As Nick’s vision begun to tunnel into blackness from the intense pain that roared in his skull, he did his best to push back the impending unconsciousness as best he could to no avail.  Just before he went under he was faintly aware of dark<em>things</em>drawing nearer, moving as if they weren’t entirely real.  Given the stars that also danced across his fading sight, they very well might have been figments of his imagination.  As darkness finally overtaken the light, Nick was fearful if he would ever wake again.<br/><br/>Once again, he awoke in an unfamiliar location disoriented and confused.  His head still throbbed with the beat of his heart, but it was infinitely better than it had felt before.  Leaning up as the older man began to brief them to their situation, Nick did what he could to clear the cobwebs and try to believe what the man was telling them.  It seemed entirely impossible, but as much as he wanted to disbelieve it the empirical evidence could not be denied.<br/><br/><strong>”Before we went under…”</strong>Nick said once there was an opening in the conversation.<strong>”I saw dark figures with claws and illuminated eyes.  I expect there is a laundry list of new dangers that we need to be aware of in this new world, assuming this isn’t a dream, so I need to know: did I just imagine them or were they responsible for the pain that marked their arrival?”</strong>