What is this bloody knife doing in my hand? And, why is there a stab wound in you? It wasn't there when you went to sleep. Made you look. Didn't I? Now, tell me we're not real.

Hey, I didn't put it there. I couldn't have. I've been dead for eons, or so the stories go untold. That being true, then what am I doing in this house of yours?

I don't live here. I was entombed centuries ago. And, why won't that silvery, full Halloween moon let me rest in peace?

Up to three-hundred-and-sixty-four nights a year I can manage to stay buried in my tomb just starring up at the brown dirt that covers my coffin. Happy as a lark. But...

Being non-living has its advantages too, like the peaceful existence it provides, and the escape from the terrors of those still breathing air. Ones like you.

And, they call us nightmares. That's just their big, fancy, smancy term for creatures of the night. The real undead. And, my closest allies have always been outcasts like me, who walk the darkest shadows of the distant corners of your mind. Don't look, but, there's one behind you now!

Some of us mill about every time the sinking sun goes down, in various shapes and forms. You may not believe we exist. Oh, but, we are very real.

Just ask anyone who has had the misfortune of encountering one of us. They'll tell you. Bet you've meet us before too. Haven't you?

Your worst dreams are some of the places we most frequently haunt. And, Mister Sandman is definitely in cahoots with us. He's been a long time acquaintance of ours forever.

Those night terrors you have, you know what they are. Go ahead and honestly admit what you have endured...if you dare. Say, "One of us."

That big, comfy pillow you lay your pretty little head on, and those blankets you try to hide under, they won't protect you. All one of my associates has to say is "Boo!" and you wet your pants, or jump up in a cold sweat. Oh yes. That visit is very real and you know it.

Some times you can even find us gathered around a table, slamming ice cold brewskis down, and scheming our little get together with you. Let me tell you one of the finest pleasures we so very much enjoy, is once we set our sights on you, there is nothing at all you can do about it. Scary thought, isn't it?

In our dimension it is Halloween every night. And, we know you have to sleep some time. It is when you do we come prowling. There's no human life form we do not stalk. We find your weaknesses and we exploit them.

Maybe it's the fear of drowning. Perhaps you are scared to fall down and go BOOM! Oh, we're watching your every move, just to find that small chink in your armor, because that is where we will readily attack. And, knowing every human out there has some kind of fear brings such a wonderful, pleasant smile to our faces.

Midnight is our witching hour. See her ride her broom? She can be anywhere in the world, just like us. And, trauma is another one of our best friends.

Because, once you have a traumatic experience that only opens the door to your dreamworld wider for us to enter. Your weakest times are our most favorite ones to strike.

We are so real we can paralyze you with fright. Even little kiddies are vulnerable. Ever seen one of them go running down the hall crying for mommy and daddy in the middle of a still, calm night? You guessed it. That's because we've had too much fun terrorizing them.

While they're bawling their baby blues out, begging to sleep in the middle, we're in our realm of existence laughing hysterically at another successful raid. Oh, don't be so personally offended. It happens to the best of you, doesn't it? And, sometimes quite regularly.

What about those of you who are all alone? What easy targets you make. You know we're getting nearer when you hear things that go bump in the night. We'll also identify ourselves through noises, like creaking stairs, and eerie feelings. Before too long you know we're on our way to get you!

Sleep with the lights on. It only illuminates our path much clearer. Say you're brave. Are you really, now? That's a challenge we look forward to proving wrong. One of your strongest fallacies is music soothes the savage beast. However, it only excites us. Gets our creative juices flowing all the more. So, Rock On!

I see you rubbing your tired eyes over there. But, you're afraid to go to sleep now, aren't'cha? Because you don't know who's going to come and get you this time when you do. We can wait.

Nod off. That's all you have to do and you'll be in our clutches. Have you tried counting sheep? Works every time. Or maybe even counting backwards from one hundred. My money says you won't get down to ninety before you are snoring away.

A bloody knife. A strangulation. Or perhaps, just maybe, we'll pull out all the stops for you this one time.

No apologies necessary. We have something very special planned for you the next time you go to sleep.

Wait and see!

Nighty nite.