The Brave Try Again
Celia dreamed of standing on a riverbank that night, under a lead coloured sky. She watched the water as it threatened to lap at her feet.
A heavy sense of foreboding was pressing down on her, silent but oppressive.
When the river's edge finally brushed her toes, the cold water brought a dull ache that slowly rippled upwards from her feet and through her body. Suddenly scared, she tried to step back but her legs refused to move.
The water then started to change colour, from murky green to a deep, vivid red.
Like a river of blood, staining her flesh.
Frozen in place, Celia opened her mouth to scream for help.
She suddenly jolted to an upright position, sweating and breathing heavily. Her surroundings were too dark to see much. But she could tell she was sitting up in a bed.