Eternity

Chapter 15: 'Reality'

I awoke to the blaring sound of my alarm, the jarring noise cutting through the remnants of my dreams.

For a moment, the events of the previous night felt like a distant memory, a surreal tale woven by the threads of sleep.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to make sense of it all.

Was it just a dream? The encounter with Selina, the supernatural revelations, and the deep, dark forest—all of it seemed too vivid to be mere imagination.

As I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, something felt different.

My body ached, not from the exhaustion of a restless night, but as if I had been through a physical ordeal.

Confused, I glanced around my room.

Everything appeared normal, the familiar surroundings of my new home in Whisbrook.

But there was a lingering sense of unease in the air.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened, something beyond the realm of my understanding.

I tried to recall the events of the previous night, but the memories were fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle scattered in my mind.

The image of Selina, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity, haunted my thoughts.

As I stood up, a sudden realization washed over me—I wasn't in the forest anymore.

I had fallen asleep under the trees, and yet, here I was, back in my room.

The pieces of the puzzle began to fit together, and a chill ran down my spine. It was impossible to dismiss the idea that someone, or something, had brought me back to my bed.

Questions swirled in my mind, but answers remained elusive.

I felt a mixture of fear and fascination, a curiosity that bordered on obsession.

What was Selina?

And why had she chosen to spare me when she easily could have ended my existence?

Shaking off my thoughts, I forced myself to focus on the present.

I had school to attend, and the mundane routine of everyday life beckoned.

With a deep breath, I pushed the unsettling thoughts to the back of my mind and prepared for the day ahead.

I moved through the motions of getting dressed and grabbing my backpack, my mind still clouded with the events of the night.

The sun was already high in the sky as I made my way downstairs, greeted by the aroma of breakfast wafting from the kitchen.

Uncle Jacob and my mom were at the table, engrossed in conversation.

"Good morning, Ethan," My mother chimed, her voice warm but tinged with concern.

"Did you sleep well?"

I hesitated for a moment before nodding, unwilling to burden them with the strange occurrences that had taken place.

Instead, I mumbled a response, my thoughts drifting back to Selina and the secrets she guarded.

Breakfast passed in silence, the tension in the air palpable. 

Uncle Jacob shot me a knowing glance, his eyes filled with a mixture of understanding and caution. It was as if he sensed that something had changed, something that went beyond the surface of ordinary life in Whisbrook.

With a final glance in the mirror, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the day ahead. Whatever had happened, I couldn't afford to let it consume my thoughts.