I ran, the dark and shadowy figure trailing behind me, making my heart race. Panic surged through me, but no matter how fast I ran, it kept following, its presence sending chills down my spine. Every step felt heavier, every breath harder. The air around me grew cold, and I could feel the shadow closing in.
The sky darkened with each passing second, its edges slowly consumed by the growing shadow, until the world around me was nearly pitch black. The creature's proximity grew unbearable, and just as it was about to catch me, I heard a loud, repetitive knock on my door. The sound jerked me awake, my heart pounding in my chest, the remnants of fear still clinging to me.
I blinked, trying to shake off the disorientation. The nightmare was gone, but the fear lingered. As I looked around, I realized I had crashed on the couch in the living room the night before. I couldn't remember how I got there or why, but I felt groggy, like I hadn't slept well at all. The knocking at the door continued, dragging me back to reality. Groaning, I dragged myself up from the couch and made my way to the front door.
I opened it, squinting as the sunlight flooded my vision.
"You just woke up?" Steve asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
I blinked at him, barely able to keep my eyes open. "No, Steve, I was just laying on the couch, watching the walls in silence."
Steve rolled his eyes and stepped inside, flopping onto the couch. "I give you ten minutes to get ready. Then we're going to buy Nancy flowers."
"Flowers?" I asked, scrunching my brows. "Is it her birthday?"
"No, we had a fight," Steve explained casually.
I nodded and made my way to my bedroom to get dressed, throwing on a hoodie and sweatpants. When I returned to the living room, I slipped on my shoes.
"But why do I have to come with you?" I asked, stopping in the doorway.
"So we can pick out flowers together. Come on." Steve got up from the couch and we headed out to his car.
"Can you drop me off at Max's house first? I wanna talk to her," I said, leaning back in my seat as Steve started the car.
"Sure, sure, whatever you want," Steve replied distractedly, not really paying attention to me.
We drove for a few minutes before pulling up to Max's house. I got out of the car and approached the front door, feeling a nervous knot in my stomach. "Hey, Steve, can you wait here? I'll just be a minute."
