CRYSTAL LAND

NOT A DREAM

EXT- THE WOODS- NIGHT

Anna ran through the woods without looking back.

Branches scratched against her arms. Leaves snapped beneath her feet. Her breath came in short, desperate gasps, but she refused to stop until the familiar shape of the house appeared through the trees.

Home.

She stumbled toward the door, barely able to breathe.

Then—

THUD!

Something struck her from behind.

Anna’s eyes widened. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Everything went black.

For a moment, the woods were completely still.

Then Anna’s body slowly lifted from the ground.

Her arms hung loosely at her sides as something unseen carried her toward the house. The front door opened by itself.

She floated inside.

Through the hallway.

Up the stairs.

And into her bedroom.

Her body gently dropped onto the bed.

The door swung shut.

Click.

Locked.

Silence returned.

A few minutes later, Anna’s parents returned from the feast. They checked on her, finding her asleep in bed. Seeing nothing unusual, they quietly left her room and went to sleep.

Morning came.

Anna opened her eyes.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling.

The woods.

The strange presence.

Being lifted.

The house.

It all felt like a nightmare.

A dream.

She slowly sat up.

Then she noticed something.

Her clothes.

They were covered in dirt.

Anna froze.

She touched her hair.

Leaves.

Her fingers trembled.

She looked down at herself. Mud stained her clothes, and tiny pieces of leaves were tangled in her hair.

Her breathing changed.

Slowly, she turned toward the mirror.

The moment she saw her reflection, memories came rushing back.

The woods.

Running.

Something behind her.

Falling.

The darkness.

Anna stumbled backward.

“No…”

Her face drained of color.

“It can’t be real.”

She looked toward the bathroom.

She remembered it clearly.

She had bathed before going to bed. She had washed her hair. She had changed into clean clothes.

So how—

Anna’s eyes returned to the mirror.

Her reflection stared back at her.

For one terrifying second, she thought she saw something standing behind her.

She spun around.

Nothing.

She turned back.

Only herself.

Anna slowly sank to the floor, pulling her knees against her chest and folding herself into the corner.

“What’s going on?”

Her voice barely escaped her lips.

And somewhere inside the house…

something quietly creaked.