Chapter 3: Stepping into the dream

Mallory awakens in a small, damp, quiet, and unfamiliar room. She can see slime comeing from the wall. She gets up from where she is sitting, and takes a look around her. The the small room, there were five doors, one in each of the four walls, and one in the ceiling.

Huh? , Mallory thought as she continues to gaze around her. What kind of odd place is this?

After chosing a door by playing paper rock sissors with herself, she walks through and almost falls off a cliff into nothingness. She kicks a small pebble down the hillexpecting to hear it hit the bottom, but it never does.

Whoo boy, She thought. What kind of mess have I gotten myself into this time??

Turning around and facing back into the room, Mallory choose a different door. This door didn't lead off a cliff, but into an armoury of sorts. She saw several small crates in the back corner, along with statues that were suporting armor. A rack along the side wall held several types of weapons, including a sword and a shield. Something seemed to propel her to pick up those weapons, even though she knew that her hands were enough to dispatch any enemy she might encounter.

You never know!! she thought.

Turning from this second room, there were only two more doors to choose from. She picked one of them, yanking on the handle to open it. It was a really strong door. Mallory seemed to have been thrown back as the door let go of the handle. Mallory held the thin peice of metal in her hands...

So much for that way...

Mallory moved over to the last door and pulled on it's handle. This one wouldn't move either.

I'm not letting this handle break too!

Mallory charged back to a safe distance, then threw herself into the door. She bounced back, covered in slime. The door was painted on.

Stupid @#*($#&@#$* door.

With only one more way out of the room, Mallory looked up and measured the distance in her head.

I should be able to make that jump, she contemplated.

Planning only on jumping up to grap the edges of the hole and pull herself up, Mallory lept into the air...and went straight though the hole!! Looking down, Mallory had thought that she had jumped up about 50 feet. Landing again outside of the room this time, she realized that she HAD jumped 50 feet.

What kind of odd place is this?!?!?! she wondered. Slimy walls, doors leading to cliffs, fake doors??

Looking at her new suroundings, she had almost fallen back into the hole from shock. There was a small path ahead of her that split into many different directions. Left and right, up and down, even forwards and backwards. Stairs lead from anywhere you can think of.

"I'M IN THE DREAM!!", Mallory yelled aloud with a gasp. Many questions swirlled around her head. How did this happen? How did I get here? And why am I here? After long moments of thought, Mallory simply gave up pondering questions to which she didn't know the answer.

Feeling somewhat better knowing where she was, she walked down the path, and tried to find someone to help her.


After wandering around for what seemed like hours, Mallory stoped to rest.

My gosh!! I wish there was somewhere in this place that led somewhere!!! Mallory screamed in her head.

As soon as she thought those words, an amazing flash came from behind her. Starled, she turned around and jumped back, almost falling off the path she was on. After removing the glops of slime from the wall, she revealed a pair of double doors.

Well, it's better than hanging around here and not getting anywhere, she thought as she pulled the door open. Pulling, she thought it would take a lot of energy to open, because of it's size, but the door was quite light, almost even opening itself for her.

Stepping through the door and seeing what wait for her, she had only one thought running through her head.

I spoke WAAAAYY too soon,Mallory thought, wishing she could take back words never spoken. Wildwing!! HELP!!!

Standing in front of her, was the largest, meanest, ugliest, fattest saurian she had ever seen. Only this one was different. This one had wings, and a huge mouth. It's teeth showed it's hunger as the creature dashed at her.

Jumping to one side to avoid the attack, Mallory had to collect herself. What the heck is that thing?!?! The beast attacked too quickly, reaching out it's neck to bite Mallory, to give her enough time to think about what she was facing. Despite it's size, the creature was fast. Almost too fast for Mallory to stay ahead of.

Wait a sec, she began to think to herself. This is a dream!! Dreams can't hurt me!!

A voice from nowhere answered her very thoughts.

Dreams are your soul, living out it's own life and fantasies. Should your soul die, your body will simply no longer work, becoming only a shell, the voice yelled out into Mallory's very own mind.

Still dodging every attack made by this dragon-like beast, Mallory began to think of a plan. She thought back to things she had seen in her life, then instantly knew what to do. She waited until her plan could be put into action. The dragon sent it's neck forwards, trying to take Mallory's life in it's jaws.

Now is the time for action!! She thought to herself. While the beast drew it's neck back to place, Mallory slid underneth the huge creature. Moving quickly, she used the swond she picked up earlier, she slit the underbelly of the saurian, then quicklyran under it's tail to safety. The dragon collapsed on the ground.

Mallory could hear clapping form behind her. She turned around to see another duck walking towards her, walking in and out of the shadows.

"Who are you?!?!?!" she yelled out in frustration.

"My, My," the duck said in response. "How quickly we forget our friends."

"What do you mean? You're just the same shaded creature I've seen in my dreams!!"

"Oh...I'm much more than that"

The duck walked right out of the shadows, right up in front of Mallory.

"Do you recognize me now?"

Mallory gasped in shock. Standing before her.....was Canard Thunderbeak.

To be continued.....