It was bedtime. I imagined what kind of pleasant hell awaited me as I removed my boots and outer layers of clothing. Teresa was quite witch-like for immediately giving me the worst nightmare I've ever had the same day I told her I wanted to keep going. 

In that dream I found myself strapped to a table. There were many vicious looking people cruelly smiling at me. Then they plunged their knives into me repeatedly, I vividly imagined the metal that was slicing into my guts and chest. 

This was the kind of fate that awaited me every night. I couldn't say I was getting used to it, but I also didn't think it bothered me enough to stop me from going to bed at the same time as always.

My heart rate was elevated as I pulled the cover over me. My arms were trembling as I put out the nightstand light. I closed my eyes tightly, but slowly afterwards, I relaxed my body and drifted off into a dream.

Slithering sounds echoed from all sides. 

I felt the sliding and slipping of scale after slimy scale. Whenever I tried to grab hold of something to climb out, the pain of a penetrating bite forced me to let go. Even kicking around led to a retaliation of several bites across my legs.

I allowed myself to sink further into this pit of vipers. I would blink and open my eyes but all I could see were scales of varying shapes and sizes, they were brown and black with white streaks. 

The blinking set the vipers off as well, I received lightning fast bites to all areas of my face.

My body reached a complete standstill, but the urge to reach the surface grew stronger than my fear of the pain.

I kicked up and pulled myself higher through the vicious vipers' biting assault.

Through every heart beat the burning sensation from the venom coursing in my veins pulsated.

I did not stop moving. The vipers took notice.

Scales became entwined around my limbs. The snakes were now aiming to squeeze me stiff. 

I freed myself over and over again, the bites started to feel like hooks trying to pull me back down.

All of it did very little to prevent me from willing my body to move. The ocean of serpents finally ended, and I had reached the surface. 

An invisible ledge acted as my final wrench to pull away from the encircling snakes. 

One more snake chose to coil and launch itself right to my throat. I grabbed it with my freed hand and crushed its head bloody.

The serpents suddenly went quiet and stopped biting me. I properly lifted my self on the ledge. An unlocked door was waiting for me.

"For a minute there, I almost believed I pushed you too far and you'd let yourself sink to the bottom. Once again you did good, Fred. Care for some tea?"

"What flavor is it?"

"Whatever flavor you'd like."

"Sweet tea then."

"A rather distasteful selection."

"You asked."

She sighed before she conjured a different cup for my tea than the kind she used. It was a glassware cup that you would find in a bar or restaurant, hers was a traditional tea cup.

"Then go on and make it yourself."

"Alright. It's simple as just asking for it isn't it?"

"Go on and do it then."

I passed my hand over the top of the glass cup and called for it to be filled with sweet tea and ice cubes, along with a straw so I could sip it calmly.

The dream world was beyond the simple notion of concentration or effort, and the drink appeared as I had willed it.

"Perhaps children can more readily accept fantasy over reality, you are after all still six."

"You did remember my birthday!"

"You're my only source for the flow of time outside of this realm. Your appearances are my only indicator that night has come and a day has passed. Of course I'd keep track in my own way."

"You make me seem like more of a tool than a friend."

"I apologize but it is the truth. How is life on the outside anyway?"

"Well it's the same as always, sword training, magic training, eat, sleep, and wake up to do it all over again."

"I hope you're just summarizing and not seriously neglecting to give yourself time to spend with those you care about. I don't think you've ever expressly mentioned being alone."

"I'm not, I still spend time with my family. The other day I wrestled a little with my older brother Luca, my training made it way harder for him to catch me. I also go to the city with my family every so often and play with the friends I've made on the soccer field."

It may seem like isolation would be best for honing my skills in either my physical or arcane practice, but I still needed to maintain a public image as well.

Teresa let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you're able to have such a vibrant life with people that you love, aside from all this fear business."

"Yeah, well it wouldn't be the same without having all of them with me to keep me going. You included."

"Thank you for that. You're one of the only people to come in here and not immediately hate me for the cruelties you endured in the nightmares."

"No problem."

I felt the tugging once more.

"Our time is up once more."

"Yup, oh I forgot to mention my stepmother is visiting soon, I might have something to tell you about it next time. If you want to hear about how it goes."

Teresa didn't care for how my progress in either the magic or sword department went, but for the little things in life she liked to be told about them.

"I'd love to hear about it."