Nightmares at Everglade Falls

17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Ophelia

I’m in some kind of forest, the air thick with an enchanting vibe. Two students, a boy and a girl, walk ahead of me.

They look my age and are dressed in purple blazers.

Witches, I think.

Who are they? And why exactly am I here? Where is here?

They’re whispering to each other, and I can’t quite make out their words. Intrigued, I follow them, my footsteps silent on the forest floor. They don’t seem to notice me.

The boy stops and flicks his wrist, causing shimmers of light to float all around them. I’m mesmerized by the sight. The girl laughs softly.

“I love it when you do magic tricks for me, Elias” she says.

He smiles at her, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips. “I’ll always do magic for you, Seraphina. Anything to see that smile on your face.”

My breath catches in my throat. These are my parents.

I’m watching my parents.

I take in their features more closely now. The girl, Seraphina, has dark hair and green eyes, just like mine. The boy, Elias, has a strong jaw and gentle eyes.

They look so young, so innocent.

They are whispering in such low tones that I can barely hear what they are saying. I feel like I am intruding in their private moment, but I have never seen them before, and I feel selfish.

I want to soak in more of this.

I take a few steps closer, wanting to hear them.

A movement catches my eye. At the edge of the clearing, there’s a black creature with glowing yellow eyes watching them. Fear grips me.

“Mom! Dad!” I scream, trying to get their attention. “Look out!”

But they don’t hear me. They don’t even know I’m there. I watch helplessly as the creature creeps closer, its eyes fixed on my parents. I scream and cry, desperate to warn them, but my voice doesn’t reach them.

Elias and Seraphina are oblivious, lost in their moment. “You’re amazing, Elias,” my mom says, smiling up at him.

“And you’re my everything, Seraphina,” he replies, his voice filled with love.

“No! Please, look behind you!” I shout, tears streaming down my face.

But they can’t hear me. They can’t see me. I try to run to them, but my feet won’t move. The black creature gets closer, its presence sinister and foreboding.

“Please,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Please, notice it.”

But they don’t. They continue to smile at each other, completely unaware of the danger lurking just behind them. I feel a wave of helplessness crash over me. I’m powerless to protect them, to change anything.

The creature’s eyes lock onto me for a moment, and a shiver runs down my spine. It’s almost as if it can see me, even though my parents can’t. I try one last time to scream, to move, but my body feels heavy and rooted to the spot.

“Elias,” Seraphina says softly, “I feel like something’s watching us.”

He glances around, but his eyes pass right over the creature. “It’s just the forest, love. Nothing to worry about.”

“No!” I scream again, the sound ripping from my throat. “It’s right there!”

They continue to talk, their voices calm and filled with affection. The creature remains in the shadows, waiting. Watching.

Tears blur my vision as I watch them, knowing I can’t do anything to change what’s happening. My heart aches with the weight of it all. I close my eyes, trying to will myself to wake up from this nightmare, but when I open them, I’m still here, still watching.

“Elias,” Seraphina says again, “let’s go back. I suddenly feel uneasy.”

He nods, taking her hand. “Alright, let’s go.”

They turn to leave, but the creature doesn’t follow. It just stays there, its eyes boring into me. I shudder, feeling its gaze pierce through me.

As they walk away, I want to call out to them one last time, but my voice fails me. I’m left standing there, watching as they disappear into the trees, leaving me alone with the creature’s haunting eyes .

Finally, the scene starts to fade, and I feel myself being pulled back to reality. My heart is pounding, and I’m drenched in sweat. I sit up, gasping for breath, tears still streaming down my face.

Gabriel is there, his arms wrapping around me. “Ophelia, what happened? Are you okay?”

I cling to him, my body shaking. “It was a nightmare. I saw my parents... and there was this creature... it was watching them, but they couldn’t see it.”

He holds me tighter. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

I feel pressure behind my eyes. “Gabe…”

He releases me to cup my cheeks. “What is it? Baby…”

But I don’t hear the rest of what he was saying because the world goes black again.