The Star Within (Poohpavel)

Chapter 22

Pavel's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted through his bedroom, his breath ragged and desperate. The air felt heavy with a sense of impending doom, as if unseen eyes were watching his every move. He dared not look back, for fear of what he might see following him.

As he reached the living room, Pavel stumbled over his own feet and crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Pain shot through his body, but he forced himself to sit up quickly, his eyes scanning the room frantically, searching for any sign of the man who had been pursuing him.

That was when a flicker from his television caught his attention. Pavel pulled his legs close to him, his eyes wide with terror. Water was gushing out of the television, pooling on the floor and spreading towards him like a malevolent tide.

The memory of the horror movie he had watched just days before flooded back into his mind, sending shivers down his spine. Just like the movie, a figure emerged from the screen - a girl drenched in darkness and despair, her eyes hollow and filled with malice.

She crawled towards Pavel with an otherworldly grace that made his blood run cold. Pavel recoiled in terror, scrambling backwards until he felt something solid press against his back. A force pushed him forward, pinning him against the couch with an unseen strength that left him gasping for air. The ghostly girl drew closer, her wet hair clinging to her pale skin like tendrils of death. Her hand reached out towards Pavel's face with fingers like icy daggers poised to strike.

In a final act of desperation, Pavel mustered all of his remaining strength and broke free from the invisible hold that bound him. He scrambled to his feet and bolted towards the door, but before he could make a move, a hand grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and shoved him back onto the couch.

Gasping for breath, Pavel looked up to see Pooh looming over him, his eyes filled with rage and hands gripping Pavel's neck tightly. "I told you not to tell him!" Pooh shouted in his face as Pavel whimpered and tried to free himself.

Pavel struggled against Pooh's iron grasp, feeling his vision blur as oxygen was cut off from his lungs. "Please," he gasped, tears streaming down his face. "Let me go." But Pooh showed no mercy, only increasing the pressure on Pavel's windpipe.

Pavel's mouth gaped open as he felt himself almost passing out, his breathing cut off. He felt his eyes roll to the back of his head and his tongue protrude out. At this point, the human might kill him. Darkness crept into Pavel's vision as he felt himself slipping away.

Tears welled up in Pavel's eyes as he lay there, sweat clinging to his skin, his heart racing in his chest. He prayed silently that what he was experiencing was just a nightmare, that any moment now he would wake up and find himself safe in his bed, hugging Pooh tightly in his arms. But as he dared to glance back at the figure looming over him, the same left eye glowing in an eerie blue light stared back at him.

"P'Babe, wake up!" Pooh put both his hands on Pavel as he shook the feline, willing him to wake up. Pavel's body jolted awake as his eyes flew open; he gasped desperately for air to fill his lungs. Heart pounding in his chest, the space cat frantically looked everywhere, taking in the dim surroundings of his own bedroom to reassure himself that he was not in his living room and everything was a dream. And then, he felt two hands on him.

"P'Babe, are you okay-" Pooh's voice cut through the darkness, concern evident in his tone. But before he could finish his sentence, a sharp blow landed on his cheek, sending his head spinning to the side.

With his eyes squeezed shut and a numbness spreading across his cheek, Pooh heard Pavel's gasp in the background. "Pooh, I'm sorry!" Pavel's voice was filled with guilt as he moved closer to him and gently took hold of Pooh's face.