The Children of Hypnos

Chapter 35: Mr. Sandman, Bring Us A Dream

Waking Klaus had not stopped his nightmares.

Emery knew before they reached ground level that the storm had just begun. David had disappeared, and green light washed the front lobby of the administration building. The wailing that had begun before Emery went downstairs was now a blanket of screams, screeches, howls, and roars.

Klaus was out the front door first. Emery and Wes followed.

Jacqueline stood by David's desk, looking pale. "I'll stay here. I--I don't think I'm going to be much help out there."

"Call Joel," Emery said. "See what's happening at the manor, make sure they're all safe. And--and see if they've seen Edgar!"

She didn't have the mental capacity to fight Klaus's nightmares right now, not when she had to save all the bullets she could for Morrigan, but Emery took out her Peacemaker anyway. Because when they went outside, the screams, screeches, howls, and roars slammed into them in a pandemonium.

Nightmares flooded the Fenhallow campus. Dogs with matted fur and fangs as long as Emery's fingers; strange porcupine creatures with quills that dripped acid; the dark shapes of little bats dive-bombing out of the swirling clouds above. Then, moving between the buildings around the quad, shambling villagers holding torches and pitchforks, folds of their skin stitched together. All of them moved toward the administration building, where Klaus stood on the top step. Three focused spots of light danced at the bottom of the steps, holding off the tide: Lana with her bow and arrow and four claylike dreamform copies of herself stationed around her like statue gaurdians, each with their own bow and arrow, picking off the little bats before they could reach their targets; Ares Montgomery, slicing through nightmare animals and undead villagers with his two axes like a Viking warrior, dreamformless but fast and strong enough to make up for it; and Grandpa Al, who had created a barricade around the administration building steps that folded over and crunched down like teeth on any nightmare that got too close. His longsword was out, but he swung it only when something got too close to him.

Klaus rushed down the steps and vaulted the barricade. The scene paused as he moved, the nightmares freezing in place as they recognized his presence. Three arrows flew rapid-fire from Lana's bow, exploding Dream essence across the quad; Ares beheaded a row of frozen villagers with one swing. When Klaus's feet hit the ground, and time seemed to rush to catch up. The nightmares swung around and pelted toward him, snarling, biting, snapping—but Klaus disappeared from their midst.

And then, one by one, they began exploding.

A black shadow shot between the nightmares, carving off limbs, bursting stitches, skewering bodies. Dream essence filled the quad, funneling back to the three dreamkillers still at work like smoke pulled through a fan. More nightmares came where they other ones disappeared; they came from the sky, from the entrance to Fenhallow, from the dorms, even from behind the administration building. Klaus was awake but the nightmares weren't stopping.

Emery and Wes ducked against the side of the building to avoid the constant stream of nightmares moving past. Lana was yelling something to Grandpa Al, and Ares yelled something else; lightning flashed overhead, and the ground shook.

Then it shook again.

And again.

And there, moving out from the shadow of Hothram Hall, was one of Klaus's Frankenstein nightmares. It batted villagers out of its way and uprooted a small tree to use as a club. Its tiny glowing eyes fixed on Klaus, who had stilled near the statue of Iltani and Fabian. An arrow streaked through the air and pierced the nightmare's shoulder, straight through the skin, holding its shivering purple form until the monstrosity clapped a hand over it and it shattered.