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°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
The wind whipped against Katarina's face as she sprinted through the dense woods, her breath ragged, heart pounding in her chest. The eerie howls and snarls of unseen creatures echoed from behind, growing louder with each passing second. She pushed herself harder, ignoring the searing pain in her legs, her raven-black hair plastered to her face by sweat and wind.
How had it come to this?
Just a few days ago, she had been at her grandmother's quaint little house in East Hampton, the smell of herbs and dried flowers filling the air. Katarina and her grandmother had spent countless hours together in their garden, tending to the medicinal plants that their neighbors so often relied on. It was a simple life—familiar, safe. But it wasn't enough. Not for Katarina. She needed to know why her father had left her, why her mother had disappeared from her life when she was just a baby.
So, she had made a choice—a reckless, impulsive choice. She ran away, determined to find answers, to seek out her parents and the truth behind their disappearance.
But the moment she had stepped off her grandmother's porch, the world shifted. The air around her had seemed to grow heavier, darker, and with it came the monsters. At first, it had been shadowy figures in the distance, shapes she couldn't quite make out, but they had gotten closer and more relentless. Katarina knew these weren't wild animals. These were creatures—beasts unlike anything she had ever seen in her life.
Now, as she weaved through the towering trees, their branches scraping her arms and face, she could feel the eyes of the creatures on her, hear their claws scraping against the forest floor. She hadn't had time to make sense of any of it. Fear was the only thing driving her forward. She glanced back for a split second and saw a flash of something monstrous—a serpent-like head with glowing red eyes, its long body slithering toward her.
What the hell is going on? she thought, her chest tightening in panic. How could this be real? Monsters didn't exist, and yet...they were real enough now. And they were after her.
Long Island stretched before her, the cool ocean breeze sweeping over her face. Sweat trickled down her brow, mixing with the salty air as she pushed forward, her feet pounding the dirt path. Behind her, the dozen creatures growled and shrieked, gaining ground. She dared not look back again—she couldn't bear to see the inhuman eyes that had been stalking her for what felt like forever. The road twisted, the sounds of the creatures echoing closer with each turn.
"Keep running!" she urged herself.
In the distance, something shimmered—a barrier of light, flickering like a mirage. Her heart skipped a beat. Desperation surged through her veins. This must be it. She had no idea what "it" was, but every instinct screamed for her to reach that place. The place where the shadows couldn't follow. She clenched her teeth, black hair flying in the wind, and charged forward.
