Chapter 54

ELISE'S POV

I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, but no matter how far I went, the darkness chased me, getting closer with every step. The forest around me was dark and the trees twisted in front, making it hard to run fast. My lungs burned with each breath and my heart pounded in my chest yet the shadows behind me only grew darker

I didn’t know what I was running from, only that if I stopped, it would grab me. The ground beneath me was uneven, roots and stones tripping me up, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t—

Suddenly, the ground gave way, and I was falling down a huge hole. A silent scream tore out of my mouth. My arms flailed, grasping at nothing. My body felt weightless and helpless. I kept falling and falling, the darkness swallowing me whole.

There was no end. My screams echoed back at me, distorted and twisted.

And then, just as suddenly as it began, I hit the ground with a thud. The impact knocked the wind out of me, filling my body with pain, but it wasn’t the pain