Everyone dreams, but not everyone knows what a dream is. You see, dreams are not just images jumping around a sleeping mind; they are much more. Nightly visions are just as real as the waking world. People can live, travel, feel, and even die in dreams. What most remember are jumbled edited snippets of another life. That is why they seem to twist into the bazaar. Edit and speed through the waking world and it will be the same. Insight into the true meanings of dreams can come in a flash.
               Ross Cummings’ flash came around ten years ago. He had just graduated from college and had started a job in advertising. He had a vivid imagination, often able to take dull products like bird seed and make them exciting. Ross was good at his job and always felt that his ideas came from his dreams. He had always remembered his dreams well and kept a journal of them. He’d wake up and write down what had happened. Still one night he woke up from a dream and his body was in pain. He had gone to bed just like any other night. He didn’t eat any heavy foods or read or watch anything particularly disturbing. Yet, when he fell asleep he was taken to a strange place.
              Ross stood on a barren ground. It was cracked and red light seeped from these cracks. He smelled sulfur in the air and the horizon was full of thick dark clouds. He felt a rumbling beneath his feet and the churning and crunching of rock beneath. The air was hot and stale. Instantly he was afraid and felt exposed. Ross looked around frantically. All around the cracked black earth stretched. He ran in one direction. Nothing changed. Just the dark sky and the ground veined with red light. Ross tripped on one of the cracks and fell. A piece of rock cut his cheek. The pain rushed through him like fire. Ross yelled out. His voice echoed in the distance.
             Ross laid on the ground. He was too tired to move. His body felt heavy and useless. “Where am I?” he muttered.
              “You are home,” came a deep voice.
              Ross sat up. “What? Where are you?”
              “I am behind you Ross, where I have always been,” the voice said.
              Ross stood up and turned around slowly. Behind him he saw a large beast. It stood seven feet tall, had grey slimy skin which glistened in the red light. It was built solid with muscle everywhere. On its back stretched fleshy wings, thick with meat. Nothing could fly with those things. Its head was small and compact, with eyes as black as night and a mouth that was just a slit of silver. It gave a crude smile and Ross could only think of it as a demon.
              “Welcome home, Ross. Now die,” the demon roared and grabbed Ross’s arm. The beast’s touch was so cold it burned. With a flick of its wrist the demon broke Ross’s arm and flung him to the ground. It stood over him, looking at him. Drool oozed from long teeth. The hot liquid fell on Ross. The poor man was too scared to move. The pain from his arm was unbearable. He wanted to scream out in agony, but bit it back. He wasn’t going to give the demon that pleasure. The demon raised a mighty fist, held it in the air and was prepared to squish Ross.
             All around them, flame erupted from the ground and a loud bird-like screech filled the air. The demon paused and fright passed over its face. Its black eyes darted around. The flames licked at Ross, but he only felt comfort and peace. The demon danced in pain as the flames touched him. Something very odd was going on. “Come out Phoenix, I shall destroy you than finish my pleasure,” the demon yelled.
             From the sky an orange bird of flame descended on the demon’s head. Its claws tore away flesh. Red blood flowed down the demon’s face. Its arms waved frantically, trying to swat the bird away. The phoenix screeched again, a pillar of flame erupted from beneath the bird, engulfing both it and the demon. The twisting flame rose high into the sky. From within the flame the demon roared and screamed. The pain was growing in Ross’s arm and he looked away. The sounds faded after a time and the Phoenix stood over Ross. It reached down with its beak and gently rubbed Ross’s arm. The pain faded and bone and flesh reattached itself. Only a dull ache remained. Ross looked up at the Phoenix, teary eyed. “You,” he whispered. It was the same bird he based his seed jingle on. He reached out to touch the bird but it jumped to the air and flew off to the east.
             When Ross woke he still felt the dull ache in his arm. It was strange for him to feel such pain after the dream had ended. Then a thought occurred, “What if the dream was real?” That idea made him excited of course. All those fantasies night after night were the truth. It also dawned on him some of those dreams were dumb, like the one where he wore a pink tutu and danced on stage. Still he wanted to know for sure.
           Ross obsessed about his dreams after that. The dream journal became a ritual. Hours after he would wake up, Ross would write in it, and then pour over it. He’d made notes and formed ideas as to what each dream meant. This required him to get up earlier and earlier in order to get to work on time. The chore of going to work became worse. Ross would wake up and rush through his small apartment throwing on a suit. He would run outside to be greeted by a dull grey city. People rushed past him, on their way to work as well. He’d jump into the bustle. He would fight and push his way along. Poor people dotted the streets begging for money. Ross hid his face from them and walked along.
          Ross would finally reach work. There his co-workers shunned him. After the Sunburst Seed Company jingle, Ross became a favorite of management. When no new ideas came after that, management stopped caring about him, but his co-workers still didn’t like him. He was viewed as a fluke, a punk kid that got lucky once. He was given a small cubical that seemed to get smaller everyday. The walls closed in on him while he worked. Ross wanted to escape so much. He hated how people looked at him with disdain. When work was over he’d rush and fight his way back to his apartment. Once he took a wrong turn and was mugged.
          Ross was walking on the sidewalk in a strange neighborhood. The street was eerily quiet and nobody was walking except him. A man appeared from an alley with a knife in his hand. The blade looked silver in the moonlight. The image of the demon flashed in Ross’s head and he was afraid.
           “Give me your wallet,” the man shouted.
Ross was stunned. He couldn’t move. His arm hurt and he could feel the demon’s hand around it again.
           “Mother fucker; give me your wallet or I’ll cut you.” The man moved close to Ross and placed the blade along his cheek. The man moved the blade, cutting him like the rock had in his dream. Ross began to shake.
            The mugger punched Ross in the stomach and he fell to the ground. The man kicked him and Ross rolled over. He then knelt down and searched Ross’ coat and pants pockets. When he found the wallet, he kicked Ross again and ran away. Ross laid there moaning in pain for some time. Eventually he collected himself backtracked his steps and ran home once he knew where he was.
            Ross was desperate to enter the dream world like he had. He turned to science for help. Ross went to a sleep clinic. There the doctors explained to him that dreams were just the mind acting up during sleep. That it happened during REM sleep, when the eyes would move rapidly. They agreed to watch him sleep though, to see if there was something different about him. The next morning Ross saw that he only twitched and moved a lot while he slept. All the readings were normal.
             “Mr. Ross, are you satisfied that dreaming is just your imagination?” one scientist asked.
             “No, it can’t be. If it was that, how can I feel pain when I dream?” Ross replied.
            “You admitted that only happened once. You most likely had your arm in a strange position that night and your dream was your mind’s way of dealing with it.”
            Ross was angered by this. “You people think I’m crazy don’t you? Well I’m not! I’ll prove it.” Ross stormed out of the clinic.
Timed passed. Ross still wasn’t able to reach the level of dreams he wanted. He had found a book by Virgil Silmorian. Virgil claimed to be a dream walker and wrote on how dreams were real and his experiences with them. Ross studied the book religiously. Yet, the path to enlightenment was slow. Ross was rereading the book and came upon this passage.
             It takes a special type of dreamer to live and remember the lives lived when you sleep. Dream-walkers are what these men and women are. They are rare and it is a wonderful gift to have. Imagine walking the path of life every time you went to sleep. New and different lives every time, seeing wonders and being people unimagined; all this while living the waking one, the one of the “conscious” mind. To remember is to understand the essence of existence. Those that have this ability treasure it. Those that know of it desire it, and will do anything for it.
Sudden insight can make a person know the truth of sleep. It comes as a cold slap in the morning. You wake up after a night of dreaming drenched in a sticky cold sweat. Your muscles ache and your eyes cannot focus. Your bedroom seems a foreign place, this world scares you. Then memories of the dream sink in. The pain, emotion, and vividness clutch at your heart. Realization comes and no longer is sleep the domain of an unconscious mind; it is a battleground that calls out. It whispers of wishes and a thousand lives apart from the mundane. Through dream life, an unimportant paper pusher can become the king of a nation or the city dweller can visit places of true outdoor splendor. Desire can be fulfilled, and a boring waking world can give way to adventure, excitement, or contentment.
            Thousands try to forget it; the promise of wild fantasy is a lure too strong. In a blink the insight is banished, washed away with the eyelid wiping clean the eye. The person is left alone in a stifling blanket of comfort. Fewer latch onto the epiphany; striving to remember fully their dreams. They perform strange rituals or take drugs to enhance their dreams. Nothing works and they slowly go mad. Some become skilled dreamers; focusing their desire. They remember more and more each day, until at last at the hour of sleep they are transported to a new life.
            A warning to all those who wish to travel the path of the dream-walker: It is a long and dangerous road. As stated, there are forces out there that will attempt to destroy you. Demons lurk beyond consciousness. They are dark creatures that desire souls. The desperation of the dream seeker will call out to them. They shall come cloaked in the familiar. Before reason can set in, you shall belong to them. Beware the easy path. That is the way of demons.
           Ross was sick of the preachy nature of Virgil’s book. Drugs seemed to be the easy path, since Virgil warned against it. Ross left his apartment and went to the street. It was a major city and someone had to be selling something. He walked back to that neighborhood he was mugged at. He knew that if a mugger preyed there, that there must be a drug dealer near by. Most likely he was mugged so the man could buy drugs. By this time Ross didn’t care about his bodily health.
           When the sun set, a man approached Ross. He was dressed in a dirty brown trench coat. “You looking for a buzz?” he asked. His voice was as slick as a salesman. Ross knew that voice well and used to mimic it.
           “Who wants to know?” Ross said. He was careful. This could easily be a cop undercover. He learned of them that day. People he asked always asked if he was a cop first. He was warned they like to trap people.
          “A friend does. A friend that can help you get high.”
          “Is my friend a cop?”
          “No man! Don’t insult me like that. I’ve been watching you all day. People on this street work for me and they tell me you are cool and want to expand your consciousness. I have just the thing, my man.” The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a bag of white powder and a bottle of black pills.
         “What are they? If that is cocaine or heroin, I don’t want it. I want a hallucinogen.” Ross eyed the drugs. They weren’t want he expected.
         “These are the dreamer’s special. A small lick of the powder or one pill will send you a trip you wouldn’t believe. Everything you feel is real. They are a home brew of mine. Only I make the stuff. You dig?”
         The words stuck in Ross’ mind. It is as if this man knew exactly what he wanted. Had Ross said too much earlier? He couldn’t remember. The prospect of feeling his dreams was too much. Ross pulled out all his money and gave it to the man. “I want as much as that will buy.”
        The man’s eyes widened. “Sure, my man, anything for you.” The man counted the money and pulled out two bags of powder and three bottles of the pills. “Now be careful with this stuff. A little goes a long way. Come back to me when you want more.”
        Ross left the man full of hope. He went home and tried the powder. He dreamt that night of the demon again, but no phoenix saved him. There was no pain in the morning. Ross didn’t go to work. He took a pill and some powder. The dreams became clearer, but he felt nothing. He took more and more, and would return to the drug dealer often. Soon he lost his job and was taking the drugs regularly, hoping that something would break. In time, the dreams faded and Ross had to take more to dream. With all those drugs in his system, he didn’t sleep as long and started to forget his dreams.
         Ross was getting desperate then. He took more drugs and started popping sleeping pills. He would go days just sleeping and writing down what he saw. He forgot about getting a job, about his health, and about the world outside. All that mattered to him was dreaming and proving that dreams are real. This behavior has robbed him of his health. He is a pale man, thin as a wisp of smoke, with blood shot eyes, greasy hair, and an unkempt beard. On the anniversary of realization, he woke from a particularly unsatisfying dream.
         Ross had just finished writing in his dream journal. It wasn’t much, just a few short lines about fighting a giant rabbit. He put on his faded and torn robe and walked to the kitchen. He pushed discarded and old journals to the side with his foot, they littered his bedroom. The living room was void of furniture. Most of it sold to keep the apartment. Dirty clothes were everywhere. Ross was hungry, he hadn’t eaten in days. He poured himself a bowl of stale cereal and ate it dry over the sink. He flexed his right arm; he could still feel the ache from that old dream. Today it felt sharper, yet his arms weren’t hurt in the dream. In all likelihood his hands should be throbbing from punching that rabbit.      “Why?” he whispered in a cracked voice.
         Ross threw the dirty bowl into the sink and scuttled back to his room. He wanted to get in another dream before heading to the pawn shop to sell his toaster. He had the sleeping pills in his hand when a knock came to his door. Ross looked up puzzled. The rent wasn’t due for another week and his bookie wasn’t going to rough him up this soon after a big loss. “Go away,” Ross yelled. He didn’t have time for some door to door salesman or people begging for money. He needed it more than them anyway.
        The knock repeated. Ross sighed and put the pills down. “You sure are pushy,” he muttered. When Ross opened the door he was shocked. No big burly man or business looking guy was there. No, this was a woman. A very attractive woman dressed in a tight tank top, leather pants, long brunet hair, and green eyes staring back at him.

           “Hi Tiger,” she said and pushed her way in. Ross stared at her, open mouthed. “Nice place, I love how you have nothing but dirty underwear in your living room. Really adds to the flow,” she said.
          “What….what do you want?” Ross said.
          She looked at him with intense eyes. “I want you Ross, and I want to give you your greatest desire.” Ross returned her gaze. The green of her eyes swirled like fog sweeping across the beach. Fire was behind that gaze. She needed something from him, and needed it badly.
         Ross cleared his throat. He hadn’t been with a woman in years. That interfered with dreaming. If this was some horny neighbor he wanted her gone so he could go back to dreaming. “I’m sorry, but I’m not into having sex with strangers. So if you would just please leave and go find your piece of meat elsewhere, I’m busy.”
         He opened the door for her to leave. She let out a shrill laugh. “Even after so many years you are still just a pathetic man. I am not here for sex; I know that is not your desire. No, I’m here to give you the key to the dream world, to make you a dream walker, Ross.” Ross’ eyes went wide. “Yes, I know what you truly want and I can give it to you.”
        Ross let the door close slowly. She walked over and grabbed his right arm. Her touch was soft and warm, the years of stress melted away with that touch. “I know where it hurts, Rosssss,” she said. The ache in his arm intensified. He felt true pain there, as if the bone was being torn apart. He loved it.
         “H-h-how….?” he asked.
         “I know everything Ross. Think of me as your muse,” she said.
         “What is your name?”
         “My name is Evelyn, but please call me Eve.” Her free hand stroked his hair.
         Ross pulled free of her grip. “Wait, this isn’t right. How can this be? No, you must have heard about the crazy guy in apartment 413. It is well known here my thoughts on dreams. I have to put up with the landlord’s sly comments all the time. This isn’t funny, Eve.”
         “Fuck those losers Ross! They don’t know anything about the world. I am here to tell you that you have been right all these years. Everything you feel is right. Dreams are true and I can help you remember them all.” Eve walked around Ross. Standing behind him she said, “Do not push me away Ross. I’m your only hope.”
          Ross laughed. “Sure, you believe I’m right.” Ross was getting irate with her now. “This joke has gone on long enough. I don’t know if this is some sick game with your boyfriend, but I don’t want any part of it.”
          Eve moved up and placed her arms around his shoulders, her hands rubbing his chest. She curled a leg around him. She was coiled around Ross like a snake. “I do know,” she said. Her hot breath brushed against his cheek. “Last night you fought a giant rabbit on the plains of Nebraska. The rabbit ran your car off the road, ripped the door open and dragged you out. At that point you had muscles and the strength to fight him off. You two fought and you beat the rabbit bloody. Tell me I’m wrong, Ross. Tell me I’m wrong.”
         Ross swallowed hard. If it was possible, he would have gone even paler. In a chocked voice he said, “You’re right. That’s exactly what my dream was.”
          “The bloody face of that rabbit is still in your mind. Ross, I know it frightens you that your dreams have degraded into that.” Eve uncoiled herself from Ross. She walked to the window and opened the blinds. He looked to his room. His dream journal was shut, there is no way she could have seen what he had written. “I am here to restore your dreams to their former glory.” She turned and faced him. Those eyes were wide with desire. It moved across them like a rolling chaos.
             Ross shook his head, “You can’t help me. Nobody can. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
            “You mean those charlatans and drug dealers?” she hissed. “They don’t know anything about dreams, but they know you have money.” She walked into his bedroom.
            “Hey! Don’t go in there!” Ross yelled.
            Eve paid him no heed. She walked right to his dream journal and the bottle of pills next to it. She picked both up and held them out. “The journal is a good way to track dreams, but this?” She held the pills higher. “This is an escape, a vile temptation not worth your time.” She placed the book back down. She walked back to the window and opened it.
          “Hold it, you can’t throw those away!” Ross said in desperation. He rushed to stop her, but Eve tossed the pills out the window.
          “Oops,” she said in a childish manner.
          “You bitch!” Ross said and slapped her.
          Eve chuckled. “I like you more with fire, Ross. The pills are gone and already you’re starting to act like a man again.”
          “That is enough; I want you out of here. I’m calling the police.” Ross went to the kitchen and picked up the phone.
          “It won’t work, Ross. I’ve made it so we will have privacy. What I want to give you is special,” she cooed.
          The phone line was dead. Ross checked the cords, but everything was connected. “You’re a psycho. You cut my lines? How long have you been planning this?” He moved to the door.
          “Oh, I’ve been planning this for a long time my pet.”
          Ross tried the door but it wouldn’t open. The lock was unlatched but the knob wouldn’t budge. He whirled on her like a trapped dog. “I’ll just throw you out like you did my pills!” He rushed Eve.
          Eve rolled her eyes, sidestepped his clumsy attack and tripped him. Ross fell to the ground and slid into the wall. “Now you’re getting annoying Ross. Why don’t you shut up and listen to me. Or better yet, why don’t you have a dream?” Eve knelt beside Ross and punched him in the face.
          In the next instant Ross was standing on a cliff. In front of him stretched an emerald valley. In it there were sweeping fields of lush grass, dotted with patches of elegant trees. The trees reached heaven ward, waving to him. On the horizon, mountain tops cut into the sky. Their jagged peaks were snow capped and the sunlight lay upon them like a golden fleece. The wind picked up and he could smell the sweet sent of wild flowers. The wind was exhilarating. It was cool and crisp moving through his body. The hair on his arms stood up and a ticklish feeling spread all over his body. Ross took a long deep breath, exhaled and smiled. This was real, this couldn’t be a dream.
          Ross turned and saw something more beautiful than he could imagine. A city was set off in the distance. Ivory walls surrounded it, with tall towers of amethyst and onyx thrust upward. Exotic birds flew around the city gates, multicolored birds that resembled what peacocks would look like if they could fly like a finch. Homes of ornate gold and silver lined the cobble stoned streets. Set in the back of the city was a castle of sterling silver. The sun was sitting to the right of a tower, accenting the silver, giving it a fiery quality. His eyes ached at the sight; the beauty was overwhelming for him.
           Ross had an urge to go to that city. He took a step, but a screech halted him. It was a familiar sound, one from a dream from long ago. He turned and saw an orange red bird perched beside him. It looked at him and let out a squawk. It had a golden beak that curved slightly down. It spread its wings and took flight. Trailing the bird were long tail feathers with swirls of rainbow colors at the tips. Ross fell to his knees and wept.   “My phoenix,” he whispered. “You have come back.”
           The phoenix flew to the city and vanished. Ross was still on his knees trembling. He sobbed uncontrollably. The faint pat of bare feet on rock interrupted him. Ross looked up, his face drenched in tears, but his eyes strangely clear. He saw Eve standing before him. She was robed in a gown of white and her hair whipped wildly in the wind. She was beaming, her pearly white teeth shinning. She held out her hand. Ross took it and she pulled him to his feet and gave him a long tender hug. He cried into her shoulder.
             “There, there, my pet,” she said. “Now do you believe me?”
             Ross clutched to her grown as he sobbed and said, “How did you know? How can you do this?”
             “That doesn’t matter, Ross. All that matters is that I can. I can make it so all your dreams are like this; so that your phoenix can be a constant companion. I know the first time you met the phoenix. How in that dream it took flight as the sun rose. It flew to the east, as if it wanted to reach the sun itself. When you awoke the idea for the Sunburst Seed Company jingle was in your head. That jingle and ad campaign made you famous. It wasn’t long until you dreamt of fighting a demon. The demon broke your arm, but that very same phoenix came from the east and saved you. No longer will the phoenix sleep, Ross. No longer will you be alone and frightened.” Eve patted his back. “Now go to the city, where the phoenix waits.”
              She pulled away from Ross and pointed to the city. The sun was starting to set behind the city. He looked to her with a grateful smile. He ran to the city. His legs pumped as fast as they could. His heart was about to burst with joy. This was a true dream, better than reality. This was the life he wanted. Ross let loose a joyful holler. When he finally reached the city, large wooden gates opened before him. A brilliant light from a flying phoenix, with wings spread wide, blinded him. Ross held out his hands to the phoenix…
              Ross woke up, his head was aching. His jaw was on fire. Had he fallen out of bed? No, he looked up with blurry eyes and saw Eve kneeling beside him. “Ah, you’re back, Ross. How was the dream? Did you like the phoenix?”
             Ross wasn’t surprised she knew. That was her in his dream. They had shared the experience, he was sure of it. It was a dream she had sent him. Ross ran the back of his hand tenderly on her check.    “Thank you, Evelyn. I believe you now. You must be an angel sent to answer my prayers.”
             Eve grinned. “Oh, I am no angel, trust me.”
             Eve helped Ross to his feet. “Why did the dream end though? I was so close to the city. The gates had opened up, and the phoenix stood waiting with its wings open as if to engulf me.”
             Eve stood close to Ross and said, “You will have time enough to finish that dream and have a thousand more like it, but first I need something from you.”
             Ross looked startled. “You need something?”
             “Yes, but nothing like those drug dealers who mislead you.”
             Ross was puzzled. Something inside of him told him this wasn’t right. The free taste of his greatest desire, then to be taken away with a price tag now attached. Eve seemed different as well. She wasn’t so radiant anymore; her beauty had dimmed a bit. Her hair seemed flat and he saw blemishes on her skin that weren’t there before the dream. He looked into her eyes and they were no longer green. They had dulled to a grey. Ross was about to say something when Eve leaned over and kissed him. Her lips were soft. The kiss was passionate; Ross’ body came to life. He hadn’t felt this way since before discovering the true meaning of dreams.
              Eve pulled away. She was smiling. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You just were so happy with my gift; I had to let you know how that made me feel.”
              Ross dismissed his thoughts. Maybe it was just a trick of the light making her seem different. It had been a long time since the curtains were pulled back. The sun was playing with his sight. That had to be it. Ross put his hands on her shoulders. “What do you want? I’ll give you anything.”
              Eve beamed. “I was hoping you’d say that. This may sound odd, but I am a lonely person. All I want in return for giving you the gift of true dreams, the kind that you desire, is for you to be with me, forever. I know I must sound like some childish little girl, but I need someone like you, Ross.”
              “So, for me to be a dream-walker, to walk through dreams like I do the waking world, all I have to do is be yours?”
              Eve nodded. “Yes, that’s all, nothing more.”
              Ross wasn’t thinking straight. The intoxication of the dream and her kiss flowed through his body like a drug. He hadn’t felt this alive in a decade. He didn’t care what she wanted, he was about to agree to anything. Without thinking of what she had in mind Ross answered, “Of course, I pledge myself to you, forever.”
             The room darkened. Eve moved back from Ross. Her innocent smile faded to be replaced with something more sinister. “This gets easier every time.”
              “What?” Ross said. He felt cold all of a sudden. He let out a breath; it was a cloud rolling from his lips. Ross began to shiver, the temperature was dropping fast. “What is going on? Is this another dream?”
              “No Ross, this is more real then anything.” Eve knocked Ross to the ground. “Never talk to me without me addressing you, pet.”
              Ross looked up to her stunned. “Why?” Eve slapped Ross’ face. It stung even more from the cold. Anger flared in Ross and he stood up. Before he could say anything Eve’s hand was around his throat and she lifted him off the ground. She held him there. Her finger nails dug into his skin, causing little rivers of blood. Panic gripped Ross. He kicked out at Eve. She squeezed harder. Ross felt light headed.
              “Impudent little pet. Listen well. You are mine, you pledged yourself to me. I am your Master. Don’t ever attack me again.” Eve threw Ross across the room. He crashed through the wall into his kitchen. He turned over and groaned. He was covered in dust and plaster; he looked as if he was rolled in flour. She walked over to Ross. “I suppose it will help if you know what I am. I’ll have enough time to beat you into submission. You see, I am a succubus. I’m a demon that takes men and makes them my slave. Your angel comment was very amusing. Your phoenix sleeps, Ross. You’ll never see it again. You will dream what I tell you to dream and you will do my bidding.”
               “Why?” Ross croaked.
               Eve jump next to him and bit his cheek. By now the cutting of his cheek felt comfortable. He almost welcomed it. “You are a desperate man, Ross. Your soul lies in tatters from your quest to become a dream-walker.” Dream-walker came slowly from her mouth. She turned and spat, as if the words were poison. “My kind as been interested in you for a long time, Ross. The mugger and the drug dealer were demons as well. Their methods are different from mine and I really hate losing such a precious morsel to them. If it makes you feel better, I have sent them back to Hell. Nobody steals my food. You will be very tasty, Ross. Oh, I shiver with excitement at what I’m going to do to you.” She chuckled and licked his ear. She pulled away and stood over him. Her eyes were a black void now.
                Ross felt empty inside. He looked up at her in horror. His neck was slick with his blood. He coughed and a white cloud surrounded him. Eve leaned close to him, her nose touching his. A twisted smile spread on her face, revealing teeth that now went to a point. She kissed him again. This time is was violent. Her teeth tore his skin. He could taste his blood and felt her forked tongue lick it up. Eve pulled away, her mouth crimson. “Welcome to Hell, Tiger.”