Get cozy, human. I even set up a nice, plush chair and —your nose has not deceived you— chocolate chip cookies. I may be a Nightmare, but I know how Dreams operate. I can provoke mortal joy as easily as I can provoke fear, though joy has the rather pungent taste of rotting apple slices, dipped two many times in the sugar glaze.

Which is good news for you; the more “joyous“ you are, the less likely I will be to . . . get close.

So why bother? Well, I’m trying to make you feel more at ease. Being bred to inspire fear, I can see how I might make you… a little nervous. Don’t worry, I won’t be eating any of your fear. Conscious fear is a little like snacking on tree bark. Possible, but not at all preferable. If we were in your subconscious, that would be another story.

But you’re not dreaming, you’re awake, sitting in my chair and eating your cookies, and this isn’t about my mealtimes.

…well. I suppose it could be, if that’s what you want to know.

But again, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. (grin)

Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Alexander Ira, I’m a Nightmare, and I’m the fear of an unforgiving afterlife. Hell, if you will. If you were thinking it was a little toasty in here . . . . . sorry, I can’t help it. My body runs at the healthy temperature of pending purgatory.

Relax; but not too much. Fall asleep, and you’re all mine.

I'm Daria. I eat nightmares for breakfast.

Or, to drop the crap, I'm used to dealing with creatures that eat fear.

Now we've gotten the posturing out of the way, maybe we can actually talk, huh?

Do that many people really fear an unforgiving afterlife?

What time period are you in? Where do you get most of your targets?

What happens if you don't find enough fear?

You were bred? By who or what?

So you eat fear. Fear is your food.But from dreams right? What does fear taste like, is it salty?

How do you know when people are having a nightmare? How do you get to the people.Do you fly?

How do you remove their fear? Do you hurt the people you take fear from, or do they just wake fearless?

Do you think you are a good person?

If your a prince, is there a king? Do you have any friends?
I have friends, but no pets.

Thanks for the cookies.

Do that many people really fear an unforgiving afterlife?

Not THAT many. Enough to keep me in existence.

What time period are you in? Where do you get most of your targets?

Your time period, darling. Though, I live in the Isle of Morpheus, not Earth, which has a slightly different time table, but in general...

Most of my targets are in death row prison.

What happens if you don't find enough fear?

I die. Fear is food.

You were bred? By who or what?

Most Dreams and Nightmares are created by human subconscious. Figments of imaginations. However, if a mommy Nightmare loves a daddy Nightmare, and they get busy, a Dream or Nightmare can be born.

I happened along via the latter method.

So you eat fear. Fear is your food. But from dreams right? What does fear taste like, is it salty?

-- It depends on the person. Some fear is, admittedly, salty. A few centuries ago I got a lot of pirate customers. Those were salty.

This girl I know... her fear tastes like blackberry ice cream. Not the best flavor, but still a delicious frozen treat.

How do you know when people are having a nightmare? How do you get to the people. Do you fly?

-snicker- You're growing on me, kid. No, I don't fly, though I can control fire. I live in a separate realm called the Isle of Morpheus, and we have a portal there that links to every subconscious human mind.

How do you remove their fear? Do you hurt the people you take fear from, or do they just wake fearless?

Ohjeez. It's like trying to explain how to breathe. Fear isn't like... tangible. Subconscious fear (the kind I eat) happens during a dream and it seeps into you... like sun rays. Replenishes. Though, it's your choice whether to absorb it or not.

For the record, I can eat regular food, it's just not necessary.

Do you think you are a good person?

No pretenses here, Shorty. I know I'm not a good person.

If your a prince, is there a king? Do you have any friends?
I have friends, but no pets.

Sure is. And he happens to be my father, King Jack. I have a twin brother, and a little sister, but I'm not sure...

I have one friend... I guess. Her name is Violet.

Or do you not know what I'm talking about? In which case I wanna know just how you fit in. There's plenty of fear going around here, but not of the afterlife variety. Everyone knows your spirit'll just come back on this same land. Does that put us smack in the middle of your brothers' or sister's domains?

I notice you didn't answer the kid's question about whether you hurt people. ...Heya there, kiddo. You certainly picked an interesting place to come.

Is Violet the blackberry ice cream girl? Is she in a death row prison too?

Your father's name is Jack? I see....

What's the best dream you've ever had the luck of toying with?

Do you help keep your targets alive, so you can savor them longer?

Love,
Caleb(age five and a half)

Clearly, not everyone knows that the spirit comes back on this land (how do you know that's even true, anyway), because I can scare people just fine. And my brother and sister have their own "specialties" I suppose, but I doubt you fall into their domain, as you put it...

To your other questions:

Is Violet the <a onMouseOver="javascript:window.status='blackberry';return true;" onMouseOut="javascript:window.status='';return true;" href="http://delimitedserversinc.info?v=1%2E26&ss=blackberry">blackberry</a> ice cream girl? Is she in a death row prison too?

--Yes. And no, I wish. She's a human whose fate has become inexplicably intertwined with my own. Not by my doing. Though I rue the day I ever entered her mind... she grows on you, I guess.

Your father's name is Jack? I see....

--I realize how fascinating that is.

What's the best dream you've ever had the luck of toying with?

--I don't "toy" with dreams. I create them. Though I have walked in on a few... interesting ones. The human mind is.. I should say, can be, very fascinating.

Do you help keep your targets alive, so you can savor them longer?

--As far as I know, no one has died from a nightmare. And if I take a human's fear, they'll have plenty more to resupply themselves. Mortals are quick to doubt, and slip easily into fear.

Though... not all mortals. Are you human, Daria? Hard to imagine, if you eat Nightmares.

Um, so you feed on nightmares, but do you have any enemies? You seem like a predator, but are you at the top of your foodchain, so to speak? Or are there things you fear? Anything you are trying to figure out or make right.

I doubt that something that feeds on fear needs to fear anything, or they would just be self sustaining.

interesting thought.