A Dangerous Obsession
Chapter 46 - 45

Chapter 46: Chapter 45

I felt a sudden chill and wrapped my arms around myself, wondering how I ended up in the middle of a dense forest. The trees stretched high above me, their branches twisting and curling into claw-like fingers that blotted out the moon. Darkness pressed in, thick and suffocating, as if even the air had turned against me.

I tried to remember how I had gotten here, but my mind kept drawing a blank. Yet, one thing was clear—something I desperately wished wasn’t true—I wasn’t alone. I could feel it in my bones: the chilling presence of a predator. I gulped down a shaky breath and glanced around. There was no path, no clue where to go. Just endless rows of towering trees, their trunks rough and gnarled like the faces of ancient gods staring down from above. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched, that unseen eyes were tracking my every move, lurking in the shadows, waiting.

A cold breeze whispered through the forest, rustling the leaves. I hugged myself tightly. Every sound felt magnified—my breathing, the crunch of dry leaves underfoot, even the distant creak of branches. I took a hesitant step forward, and then another, but each step seemed to echo back at me, louder than it should have been, as if something else was stepping in time with me. I froze, heart hammering, as I strained to listen.

Silence.

Just a quiet so thick it pressed against my skin.

But then, there—a low growl, so faint I almost thought I had imagined it. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and I spun around, eyes darting through the dark. I could feel it now, the presence closing in, something large and ominous, hidden just out of sight. I took a step back, my foot slipping on the uneven ground, and that was when I heard it—a snap, a crunch, heavy footsteps in the brush.

Panic gripped me, and before I could think, I was running. I didn’t know where I was going, didn’t care. My legs pumped hard, my breath rasped in my throat, and my heart pounded like a drumbeat urging me forward. But the footsteps were getting louder, heavier, crashing through the forest like a beast on the hunt. I glanced over my shoulder, but all I could see was darkness swallowing the path behind me. Whatever was chasing me, it was getting closer. Too close.

A branch whipped across my face, stinging as it scraped my cheek, but I barely felt it. I leaped over a fallen log, my foot catching for a split second, but I kept going, forcing myself to move faster. The air grew colder, thicker, pressing in around me until it felt like I was wading through molasses. And still, the footsteps closed in, relentless, inescapable.

Ahead, a faint light glimmered through the trees—a clearing. If I could just reach it, maybe I would be safe. I pushed myself harder, lungs burning, legs aching, but I didn’t stop. The ground grew steeper, and I stumbled, catching myself against the trunk of a tree, the rough bark biting into my palms. I glanced back, and for a split second, I saw it—a hulking shadow, its eyes gleaming in the dark, teeth bared in a snarl that promised nothing but pain.

I turned, throwing myself forward, and burst into the clearing, the light blinding after the suffocating darkness. I felt a brief moment of relief—until I realized the light was coming from a full moon hanging impossibly close, its pale glow casting everything in an eerie silver.

And then the growl came again, louder this time, filling the clearing, making the very ground vibrate beneath my feet. I whipped around, my eyes wide with terror, as the creature stepped into the light. It was massive, white, all fur and muscle and sharp edges, its eyes locked on me with a hunger that made my blood run cold.

I backed away, stumbling, feeling the edge of a cliff at my heels, the rocks crumbling underfoot. There was nowhere left to go, nowhere to hide. The beast advanced, slow and deliberate, savoring the fear that rolled off me in waves. I wanted to scream, but the sound lodged in my throat, trapped by the terror that froze me in place.

It lunged, teeth gleaming, claws outstretched—and I felt myself fall backward, the world spinning as I tumbled, the ground vanishing beneath me. The last thing I saw was its eyes, burning like embers in the night.

Then I jolted awake, a gasp tearing from my lips as I shot upright, clutching at the blankets. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it in my ears, drowning out everything else, and my skin was clammy, every nerve buzzing with residual fear. It took a moment to realize I was safe, back in my own bedchamber, the familiar shadows and flickers of candlelight grounding me in reality.

But as my breathing slowed, I heard soft sounds around me—a chorus of little meows, worried and insistent. My cats were all around me, their eyes wide and shining in the dark, tiny faces filled with concern as they padded around the bed, brushing against me, as if to comfort me. My hand trembled as I reached out to pet them, running my fingers through their soft fur, grateful for the warm, solid presence that anchored me to the here and now.

"Oh, you little worrywarts," I whispered, my voice shaky but full of affection as I tried to calm myself down. "I’m okay. Just a nightmare... a really, really awful nightmare."

Xylara, with her glossy black fur—climbed into my lap, curling up against me with a soft purr, her little body vibrating with soothing warmth. The others pressed close, a living blanket of soft fur and gentle purrs, and I felt my tension start to ease, the lingering fear slowly melting away.

But even as I sat there, surrounded by my loyal feline companions, the memory of that dream clung to me, vivid and unshakable. The darkness, the relentless footsteps, that creature’s eyes—it had all felt so real, so horrifyingly tangible. My mind raced, trying to make sense of it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm my nerves and not panic. "It’s just a dream," I whispered, but even as I said it, I knew it was one of the biggest lies I had ever told myself. Deep down, I felt it—I knew this wasn’t just a dream.

I wrapped my arms around my cats, grateful for their warmth as I took slow, deep breaths, trying to ground myself. But even with the cats purring around me, I still felt... terrified.

For a long while, I just sat there in the quiet, listening to the soft purrs and occasional meows, letting the comforting weight of the cats bring me back to reality. Eventually, my heart rate slowed, my breathing steadied, and I could feel the nightmare start to fade, just a little. But something told me that it wasn’t entirely gone—that the memory of those glowing eyes and that growl would stay with me, lurking just beneath the surface, ready to resurface when I least expected it.

As I lay back down, pulling the blankets up around me, I let the cats settle in close, their presence a gentle reminder that, at least for now, I was safe. But even as I closed my eyes, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something—someone—was still watching, waiting in the dark, just beyond the edges of my waking mind.

"It’s just a dream," I mumbled, but still couldn’t convince myself with my self-assuring lie.

It wasn’t just a dream.