When the carriage abruptly comes to a halt, she jolts awake. She sat upright, rubbing her eyes, trying to figure out what had happened.
The driver looked back at her from his perch and muttered something under his breath before he stepped down from his seat and walked to the back of the carriage to investigate, muttering curses as he went.
She peered out the window, but all she could see was a dense thicket of trees surrounding them on all sides. It seemed like they had hit something or gotten stuck, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she wondered how long they would be stuck here. What would they do if they couldn't move the carriage? Would they be stranded in the middle of nowhere? She tried to push these thoughts aside and focus on the present, but her mind kept racing with all the possibilities. She could only hope that they would be able to fix whatever had gone wrong and continue on their journey.
As she waited, she couldn't help but notice the eerie silence that had settled over the forest. There were no birds chirping, no rustling of leaves, nothing but an unsettling stillness. She shivered, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.
Before making any more choices, she chose to check in with the horseman and get an update on the circumstances. But she didn't have to wait long as she heard the driver's panicked voice yelling, "Please have mercy! Spare my lif-"
She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Then came silence. She strained to hear any sound, but there was none. The stillness was absolute, and it sent shivers down her spine. She didn't know what had happened, but it couldn't be good, and she's not sure if she should intervene or stay hidden. Thoughts of various scenarios and options raced through her head as she attempted to collect herself and consider her next course of action logically. She knew that any wrong move could put her in danger, but at the same time, she couldn't just sit there and do nothing.
She yelled out at the driver, ''What's up, sir? Is there a problem?'' Her voice sounded shaky, and she hoped it wouldn't give away her nervousness. There was no response. She waited for a few more seconds, but the silence persisted. Hence, she decides to cautiously peek out from the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything that might explain the situation.
She looked through the window. The road was empty, and there was no sign of any disturbance or commotion. She furrowed her brows, and she wondered if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her, but the feeling of unease persisted.
Suddenly, a face appeared through the window glass. She screamed and stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet. She looked toward the window again and found a man pressing his face against the glass, his eyes locking onto hers, staring with an intense and unsettling gaze. Her heart raced, and she could feel a cold sweat forming on her forehead. She stumbled back further, backing away from the window as fast as she could. She didn't know who he was or what he wanted, but she knew that he didn't belong there.
She was frozen in place, unsure of how to operate, when the man abruptly vanished from view, leaving her terrified. She tried to calm herself down and rationalize what had just happened, but her mind was racing with fear and confusion. She quickly scrambled to her feet and regained her composure.
This was a total disaster.
She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible; her legs felt like they were made of lead.
