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chewing.
They are not as big as I thought.
In Eric's past nightmare encounters the creatures' teeth were disproportionately big - such giant teeth couldn't possibly fit within the small head of the goblin. In his mind's eye, the goblin teeth shrank to the somewhat proportionate size visible before him.
Not big at all.
     
    Time passed in quiet observation and self-reflection. The goblin was done with the bone and munched on a juicy orange.
    "Is anyone brave enough to step into the circle?" Mr. Smith asked. "Is the fear really gone or have you just swept it under the rug? This is your chance to find out. Will you make sure this type of nightmare doesn't rear its ugly head again?"
    Eric smirked. His hand was up in the air, along with Lucy's, Rose's and several others'.
More than half the class. Barely.
    Mr. Smith picked out a tall, scrawny boy and directed him to enter the circle. The boy clasped his hands and raised them. He puffed his chest, and walked towards the circle as a champion entering a boxing ring. Mr. Smith's stern look silenced any would-be cheering from the audience, but amused expressions and a few chuckles could not be suppressed.
    The boy carefully planted one leg inside the circle, and when the action met no response from the goblin, another careful step followed. At the third footstep, however, the goblin sniffed the air and made a slow, but deliberate advance towards the youth. In a blink of an eye, the boy was outside the circle. He sighed with relief and repeated the procedure several seconds later.
    After a few tries, the goblin was getting annoyed and turned its back on the boy. Encouraged, the boy took a few more careful steps.
    Suddenly, the goblin turned around with raised hands and a loud roar - scrambling to cover many steps in one, the boy fell on his behind with a thump. The audience was stunned in silence. The goblin made no further sign of aggression, but its roar turned into a throaty, cough-like sound.
He's laughing!
The boy quickly left the circle, obviously relieved and glad to be alive. There was cheering now, although it was unclear whom the cheer was for.
    "Courage is admirable; cockiness is not," Mr. Smith said. "Who wants to go next?" After the spectacle, fewer hands went up in the air. "You. Go."
    Lucy stood up. She walked casually along the protective luminance of the circle, intending to enter from the point farthest to the goblin. She took a deep breath.
    "Good luck!" Rose yelled.
    Lucy stepped inside, paused, and took a few more steps towards the goblin. They watched each other silently for several seconds. The goblin tried to pull the same trick as before: it turned around, waited a moment or two, and then gave a loud roar. Unfazed, Lucy didn't budge. She held out her hand, above which a perfect little magic sphere appeared.
    "Come closer and I will make you eat this," Lucy said coldly.
    The goblin seemed to comprehend the intention and neither of them made a further move.
    "That will be enough," Mr. Smith's voice broke the stand-off.
    Lucy backpedaled slowly until she was out of the circle, and then let the sphere disperse.
    "Next! You."
    It was Eric's turn. Rose tapped on his shoulder for encouragement, and he stood up. He exchanged nods with Lucy on his way to the far side of the circle. Once there, Eric jogged his shoulders and turned his neck around a few times to loosen the muscles.
Am I supposed to fight? Not likely. If it jumps me, I'll shove to the side and get out.
Deciding on this exit strategy freed up his mind to focus on the here and now.
    "I'm ready!" Eric announced out loud, partly to motivate himself and give voice to his decision. There were no objections, and upon Mr. Smith's slight nod of consent, he entered the circle.
    The goblin made no hostile movements. Cautiously, Eric walked as close to it as Lucy did before.
    He could smell the creature.
Obnoxious, but bearable.
Eric glanced at the claw-like hands, the teeth that had some food stuck in them, and