It's dark in my dream. I can't see most of what's around me. I'm small - much smaller than I was in my other dreams. I think I'm in a room, but it feels so big to me…

There's music playing. It's strange music - it's not relaxing, like the sound of the brook, but it's…hypnotic, somehow. I know it's meant to put me to sleep.

I realize I'm lying down, so I sit up. I try to crawl somewhere, but I quickly find I'm in a cage. Or no, not quite a cage - the top is open - but four walls of bars that keep me trapped where I am.

I don't like feeling trapped. There has to be a way out.

I look to my left, and I notice four red lasers radiating from around my prison. I look a little closer, and suddenly, I realize that I'm surrounded by four turrets!

I freeze. They're all facing away from me, and they're only on one side. I try to go the other way, but I find that my cage is set up against a wall, which explains the arrangement of the turrets.

Okay. So I can't really go anywhere outside of this cage without being seen by the turrets.

How did I get here in the first place?

I try to think back, to see if I have weird memories like I did in my last two dreams, but this time there's nothing. All I know is that I'm very, very small, and that the music is supposed to lull me to sleep.

But how am I supposed to sleep surrounded by turrets? And who wants me to sleep, anyway?

I can only sit still and watch the turrets. After a little while, my eyes have fully adjusted to the darkness, and I can see that they're opening and closing, almost to the tune of the music.

No, wait. They're making the music, just like the turrets that had played that song for me when GLaDOS let me go.

Why are turrets trying to put me to sleep?

"Chell."

I hear a voice, and I quickly look around for the source.

"Chell, wake up."

'Wake up'? Well, I am dreaming…

"Chell!"

Suddenly, I recognize the voice as Cornelius. The dream starts to fade, and with an enormous amount of effort, I force myself to wake up.

~o~

~This chapter and the next are credited to YouTuber LordToxygene for giving me the idea.