She tried to scream.
Nothing.
Not even a whisper.
Panic flooded her entire body.
She could breathe...
Yet her voice had vanished completely.
The fire in the fireplace suddenly dimmed.
A freezing draft swept through the room despite every window remaining firmly shut.
The candle flames flickered wildly.
Then...
Out of the corner of her eye...
She saw them.
Dark silhouettes stood motionless in every corner of her bedroom.
One watched from beside the door.
Another stood silently beside the window.
Several more surrounded her bed.
None of them moved.
None of them spoke.
They simply watched.
Maya squeezed her eyes shut before forcing them open again.
The figures were gone and the room had returned to normal.
Only the relentless rain striking the windows remained.
A violent cough tore from her throat, finally breaking the silence.
Her voice had returned.
Barely.
