Matt took the cup and drained it. He knew exactly what she was asking – the question wasn’t so much one of concern for him, but for his progress.

“More time. I need more time.” He waved her away and picked up the pen again. Once more he felt himself slide back into the dream. Time passed and he would not remember it. Instead, what Matt experienced was a world to come. He saw the images of what had been before, and what was to be for the human race – vile creatures herding humans like long lines of cattle into caves and holes and basements. The things like many-limbed amoebic blobs, eyes and mouths forming and unforming on their disgusting hides, towering over their human stock, uncaring, unfeeling, little more than army ants for a monstrous leader yet to come.

From time to time, one human soul would break away, but would be quickly chased down, grabbed, lifted and stuffed into a puckered hole that opened in one side of the dark horrors.

Matt wept as his hand flew across the page. The lines of people were endless – thousands, hundreds of thousands, and many more kept corralled in yards, waiting, waiting. The other billions of humans fled in panic, but nowhere would be safe, as they too were part of a grand new plan.

And then that too became clear. A huge living thing lifted itself from the Earth, its size beyond anything in human memory. It grew and grew, squeezing forth from the underground like a huge mass of pus from a wound torn open. Alhazred had tried to describe what he saw, but his words fell short of fully describing the horror. It was wormlike – a pulpy, rubbery-looking body, pulsing with enormous strength, that barely supported a grotesque octopus-like head. But the worst of all was the thing’s face – masses of eyes dotted the head, spider-like in their tight clusters, and each one glistened with a frightening but pitiless intelligence. Matt could already feel its malevolence, and its…hunger…as it rushed upward to sate its lust for flesh.

Matt placed hands over his ears as the scream of countless people rang out when the huge head dropped down upon them, its maw open wide.

“No!”

He was caught then, trapped, the tentacles wrapping around his body; he fought, but the bonds were unbreakable. There was a sharp slap across his face, and he opened his eyes. There were arms around him, and he found Adira gripping him and holding him in his seat. Hartogg and Abrams leaned over their seat backs and stared down at him.

Adira grabbed a towel and dabbed at his forehead. “You were crying out. I’ve been trying to break your trance.” She wiped his hair back with the damp towel. “We’ve been worried.”

“I’m okay.” Matt didn’t feel okay, and he could feel his heart careening in his chest. His stomach still felt like it was swollen with a poisonous liquid.