Prologue
The room started to close in on her and he pulled out the knife. She spun and turned over and over, looking for a place to get out. But there was none, there was no escape. He took a step closer??d another, and more still, until she could feel his breath on her neck. She closed her eyes tightly, wishing he would go away. He pulled the knife up over his head and brought it down??t;br>Jessica O?nner sat bolt up right in bed, sweat dripping down her face. It was just a dream??st another dream. She got out of bed and crossed the room to her bathroom. Turning on the light, she looked into the mirror at her pale petrified face and blood shot eyes. It was like this every night, all because of the dreams. Would they ever go away?


The Icy Fingers of Doom

? Jess.??shley greeted her as the two of them, along with Kirsten, climbed into the car to Clifford Park. It was their very daring over night in the woods of the deserted park. Kirsten?ad was a psychiatrist or shrink, as Jessica liked to call him, and he said Jessica?est chance of getting rid of the dreams was to face her fears. He was the one who suggested the camping trip, which was why tag along Kirsten was coming along.
It wasn? long drive to Clifford Park through the dark heavily wooded area of the scariest corner of Vermont. Jessica was just anxious to get there and get it over with and go home. It wasn?ntil later she realized nothing was going to happen according to plan.
It was dark and the girls had just finished unpacking and built a small fire. They were all sitting around the campfire telling ghost stories.
?stood in front of the mirror as a figure he had never seen before??shley hadn?hut up since they formed the circle.
It was just then that she felt it. Just barely but she felt it. Icy fingers on the back of her neck. She knew who it was even from the light touch. Oh no, she thought. She turned slowly refusing to believe it but soon she was face to face with??m. It was the guy, no CREATURE, from her dreams. It smiled with its disgustingly yellowish rotting teeth and touched her hand. The icy fingers of doom, she thought. Jessica screamed and everything went black.
When Jessica woke up, she was in the dark room of her dream. The black walls were bricks and the winding staircase looked like it could go on forever, and there he was, no more than two feet away, glaring down at her.
?t do you want from me???essica cried afraid to look the creature in the eye. There was no reply. The creature took a step closer, its almost completely yellow teeth gleaming despite the darkness in the room.
That?hen she saw it! A way out right behind the creature! She just had to get around him and she was home free. The creature took another step closer and she could smell the foulness of its breath. She was running out of time and had to plan her escape. One more step and they were face to face. This was her only chance. It was then that she noticed the gleam of something in the creature?eft hand. Could it be? It was, it was the gleam of a freshly sharpened knife.
It? dream! She thought, nothing but a stupid dream! Jessica wasn?cared of the knife, it was at this point in the dream that she always woke up. On queue, the creature brought the knife high over his head and brought it down??t;br>-->

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(Continued)

Jessica felt a burn in her right shoulder as the knife pierced the skin only inches away from her neck. With it brought a sudden rush of reality, this was all happening! Jessica wasn?reaming! The creature lifted it up once again, but this time Jessica spun out of the way, barely missing the blow of the knife. The creature lunged forward, barely missing Jessica as she sprinted toward the walkway.
She ran until she was far inside the walkway. She dared herself to look back at the entrance. How weird, Jessica thought. The creature was there, just standing there, yelling and banging on absolutely nothing. He can?et through, Jessica realized. Now's my chance to escape!
Face your fears, Jessica suddenly remembered Dr. Martez saying. What was she doing? Nothing would ever go away if she kept running away from her fears.
Jessica froze, knowing what she had to do. She gathered all the confidence she could, turned and walked back to her fear.
?ther success or defeat, I?oing to do this!??essica said out loud. She looked up at the confused expression on the creature?ace, and with that, left the walkway.
There she stood, face to face with the creature that would sooner kill her than talk it over with her. The knife gleamed in its left hand. Jessica?eart pounded and she took a deep breath. Face your fears, was the only pep talk she could come up with.
? not scared of you!??he creature just looked at her curiously. ? not scared of you because you?imaginary. You?not real.??he creature screamed as if the words hurt him. ? can?urt me because you?not real. You?all my imagination and nightmares and I want you to go away.??t was working. From the legs up, the creature started disappearing. It was at the shoulders now.
? not scared of you!??essica screamed one last time.
???he creature cried in a deep voice sounding more like a broken record. With that, the creature was gone. Clang! The knife hit the floor hard. Jessica leaned over and picked it up. What?his? She thought looking at the small built in compartment on the knife handle. She slid the opening over. Inside was a gold bottle filled with sand. On the bottle was inscribed:
?r is an imaginary feeling
That is blown away like the sands of time.??t;br>Jessica smiled; the night was finally over.
?sica? Jessica!??he heard a voice saying her name and the victorious smile on her face quickly vanished. ?sica???t;br>Jessica O?nner?yes opened slowly to a ray of sunshine. Her mom was by her side looking down at her. The ground beneath her was rock hard.
?sica, come on, get dressed it?ime to go home.??t;br>?ight.??essica said, rising slowly. Her mother left the tent. So it was all another dream, Jessica thought. She took off her nightgown quickly. There it was. The gold glass bottle was hanging from around her neck. Curious, she checked the shoulder where she had been stabbed, Sure enough, the cut was still there. She smiled. So it wasn? dream. Either way, Jessica had the instinctive idea that the dreams were finally over!