finally faded, it 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