<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #40BFFF">Images filled Gwendalin's unconscious mind.  They came slowly at first as sleep pulled her into a dreaming state.  Then, as they came faster and became more clear, her mind took her on an adventure of thoughts.  The images made movies and her mind fabricated the story they told.  As she slept, her eyes darted back and forth behind her eyelids, betraying the fantastical events taking place within her head.<br/><br/>The stranger, the malevolent being she had yet to meet, escaped her perceptions in the midst of her slumber.  As he pulled closer and the heat around her, keeping her comfortably dozing, increased the dreams took on a new light.  From the damp, chilled forests and her horseback riding to a field of summer flowers and basking in the hot sun of an early day.<br/><br/>Even the words the man said had some effect on the dreams that filled her head.  His voice, deep and smooth, influenced her to dream of a mysterious figure approaching her in the field.  In her mind it was a prince.  He had on the ornately embroidered clothing of his inherited royalty and he asked so kindly about why she was there as he lowered himself gracefully down beside her.<br/><br/>Before she had the chance to answer the question or to wonder why there was a prince talking to her at all, that voice beckoned her to wake.  Her lids fluttered as she was pulled quickly but gently from her fantasies.  A light groan escaped her throat as she tried curling up, attempting insistently to return to the warm summer and her prince's flowery field.  Alas, her attempts were to no avail.  All she got out of them was the sense that sleeping was probably not such a good idea.<br/><br/>As she sat up, not yet fully awake, she rubbed at her eyes to clear away the sleep and pouted and wined at the slight chill of the late night/early morning air.  </span></span>"Whyyyyy?"<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #40BFFF">  It was childish, but she did so enjoy her sleep.  It was rare that she had such pleasant dreams.  Besides... what had woken her up in the first place?<br/><br/>If the man, wearing his suit and his mismatched sneakers, had yet to move away from her, she'd likely glance around to notice him.  The unwarranted presence of him would give her a start, causing her to jump back and let loose a loud gasp.</span></span></span>