Chapter 20: Mia’s nightmare

"Sister?"

Mia turned her head. She was sure she heard Bryan.

"Bryan?" Her voice seemed to disappear into nothingness. Then she heard a cry.

The thought of Bryan crying and in trouble, made her anxious. Her eyes scanned the surroundings. She was in a forest, and the trees were tall and formidable, their foliage was thick and their branches were monstrous. She could not see Bryan.

Then she heard Bryan scream. Mia started to panic, and she ran and ran. She tripped over something and fell. She must have cut her lips as she tasted blood in her mouth.

The forest grew thicker. The trees were alive, their branches prancing into the air. Their leaves seemed to be able to speak; they made sounds that sounded like whooshing and swooshing. They were blocking out the light of the sun, and it became darker and darker.

Bryan's screaming became increasingly elusive. It was at times clear and loud, but at times distant.

"Bryan! Bryan! Bryan!"

There was no reply.

The trees all looked the same, and they seemed sinister, even evil. Mia knew she was lost. In fact, she was trapped.

These trees are not normal trees. This was not a dream. She could see the scratches on her hands and legs, and they were painful. She could still taste the blood in her mouth. If this was a nightmare, she would have been jerked out of it by now. She would not be feeling and hearing so vividly.

She flopped down on the ground like a defeated lamb. This was some dark ancient magic. Her soul had been lured into this dark forest and she did not know how to get out.

What if this evil captor had also taken Bryan's soul? Or was it just a deception to trap her? She had no idea.