Chapter 12- Dream Walking with Willow

Overhead dark storm clouds were carried quickly by the winds and the rolling thunder announced the presence of the lightning. The static air seemed to swell with power and the hair on my arms stood in salute. In every direction all I could see was a sea of green grass darkened by lack of light. This place was not unknown to me. It has been used as a meeting place in many of my dreams; the place where my brain seeks shelter from everything else that is going on.

There was no need to look beside me. I knew she was there.

"If you know I am here, shouldn't ya hug me or something?"

Turning to my redheaded friend, my mentor, my (at times) savior, I greeted her with a hug and a smile. Pulling back I grabbed each of her shoulders. "Willow. Its not that I'm not glad to see you. I am. It's just... You have a trend of walking in my dreams to only deliver bad news."

Grinning goofily and turning her eyes upward she replied. "No, silly. That was always Angel's job. Please don't say I'm like Angel."

Chuckling, I returned her smile. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting Angel, but I have heard enough stories. A bit more dream walking and you may be cryptic-gal. Now, what is your cryptic message?"

"You have been gone for two days and in that ti-"

"Wait, only two days? I've been here four!"

She shrugged apologetically. "I'm assuming time moves quicker in this dimension."

"Great, so by the time I get out I'll be an old lady and you all will still look the same?"

"Hey now. Hold your horses, missy. We don't have much time."

"Sorry, please go ahead."

Willow frowned. "Since your disappearance there have been more stories of portals opening up to a new world. Research has pointed to a text describing a land called Middle-Earth written by a prophet named Tolkien. We don't have the text yet, but that is how I found you; by using my magic to located the Middle-Earth dimension. Anyways, we have no idea who is opening these portals but there have been some black, small demons sputtering forth-"

"Orcs, they are called orcs."

"Regardless, we have no idea what their purpose is until a few hours ago. It appears a man, a sorcerer of some sort, is looking for a Master Vampire and one who can trace his lineage to the beginning"

Looking at her incredulously I said, "But that is impossible! Are there any masters that old and with a pedigree chart?"

Willow looked off into the distance for a moment and then back at me. Her red strands swirled around her as the wind became more violent. "After all the stuff I've seen over the last twelve years, anything can happen. I wanted to contact you to let you know what you may be up against. We're working on a way to bring you back but its kinda hard finding the right 'address', so to speak." Willow began to waver in front of me, a sign the communication was breaking up.

"Please hurry Willow. The Big Bad here is after me and," I gulped once I realized I had been knocked unconscious and may awake beside a friend or foe.

Smiling that trademark smile she opened her mouth to speak, but wavered out and disappeared like a bad TV connection.

Viewing the dreamscape the thunder rolled again and rain began pouring from the sky like an open wound.

But it wasn't rain. Like an open wound, blood rained down from the clouds. Warm, sticky liquid covered me until I looked like Carrie. But it wasn't pig's blood. It was human.

I screamed.