A Promise Across Time [Completed]

The Night of Shadows

April 1964
Sweden

Raven bolted upright in bed, gasping for air, her chest heaving as if she'd been running for miles. Sweat clung to her skin, her heart thudding wildly in her chest. The dream—no, the nightmare—had felt too real, too vivid. She tried to steady her breathing, but the paralyzing fear still gripped her body like icy hands.

Frida was instantly awake beside her, her hand gentle but firm on Raven's back, trying to calm her down. "Are you alright?" Frida's voice was soft, filled with concern, but tinged with confusion.

Raven couldn't respond right away. She stared ahead, her mind still trapped in the thick fog of the dream. The wilderness, the howling wind, the darkness closing in—it felt as if she had been pulled into another world entirely. And that voice... "I found you." The words echoed in her mind, chilling her to the core.

"I... I don't know," Raven whispered, finally able to speak. "That was the first time... I've ever had a nightmare like that."

"What did you see?" Frida asked gently, her eyes searching Raven's face for answers.

Raven swallowed, trying to piece together the fragments of the nightmare. "I was running... in the wilderness, like I was being chased by something I couldn't see. It was almost dark, and I knew if I didn't get out of there, I wouldn't survive. Then I tripped over a rock and fell. I was trying to get up, but I heard a howl—like a wild dog's—and it froze me. I couldn't move. The fear was... suffocating. And then..." She paused, her voice trembling. "Someone whispered behind me, 'I found you.' And then... nothing."

Frida's hand stilled for a moment, her brow furrowing in thought. "That sounds terrifying, Raven. But it's just a dream."

Raven shook her head. "No, Frida. It wasn't just a dream. It felt too real, like it was a warning or... something more. I hope it's not some kind of repressed memory. I've never had dreams like this before."

Frida's concern deepened, though she tried to remain calm for Raven's sake. "Do you think it has something to do with your... situation? You've told me about the things you've seen, the memories you have from places and times you've never been. Could this be connected?"

Raven wiped the sweat from her forehead, her fingers trembling slightly. "I don't know. But something about that voice... it felt familiar, even though I've never heard it before or maybe I did but I don't recall. And the wilderness... it wasn't anywhere I've seen in this time or my own."

Frida sat back slightly, watching Raven as she processed. "We can figure it out. Maybe it's something buried deep in your memories, or maybe it's a sign of something coming. Either way, you don't have to face it alone."

Raven met Frida's gaze, grateful for the reassurance but still unsettled. "I can't shake the feeling that this isn't just some random nightmare. What if... what if it's something from the future trying to catch up with me?"

Frida frowned but didn't dismiss the idea outright. "You're safe now. Here, with me, with Grandma Arntine. No one's going to hurt you."

Raven nodded, trying to let those words sink in. But deep down, the fear from the dream still lingered, like a shadow that wouldn't disappear even in the light of day. Something—or someone—was out there, and they were looking for her.

As the minutes passed, Frida lay back down, pulling the blanket around them both. She continued rubbing Raven's back in soothing circles, whispering words of comfort. But Raven remained tense, staring at the ceiling, wondering who—or what—had found her in that dream, and whether it was only a matter of time before they found her in reality.