143. JUST A BAD DREAM

KATERINA

The trees loomed above me, their branches twisting like skeletons against the black sky, and I could feel the ground beneath my feet, damp and unfamiliar. My heart was pounding, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts as I tried to make sense of where I was. But nothing made sense.

I spun around, disoriented, trying to make sense of these figures but always coming up short. The shadows were moving toward me, slow at first, but with purpose. I tried to shout, to demand who they were, but my voice came out weak, almost swallowed by the air. “Who are you? What do you want?” My words echoed, but there was no answer. Only silence, and their steady approach.

I backed away, but they were closing in from behind as well. My chest tightened with fear, my skin prickling with cold dread. “Please… someone… who are you?” My voice broke, tears welling in my eyes as the figures drew closer. There were more of them now, emerging from the shadows, their forms starting to take shape, coming