I'm dead. I have to be dead. There's no other explanation for the nightmare I just experienced.

Despite the panic ripping her innards to shreds, she allowed her training to take over: calm breathing, logical thinking, situation analysis, and an attitude adjustment.

She only had to open her eyes and deal with whatever she found on the other side. Maybe it was her own bedroom; maybe she hadn't just experienced the most terrifying event of her life. She ...