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She felt scared. Petrified. And she felt lonelier. But she wasn't alone, she was in a nightmare and there was no waking up.
"Please don't hurt me again," she begged to the terror that would always haunt her mind.
With no light in sight, she tried to get out of the endless maze. Following the path, she ran her hand across all the trees. They felt weird, cold and wet, the bark sharp and bumpy. The further she went in to the forest, the more frightened she felt. The tall trees, which were masked by shadows, towered over her, almost like they were watching every step she took. Birds cried out in fear as they fled from their nests. The smell of wood flew through the air, twigs and dead leaves made a deafening crunch underneath her feet as her never-ending journey carried on.
When she turned to the next corner, everything went deadly silent. She was afraid if she took one tiny step, they would punish her. Just like all the other nightmares she experienced.
It felt too real. She could feel the intense pain she endured.
And that's all it took, a twig snapped beneath her shaking feet was enough to make her fear rise even more.
"Evelyn." She yelped and turned around to see a figure standing behind her.
"Stay– stay away from me," she stammered. "Please don't hurt me," she pleaded as the figure moved closer to her.
"It's okay, you're safe." The voice whispered. It was warm and gentle. Not like the one she was used to hearing in her nightmares.
"This is a trick," Evelyn snapped at the woman.
"I'm not here to hurt you." The woman sounded sincere.
"But– but they're going to hurt me. They always do," Evelyn's voice broke. "Please get me out of here."
Evelyn heard movements and could make out the woman had offered her hand. She hesitantly held it as the woman led them out of the forest.
And with every step Evelyn took, a bright light from a distance grew as she got closer to it. She was stepping away from the darkness and into sanctuary.
"You're safe." The woman whispered.
Evelyn opened her eyes, taking in the different scenery ahead of her.
