Smith opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed of pine needles, it the middle of a forest. He got up and looked around. All around him was darkness. He heard the faint echo of a voice. Shouting something…. Something…

Smith got up and dusted himself off and stopped. He still wore his three-piece suit standard. His gun was still at his side. What was wrong? Then he looked at his hand.

His hand was clenched in a fist holding something. When he tried to open his hand, he found that he could not. Smith Confused tried to pry it open. His hand would not open. No mater how many he pushed, he could open his hand. Smith heard a noise that seemed to bubble up from the depths of hell.

Smith turned…

The rush of the creatures took Smith off his feet, taking the wind out of him. As he lay on the ground. Smith looked back. There were four horsemen robed in black. Smith could not see their faces from under the dark hoods they wore.

The horses were unlike anything the matrix ever contained. They were black mares with burning eyes. They reminded Smith of the eye he saw when he was entering the…file.

The rider looked at Smith from under his cloak and got off his horse. When he landed, he reached out and took the broadsword from his scabbard. Smith could hardly see it because it was totally black. The creature stuck its broadsword into the ground and approached Smith. It spoke no words but moved instantly to Smith's clenched hand.

Smith suddenly becoming very frightened and used his free hand to draw his guns and shoots the creature. The creature flew back at least two feet before landing in a crumpled heap. The other creatures reared their horses.

Smith Ran...