It was dark. Too dark.
Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but black. I stretched out my hands, searching for something, anything to guide me, but all I touched was empty air.
My breaths were uneven, shallow. The silence wasn't peaceful; it was heavy, almost alive, pressing into my chest. I kept moving forward, one slow step at a time, hoping to find an exit. But the darkness felt endless.
The night was a new moon night. No stars above, no flicker of light anywhere. Just silence and shadow.
A breeze brushed against me. For a second it felt gentle, but then the sound it carried froze me in place. It was like the air itself had teeth.
I wasn't alone.
The thought came before I could stop it. My body stiffened. My ears strained, desperate for even the faintest sound.
Who's there?
Then I heard it. A rustle, sharp and sudden. It pierced through the silence and straight into my bones.
"Who is it?" I yelled, my voice shaky.
No answer.
Fear coiled in the pit of my stomach. My palms grew damp with sweat, my throat dry like sandpaper. I felt like I was choking. I needed water.
And then..... yes. A faint sound. Water.
I rushed toward it, my legs unsteady, until the darkness lifted just enough for me to see a small lake. Relief flooded through me.
"Thank God," I whispered.
I fell to my knees, scooping the water with my hands. It was cool but soothing. I drank quickly, the taste calming the fire in my throat. For a moment, I thought maybe everything was fine.
But the air changed again. Heavier. Colder.
My skin prickled. A strange tingling crept across the back of my neck.
"Who's there?"I whispered this time, my voice almost breaking.
The tingling grew stronger, crawling down my spine. Panic hit me hard. I jumped to my feet and started running. The air grew colder with every step, freezing my lungs. My chest ached, my legs screamed, but I didn't stop.
Finally, I collapsed, gasping for air. And then silence again. The cold was gone. The air was back to warm, gentle.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
I can't take this anymore.
My sobs echoed in the stillness. My heart was pounding so loud it was the only sound I could hear. And then my head started spinning. A sharp, piercing noise stabbed into my ears, splitting through my skull.
I screamed, clutching my head, falling to the ground.
And then I saw it.
A white light. Distant, but clear. The only thing shining in the sea of black.
Hope.
I pushed myself up. But before I could take a step, something lashed out. A vine shot from the ground and wrapped tightly around my leg.
I screamed.
No, no, no!
The white light flickered. For a moment I thought it was fading, leaving me behind. But then I realized it wasn't fading. It was moving. Coming closer.
The vine loosened. My leg was free. The light spilled around me, wrapping me in sparkles that healed my bruises and calmed my heart. The sharp noise in my head disappeared. My body felt stronger, lighter.
For the first time that night, I felt safe.
The light lifted me, filling me with its warmth. Then, ahead of me, a rift opened. A glowing doorway in the dark.
Run.
I sprinted, faster than I ever had before, diving into the rift.
And then...
My eyes flew open.
I was in my bed. My room. My world.
A dream?
But it didn't feel like one. My skin was damp with sweat, my heart still racing. I stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on my face.
"Oh my God,"I gasped, staring at myself. My cheeks burned, my reflection pale and shaken.
I avoided the mirror, too afraid to meet my own eyes. Back in my room, I checked the time on my phone.
4:30 a.m.
Damn. My Reiki attunement was scheduled for this morning. How was I supposed to show up like this?
I tried to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, the dream replayed. The darkness, the noise, the vine, the light.
Eventually, I drifted into uneasy sleep again.
When my alarm rang at 8:00 a.m., I dragged myself out of bed, dark circles etched deep beneath my eyes. Makeup covered some of it, but I still looked like a zombie.
What a great start to my first step into spirituality.
I sighed, gathering my things.
Maybe it was only a dream. Maybe it meant nothing.
But deep down, I knew better. It had been real. And whatever it was, it was only the beginning.