I am transported to a place that I can only describe as some sort of twisted dungeon.

The roots holding me hostage quickly break away from my body as my butt lands in a chair. They fall to the floor around me, crumpling to morning but dust.

What the hell just happened? Where am I?

Wake up, Lyric. Wake up! You've got to be dreaming.

"I apologize for the headache you must have after that. Teleportation has its side effects." Kester bends down to examine me.

Come to mention it, my head is throbbing. But I have other things to worry about. Like the fact that I was just somehow kidnapped and transported to a dungeon by magic.

Magic?!

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" I ask him, trying to be brave.

"I'm Leona! Hi doll, nice to meet you!" The woman introduces herself and shakes my hand vigorously. She is way too eager for me.

"And I am Kester, the greatest warlock to have ever roamed this-" he pauses and turns back to me after pacing the room. "Wait. You are about to have me monologging!"

Okay, this is totally a dream. He is like, the worst villain ever. Who talks like that? My mind couldn't create someone a little more scary than him? This guy is like what I imagine Justin Bieber would be like if he decided to become a supervillain.

And this woman, Leona? She is like a modern day Harley Quinn, devoted to her villain boyfriend.

I snap my fingers. "Darn. I thought I could get you to tell me your plan so I know what the hell is going on." I play along.

"I will tell you what is going on but I will not tell you my plans with you." He tells me. "Here's a hint though." He motions for me to look down.

A wedding dress? He put me in a wedding dress.

Okay, now this is just getting dumb. Wake up already.

I laugh. "I appreciate the gesture. But I prefer a big proposal. Possibly including a flash mob?" I shrug.

"Ah, a woman of taste." Leona smirks, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's like she read my diary, Kester."

Kester laughs at me. "You have grown more confident since we met in the forest. What has changed?" He traces his finger along my body as he circles me, examining every inch of my skin.

"I know this is all just a dream. So I am not scared. I control exactly what happens next." I inform him that I am completely aware of what is happening.

"Oh yeah?" He asks. "Show me."

"Like right about now, the hero's are going to bust through those doors to rescue me." I point to the ominous doors across the room.

"Okay, let's wait for them together, shall we?" He stands beside me, crossing his arms over his chest. Leona stands beside him, her whole body shaking with anticipation.

We wait. And wait. And wait. And then bam!

Nope, we are still waiting.

"Still feeling confident?" Leona asks, leaning over to me.

I shake my head, wondering why it has not worked yet. It always works like this in the movies, why not in my dream?

I smack myself in the forehead. "Come on, come on. Wake up!" I talk to myself.

"I hate to break it to you, dear, but this isn't a dream. Far from it actually." Kester tells me. I nod. "I think you are realizing that right about now, aren't you?" He asks me. Again, I nod. "Which means your confidence in this situation is gone now too, no?"

I nod and swallow the saliva in my mouth, needing to make a quick decision.

Life or death?

I run in the opposite direction from my captors, screaming for help. I hope someone is nearby and hears my peril. I need help. I have no doubt he is going to torture or kill me.

Possibly even both.

Kester appears right in front of me in a cloud of purple smoke. "Hi." He smiles.

I turn around and run in the other direction. The doors in front of me taunt me as they appear to grow further and further away with every step I take towards them.

Leona stops me. Her exaggerated smile terrifies me. "And to think, I really liked you!"

I push past her. I need to get to those doors.

Kester appears in front of me again, forcing me to back up. "Please don't hurt me." I beg. "I won't tell anyone what happened here. I promise. Just," I sigh. "Oh who am I kidding. There's no use in trying. You are a witch or something."

He follows me until my back pressed up against the cold, brick wall and I can not back up any more. He squeezes my cheeks in between his cold fingers and digs his nails into my skin. "I'm called a Warlock and I," he pauses to laugh. I close my eyes, waiting to be killed by his hands. "Didn't want to hurt you until you ran." He sighs. "I'm going to miss our little chats."