The snake's head lowered toward Shanane's neck, its forked tongue flicking out to brush against her skin. Cold and wet, it left a trail of ice in its wake. Shanane's breath caught in her throat, her chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. She wanted to scream, but the weight of its coiled body pressed down on her, suffocating, immobilizing.
The snake's eyes, glowing a malevolent red, seemed to peer straight into her soul. It hissed softly, the sound rattling in her ears like a distant, ominous warning. Her heart pounded so loudly she thought it might drown out the cacophony of the forest, but nothing could mask the sensation of the creature tightening its grip.
And then, it struck.
The sharp pain in her neck sent her body jerking. Her eyes flew open, her chest heaving with a desperate, silent cry.
And she was back in her room.
The chair beneath her creaked as she jolted upright, her fingers gripping the desk for stability. The faint glow of her laptop screen bathed the room in a cold, bluish light, and the steady hum of the lamp on her desk filled the silence.
Shanane gasped for air, her hands trembling as she reached for her neck, half-expecting to feel puncture wounds or slimy scales. But there was nothing. Only her own skin, warm and untouched.
Her gaze darted around the room, her mind still reeling. The lamp sat where it always had, her bag rested on the floor beside her chair, and the faint scent of herbs from the cottage lingered in the air.
Everything was normal.
But the dream. No, the
She leaned back in her chair, her breaths slowing as she tried to process what had just happened. Her heart still raced, the echo of her panic clinging to her like a shadow. She rubbed her face, wiping away the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead.
__Shanane: "It was just a dream." she whispered to herself, the words sounding hollow in the stillness of the room.
She glanced at her laptop, the email she'd been reading still open on the screen. Her inbox was filled with messages she hadn't had the energy to deal with earlier. She remembered skimming through them, her eyes growing heavy as the weight of the day finally caught up to her.
__Shanane: "I must've fallen asleep" she muttered, her voice shaky.
But no dream had ever felt like that before. The forest, the growl, the chase; uit had been so vivid, so overwhelming. And the snake… she shivered, the image of its glowing red eyes burned into her mind.
She looked down at her hands. They were trembling slightly, her muscles still tense from the terror she'd felt. Her body ached as if she really had been running, her knees sore from a fall that hadn't happened.
She stood, pushing back her chair, and walked to the window. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale light over the garden outside. The village was quiet, the stillness almost unnatural. For a moment, she half-expected to see glowing red eyes staring back at her from the shadows. But there was nothing, only the dark silhouettes of the trees swaying gently in the night breeze.
She pressed her forehead against the cool glass, closing her eyes.
__Shanane: "It wasn't real." she said again, trying to convince herself.
But a small part of her wasn't so sure.
The sensation of the snake's scales against her skin, the sound of its hiss, the crushing weight of its body; it had all felt too real to be a mere figment of her imagination. She could still feel the icy brush of its tongue on her neck, the cold dread that had consumed her.
She stepped back from the window, rubbing her arms as if trying to shake off the memory. Her gaze wandered to the corner of the room, where a faint shadow stretched across the floor. It was just the lamplight playing tricks on her, but the shape reminded her of something serpentine.
Her chest tightened, and she forced herself to turn away.
__Shanane: "Get a grip." she muttered, sitting back down at her desk.
She stared at the email on her laptop, but the words blurred together, meaningless in the wake of what she'd just experienced. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, then dropped to her lap.
Instead of returning to her inbox, she leaned back in her chair, letting her eyes close.
But as the silence of the room pressed in around her, a faint sound reached her ears.
A hiss.
Her eyes snapped open, her heart pounding. She looked around the room, her breaths coming fast. The sound was gone, leaving only the steady hum of the lamp.
She sat frozen, her hands gripping the arms of her chair. She glanced down at the floor, half-expecting to see the glint of scales in the dim light. But the floor was empty, untouched.
__Shanane:"It's just in your head." she told herself firmly, though her voice shook.
But as she sat there, the sensation of being watched crept over her once more. Her gaze shifted back to the window, and this time, she could've sworn she saw a shadow move outside.
She stayed in her chair, unmoving, until the lamp began to flicker again.
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∆☆ ATHERAMOND ☆∆
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A sharp knock jolted Shanane awake. Her eyes flew open, her breath catching as she sat up abruptly. The room was filled with soft, early morning light filtering through the thin curtains, casting a muted glow on the wooden walls. For a moment, she was caught between dream and reality, her mind still half-trapped in the suffocating darkness of the nightmare. Her skin was damp with sweat, and the lingering phantom sensation of the snake's weight pressed against her chest.
She swallowed, trying to steady her erratic heartbeat. Another knock sounded, louder this time, more insistent.
__Shanane: "I'm coming." she muttered hoarsely, running a hand through her tangled hair.
The small clock on her desk read 9:12 AM. She had only managed a few hours of sleep, and it felt like she had barely closed her eyes before being dragged back into wakefulness.
She stretched her sore muscles before standing up. The floorboards were cold beneath her bare feet as she grabbed her shawl and wrapped it tightly around herself. Her body felt sluggish, as if the weight of the dream still clung to her, slowing her every movement.
The knocking came again. Whoever it was wasn't leaving.
The braided young woman made her way to the door, rubbing her face as she fought off the remnants of exhaustion. When she pulled it open, she was met with the sight of a young man standing on the doorstep.
He was no older than twenty, with an angular face, sandy-brown hair, and nervous blue eyes that darted around as if he was afraid of being seen. He wore a simple wool coat over a faded tunic, the fabric slightly damp from the lingering morning mist. His hands were clasped together in front of him, and he cleared his throat before speaking.
__Young Man: "Miss Shanane?"
His voice was hesitant, careful. As if he were uncertain of how she would react.
Shanane nodded, adjusting the shawl around her shoulders.
__Shanane: "Yes?"
The young man shifted uncomfortably before straightening his posture, as though trying to appear more official.
__Young Man: "I was sent by Headman Harlin. He wanted me to inform you that a collective prayer is being held tomorrow."
Shanane frowned.
__Shanane: "A prayer?"
The young man nodded quickly.
__Young Man: "Yes. The village elders decided that… after everything, it would be best to hold a purification ritual. To bring peace to the village… and to your grandmother's spirit."
Shanane's fingers tightened around the fabric of her shawl.
Purification. Peace.
She knew exactly what those words meant.
They weren't praying for her grandmother. They were praying to rid the village of her.
She took a slow breath, forcing her expression to remain neutral.
__Shanane: "And I assume it would be good if I attended?"
The young man hesitated, the muscles in his jaw tightening.
__Young Man: "It would… ease tensions, I think. Show them that you also want peace."
There it was again. That word.
__Shanane: "Did Harlin tell you to say that?" she asked softly.
The young man blinked, caught off guard. His fingers twitched at his sides before he glanced away.
__Young Man: "Not exactly. He just… thought it would be best if you knew."
Shanane sighed, shifting her weight. She glanced past him, toward the village. The mist still clung to the rooftops, the world eerily quiet. It was the kind of silence that came after heavy whispers, when people had already spoken too much behind closed doors.
Of course, they would hold a purification prayer.
The villagers had spent years fearing her grandmother, whispering behind her back, calling her a witch when they thought she couldn't hear. Now that she was gone, they wanted to make sure she stayed gone.
__Shanane: "Tell Harlin I'll think about it," she said finally, her voice carefully measured.
The young man nodded quickly, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
__Young Man: "Of course. Thank you for your time, Miss Shanane."
He turned on his heel and hurried down the path, disappearing into the mist.
Shanane lingered in the doorway, watching him go, her arms tightening around herself. A cold wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves and making the old wooden shutters creak. The weight of exhaustion still pressed down on her.
She took a slow step back into the house, closing the door behind her. The familiar silence of the cottage wrapped around her, but it no longer felt comforting.
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∆☆ ATHERAMOND ☆∆
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The cottage was silent, save for the occasional creak of the wooden walls settling in the morning chill. Shanane sat at the small table, a cup of tea in her hands, though she had barely taken a sip. The warmth of the ceramic against her fingers was grounding, but it did little to shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her chest.
She had barely slept. The nightmare, the weight of the villagers' whispers, and now this so-called purification ritual. It was all beginning to swirl together into something suffocating.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden buzzing of her phone on the table. The screen lit up, and the name
Shanane hesitated before answering.
__Shanane: "Aurora?"
A relieved sigh came through the speaker.
__Aurora:"Oh, thank God. I was starting to think you were ignoring me."
Shanane closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her temple. She had been so caught up in everything that she hadn't even thought about checking her messages.
__Shanane: "Sorry, things have been… a lot."
__Aurora: "I can imagine. I know I sent a few texts, but I didn't want to overwhelm you." She paused. "How are you holding up? With everything?"
The braided hair woman swallowed, staring at the untouched tea in front of her.
__Shanane: "I don't know. It still doesn't feel real. One minute I was living my life, and the next… she's gone. And I wasn't here." she admitted.
There was silence on the other end, the kind that only came when someone was trying to find the right words.
__Aurora: "Shanane, you can't blame yourself for that. You didn't know."
Shanane let out a slow breath, pressing a hand against her forehead.
__Shanane: "I should have come back sooner."
__Aurora: "You came when you could. And you're there now."
Shanane didn't answer. She wanted to tell Aurora that being here didn't feel like enough, that every time she walked through the village, she could feel the weight of a hundred stares on her back. But Aurora didn't know about that. She didn't know how the village had treated her grandmother, and she certainly didn't know how they were treating Shanane now.
Instead, she forced a small, tired laugh.
__Shanane: "You always know what to say."
Aurora hummed.
__Aurora: "It's one of my many talents."
A pause. Then, a shift in her tone, lighter, teasing.
__Aurora: "Speaking of which, when are you coming back? I know you need time, but I refuse to let you disappear into the wilderness forever."
Shanane smiled faintly, but the warmth didn't quite reach her eyes.
__Shanane: "I don't know yet. There are… things I need to take care of first."
__Aurora: "I figured. Just don't shut me out, okay? I'm here for you, even if I'm not there there."
Shanane's grip on the phone tightened slightly.
__Shanane: "I know. Thank you."
There was a pause, then Aurora's voice softened even further.
__Aurora: "Do you want me to come visit? I don't mind. I can take some time off work."
Shanane's stomach twisted at the thought of Aurora coming here, seeing the way people looked at her, hearing the whispers that followed her everywhere. She didn't want her friend caught up in this whatever this was.
__Shanane: "No, it's okay. I just need to handle things on my own for now."
Aurora sighed dramatically.
__Aurora: Fine. But promise me you'll actually pick up when I call?"
Shanane chuckled, the first genuine laugh she had managed in days.
__Shanane: "I promise."
__Aurora: "Good. Now go do… whatever mysterious things you need to do. But don't forget to eat. And sleep. And not get possessed by some vengeful spirit, okay?"
Shanane hesitated. The joke should have felt ridiculous, but after everything, after the nightmare, the way the village treated her, the looming purification ritual, it hit uncomfortably close to home.
__Shanane: "Yeah. I'll try." she said, forcing her voice to stay light.
After a few more goodbyes, she hung up, setting the phone back down on the table.
The room was quiet again, the weight of reality settling back onto her shoulders.
Aurora had no idea what was truly happening here. And for now, Shanane would keep it that way.