SIENNA
The forest had gone unnaturally quiet.
One moment, Carla and I had been standing beneath a sky scattered with stars. The next, the entire world had erupted in blinding white light.
Now, darkness had swallowed everything again.
The ringing that had assaulted my ears had finally stopped, leaving behind an eerie silence that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I slowly pushed myself to my feet.
“Carla?”
She was standing a few feet away, completely still.
Her eyes were fixed on something in the darkness.
I followed her gaze.
At first, all I could see was a shadow between the trees.
Then the figure stepped forward.
“Who’s there?” I called cautiously.
“I am here to speak with Carla,” the figure replied. “But you may stay, Sienna. You are part of this conversat
