Chapter 3

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*Oneirophobia

[oneiro-phobia] Greek

(n.) A fear that involves suffering due to experiences with frightening dreams (nightmares and night terrors) or by negative events in life affecting those dreams

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A little girl was in the middle of the forest at night

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A little girl was in the middle of the forest at night. It was all dark and she could hear the strange and horrifying sounds of wild animals. Shen then listened to some footsteps. Her heart was beating so hard that she could hear the thud in her ears.

Sweat beads broke out on her forehead as she saw a dark silhouette approaching her. She screamed and started running in the opposite direction. She kept glancing backward while running into the denser part of the jungle only to get her leg tangled up in a twig. She fell and her foot got a sprain.

But she stood up again and started running without caring about her foot and the scratches she got from the contact with the rough land surface and pointed branches. That dark shadow still chasing her, running behind her, matching her speed.

She screamed and called out for help but it was futile. She cried but kept running as fast as she could, as fear had consumed her entirely. She glanced again behind her and saw that man close to her, elevating her fear.

Just then she saw a light beaming in the distance which gave her a little hope and she ran in its direction. But when she reached that spot, the light faded and it was all dark again. She examined her surroundings and was hit by a realization that she was standing at the same place from where she began running.

Just then she turned around feeling a presence behind her and it was that same scary man. He pushed her down on the ground and hovered above her earning a yelp from her. He pinned her hands over her head and she cried out as tears escaped her eyes---

Naintara came back to her senses as her eyes shot open due to her scream, tears were streaming down her eyes and her lips were parted due to her raged breathing which came in heavy panting. Her hands fisted the bedsheets as she stared at the ceiling, laying straight and trying to apprehend what just happened.

Her heart was ringing in her ears as she sat up and gulped down a glass of water, which was placed on the nightstand. She tucked her hair behind her ears with her trembling hands, breathing shakily trying to relax.

She saw that horrible nightmare again. It'd been happening now often. The medication was not affecting and it was triggering her PTSD, which caused her to see her young self in that terrifying dream.

She was dizzy and for a moment she felt like throwing up remembering that silhouette. She knew who he was, probably. How could she forget him? Definitely not before avenging him.

She looked at her shaky hands and her gaze traveled to her wrists. There were some faded marks on the upper, inner side of her arm. Those marks were ugly even though they weren't that noticeable yet they were ugly to her. The reason she gave those scars to herself was ugly, ugly as hell.

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