Needle of Poison

The Dream

NATASHA POV

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I was thrown into a garden and was stuck there looking for an exit for ages. I eventually gave up and leaned against a tree. This place was beautiful but in such a creepy way. The tall trees looked beautiful, but there were burnt leaves on top of the trees. As I looked around, everything became burnt. I closed my eyes, trying to wipe out the scene, and eventually felt the suffocating heat slip away in coolness. I was in a desert, doing my usual drive.

Fog. The fog was everywhere. Fog surrounded me. I couldn't see a thing, only feel the grainy sand on my car's wheels. I drove through the desert, the night mist covering the rolling sand dunes as I felt the cold breeze on my hair. The blurred sand dunes calmed me as I did my nightly drive through the sand pit, calming myself down after a hectic day. Driving here was as calming as a spa day.

Help!

My palms began to sweat, and I slipped on the wheel as my heart beat out of my chest. It must have been the wind whispering, I thought. I concentrated on my swept hair and the pleasantness of the freezing waft, slowly washing away my worries. The sand flew through the air, distracting me from what would happen next. I was trapped in my mind. This must have been a figment of my imagination.

A white finger peeked onto the windshield. It slowly crawled up and clawed violently at the window. SCRATCH. I fumbled for my phone, but it was nowhere to be found. I knew I had a card that could send a message to Steve. As I opened the wallet, a splash of red metal on the opening window beside me gave me a pang of worry. As I wrung my hands and looked for the card, the wallet was gone, but it was on my lap and not moved at all.

I scratched roughly at my neck and wiped the sweat from my brow. Nevertheless, I continued to drive. The drafts of frigid air did nothing but make me more panicked. To my horror, another blood splat found its way onto my windshield. Since I was driving, the blood spilt all over the place. A smoky, tangy scent found its way into my nose, and all stilled. My mouth opened into a smile, and I could now peacefully enjoy the rest of my drive.

The blood had mysteriously slid off my window and into the sand, erasing all trace of its existence. I calmly felt drafts of cold air again, this time calming me. It channelled away all my worries, and I thanked my lucky stars that I was wearing a jacket. As the calm settled over me, I heard something that made my hairs stand up. I couldn't distinguish what they were saying, but it sounded like a snake.SLITHER.I was deep in thought and was thinking about the sounds when-

You're next!

My breathing quickened, my palms sweated rivers as the beautiful desert changed into a deadly cobble floor, flames erupting around me. The white hands curled around the fire in a horrible dance. Snakes. Snakes hissed. Snakes everywhere. More voices surrounded me.

You are an enemy. You are not allowed here. I will teach you. I shall drown you in the force of nature.

I was sweating, trapped in my mind. Again. The blood splatters were everywhere, candles burning in the night, illuminating a face. I knew that face immediately. It was my sister, Yelena. She had disappeared in the desert five years ago, and her face, frozen with shock and fear, was displayed right in front of me. Then, just as quickly as I started to scream, the scene was gone. The whole set washed away. I was back in my car, and my head was confused. Either I'm going insane, or my eyes are deceiving me. What's going on?

I continued, the memory still fresh in my mind. The cool breeze was something that couldn't calm me down, no matter how hard I tried. As I pulled the accelerator on my car, my car didn't move. I looked around and found nothing, so I opened the car door and looked outside. My white car looked squeaky clean. Nothing was wrong, so what had happened? The white hands touched my thigh as I bent down to check the wheels. I felt a smooth touch, and my leg had a strange tingling sensation afterwards. I tried to move my leg, but in vain, as I couldn't move it at all.

A blood splatter went onto my windshield, and I heard the sky cry a wail of help. A tear of anxiety fell onto the sand, reflecting Georgina, with the same expression of shock and fear, her eyes not blinking, the ghost of her last shriek etched into her face. I looked at it in horror as my hands started to tingle. I dragged myself away and into my safe car. At least that's what I thought. As I took deep breaths to calm myself down, the car started moving again. But there was something wrong. I couldn't control it. It was moving towards a pitch black hole. I closed my eyes and braced for a fall, but none came. Instead, I felt the soft crunch of sand as my throat turned coarse and everything turned black...

I woke in a cold sweat, happy to see that I was no longer in the garden but back in the house. 

"Nat? Didn't you say you were never coming back?" I heard a little bit of anger come into his voice. I'm confused. I never said that to him. 

"I never said that. I don't know what you're talking about," I walk closer to Steve, entranced by his ocean eyes, startled when he turns away.   

"Don't come back," I heard his voice break, but I knew he meant it. I exited the house. I suddenly get a call. I can't believe who it is.

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I'm back, guys! I finally got over my block and now I'm coming back strong.