Prologue
She cried from helplessness. With her head hidden between her knees, she sobbed quietly, trembling with fear.
He left her.
He did it again, even though he promised he wouldn’t leave until she woke up...
She curled up even more when she heard disturbing sounds coming from outside. She was scared. Although it was pouring rain outside, what terrified her the most was the knowledge that she was alone. In a remote place, in the middle of a forest, in the vacation house belonging to her parents.
A lightning bolt illuminated the interior of the wooden cabin, shrouded in half-darkness. The girl hesitantly lifted her gaze. Looking out the window in terror, she moved uneasily when a cold shiver ran through her body. For a split second, it seemed to her that she saw ominous shadows, forming the shape of a demon — a creature from a horror film she once watched with her beloved. Back then, by his side, she was brave. Now every little sound paralyzed her with fear. She knew her imagination was running at full speed, but she stubbornly insisted she wasn’t safe. There was no one with her who could protect her. No one she could rely on.
She rubbed her arms with her hands and jumped when the fire in the fireplace cracked loudly, triggering another wave of unease. She exhaled with relief, trying to convince herself it was just her imagination playing tricks.
A powerful thunderclap made the blonde girl scream, entangling her fingers in her hair. Breathing heavily, she looked around the living room. Her gaze fell on the landline phone on the small table. She rushed over and pressed the receiver to her ear — silence. No signal. The storm must have taken out the lines.
The wind was howling outside, and she was trapped inside the house, surrounded by tall trees that could crash down on the roof at any moment.
Panic was consuming her.
“Where’s my cell phone?” she thought, nervously scanning the dark room. The only source of light was the glow of the fire in the fireplace — there was no power. She couldn’t find anything, especially since the wood was slowly burning out.
“What should I do?” she whispered quietly, biting her finger. She looked at the window in panic, almost certain she saw a figure for a brief moment.
She opened her mouth, her heart pounding like crazy. Furthermore, she took a few steps back, imagining the worst-case scenarios in her mind. She pictured herself as the victim of a ruthless killer, who was just waiting for her to be completely alone — defenseless and without witnesses.
She looked to the side and pressed her hand to her chest when she got scared by her reflection in the mirror. In the dark, the outline of her figure looked ghostly. For a moment, she thought she was losing her mind. Although she was completely alone, her mind was creating darker and darker visions. All because of the man who left her.
“What should I do?” she repeated quietly, hesitantly opening the door.
A powerful gust of wind hit her with force, making her step back. The door slammed hard against the wall, and with wide eyes, she stared at the terrifying scene outside the threshold. The trees were bending in an alarming way, creating an almost apocalyptic vision.
Another thunderclap split the sky. The girl froze. She paled, clenched her fists, and dug her nails into the skin of her hands.
Someone stood in the doorway. Her heart stopped — then filled with hope. She wasn’t scared. She recognized the figure.
Even though both men were of similar build, she knew which one had the courage to come to her in such conditions.
The man stepped inside and slammed the door behind him. The girl rushed to him and buried her face in his chest, shedding tears of relief and happiness.
He had come to her, and all the fear melted away, leaving only blissful comfort.
nice one