Book Seven: Chapter 130

“There are monsters outside. Big ones with teeth.” A crouched form in the back of the cave shifted and slid free of the shadows. It was clearly Ingrid, but the woman was now a young girl again, her frame small and fragile in a tattered blue dress that swayed with each tremor of the cave. The dim light caught on strands of her hair, and Mike could see the outline of fear etched into her face. “They crashed my parent’s plane.”

“I know.” He took a careful step toward her, trying to radiate calm. But Ingrid shrank back, hugging herself as the echoes of dripping water and distant clattering of rock made the space feel even larger. Above them, the ceiling disappeared into black nothingness; the cave, though externally modest, now seemed cathedral-sized, looming and oppressive. Cold water lapped at Mike’s calves, soaking his shoes and drawing heat from his body, making him acutely aware of the physical presence of the dream.