Laura's First Dream-Attack

Laura had a terrifying dream in which a large, sooty-black animal, resembling a monstrous cat, moved around her room and then sprang onto her bed. She felt a sharp, stinging pain, as if two large needles were piercing her breast. Waking with a scream, she saw a female figure in a dark dress standing at the foot of her bed, which then moved to the door and disappeared. The door was locked from the inside, leaving Laura horrified and unable to explain the apparition. This marked the beginning of a series of nightly torments.