Free Moonshadow by J.D. Gregory Page A

caution but saw nothing—no demonic beasts screaming with chaotic fury, nor the little Lurker devils that cackle with laughter at her pain. Neither did she see the more angelic Terrorfiends—the winged beings of frightening beauty who’s judging eyes filled Diana with a deeper fear than any demon. She was safe—for the time being.
    Slowly, Diana stood up and continued to gaze at the swirling, otherworldly, sky, seeking answers to a heart full of unknown questions.
    Why is this happening? She’d felt the shadow’s familiar pull as soon as she arrived at the university. Had something—or someone—on campus sparked the return of her nightmares? Her strange empathy had been much more potent as well; was it all related somehow?
    What should I do? If she continued further into the nightmare world she might wake up sooner; but if she waited out the nightmare, it would feel like days. Diana’s heart sank at the memories—fear and confusion mixed with a large amount of aggravated anxiety.
    Diana clenched her hands into fists. After the night she’d had, she was definitely not spending what felt like days inside of a nightmare—she’d face the terrors and wake up as soon as possible.
    She began walking from the rubble surrounding her, wondering what personal hell would be awaiting her this time. Beginning the journey was always the easiest; the dreamscapes seemed the most normal and were usually a hazy version of the environment in which Diana fell asleep—unless she let her emotions lose control. The landscape of shattered rocks and erupted ground around her was evident of that fact.
    Diana journeyed on, surrounded by large, ominous, jagged rocks and hills of dark stone. They seemed to be taunting Diana, threatening to fall and crush her spirit. At least it’s not water this time. A shiver went up her spine as she recalled the sensations of drowning for hours without ever waking.
    With a growing sense of alarm, she ran swiftly up the side of a rocky hillside in an attempt to make the nightmare reach its conclusion faster. It never worked but she always seemed to try it anyway.
    As Diana reached the summit, her foot caught on a rock and she was sent tumbling forward. Shards of stone tore into her flesh as her body rolled and twisted down the slope. When she finally stopped, she opened her eyes and was shocked by what she found—a path of smooth pavement.
    That’s new. Even though she always looked for one, Diana had never found a road before; every past night terror had always seemed chaotic and meaningless. A strange sense of excitement filled her as began following the path.
    Diana paused as a peculiar sensation filled her chest, similar to the pins and needles of a sleeping limb. The pulses and tingles reverberated within her, almost with a rhythm of their own. It was like feeling the hum of a tune rather than hearing it. Am I feeling a song? Is that even possible? Of course it is. It’s a dream—nothing is supposed to make sense.
    As she journeyed along the path, the feeling of the song grew louder and more intense—the melody was speaking to her without words and something stirred inside her chest, wanting to answer. By urge or by instinct, Diana reached into her dream-body. For a moment it felt like putting her hand through cold water, but beyond the coldness, a strange warmth lurked within. Diana wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it out—a small fire danced in her hand as if alive. Did the flame ignite when I felt the song? She felt uneasy; nothing like this had ever happened before.
    She went to put whatever the fire was back but it seemed to protest. It changed its dance, pointing forward as if a wind were blowing and forcing it to do so. Confused, Diana pressed on.
    Before she took three steps, the ground beneath her feet started to quake as the rocky slope to her right twisted and contorted as if made of mud. Diana grabbed ahold of a large boulder for support.
    Her emotional state hadn’t changed,