She's Gone

The veil of shadows

The air grew thicker as Talia followed Anna deeper into the forest, the mist swirling around them like a living entity. Every step felt heavier, as if the ground beneath her was trying to pull her down. Despite her determination, dread clung to her like a second skin.

“Keep close,” Anna warned, her voice barely above a whisper. The path ahead twisted and turned, and Talia felt a deepening sense of unease. “This place can be treacherous.”

Talia glanced at Anna, whose demeanor shifted subtly—something flickered in her eyes, a glimmer of something unspoken. But before she could question her, a loud crack echoed through the air, startling Talia. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and before she could react, a root snaked out from the earth, catching her ankle.

“No!” she shouted, arms flailing as she tumbled forward, the world spinning around her. Everything went dark.

When Talia awoke, she was lying on the damp forest floor, disoriented. The thick fog was gone, replaced by an eerie stillness. She pushed herself up, her head spinning, and looked around.

“Anna?” she called, but the only answer was the echo of her own voice. Panic surged through her.

“Where are you?” Talia scrambled to her feet, brushing dirt from her clothes. But something felt wrong—strangely distant, as if she were trapped behind a glass wall, observing but not fully present.

She took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to clear the fog that clouded her thoughts. “I have to find Liora,” she murmured to herself, but the name felt foreign on her tongue.

“Liora,” she repeated, her brow furrowing as she grasped at the fading threads of a memory that seemed just out of reach. But each time she tried to hold onto it, it slipped away like mist through her fingers.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling nearby. Talia turned sharply, her heart racing. In the distance, a figure emerged from the trees, silhouetted against the fading light. It was a girl with long, dark hair and an expression that seemed both familiar and strange.

“Talia!” the girl exclaimed, rushing toward her, eyes wide with relief. “You’re okay!”

Talia’s heart skipped a beat, but confusion washed over her. “Do I know you?” she asked hesitantly, the words tasting bitter in her mouth.

“It’s me, Liora! I’ve been looking for you!” The girl reached out, but Talia instinctively stepped back, her mind racing.

“Liora?” The name echoed hollowly in her chest, stirring something deep inside her, but it felt like a dream half-remembered.

“Talia, please! We need to get out of here!” Liora urged, desperation creeping into her voice.

But the more Liora spoke, the more Talia felt an overwhelming sense of disconnection. “I don’t understand…” Talia stammered, her mind a jumble of shadows and forgotten memories. “What’s happening? Where are we?”

“We’re in the forest, but we can’t stay!” Liora insisted, her voice trembling. “You were hurt, and we need to leave before—”

Before what? The question hung in the air, heavy and unanswerable. Talia’s heart raced, but the fog in her mind grew thicker, suffocating.

“I can’t remember,” she whispered, fear spilling from her lips. “I don’t remember anything!”

Liora’s eyes softened, a glimmer of pain crossing her features. “Talia, listen to me. We have to find a way back. You’re stronger than this. Remember who you are.”

But as Talia looked into Liora’s eyes, she felt the last flickers of recognition slip away, leaving behind a vast emptiness.

“I… I don’t know how,” she admitted, the weight of despair crashing down around her.

“Just hold on to me,” Liora said, stepping closer. “I won’t let you go.”

As they stood there, a flicker of warmth ignited in Talia's chest, and for a moment, she thought she might remember. But the shadows began to encroach once more, and she felt herself slipping away again.

“You’re not lost, Talia. You just have to fight,” Liora urged, but as Talia reached for her, the darkness enveloped them both.