While the wind whispered through the trees, I had a tingling sensation roll down my spine. My vision went blurry, and I lost all sense of reality. Come. Come and leave everything behind, a voice told me. Come and witness something great. I sat up, and began to walk through the woods. My vision was still distorted. I had no control over my body. I wanted to stop, but I walked on and on. The sun was setting, as if saying good bye forever. I kept walking. I could hear the howl of the wolves and the rustling of the leaves
as the owls and bats made their nightly flights through the open black sky. I could feel myself shaking, but could do nothing about it.

At last, I had reached my destination. I saw a large conflagration. Around it were figures dressed in dark robes covering their faces. Their leader was fixed atop a podium, holding his arms above his head as if in triumph. My head suddenly began to ache. Ringing through my ears was a high pitched scream, like the one of my mother. I felt like I could hear her voice. She was telling me to run. With all of my will power, I tried to fight the trance; I tried to break free. But the leader was still in control. He turned towards me, and the fire went out. I could not see his face, but I knew it was full of evil. He took a breath and said, “Now you have made it my dear one. You have come. Your kin have been here as well. They have all succumbed to my ways, and now so will you.”

The figures closed in on me, and grabbed hold of my arms. The fire started up again, blazing brighter and higher and hotter than it had before. I could feel the sweat coming down my face. I saw clusters of white mist coming from the fire. They began to take form, and when I saw what they became, I screamed. My whole family was lined up in a row in front of me. They were ghosts. They looked at me in fear. I knew they were telling me to go. But I couldn’t. The grip of the figures was bruising my arms, and if that was not enough, I was subconsciously walking into the fire. The leader just laughed. I could feel my face burning, my clothes catching on fire…

The bright morning greeted me with a blue sky and the chirping of birds outside my window. I sat straight up, and wiped my brow. I was sweating. “What a nightmare,” I say to myself. I get out of bed and walk into the kitchen and make myself a bowl of cereal. I sit down at the kitchen table at my usual spot. I am facing the woods. “I wonder…” I think to myself…