The Spider's Web

Selene was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming because nothing made sense. The floor beneath her feet wasn’t solid, but she was standing. The walls stretched and curved like breathing lungs, shifting with every heartbeat. The air smelled thick, rich with something metallic and sweet. Her fingers twitched. Sticky. Wet. She lifted her hand. Red. Dark and clinging, dripping down her wrist in sluggish trails. Selene’s stomach turned. The world around her pulsed. The walls shivered—and suddenly, she wasn’t alone. Bodies. Sprawled on the ground like discarded marionettes. Limbs twisted at wrong angles. Glassy eyes stared up at the ceiling, unblinking. Her mother. Her father. Her brothers. Selene sucked in a sharp breath—but no sound came out. She tried to move, but her legs felt wrong, like they weren’t hers. Like something else was inside her skin, something heavy and coiled and waiting. She turned— And the mirror at the end of the hall rippled. It didn’t just reflect. It moved. Selene’s breath hitched as she saw herself—except it wasn’t her. The girl in the mirror was smiling. Her lips were split wide, too wide. Teeth sharp. Eyes black. And behind her— The bodies began to shift. Slowly. Their hands twitched. Their mouths stretched open, as if trying to speak—but no words came, only a sound like cracking bones and wet, wet hunger. Selene stumbled back. “No.” Her reflection tilted its head, that grin never fading. Then, in a voice that was almost hers—but not quite—it whispered: “Wake up.” Selene’s eyes flew open. Her room was silent. The walls were normal. The air was still Beep Beep Beep Beep "Ugh. Five more minutes" She yelled as she slammed the top of her alarm. As she dozed back to sleep, Selene vaguely felt off. But she couldn't put a finger on it