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It was pitch black darkness and dead silent except for the sound of my own breathing. I took a cautious step forward. The atmosphere around me illuminated slightly and I looked around to find a source of light but couldn't. Suddenly, a black mass swept by my line of vision and I turned only to see nothing but an endless expanse of eerie glowing.

And then, it suddenly got very cold. I could literally see my breath billow out in front of me. I was hit with the sudden urge to run. I didn't know where the urge came from, but I felt as if something was after me with intent to hurt me.

The light flickered and then died out and the coldness intensified. I ran blindly from nothing, feeling as if I was getting nowhere due to my legs feeling like jelly. Then, out of the darkness appeared a door. Even though it was already pitch black, I felt like darkness was engulfing me from behind. I reached for the door handle, but it jumped out of my reach. I didn't want to face what was behind me. I felt evil radiating off of it, and I was so scared that I had no idea what to do next.

I felt my head turning on its own accord, against my will, until my eyes fixed upon what was behind me. I could hear a distant shriek of horror and a bang. And then I was falling through the darkness…

"FUCK!"

I scrambled up to a sitting position. I was in a cold sweat and hyperventilating. I reached over to turn on the bedside lamp, but it came on before I could reach it and I jumped back startled when I saw a tall figure standing over me. It turned out to be only Steve, but he was looking at me with wide-eyed concern and his face was pale. I looked over to where the expletive had come from and saw Tango helping Dustin get off the floor.

"What happened?" I asked. My voice was shaking uncontrollably and my throat was dry.

"I was about to ask you that," said Steve, his voice shaking slightly also. "You just woke up screaming bloody murder."

"Scared us all half to death," said Dustin, brushing himself off. "Are you okay?" I thought back to the moments just before I woke up and the fear came rolling back in.

"Oh, god," I muttered, running a hand over my face. It was completely silent and everyone was watching me and exchanging occasional glances with one another. I couldn't slow my breathing and it wasn't long until tears were streaming down my face. I shut my eyes tightly. "God, why does this keep happening?!" I felt an arm encircle me and pull me into the warmth of an embrace.

"It's alright, Felina," Steve whispered, rubbing my back soothingly. "It's just a nightmare. We're all here." I sniffled and tried to calm my breathing, but it was hard to do so with my face squashed against Steve's chest. I pulled away, wiping my eyes. The alarm clock read 5:15. We were supposed to be hitting the road at 6:30.

"Are you gonna be okay?" said Tango, handing me a bottle of water.

"Yeah," I said, accepting the bottle and taking a couple slow gulps. "I just got spooked a little." I felt eyes on me all throughout the rest of the morning, but I was glad that no one questioned me further.

I drove the van on the way to Clarksville with Dustin sitting in shotgun and Tango in the back. It was around noon time so we were going back and forth on the walkie-talkies trying to decide where to eat for lunch.

"What about McDonald's?" said Grant.

"I don't like McDonald's," I said. "Had it once, had it a million times."

"IHOP?" suggested Brian.

"Do you see that line outside?"

"Long John's?" said Dustin.

"I don't eat seafood!" said Steve.

"Hey guys, what about that roadkill deer we just passed?" said a grumpy sounding Donna. "Nothing like flattened venison."

"Yum!" said Jason in the background. It sounded like Donna hit him.

"Ooh! A Ci Ci's Pizza! Can we go? Please?" I exclaimed, sounding like a little girl.

"As long as you stay away from the arcade," said Grant.

"How're you holding up?" asked Steve as he set down his plate and sat across from me in the small booth at Ci Ci's. I gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh." I looked at him. "Why?" He shrugged.

"It's just that I've never seen you freak out like that. At investigations you act professional when you have a personal experience," he said, fixing me with a concerned look again.

"I'm not professional when I sleep," I said, laughing a little. Steve didn't find it funny.

"I'm just sayin'. If you need to talk about it, I'm all ears." I sighed and bit into my pizza slice.

"I said I'm fine, Steve. It was just one of those freakish nightmares that seem real when they're not," I said. I was getting annoyed that he kept trying to bring it up.

"Would you mind telling me what they're about?" I rolled my eyes.

"What, are you a psychiatrist now?" I said.

"I'm just trying to help," said Steve.

"I don't need help. There's nothing to help." Steve didn't say anything for a moment and just sat there, not touching his food. I sighed. "What?"

"I'm your friend. Just know that you can tell me things." I sighed again, this time in annoyance.

"Fine. I'll tell you something. But I have to whisper," I said. Steve leaned forward to hear me. "I'm wearing Hello Kitty underwear." Steve almost choked on his pizza and sat back in the booth, his face turning red. I smiled into my napkin.

"I…I'm not sure whether you're making fun of me, or…or propositioning me."

"Ah…" I took a long sip from my straw and saw him look as I did so. "That's for you to decide." I gave him an over exaggerated wink and then got up to refill my drink. I didn't look back to see his expression, but I bet it was priceless.

To be continued…