A nightmare becomes a warning. A marriage becomes a mystery. And one terrible date refuses to release its hold.

On the eve of his birthday, Francis Raven awakens to a terrifying vision: a strange woman stands over him with a knife, intent on taking his life. Was it merely a nightmare—or something far more sinister?

Years pass, but Francis never forgets the woman’s face. Then he meets Alicia Warlock.

Beautiful, unpredictable, and disturbingly familiar, Alicia bears an uncanny resemblance to the figure from his dream. Despite his mother’s fears and his own uneasiness, Francis falls in love and marries her. But as Alicia’s behavior becomes increasingly volatile, the boundary between prophecy and coincidence begins to disappear.

Told through multiple narrators, The Dream Woman combines psychological suspense, Gothic atmosphere, and supernatural uncertainty in a haunting exploration of fate, obsession, and the terrifying possibility that dreams may reveal more than they should.

The story first appeared in 1855 as The Ostler and was later substantially expanded by Wilkie Collins into The Dream Woman: A Mystery in Four Narratives, with new characters, incidents, and a new ending.

Narrated by Ryan Darcy.