Anna woke up abruptly, gasping for air. The sensation of suffocation had jolted her from deep sleep, and her eyes flew open as she desperately tried to fill her lungs.
The room was utterly silent, yet the air felt thick, as though something invisible was pressing against her.
Anna sat up quickly, instinctively clutching her throat. Her breathing was erratic, and as she looked around, she realized everything was exactly as it had been.
The world was still frozen
The sheet she had thrown off in her rush to rise hung suspended in the air, halfway between the bed and the floor, like an image trapped in a painting.
Anna stared at the scene, her heart pounding in her ears, trying to make sense of what was happening.
It was the first time her power had extended so far. She wasn't even accustomed to the sensation of frozen time; her usual use of the ability was to rewind it, not stop it entirely.
It was... strange. And lonely.
