Ari almost dropped her phone as soon as she finished reading the message that was displayed on the screen. Her gaze fell on her feet in the middle of looking at the screen and soon, that dark inky water started to bubble from the ground. It started to swallow her, first it engulfed her feet, then crept up to her calves and slowly to her knees.
Little by little, vein-like tendrils started to ooze out of the dark and sticky swamp. Slowly, those tendrils strapped around her entire body in a vise, as it started to pull her down, into the dark swamp. Into that endless hole that Ari always wanted to avoid.
Why…
Why…?
Why me…?
"Miss?" A confused voice snapped her out of her daze, and Ari jerked her head.
The blank mud that was covering her slowly started to dissipate into thin air and Ari released a puff of air before she turned on her feet and stumbled out of the alley.
"Hey, miss! Take your cotton candy!"
"Miss!"
