Sunflower

The village was quiet

Too quiet.

Aarya stood outside the old house, holding her bag. The air felt different here—slow, still, and heavy.

This was her grandmother’s house.

Now, it was hers.

She looked around, trying to feel something familiar… but everything felt new.

Then her eyes stopped at something bright.

A field of sunflowers.

They stretched far across the land, glowing under the evening sun. All of them were facing the same direction, standing tall and silent.

Aarya felt drawn to them.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?

Aarya turned.

An old woman stood near the gate, watching her.

“Yes,” Aarya said softly.

The woman looked at the field, then back at her.

“Beautiful things are not always safe,” she said.

Aarya frowned. “What do you mean?”

But the woman didn’t answer.

She just walked away.

Aarya looked at the sunflowers again.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

That night, she couldn’t stop thinking about them.

The next morning, as the sun began to rise, Aarya walked towards the field.

The ground was soft under her feet.

The air was cold.

The sunflowers stood still, as if they were watching her.

She moved closer.

Closer.

Her hand slowly reached out.

“It's just a flower,” she whispered.

Her fingers touched one of the petals.

And suddenly—

Everything changed.

Aarya’s breath stopped.

She wasn’t in the field anymore.

She saw a boy running.

Someone was shouting his name.

There was fear in the air.

A loud sound—

Then silence.

Aarya pulled her hand back quickly.

The field returned.

The sunflowers stood quiet again.

Nothing moved.

Nothing spoke.

But Aarya stepped back slowly, her heart racing.

“That wasn’t real…” she said.

But deep inside, she knew—

It was.

And something in that field was waiting for her to come back