i-Spy | A Stalker Romance

Chapter: 33 Refuge of Dreams

Stella's P.O.V.

Darkness was the first thing I saw. Cold... so cold, like it was freezing me to death. A streetlight flickered somewhere far, casting shadows everywhere around me.

I was there again. The street.

Muffled sounds of laughter came from every direction. Cruel and cold like the darkness around me.

"Pick up the knife," the familiar voice gushed past my ears, like a siren's melody. And I did.

Then I saw those brown eyes of hers. Fear, terror, horror—but still hopeful. She was looking at me with hope, a desperate plea shining through her tears.

"We don't have all day, Stella," the melody kept ringing, relentless and unforgiving.

I felt myself tremble at the thought. I was going to do it again. The horror of the nightmare hit me like a brick and I took a step back, the grip on the knife loosening. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the dread that consumed me.

"N-No. I-I can't do this," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible over the cruel laughter that surrounded me.

"DO IT!" The command reverberated through the darkness, sharp and demanding.

I was shaking, every fiber of my being rebelling against the act. The girl in front of me, Nina... she was crying. Her tears fell like raindrops, each one piercing my soul. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't.

My legs felt frozen, rooted to the spot. I moved mechanically, as if I was being controlled by someone else. The knife felt like it weighed a ton, and nausea filled my mouth, threatening to overwhelm me.

"Do it or they will suffer."

My breath was caught in a lump at what I saw.

Two small boys appeared in front of me. Locked in a prison. Their legs and hands chained. Tear and blood-stained cheeks. A shadowy figure raised a whip to them.

"Do it or they will suffer," the shadow repeated, its voice cold and emotionless. And I fell to my knees, the weight of the choice crushing me.

"Pl-please," I begged and cried, the knife feeling too heavy in my hands. My mind was filled with panic and dread. Someone had to suffer. Two lives or one? Being a monster or staying silent to defend the doings of a monster? I didn't know what to choose and which was worse.

My mind was filled with panic and dread. Someone had to suffer. Two lives or one? Being a monster or staying silent to defend the doings of a monster? I didn't know what to choose, and I didn't know which was worse.

My body froze, paralyzed by the weight of the decision. I felt like I was sinking somewhere deep, a dark abyss where I would never return. As I lifted the knife, my hands trembled uncontrollably. The world around me faded into a blur, and all I could see were Nina's terrified eyes, pleading with me, and the shadowy figure looming over the two boys, ready to strike.

Time seemed to stretch, every second dragging on like an eternity. The knife felt impossibly heavy, and my breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the impossible choice before me. The shadows closed in, suffocating and relentless, and I knew that whatever decision I made, there would be no turning back.

"Stella, wake up," a soft caress brushed against my cheek, but I was already too deep. I was drowning. I saw no light, only darkness and dread.

"It's just a nightmare. Don't let it consume you." Nightmare. That's what it was. It was a nightmare. A nightmare. I kept repeating it to myself.