Awareness startled Usher. His eyes opened instantly. He gasped for breath and sweat poured down his body, drenching him. At that moment, he felt trapped between the world of dreams and reality, separated by a thin line, real or not.
Usher tried to calm himself. In the dim light of the room and the silence surrounding him, he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. The intense nightmare that had hit him had left an unforgettable mark on his mind. It almost convinced him that it was real.
"It can't be," Usher thought as he tried to calm his racing heart. He dismissed all the frightening and painful images that had filled his mind during his sleep. It was only a dream, not reality. Garth is fine, he isn't dead. And Mama, she is too.
A strange coldness began to envelop Usher's entire body.
