Again I don’t own any of these characters…except maybe for the little girl in this chapter…it all belongs to the one…the only…Shawn Cassidy!

Hunched, silent, and sullen over a desk of cluttered papers and unnumbered pencil shavings Caleb now slept. He’d made a deal with the devil and was now thinking of why he’d done it in the first place. Of course he wanted Dr. Matt back but making a deal with his father wasn’t the best way to do it.

In dreams he drifted in and out of consciences looking into the deep recesses of his unconscious mind he floated, a helpless feather on it’s menacing winds. He was looking for answers, answers that he didn’t know the questions to. Maybe in this state of truth he’d find them, then he’d be able to search for the questions they lay claim to. Mists of time clouded his vision as he beheld a dark dust ridden room, he’d seen this room before and no doubt would see it countless times again.

The room looked as if its boards had rotted long ago and was being held up by hopes and dreams. The floor was bare except for strange clumps of dirt and grime. At a dark pine looking table sat a small figure, she looked as if she was five and her hair was a light brown with small pink ribbons entwined in it. Her eyes were shut tight as if she was silently willing something away. A small white dress hung loosely off her right shoulder and the numerous tears and rips made it nothing but rags. Clutched in a death grip between her small arms was a rag doll, its yarn hair moth eaten and its eyes had long ago fallen off. The small red mouth was upturned in a freakish grin that lay against the dolls smudged pail skin. The doll as far as Caleb could see was naked, its cloth body hidden by the girl's trembling arms.

Caleb made his way toward the little girl quietly he kneeled beside her so as not scare her. Raising a hand to her frightened face he swept away the few strands of loose hair that had come loose and wound down her smooth face. She seemed not to notice and continued to cringe at an unseen horror. Placing his hand on her shoulder he looked into her face for a few more moments.

“Hi.” He started hoping he could comfort her from whatever she was afraid of. The girl slowly opened her strained eyes and Caleb saw the strangest color of blue he’d ever seen. Her eyes were shadows of blue-gray and they seemed alive, their colors moved and melted into each other.

“Hi.” The little girl mimicked back in a small song-like voice that was barely above a whisper. She waited her muscles tense and ready.

“My name’s Caleb. What’s yours?” Caleb figured that if he started out simple it would be easier for her to open up and tell him what scared her so much.

The girl’s eyes lit up a little and began to sparkle. “He told me you’d come. But you took so long, I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.” Her whisper floated into his ears sweetly and softly.

“Who told you I’d come?” Stiffening in his legs began to grow, changing his position he leaned a little on the table she was sitting in front of. At the same time his right hand came to a rest on a small piece of crumpled paper, drawing his attention away from the little girl. What lay before him was a child’s drawing of a winged lion without a head.

“I ran out of pencil before I could finish it.” Her voice disturbing his wild thoughts. Silently she jumped off the chair with her doll still clutched tightly between her chest and fragile arms.

Caleb knew what the rest of the drawing was; it was what had been showing up on the corners of his homework and the edges of his notes in class. Looking up he saw that the little girl had made it clear across the decayed room. “Hey where are you going?” He yelled after her.

Giggling slightly she motioned her hand for him to follow than took off running through an open door way into a darkened hallway.

“Wait, just a minute!” He yelled after the disappearing figure. Getting up he clumsily ran after her dodging knocked over furniture and exposed boards rising out of the floor.

She was fast for her age and he had trouble keeping up with her. Hallways led into parlor rooms, abandoned bedrooms, and stairs that led him up one hallway and down another. Strangely enough though he wasn’t getting tired and was curious enough to keep following. Suddenly the small sound of footsteps he’d been following stopped and quit all together.

Looking around Caleb found himself in a huge circular room; the walls were high and narrow and came to a point at the center of a huge dome. Surrounded by mirrors on all sides Caleb became very uneasy, he didn’t like it in this room there was something off about it that Caleb couldn’t place. He also noticed that the little girl had disappeared. A strange cold filtered itself through the room and slipped itself over Caleb’s skin. Shivering tiny Goosebumps paraded over his skin in blissful glee. Backing up Caleb knew he had to get out of that room, right now or something terrible would happen. Breaking into a cold sweat he turned around quickly only to meet the wall; the door had disappeared.

:My dreams my rules, my dreams my rules, my dreams my rules, my dreams my rules, my dreams my rules, my dreams my rules, my dreams my rules, my dreams my rules.:

The small chant repeated itself over and over through Caleb’s mind, if this really was his dream than he could make the door come back. Concentrating he stared at a spot in the wall and pictured a doorway in his mind. The small picture pushed against his thoughts forcing the image into reality but still the door eluded him.

“This may be your dream.” A cold voice said. “But the rules have changed.” Leaving just as suddenly as it had came, it left Caleb with an odd since of familiarity and fear.

“What do you mean the rules have changed?” Caleb yelled into the empty room. “If this is my dream I can…”

“Not any longer.” The voice cut him off. “I have you exactly where I want you! Prepare for my rules!” With that, all source of light was obliterated and Caleb was left alone in the dark silence of his mind.

AN Okay not much of a cliff hanger and it’s a really short chapter but I needed to get something down…I’ve been debating on where I want to go with this story but now I think I’ve got it. So R&R please…keeps the idea’s flowing!