When Audrey woke up again, this time, she found herself in a vast, cavernous space. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and mold. She was lying on a soft, mossy surface, and the only light came from a faint, ethereal glow that seemed to emanate from the walls.
As she sat up, Audrey saw the woman and man standing nearby, their eyes fixed on her with a mixture of concern and relief.
"Where am I?" Audrey demanded, her voice shaking with fear.
"You're in Heartwood," the woman replied with a soft smile, her voice soft and gentle. "A place of ancient power and wisdom."
Audrey's eyes widened as she looked around. The cavernous space was filled with strange, glowing plants and trees that seemed to twist and writhe like living things.
"What do you want from me?" Audrey asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
The man stepped forward, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "We want to help you, Audrey. We want to show you the way out of here, you can not stay here any longer."
Audrey shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The woman sighed. "You're not where you think you are, Audrey. You're unconscious and need to go back to your world. You still have a lot to do my darling."
Audrey's mind reeled as the woman and man began to explain.
But Audrey didn't want to listen. She didn't want to believe it.
She scrambled to her feet, determined to escape, to find her way back to the world she knew.
But as she turned to run, she saw it. A massive, glowing tree, its trunk twisted and gnarled with age.
The tree seemed to be calling to her, drawing her in.
And Audrey knew that she was probably trapped.
******
As Audrey gazed at the symbol on the door, she felt a strange connection to it. It was as if the symbol was calling to her, drawing her in.
Suddenly, the woman and man stepped forward, their eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity.
"Audrey, you're the key," the woman whispered, her voice barely audible. "You're the one who can unlock the door."
Audrey's heart raced as the man reached out and took her hand. He placed her palm on the symbol, and a surge of energy coursed through her body.
The symbol began to glow, and the air around them seemed to vibrate with an electric charge.
"What's happening?" Audrey asked, her voice trembling.
"You're unlocking the door," the woman replied, her eyes shining with excitement. "You're opening the portal."
As Audrey watched in amazement, the stone door began to slide open, revealing a dark and mysterious passageway.
The woman and man stepped forward, beckoning Audrey to follow them.
"Come," the woman said, her voice full of urgency. "We don't have much time. The others are waiting for us."
Audrey hesitated, unsure of what lay ahead. But something about the symbol and the portal drew her in.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward, entering the unknown.
As Audrey approached the tree, she felt a strange energy emanating from it. The tree seemed to be pulsing with a soft, blue light that grew brighter with each step.
The woman and man followed close behind, their eyes fixed on Audrey with an unnerving intensity.
"Audrey, don't touch the tree," the woman warned, her voice low and urgent.
But Audrey felt an inexplicable pull towards the tree. She reached out a hand, feeling the energy coursing through her veins.
As she touched the trunk, the world around her dissolved into chaos. Colors swirled and danced, sounds echoed and distorted.
Audrey felt herself being pulled into the tree, sucked into its ancient heart.
******
Rosaline paced around the ward corridor as she waited for the doctor to step out. She had received a call from Audrey but Audrey was not the one at the other end. Mica, Audrey's maid, had gone to the kitchen for something and had seen Audrey slumped against the kitchen counter. She had felt fear of Audrey being dead but signed in relief at the slight breathing emanating from her.
Rosaline's mind was racing with thoughts of Audrey's condition. She had spoken to Mica, who had described the scene in the kitchen, and Rosaline's instincts told her that something was terribly wrong. Audrey had been perfectly fine but she alone now had to deal with both her issue and that of. Jonathan
******
As she paced, the doctor finally emerged from the ward, looking somber.
"Rosaline, I'm afraid Audrey's condition is quite serious," he said, his voice low and grave. "She's in a coma, and we're not sure what caused it or when she's likely to wake up."
Rosaline's heart sank. "What do you mean? What could have caused it?"
The doctor hesitated. "We're running tests, but it looks like some kind of...I don't know, a trance-like state. We have never seen anything like it before, but I personally think she is having a battle of the mind. She must have been stressed out these past few days that her brain had to shut down and give in to the mind tricks ."
Rosaline's eyes widened. "A trance-like state? What does that even mean?"
The doctor shook his head. "We're not sure. But we're doing everything we can to try and bring her out of it."
Rosaline felt a surge of fear. What had happened to Audrey? And what was all this happening, just when they were supposed to be enjoying a peaceful life?
She knew she had to get to the bottom of this. For Audrey's sake, she had to uncover the truth.
"Can I see her?" Rosaline asked, her voice firm.
The doctor nodded. "Yes, of course. But be warned, Rosaline, she's not responding to anything. It's like she's...gone, any mild touch might trigger her to finally go."
Rosaline steeled herself and followed the doctor into the ward. As she approached Audrey's bed, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Audrey lay motionless, her eyes closed, her face pale.
Rosaline reached out and almost took her hand, but had to hold herself back. Taking a space by her side, she gently sat beside her.
"Audrey, it's me, Rosaline," she whispered. "I'm here for you. Please come back to me, dear."
But Audrey didn't respond. She just lay there, her chest rising and falling with each little breath.
Rosaline sat down beside her, gripping her hand tightly, trying so hard not to touch Audrey, she could feel her nail pierced tightly into her palm, almost drawing out blood, but she did not seem to care.
As she sat there, she noticed something strange. Audrey's eyes, though closed, seemed to be moving, as if she was dreaming or seeing something.
Rosaline's curiosity got the better of her, and even with the doctor's intense warning, she gently opened Audrey's eyelids.
What she saw made her blood run cold.
Audrey's eyes were as white as snow, her eyeballs were not insight, and they seemed to be sucking in the light around her.
Rosaline slammed her eyes shut, horrified.
What was happening to Audrey?
She called out for the doctor, her voice shaking with fear.
As the medical team rushed in, Rosaline knew that she had to make sure that Audrey was well taken care of and okay.
She was determined to save Audrey, no matter what it took.
The medical team quickly surrounded Audrey's bed, their faces grave with concern. The doctor leaned in close, examining Audrey's eyes.
"What have you done?" he whispered to Rosaline, his voice trembling with anger.
Rosaline shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't mean to...I just wanted to see if she was okay."
The doctor's expression softened slightly. "We need to run some tests. This is beyond anything I've ever seen."
As the medical team worked to save Audrey, Audrey suddenly woke up, leaving them panicked but happy.