With you until the end

Chapter 3 - Scarlet

I stand in the dense fog of my dream, the air heavy with an unsettling stillness that wraps around me like a suffocating blanket, extinguishing any flicker of comfort I might find. The silence is profound, a void that could swallow me whole. I find myself in a dimly lit room, its walls adorned with a soft pastel hue that should be inviting. Instead, the shadows along the edges dance with an eerie life of their own, twisting into menacing shapes that whisper secrets of dread.A familiar voice breaks the silence—my mother's soft, teasing voice floats through the air like a gentle breeze. "Scarlett..." It feels like a tender caress to hold onto in the darkness. But as I strain to listen, that warmth fades, warping into a distorted and desperate tone like a thread unraveling before my eyes.

"Scarlett!" Her voice escalates into a frantic cry, crackling like static on an old radio. The sweetness in her tone transmutes into anguish, clawing at my heart. My pulse quickens as a chill courses through my veins.

Desperately, I try to reach out, attempting to grasp the hand extended toward me. Still, the air thickens with a chilling mist that coils around my fingers, creating a spectral barrier that prevents me from closing the distance between us. The atmosphere feels oppressive as if the walls are closing in, their pastel colors darkening to a brooding gray. I can see warmth and love in the face before me, but it twists into a grimace—a reflection of pure terror that sends panic surging within me.

"Mom!" I cry out into the suffocating void. The sound echoes back at me, hollow and empty. It wraps around me like chains, tightening with every moment I linger. I stumble forward, but the room stretches impossibly, an endless chasm of despair separating us. The familiar scent of her perfume, usually comforting with hints of lavender, now morphs into an acrid reminder of my fear, overwhelming and suffocating. The whispers of shadows surround me, their coolness wrapping around my legs like icy fingers, pulling me deeper into the encroaching darkness.

The nightmare deepens, morphing into something unspeakable. I hear her gasps turning into a chilling melody, rhythmic yet disjointed, punctuated by muffled gurgles that send icy chills racing down my spine. It feels like she is trapped, struggling against an unseen force that holds her captive, her essence slipping away like sand through fingers. I try to scream, but the sound catches in my throat, lodged there like a stone, heavy and immovable. The temperature plummets and I see my breath hanging in the air like fragile smoke, each exhale reminding me of the life I fear losing.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rings out, shattering the tension with a deafening crack that reverberates through the room, echoing in my skull and pulling me from the depths of that nightmare. I jolt awake, the echoes of my mother's cries still lingering like a haunting melody in my mind, igniting a shiver that courses through my very core. As I scan my darkened room, my heart races, pounding like a war drum. The shadows stretch along the walls, playing on my fears and reminding me of the horrors I've just escaped.

The silence outside my window feels almost eerie, heightening the chaos swirling inside me. It's too quiet as if the world is holding its breath. I lie there, drenched in cold sweat, struggling to steady my breathing while the memory of the dream clings to me like a shroud. My mother's voice echoes—desperate and distorted—and a primal fear churns in my gut, an overwhelming anxiety threatening to consume me.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed. The cold floor jolts me into motion as I fight against the remnants of my nightmare. I feel the need to escape the confines of my room; the walls feel like they're closing in, and each shadow is a reminder of the terror I just experienced. I open the window, letting the crisp night air flood in. It feels sharp against my skin, a stark contrast to the oppressive weight of my fears. The scent of damp earth and blooming jasmine wafts in, sweet but cruel in the face of my torment.