Her feet were numb and bare as she trudged alone through the thick darkness of the woods. The sky wept mercilessly above her, rain slashing against her skin like icy needles. Her drenched clothes clung to her trembling body, her soaked hair plastered to her face. She moved without direction, aimless and dazed, her breath shallow, eyes vacant. Her body staggered forward like a broken doll, lifeless and slow, as if she no longer belonged in the world of the living.
The night was dead silent except for the sound of her shallow gasps and the storm's fury. The trees loomed around her like tall, twisted figures, their shadows stretching across the muddy ground like clawed hands waiting to grab her. Her steps squelched in the wet soil. She didn't flinch—she didn't even feel.
Suddenly, a strange glow cut through the darkness.
A single, faint ray of light.
It made her freeze in place.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her breathing quickened. She squinted against the blinding rain, eyes straining to make out the shape ahead.
A silhouette.
Still. Familiar.
Her blood ran cold.
Her lips parted, trembling as the name escaped. "Mira?" she whispered, her voice barely audible through the storm.
The silhouette turned slowly, unnaturally slow, until their gaze met hers through the shadows.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Mira...?" she called again, this time shakier, more desperate.
The figure didn't respond. It simply turned away and began walking deeper into the woods, vanishing slowly into the mist.
Elsa's heart lurched. "Wait for me… wait for me!" she cried, staggering forward, her arms outstretched. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rain. She tried to run, but her legs were heavy, her steps clumsy.
The trees bent like they were watching.
The wind howled, mocking her pain.
She chased Mira through the storm, through mud and fog, through despair. The more she ran, the further the silhouette drifted away, steps eerily soundless, almost gliding.
"Mira!" she screamed, her voice raw and cracking. "Please don't leave me!"
The storm swallowed her voice.
The wind whipped louder, the shadows twisted more violently, the earth beneath her shook slightly as if something unseen was watching her chase in vain. It was like chasing a ghost that never wanted to be found.
Then...
She tripped.
Her body slammed into the muddy ground with a sickening thud. She groaned in pain, her limbs shaking. She tried to rise, but her body wouldn't move. Her muscles screamed. Her palms scraped against wet gravel. Blood mixed with mud.
She looked up again, but the figure was gone.
Vanished.
Like it was never there.
Terror slammed into her chest.
"Mira?" she cried again, voice breaking, trembling, fragile.
There was no answer. Only the sound of the rain.
Her heart pounded erratically as she glanced around, frantic, eyes darting through the dark.
And then...it started.
The choking.
It came out of nowhere.
She couldn't breathe.
Her hand flew to her throat. There was no one there, but it felt like invisible hands were wrapped around her neck, tightening with each passing second.
"I… I can't… breathe," she gasped out, her voice soaked with pain.
Her knees dug into the cold, slippery ground as she gagged, coughed, and fought for air. Her vision blurred, her lips turned blue, her face reddened quickly. Her nails scratched at her throat, desperate, but there was no relief.
Blood vessels in her eyes pulsed violently as she stared up at the stormy sky, lips quivering, her mind slipping.
She was alone.
Completely alone.
And dying.
Her eyes rolled back slightly as everything dimmed. The last thing she saw before it all went black… was that face.
Mira's face.
Smiling faintly through the mist.
Elsa's eyes snapped open.
She jolted upright from the bed, gasping for air, her hands clutching her neck as she coughed violently. Her heart raced like a drum against her ribcage. Her chest burned, her body was drenched in cold sweat.
She wasn't surprised.
It was the same nightmare.
The same choking.
The same haunting.
She peeled the damp blanket off her trembling body and stood slowly, still panting. Her fingers gripped the edge of the nightstand as she steadied herself.
Dying in a dream had become normal.
Living felt worse.
She dragged herself toward the mirror, feet heavy on the floor. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and stared at the reflection before her.
Her short, silky black hair was soaked and clinging to her forehead. Her almond eyes once full of fire were now pale and dull, screaming sorrow and exhaustion. Her face was hollow. Lifeless.
What was she even regretting?
Why couldn't she let go?
She grabbed a pill from the table and swallowed it dry. The room was dim, cold, and still, matching her deadened spirit.
She sat back on her bed, the black sheets tangled under her, and let out a trembling sigh as she buried her face in her palms.
A loud beep from her alarm made her flinch. She turned it off quickly.
She was always awake before it rang anyway.
Silently, she got up and began to prepare for work. The apartment was quiet, but inside her head, it was chaos. Noise. Screams. Memories she couldn't turn off.
She dressed without care. When she stood before the mirror again, her face looked worse. She powdered over the dark circles under her eyes....those circles that screamed "HELP" louder than her mouth ever could.
She grabbed her coat and stepped out, keys in hand.
Elsa didn't believe in uncertainty.
Some things in life were simply meant to happen, no matter how hard you try to change them. Even if you had the chance to do things over, some outcomes were cursed from the beginning.
She learned that the hard way.
Her life had once been perfect. Warm. Happy.
But six years ago, everything shattered in a blink.
No warning signs.
Just a scream.
And then silence.
It was the day she lost her best friend....her other half.
Mira.
They were more than friends. Born on the same day. Raised like sisters. They grew up together, laughed together, made promises under stars. Soulmates.
Then she was gone.
And nothing could've prepared Elsa for the pain.
After that day, Elsa stopped living. She refused to eat. She didn't speak. She locked herself in her room and stared into space for weeks. Her parents tried everything, they cried, pleaded—but nothing reached her.
And the nightmares began.
Every night.
Without fail.
Mira's face.
That choking.
That horrible silence.
She thought time would help.
It didn't.
Her body lived in the present, but her soul… it was still there in the past. Stuck in the moment she lost her.
Her parents tried. God knows they did. They were her anchor. The only reason she hadn't thrown herself off a bridge.
Eventually, after months of isolation, Elsa emerged from her room. Still hollow, but breathing. She told herself she'd try again,
but she wasn't the same. Her laughter was gone. Her dreams shattered. She threw away all her medical books, she had once wanted to be a doctor. Now she couldn't even dream. What was the point?. Everything felt pointless.
She went to college. She had no friends, no joy. She slept rarely. No matter the pills, no matter the therapy, nothing helped.
Part of her didn't mind the nightmares anymore. She secretly hoped one day… she wouldn't wake up.
Still, she managed to finish school. No celebrations. Just silence and grief.
She left her parents' house immediately after college. Moved to another town. Far away from the ghosts of her past.
Far away from everything that screamed "Mira."
She cut everyone off.
Alone in her apartment, she found solace in work. K2 Company. A top-tier firm. She was damn good at her job, or at least, that's what she made them believe.
Work was her escape.
Within months, she became the best in her marketing team.
But none of it mattered.
Success. Paychecks. Recognition.
It meant nothing.
"Elsa!"
A voice snapped her from her daze.
She blinked.
Eunice stood in front of her, brows furrowed with concern.
"Are you okay? I've been calling your name for like… a full minute."
Elsa flinched slightly and stepped back from the vending machine. "Yeah, I'm fine… just tired. Didn't sleep much," she muttered.
Eunice sighed and pulled out a can of coffee.
She opened her mouth to speak again, but Elsa cut her off.
"I'll see you inside. I have to go," Elsa said quickly and walked away before Eunice could protest.
Eunice sighed and watched her go, helpless.
Six years.
And Elsa still hadn't visited Mira's grave.
She couldn't.
She was scared that the moment she stood there, all those memories would come rushing back like a tidal wave and she would lose her mind.
She was still waiting for time to heal her.
But deep down, she wondered… could it ever?
After work, Elsa returned home. She pulled off her coat and slumped onto her bed.
Her phone rang.
She sighed the moment she saw the name.
Mom.
She hesitated… then picked up.
"Hey," Elizabeth said softly.
Elsa closed her eyes, forcing the lump down her throat. "Hi, Mama."
Elizabeth Williams her mom never stopped calling. Even after all these years. Even when Elsa pushed her away. She texted, called, emailed...always reaching out, hoping her daughter would one day come back. Her dad too was also as supportive.
Elizabeth's voice cracked. "How are you, baby? You sound tired. Are you eating? Sleeping okay?"
"I'm fine… just got home from work," Elsa replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You can come home anytime," her mom said gently. "We miss you. We're always waiting."
Elsa bit her lip. "I'm okay. Really. Don't worry."
After a pause, her mother added, "You'll be 24 tomorrow... How about spending this one with us?"
There was a heavy silence in the room.
Elsa's throat tightened.
Her birthday.
Mira's birthday too.
She stopped celebrating the day long ago.
"I have work tomorrow," she whispered. "Thanks for calling… but next time just text, okay? Bye."
She ended the call before her mother could say anything more.
She flung the phone on the bed her breathe shaky, her eyes stinging with unshed tears as she swallowed hard.
The world moved on. But Elsa was still trapped in the moment everything stopped.
The clock ticked. But for her... time never healed anything.