The sky was covered by darkness, with only the moon giving life to the surroundings. I ran as fast as I could, hoping I would never encounter that mad dog again. My heart raced when I saw those glowing, red eyes of a huge black dog in the distance. I didn't know where it came from, just that I was in Hollow Park waiting for my friend.

But after a while, the sun had completely set. The cold wind blew through me, making the space feel wide open. I decided to head home and call Lana.

Honestly, I felt a bit disappointed. She hadn't shown up, not even a message. But then I thought, what if something serious came up? Maybe that's why she couldn't make it. I remembered how her dad had been in the hospital recently because of a car accident, and suddenly, I felt bad about being upset.

I kept walking out of the park, noticing that the few people who were there before had already left. Even the couples had gone. The night felt different, almost too quiet. Even the crickets weren't chirping. It felt like if I spoke, my voice would be way too loud. I looked up at the sky, but there was nothing—no moon, no stars—just total darkness. The wind picked up, and the cold cut through my thin white sweater. It wasn't warm enough for a night like this, but it was all I had.

Luckily, there were a lot of streetlights. Without them, this place would be dangerous and terrifying. As I walked out of the gate, my attention was caught by a statue of a woman holding a flower. Her head was crowned with flowers. The statue was antique, faded gray cement with no color left.

Curiously, I stared into her eyes, which seemed to be gazing into nothingness. Her eyes were simple, without irises. If you looked closely, it almost seemed like she was waiting for someone special to give them the flower. I chuckled to myself at the thought—maybe she wasn't waiting for her lover, and maybe I was just being too judgmental.

I shook my head and was about to continue walking when, suddenly, a cold shiver ran through my entire body. It felt like I froze in place, unable to move. Fear crept over me, thinking that something bad was about to happen. A blinding light suddenly shone from the flower the statue was holding. The light mixed with small blue and yellow glimmers, almost like paradise.

But doubt lingered. What if this beautiful sight was just a trap, a deception for something darker ahead? I forced myself to move, but it was as if my body didn't respond. I tried to scream, but no sound came out, no matter how many times I opened my mouth.

Fear set in, and tears started to well up. I closed my eyes tightly, wishing this was all just a nightmare. It couldn't be real. This can't happen in the real world. The surrounding light grew brighter, and soon, I couldn't see anything else. As it consumed me, I felt strangely light, like I was free from all burdens. The weight on my chest vanished, and I felt like a cloud drifting through the sky. Everything felt so unfamiliar. I couldn't believe this was the end of my life.

I felt a deep sadness—my dreams would never be reached, and my presence in this world would fade away. I couldn't accept it, but if this was the end, I would have to. I hadn't even been given the chance to say goodbye.

I guess the world is just unfair, and maybe this is how I would die—mysteriously.

"So, this is the end," I whispered to myself as the light swallowed me further.

"Xiara..." I heard a soft, unfamiliar voice. Was this the one who would take me to the afterlife? I couldn't open my eyes because the light was too bright.

"Xiara..." the voice called again. Was it a woman's voice? I wanted to respond, but I had no energy left, and I didn't know why.

"It's time. Open your heart, and you will find the truth," the voice continued. I didn't understand what it meant. I waited for more, but suddenly everything went silent, and the surroundings darkened. I opened my eyes and saw that the statue had returned to normal, but the flower it once held was gone.

It was as if nothing had happened, and I could see the streetlights again. Now, I could hear the voices of a few people nearby. I wondered if they had seen the light or if it was just me.

My hands were still shaking from the shock. Was it all just a hallucination? I couldn't tell. I checked my phone and saw that it was already seven in the evening. I looked around again, and the streets were filled with people. It was livelier now, much more than what I had felt earlier.

My mind felt foggy, so I decided to just go home. I didn't want to stick around if something else happened.

As I walked out of the gate, a taxi was waiting. I immediately got in.

"Take me to the fifth corner, please," I said to the driver. He nodded quietly and drove off. I leaned against the window, letting out a deep sigh. I watched the surroundings as we passed by, relieved that there were plenty of streetlights because the sky was so dark.

"Be careful, young lady. It's late," the driver said.

I nodded and thanked him. After I paid, I headed straight down the narrow alley toward my house. It was a bit scary here because it was tight and dark, but at least it was familiar. I quickened my pace, almost running, knowing I was close to home. But then, I noticed a dog lying in the middle of the path. It looked like it was barely hanging on to life.

I rushed over and saw a wound on its left paw. I took out a black handkerchief from my pocket, the one I was planning to return to Lana, and tied it around the dog's paw. I was about to pick it up when I heard a loud growl from the dog. Suddenly, its form began to change, growing larger.

Its eyes turned red, and it looked at me with a hungry stare. My heart raced as fear gripped me. I was just one step away from it. Terrified, I turned and ran. I could feel the presence of the creature getting closer. My steps grew faster as I searched for houses nearby, but none were in sight. I felt tears welling up from the fear.

I looked around desperately for a place to hide. I was stunned by the large trees surrounding me that I hadn't noticed before. Was I lost? I turned left, spotting a tree that seemed far enough from the street to hide behind. I quickly walked toward it, pressed myself against the trunk, and held my breath, hoping it wouldn't hear me.

I started crying, overcome with fear from everything that had happened that day. I could hear footsteps nearby. I peeked out from my hiding spot and saw the creature had stopped by the fourth tree.

I tried to calm myself down, but the fear was overwhelming. I quietly moved to another tree. I peeked again, and the creature seemed farther away. Slowly, I kept shifting from tree to tree. After a few moments, I couldn't see it anymore. I let out a sigh of relief.

I took the other side of the grove to completely disappear from this sorrow. I was asking myself again and again if I was dreaming, or if I was just seeing things.

I saw a road on my left side filled with tall trees. At first, I was doubting myself if I would take it from there. Despite that, I bravely took a step, hoping that it was the right way. This place was unfamiliar, and I had never felt so scared and lost before.

This was the first time in my life that I was lost in this world. I breathed heavily when I saw nothing but an eternity of the woods. I pressed my back on the large trunk of a tree. The place was a total blackout where it was impossible to see clearly.

I was thankful for the tiny lights that flew along the way, so I felt relieved with that. But, I was not sure if these lights would take me back home. Where did those even come from?

I rested a bit while watching the movement of my surroundings. It was completely restless, especially with the fearsome atmosphere of this place.

I started moving again to look for a way out. I took a little step. My legs are tired from walking. Even my head was exhausted from all the thoughts that I could not fathom.

Suddenly, a scratch on my back was loud. I immediately looked behind me to see what had happened. I saw nothing, just the huge trees. With curiosity, I slowly went to look behind the tree to see if something was hidden there. To my surprise, there was nothing there.

I wanted to go beyond more, thinking that there was something over there. It felt like it was watching me.

I was about to take a step towards it when I felt a presence behind me. It was so close that I felt its warm breath. I was frozen thinking that it was the monster I was running away from. No, it can't be. I was sure that I lost it.

When I was about to face it, a warm hand touched my waist and I got weird feelings. I was supposed to get mad, but it felt comforting. Was it because of my restless encounter that I found peace with someone who saw me in this situation?

I was stiff and quiet when I observed that my surroundings had changed. We didn't even take a step or was it an enchanting place? Was there a power in it? I was asking myself over again, hoping to find the answer.

The arms suddenly let go, and I heard a whisper from the person.

"Always take the right path. It will lead you back." The person said and was gone. I saw two paths confronting me. So, I took the right one to lead me back.

I was about to feel a sense of relief when I saw the familiar streetlights going home, but I lost consciousness after feeling a heavy landing on my head.