Chapter Five: Five Fingered Tales

"It's not like I can go up to her and just tell her." Isabel argued with Max.

"Of course you can its very simple." Max said

"Right I'll just walk up to her and say 'Hey I dreamed walked you WITHOUT your permission and now I know about the monster that's haunting your every waking moment. So, can I help?'" Isabel in a fake peppy voice. "No. People hate it when you go inside their dreams WITH their permission. I doubt Maria will be happy."

"What about Maria?" Michael said walking into their conversation.

"Oh, Max will tell you." Isabel said then quickly walked away.

Max opened his mouth and looked changed from looking at Isabel to Michael.

"You did WHAT?!!" Maria screamed at Liz, but not without coughing when she finished. Liz gritted her teeth guiltily as Maria yelled at her.

"I was worried about you." Liz said in an innocent voice.

"That's still no excuse for going behind my back." Maria said.

"It's a good one though." Liz said in a baby voice.

"No!" Maria said.

Liz's lip quivered and she gave Maria puppy eyes.

"Stop it. That does not work on me I invented it." Maria said.

"Let's just see what Isabel says." Liz said.

"Look whatever that thing was it hurt me and it wasn't even my dream so I think you need to be careful." Isabel said.

"Fine I'll be careful." Maria said rolling her eyes.

"Maria listen to her." Michael said.

"Are you telling me what to do?" Maria said staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

Before he could respond Tess spoke. "You know this reminds me of a story Nasedo used to tell me." She got up and began walking around. "It was about this thing that was like a diease that was on Antar. It would torture you in your sleep until it finally killed you."

"Puts a whole new meaning to 'If you die in your dreams you die in real life'" Liz said.

"Yeah," Tess said. "Then eventually they got it off Antar and nobody knew where it went. Except are you sure it had three fingers? Because this one had Five."

"I'm sure." Maria said.

"Are you positive?" Tess asked.

"Yes Tess." Maria said then sighed.

"Are you-" Tess got cut off by Maria.

"YES!" Maria yelled.

"Ok I just wanted to make sure. Just incase." Tess said.

"You want to know how sure I am." Maria snapped. "Because besides the fact that this thing has been haunting my every sleeping moment." Maria looked around to make sure no one was around. Then she lifted up her shirt to show everyone the claw shaped mark on her stomach.

"It left this little present."