She walked down the dimly lit hallway, each step a battle against the rising tide of dread that threatened to overwhelm her.
Her heart pounded wildly, echoing in her ears, and a cold sweat clung to her skin.
The walls seemed to close in around her, narrowing with every hesitant stride.
She did not know how to face Theodore. The very thought of him sent a shiver down her spine, and her breath caught in her throat.
The memories of their last encounter surged unbidden into her mind, a relentless barrage of pain and fear. She could still feel the sting of the beatings, the sharp, suffocating pain of the torture he had inflicted upon her. Each recollection was a fresh wound, raw and aching, making it almost impossible to move forward.
Yet she continued, each step a defiance of the terror that sought to paralyze her, driven by a determination that burned brighter than her fear.
