Dreamcatchers

I've finished about two more pages for my short story, and have decided to name is Dreamcatchers (Maybe)... Anyway, here is what I've written since my last post:

“Who are you?” she growled, her hand gripping the useless hilt of the dagger until her knuckles turned white.

                “I believe your kind calls me the Sandman.” he calmly replied and took a step toward her.

                Ria edged to the side, glancing at the door behind him. “How did you get into the house?”

                He laughed again, louder this time. “Darling, I am the dirt on the floor, I am the dust in the corner. I can be where I want and make not a sound.”

                “Don’t call me that.” Ria spat and took another step to the side, inching closer to the door.

                “If you insist, Miss Ria Lyte.”

                She shivered at the use of her name, but wasn’t surprised that he knew it. She doubted anything more could surprise her tonight.

                “You are not welcome here.” Banton said as he appeared in the doorway.

                The Sandman scowled and turned around to face the Dreamcatcher, but before he could say anything Banton swung a fire poker at his head. The thick iron bent where it hit him, but it distracted the Sandman long enough for Banton to slip past him and toward Ria.

                “Close your eyes.” he told her as he wrapped her in his arms.

                “What are you doing? What about my parents?” Ria demanded and tried to squirm out of his grip.

                He held her tighter, and with a muttering of strange words, the world began to shift. Everything blurred and seemed to melt. The last thing Ria saw was the Sandman striding toward them, one side of his head cracked and chipped from the fire poker. Then everything went black.

                Ria woke up in a strange bed, in a room with too much light. She groaned and raised a hand to rub her pounding head, and was startled to find herself wearing an unfamiliar dress of pure white silk. The sleeves were long and broad at the end, and as she sat up she found a gold cloth belt tied around her waist.

                “I told you to close your eyes.” Banton said from the chair he was sitting in. He had changed into a more subtle outfit, now wearing a coat of deep purple with plain black leggings and dark leather boots. He stood up and brought a tray of food over, though Ria didn’t recognize any of it. “Changing worlds normally leaves humans feeling sick, so we don’t attempt it often. I saw it the only way to get you out of that house though.” He bowed his head in apology and backed away from the bed.

                “Where are we?” Ria asked and glanced at the tray of food. Banton might have saved her life, but she still found it hard to trust him.

                “Neeran.” He said bluntly. “At least, that is what we call it. You are more familiar with it in your dreams. Humans will often subconsciously visit this world. In your dreams it will shift to be anything you wish, or anything you fear. You are here in person though. What you see is what it really is. In other words, this is the dream world.”

                Ria frowned as she tried to understand. “So, when I dream I come here?”

                “Your mind comes here, not your body. Not normally, at least. Right now is an exception. To leave under ordinary circumstances you must just wake up in your world. It’s a little trickier now, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to leave anyway.”

                “But my parents, I have to see to them. I cannot leave them.”

                “Your parents are beyond help. The dead cannot visit this place. The best choice—What are you doing?”

                Ria climbed out of the bed, ignoring Banton as she strode toward the door. “I want to leave. Now.”

                “I cannot allow you to do that. It is unsafe for you there. The Sandman will hunt you down.”

                “And I will be safe here?” she asked, looking from the door to Banton.

                He hesitated, his mouth open to reply. “Safer.” he finally said. “We have the armies and technology to fight him off, but he has the creatures of nightmares on his side. So far he has not made an effort to enter the city, but… Well, I fear that by bringing you here I might have enraged him.” he looked down, seeming ashamed.

                “If he’s here, why can’t I go back home? Will he know if I’m not here anymore?”

                “Yes. Once he has taken an interest in someone, it’s easy for him to track them. The only reason why it took him so long to find and kill your—“

                “Don’t say it. I don’t want to know.” Ria grimaced as she sat back down on the bed.