As soon as Etzli burst awake, she knew something was wrong.

She touched her cheek. She felt tears. There was a painful clenching in her heart, and she knew something terrible had happened.

The monster quickly retreated deeper beneath her consciousness, just out of her reach, where she couldn't quite feel its presence. But, somewhere beyond the void it left behind, Etzli sensed its serpentine coiling.

What had the monster done now?

...