Altar

Altar Chapter 1

"I was running through the burning woods, my heart was pounding with fear and desperation. The raging fire was spreading quickly, and I knew that I had to act fast if I wanted to find my brother. With my injured grandmother in my arms, I pushed through the thick smoke and heat, calling out my brother Jeremy. Every step I took was painful, but I was determined to find him. The weight of my grandmother in my arms made it difficult to move quickly, but I didn't let that stop me. I kept running, searching every inch of the burning woods, until I finally found him."

Jonah sat up in bed, panting and covered in sweat. He was running through the burning woods, searching for his brother with his injured grandmother in his arms. The dream felt more vivid and real than any dream ever before.

As he tried to catch his breath, the doorbell rang, pulling him out of his nightmare. He stumbled out of bed and made his way to the front door, still half-asleep. When he opened it, he was greeted by his friend, who looked worried and upset.

"What's going on?" Jonah asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"You haven't heard?" his friend asked, looking shocked. "It's all over the news. Last night, 36 people who were part of a cult burned themselves to death in the woods."

The boy's heart raced as he realized the reason for his nightmare. He remembered seeing smoke rising from the woods far in the distance from his kitchen window last night, but he had assumed it was just a controlled burn or a small bush fire. Now, he realized the terrible truth.

"That's why I had that dream," jonah said, feeling overwhelmed. "I must have seen the smoke and subconsciously connected it to my nightmare."

His friend nodded, looking sympathetic. "It's a terrible tragedy," he said. "I can't even imagine what would drive someone to do something like that."

The boy shook his head, still trying to process everything. "I can't believe it," he said.

"By the way where is Jeremy?"