All around the woman there was darkness. She could barely see her hand in front of her face as she fell. Sashes of red silk billowed around her, and her long black hair fanned out. The shadowy tendrils reached out and gripped at her groping for a hold so they could drag her into oblivion. Two long wisps slithered around her neck, tightening and she tried prying them away as they continued to choke her. From out the darkness, a giant white lotus flower shimmered in a single beam of light. She fought her way towards it, tugging against the strands of darkness that clawed at and clung to her. They felt like razors, cutting fine lines into her flesh. Blood eased out from the wounds; the tiny little droplets stood out in sharp contrast on her pale skin. By the time she made it safely to the petals, her sashes were shredded and tattered, and crimson beads of her blood decorated her skin as if she were wearing necklaces all over. The shadows boiled and hissed as she entered the column of light, withdrawing from her. Exhausted, she climbed into the center of the lotus, tears stinging her eyes as she clung to what was left of her clothing. She desperately looked around for a way out of this dream world, not noticing the darkness gathering behind her. It warped and twisted, growing into the frame of a man and a spray of blood hit the petals around her. The shadow- man glided along the petals stealthily towards her, silence being his ally. She never even saw him, but suddenly she was helpless in his arms, swooning while his mouth was around her throat. The man then suddenly faded from sight, and she crumpled back onto the petals limply. Fresh puncture wounds on her throat leaked blood, staining the white petals. It soon began to pool around her, filling the lotus like a bowl until it overflowed and a waterfall of the life-giving substance poured down. A mouth within the shadows opened, and the blood splashed into it, dribbling down its lips and chin. Two elongated and sharpened canines glistened and the mouth slammed shut, spurting its contents.