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THE RUTHLESS WINTER left invisible bruises on her skin and dark thoughts that scared in Samantha's head. She's mused over the times she's prayed to a God she didn't even worship to begin with, but all them had been left unanswered and left an internal sickness.
Her heart was always trembling from anger - so much anger, a fire that slowly burning her from the insides and cooking her up.
It was like her very own stalker, an invisible force she couldn't exercise from her body. It manifested into her dreams, creating nightmares that took the forms of monsters,
She felt like she was in a hall of mirrors, and every time she turned she only saw herself. Maybe it was a fucked up way of being metaphoric, but what it was - it woke her up every night, the screams that crawled from her throat so loud that it made even the stars shakes
Her eyes shot open, a scream ripping through her like a shard of glass and shattering the once quiet twilight. Terror possessed her body like a demon, her pulse quickening and her eyes so wide she thought they would burst from their sockets.
Nathan sprung into action, his arms wrapping around her torso and pulling her close, desperately trying to calm her down before something else heard her too. "Its okay, it's okay,"
It had become a part of their nightly routine, etched into their subconsciouses.
"It was just a nightmare,"
Every night was a nightmare. It plagued her mind and put the two of them at risk.
"You're awake, Sammy."
Despite his words she felt like she wasn't awake. In fact, Samantha feels like she's been in an inescapable nightmare for the past couple of months, and no matter how hard she tried to open her eyes, it was the same world but a different day.
Fortunately for the both of then, she had finally calmed down - yet Nathan didn't let go. He still tried to whisper reassuring things into her ear, but none successfully combatted her anxieties and demons.
Her best friend stood up and dug through their shared supply bag. There, he took out a bottle and handed it to her. "What's haunting you tonight?" He asked casually, the campfire flickering across his pale features. Samantha could make out the bags under his eyes, the ones she has caused.
He stayed up most nights because he knew she was going to wake up. He needed to keep his best friend at bay in order to not attract the dead.
Samantha opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tried to rack her brain, but like every dream, it fell through her fingers like dust.
