…::;;

Liam's head hit the pillow with a thud as he let out a heavy sigh. Another long day at work was behind him, but as his eyes closed and his mind began to drift into sleep, his thoughts were consumed by a world unlike any other. A world that only existed in his dreams. A world filled with untouched wonders, where magical beings roamed freely and the impossible was possible. As his breathing slowed, Liam's consciousness again slipped into this dream world, completely unaware of the dangers that lurked within. 

He found himself standing on a wide, open plain. The grass swayed gently in the warm breeze, and the leaves of the trees rustled in the distance. Birds sang their sweet melodies, and the sun shone brightly in the clear sky. Liam felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over him as he took in the beauty of this dream world. 

Suddenly, a loud noise pierced through the peaceful scene. Liam turned to see a group of hooded figures, each one chanting and wielding strange symbols. Fear and confusion coursed through Liam's body as he stood frozen, watching the cult make their way towards him. The hooded figures dawned robes made of red fabric, and Liam noticed the strange symbols they held glowed as if they were burning hot to the touch, yet the cultists were grabbing the objects with no hesitation and did not seem to be hurt by the objects. Liam knew he was in a dream, and the cult-like group slowly walking towards him was not real, but every part of his body was telling him to move and he was in serious danger.

Still frozen, the atmosphere around Liam began to change. The sky, once clear, was now covered in dark clouds, and the sun, which once shone upon this peaceful dreamscape, was suddenly gone, engulfed by the clouds. The dream fell dark as the cultists began to be the only light not snuffed out by the sudden change in weather. Liam began to make out the chant due to the approaching cultist being too close for his comfort. "Death to the world. Death to the world," the cultists chanted. One of the cultists was so close to Liam that he could feel his breath on his face, and the cultist could probably feel Liams' breath as well. 

The cultist was wearing a black mask. The eyes of the mask were the same glowing color as the symbols being held by the cultists. Looking closer at the cultist masks, Liam could see grooves due to the mask being carved out of wood. The cultist, staring at Liam, leaned his head to the left and then to the right. The cultist, although Liam was unable to see his facial expression, seemed to be thinking and examining Liam. Liam, still shocked, finally made his first movements in what felt like hours. Liam took a slight step back to get away from the cultist and instead just bumped into another cultist who was standing behind him. Liam did not even realize that they'd begun to surround him. As he turned around to gauge the surrounding cultists, one brought its symbol down towards Liam. Liam, in a split second, brought up his arm to block the attack. 

Liam woke up in his bed, drenched in sweat. The air blowing from the fan in his bedroom made the cold room feel even colder due to the tremendous amount of sweat soaked into Liam's clothes. Liam was glad the dream had ended. It felt too real for Liam. The sun touched Liam's skin inside the dream, and he felt the warmth of its touch. The dream was not real, though, Liam thought. Liam kept trying to rationalize the situation as he started to feel the high level of adrenaline leave his body. 

As Liam lifted his arm, a sense of pain rushed over his body, and his face went pale. A considerable wound was on the outside of Liam's forearm. But that was impossible, Liam thought; I must have just reacted to the dream while asleep. This thought made sense to Liam, except there was nothing around him sharp enough to leave this sort of gash on his arm. Liam, still dealing with the adrenaline dump and trying to catch his breath, looked around at his surroundings, noticing his clock read 3:23 AM. Liam had no choice; he had to go to the emergency room at this awful hour and get his wound stitched up. Liam used his good arm to push himself out of bed. He grabbed a used towel on the ground in his bedroom and wrapped it around the bleeding wound. 

Liam lived in a small town. The population is approximately 13,000 people, and the city is truly a stunning paradise. The town thrived on small businesses, and when people visited, they were able to see beautiful waterfalls and scenic trails. Luckily, it was pretty early in the morning, so Liam was able to ride his bicycle to the local emergency room. Upon arriving at the emergency room, Liam felt a weird presence, and something made him feel as if someone were watching him. He didn't dare glance out of the corner of his eye. He knew if he did, he'd regret doing so, but curiosity does kill the cat after all, and Liam looked in the direction in which he got the uneasy feeling. A man was standing there in a red robe. Instantly, the fear that was overwhelming him in his dream rushed back over him. He was once again frozen in fear as the stranger lifted a symbol that burned bright red and illuminated the dark area around him. The symbol was the same symbol used to hit his arm in the dream. This time, Liam knew he couldn't stand still. He knew if he ran into the emergency room, where a cluster of people were sure to be present, it would hopefully deter the strange person. 

Liam ran towards the ER and looked behind himself as he did. Liam left his bicycle behind, not even trying to grab it or secure it. Liam looked behind himself and regretted doing so as he saw the stranger in red running towards him. The glowing eyes from the black wooden mask were haunting. Liam, now out of breath, pushed open the door of the emergency room. He bent over with his hands on his knees, attempting to catch his breath. The staff of the emergency room just stared at him as they tried to unravel the puzzling situation. Liam was only focused on the strange man. He looked outside and watched as the stranger walked away from the ER. Liam was right and knew whatever the figure wanted; they didn't want to be seen by a huge amount of people. Liam walked towards the receptionist, and as he did, he thought, Seeing those strange people in my dream and now one appearing here is not a coincidence. Liam, although scared and not rational, knew one thing for certain. He needed to dream again and needed to make sure he could protect himself against these strangers. He needed answers, and the only way to get them was to dream.