God Abandoned Us

Chapter 1

The dark, cold water swallowed Eve whole, pulling her down into its depths. She thrashed wildly, arms flailing, trying to fight against the relentless current, but the more she struggled, the deeper the ocean seemed to pull her. The weight of the water pressed in on her, heavy and suffocating, like it was trying to claim her.

Her lungs screamed for air, burning with the desperate need for oxygen, but there was none to be had. The cold seeped into her bones, her limbs growing heavy as exhaustion took over.

She was alone, utterly alone, surrounded by nothing but an endless expanse of dark ocean. There was no one coming. No one was going to save her.

Just as her vision started to blur, darkness creeping in at the edges, she jolted awake, gasping.

The bed beneath her was soft, warm-so starkly different from the cold nightmare she'd just been trapped in. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest as she sat up, still trying to catch her breath.

"Just a dream," Eve whispered to herself, running a shaky hand through her hair. The relief that washed over her was immediate, but it wasn't enough to steady her racing pulse.

It had felt too real-the sensation of drowning, of being trapped under all that water. She could still taste the salt on her lips, still feel the icy grip of the ocean dragging her under.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. The room around her was quiet, almost eerily so, but the familiar sight of her bedroom slowly pulled her back to reality.

The dim light filtering in through the curtains, the sound of the wind outside... it was all so ordinary, so reassuring.

But the dream clung to Eve, the weight of it still heavy in her mind. There was something lurking beneath the surface of that ocean, something she couldn't quite shake.

She couldn't remember all the details, but the feeling of being watched, of something waiting just out of sight, made her skin crawl.

She laid back down, closing her eyes again, but the remnants of the nightmare refused to fade. Sleep wouldn't come easily tonight.

---

With a groan, Eve shoved the blankets off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The cool air hit her skin, making her shiver, and she cursed under her breath when her bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor. This was the last thing she needed after that nightmare.

Pushing herself up, Eve padded over to the window, pulling back the curtains. The street outside was quiet, deserted, just the occasional car rumbling past in the distance. She leaned her forehead against the glass, her breath fogging up the pane.

The silence wasn't comforting tonight. It felt too heavy, too thick, and it did nothing to quiet the restless feeling crawling beneath her skin.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since... well, who even knew how long ago. She glanced at the clock-past midnight already.

She debated just going back to bed, but the gnawing hunger won out, and with a sigh, Eve headed to the kitchen.

She was halfway there when she froze, hand hovering over the door handle. Her heart stuttered, a chill crawling up her spine.

It was almost imperceptible, a soft noise just at the edge of her hearing, but it was there-something coming from the other side of the door. Like a whisper.

Her fingers tightened on the handle.

It's nothing, Eve told herself. A draft, maybe. But still, she hesitated, that sense of unease settling deeper into her bones.