As Audrey slowly gained consciousness , she found herself lying on the kitchen floor, her head throbbing with pain. She struggled to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her back down.
As she lay there, trying to catch her breath, Audrey realized that she was not alone. A figure was standing in the shadows, watching her intently. She tried to scream, but her voice was hoarse, dry and barely audible like something had been forced down her throat. The figure didn't move, didn't speak. It just kept watching her.
Audrey's heart was racing as she tried to crawl away, but her body felt heavy and unresponsive. She was trapped.
Suddenly, the figure stepped forward, and Audrey saw a glimmer of light reflect off a small object in their hand,
She tried to raise her arms to defend herself, but they felt like lead weights. The figure loomed over her, its face hidden in a shawl.
Just as all hope seems lost, the figure spoke, its voice light and familiar. "You're coming with me, Audrey."
As the words echoed in her mind, Audrey felt a surge of adrenaline. She knew she had to fight back, and had to escape.
With a newfound strength, she kicked out at the figure, connecting with a satisfying thud. The figure grunted in pain, giving Audrey just enough time to scramble to her feet and make a run for it.
She dashed out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and out the front door, not stopping until she was safely locked in her car, speeding away from the house.
Breathless and shaken, Audrey glanced in the rearview mirror, wondering if she was being followed. But the road behind her was empty. Checking her pocket for her phone, she realized she had dropped it at home and it was already too late and risky to go to Rosaline house alone. Reversing her car, she groaned painfully as it hit a tree behind her.
"Gosh, what's a tree doing in the middle of a road and how did it even get here" she soliloquized, surprised to see a tree behind her. Suddenly, an eerily shriek filled the air as he heart pumped fiercely with fear. A drop of water landed on her laps making her look down in panic, she shifted back immediately at the sight of her mom, she looked as beautiful as always.
Feeling scared and a little disoriented, a warm hand pulled her hair up from behind before putting it in a bun. As she slowly looked back, her hands simultaneously went to her lips, holding back the sound, as they were desperately looking for a release. Her once bright eyes were filled with unexplainable disbelief, with a hidden hint of rejoice. Of course, godmother had been almost all she had ever wished for. There's certainly no way godmother would care for her that her touch and smile would be of her parents.
"My Rey, come here" she practically flew into his dad's arms, her doubts and fears gone and now filled with undeniable happiness, how much had she missed when he called her Rey, how his big arms would envelop her and make her feel safe.
As she hugged her dad tightly, Audrey felt a wave of emotions wash over her. She had missed him so much, and the familiar scent of his cologne and the warmth of his embrace brought back a flood of memories.
Her dad held her at arm's length, his eyes scanning her face as if to make sure she was really there. "Rey, my baby girl," he whispered, his voice choking with emotion. "I have missed you so much, your mother and I were super worried on how you were going to make it without us but we are proud of you, we are sorry we were not there for you but we really love you."
Audrey's eyes welled up with tears as she saw the worry etched on her dad's face. She had so many questions, but before she could ask any of them, her mother spoke up.
"Audrey, sweetie, you need to get out of here. It's not safe."
Audrey nodded, still trying to process what was happening. She looked around and saw that they were now in a secluded area, surrounded by trees. How did they get here? And how did her parents...? The joy of seeing them had excluded her sense of reasoning. They were supposed to be dead. In fact, she had watched them being lowered to the ground and had lived her life suffering as an orphan before her encounter with her godmother.
As the reality of the situation began to sink in, Audrey's mind reeled with questions. How could her parents be alive? Why had they pretended to be dead? And what did they mean by "it's not safe"?
She looked at her parents, searching for answers, but they just exchanged a nervous glance. Her mother spoke up, her voice firm but gentle. "Audrey, we have no time to explain anything, we will explain everything later. Right now, we need to get you to a safe place."
Audrey nodded, still trying to process her emotions. She felt like she was in a dream, like everything was surreal but the fear in her parents' eyes told her that this was all too real.
As they led her deeper into the woods, Audrey's senses went on high alert. She heard the rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs, and the distant sound of running water. But she didn't see anyone else around. Where were they going?
Suddenly, her father stopped and turned to her. "Rey, we are here," he said, his voice low and urgent.
As Audrey sat in the cabin, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. Her parents were supposed to be dead, but here she was, face to face with them. It was astonishing.
Her parents, or at least, the people who looked like her parents, were trying to explain something to her. But Audrey couldn't listen. She was too busy trying to process what was happening.
"Why are you pretending to be my parents?" Audrey asked, her voice shaking with emotion.
The woman who looked like her mother took a step forward. "Audrey, sweetie, we're not pretending. We're really your parents."
Audrey laughed, a bitter sound. "No, you are not. My parents are dead. I saw them die."
The man who looked like her father sighed. "Audrey, we know this is hard to understand, but we're telling you the truth. You were not where you were meant to be, you were on your way to the land of the dead, that's why we are trying to stop you ."
Audrey shook her head. "No, you're not my parents, you are lying. You are just trying to confuse me."
The woman who looked like her mother took another step forward trying to touch her. "Audrey, please listen to us. We're trying to help you."
"Don't you dare touch me, leave me alone!" Audrey screamed, shifting back.
"Audrey, stop!" the woman pleaded, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "You are not listening to us. We are trying to save you."
But Audrey was beyond reason. She turned and ran, dashing out of the cabin and into the darkness of the forest. The trees seemed to close in around her, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.
As she ran, Audrey felt a strange sensation wash over her. The forest seemed to be shifting and twisting around her, like a living thing. She stumbled and fell, skinning her knee on a hidden rock.
As she looked up, Audrey saw the woman and man standing over her. They reached out to help her up, but Audrey scrambled away, terrified.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the forest.
But they didn't leave her alone. They followed her, their footsteps quiet on the forest floor. Audrey ran faster, her heart pounding in her chest.
Suddenly, the forest opened up into a clearing. In the center of the clearing stood an enormous tree, its trunk twisted and gnarled with age.
The woman and man stopped at the edge of the clearing, their eyes fixed on Audrey.
"Audrey, please," the woman called out. "Don't go any further."
But Audrey didn't listen. She ran towards the tree, feeling an inexplicable pull towards it.
As she reached out to touch the trunk, the world around her began to dissolve. The tree seemed to be pulling her in, sucking her into its ancient heart.
And then, everything went black.