But no, the coldness of the kitchen floor beneath her bare feet was too real. Elara shook her head, trying to push away the nagging sense of unease that had settled over her. It wasn't the first time she'd felt this way, but it was the first time it lingered for so long after waking up.
Her mother's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Elara, are you even listening to me?"
Elara blinked, returning to the present. Her mother stood in front of her, arms crossed, and her face a mask of frustration. Elara sighed, barely suppressing a groan.
"Sorry, Mom. What did you say?"
"You need to stop being so… distracted. You're not a child anymore. You can't keep losing track of time like this." Her mother's voice had softened, but there was a sharp edge to it, something Elara had learned to fear. "Now, listen to me. Did you have any visions last night?"
The question hit her like a slap, and Elara froze, her glass of juice halfway to her lips. The way her mother asked, with that mixture of disbelief and accusation, made Elara's stomach churn. There was something about her tone that made the air thick with tension.
"I—what?" Elara's voice was barely a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would make the situation worse.
Her mother's eyes narrowed, a look of disgust curling her lips. It wasn't the first time Elara had seen that expression on her mother's face when the topic of visions came up, but this time it seemed sharper, more dangerous. As if Elara's mere existence were the problem, as if she herself were the issue.
"Don't play dumb with me, Elara. You know what I mean. Those visions of yours. Have you had them again?"
Visions. The word hung in the air like a curse. A curse her mother had never forgiven her for. A curse that had tainted Elara's life since the moment she first described them, years ago, to an aunt who couldn't handle the weight of what Elara had seen. Now it was just another thing to hide, to avoid, to run from.
Elara's heart began to pound in her chest. She could feel her mother's glare digging into her, the silent accusation hanging between them.
"No," she said, her voice shaking. "I haven't had any visions."
Her mother's eyes didn't soften. If anything, they grew colder. "Don't lie to me. I can tell when you're hiding something."
Elara's stomach twisted. She hated this. She hated how her mother always seemed to know when she was lying, when she was hiding something. But this time, it wasn't a lie. She hadn't seen anything strange. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But still, that nagging feeling of unease wouldn't leave her. The sensation of being watched, of something lurking just beyond her perception, was growing stronger. She could feel it in her bones, in the air around her. It wasn't the first time she'd had this sensation, but it was the first time it felt so… personal. So connected to her.
"I'm not lying, Mom," Elara repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. She took a step back, away from the tension, away from the suffocating presence of her mother. "I didn't have any visions."
Her mother's expression hardened, but she didn't press the issue further. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen, muttering something under her breath that Elara couldn't catch.
Elara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her mind raced, thoughts spinning like a whirlwind. What had just happened? Why did it feel like there was something else going on?
And why, in the pit of her stomach, did she have this overwhelming sense of dread?
She didn't know. But something inside her told her that whatever it was, it wasn't going to stay hidden for long.
She stood in the kitchen, staring at the glass of juice before her without really seeing it. The clarity of the morning light filtered through the window, filling the small house with warmth and comfort. But everything inside Elara was cold, as though the calm exterior was just a facade for something much darker hiding beneath.
The clock on the wall read 7:30. She should have already left. She had classes, and though she wasn't sure what to expect, she knew she couldn't stay here much longer. She had to act normal. She had to go out into the world as though nothing was happening.
She didn't want to be the weird girl who saw things. She didn't want to be the daughter that her mother yelled at every time something inexplicable happened. She didn't want everyone to see her as an anomaly, an error in the fabric of reality.
And yet, something inside her urged her to think that the visions her mother was so quick to dismiss weren't just fantasies. Something was happening, something much bigger than her, and no matter how many times she ignored it, no matter how many times she said nothing was wrong, it always came back.
She took the glass of juice in one gulp, letting the cold liquid soothe her dry throat. The sour taste woke her up a little, but not enough. Her mind was still spinning, her thoughts tumbling in a whirlwind.
Had she had visions? The answer was still no. But what if she was forgetting something? What if something had touched her so deeply that her brain buried it in some dark corner?
She turned toward the door, ready to leave, but something stopped her. The shadow that moved quickly and fleetingly down the hallway froze her in her tracks. A chill ran down her spine.
Elara couldn't see it clearly, but she felt that something was in the house with her. She wasn't alone. There was no one else, but she felt as if someone, or something, was watching her. Her breath quickened as she stared down the hallway.
Was it her imagination? Or was there something else there, just waiting to be discovered?