The nightmare began with darkness.
Not ordinary darkness.
The kind that swallowed sound, air, and movement until breathing itself felt impossible.
Maureen Green ran barefoot through a long hallway she could not recognize. Her chest tightened with panic while shadows stretched endlessly around her.
The walls were stained black.
The lights flickered violently overhead.
Then came the footsteps behind her.
Slow.
Heavy.
Getting closer.
“No—”
Her voice trembled.
The footsteps quickened.
Maureen’s breathing became uneven as fear clawed through her chest. She tried reaching the door at the end of the hallway, but the corridor only seemed to grow longer.
“Please…”
A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist violently.
She screamed.
The world shifted instantly.
A dark room.
Broken glass on
