Lost in Reality

Billie wondered what had just happened as she pulled herself out of her parents' hug. She had just seen Miron a second ago, but now he was gone. she walked towards the tree that she had seen him stand by, and no one was there.

"Papa, Didn't you see Miron just now?" she asked her father.

Billie turned around as there was no response and she was shocked to see her parents gone.

"Mama?" she called out, her voice shaking. "Papa?"

Billie's sudden disorientation was overwhelming. The world around her seemed to shift and twist as if she had been plunged into a vortex. Her eyes struggled to focus, and her head spun with vertigo. She felt as though she had been violently wrenched from her surroundings and thrown into a strange new place.

As the disorientation cleared, she realized she was lying on the floor of her bedroom. Her body ached all over, and her muscles felt sore and stiff. It was as if she had been lying there for hours, unable to move. She tried to stand up, but her legs gave out beneath her, and she fell back down onto the floor.

A wave of nausea hit her, and she scrambled to the bathroom, barely making it in time before she vomited violently into the toilet. Her stomach was empty, but her body continued to heave, as if trying to expel something deeper inside her. The smell of bile and stomach acid filled her nose, making her retch again.

As she sat there, head bowed over the toilet, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disorientation and confusion. Slowly, she stood up, her legs shaking beneath her. She splashed some water on her face, trying to clear her head.

As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she realized she was wearing the same turtleneck T-shirt she had on earlier that morning. Her phone confirmed that it was still noon, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was going insane.

She was all sweaty and puzzled.

Billie's mind raced as she tried to make sense of everything. 'Was it all just a nightmare? But I had spoken to my parents, hadn't I? And what about Simmy?'

she rushed outside her room and found their living room empty and the kitchen was messy from preparing for the community Tuesday. She rushed towards her brother's room and found it empty.

'I should call Mama' she decided.

She got back to her room and took out her phone. She knew she had to check up even though it all seemed like a nightmare and not being able to remember a part of the morning.

She called her mom and the call connected.

"Mama?"

"Billie? We're still on the feast, we'll be a bit late"

"Well, Simmy?"

"What about him?" her mother said bluntly, Billie's heart sank.

'Is he not with them if not here?' her mind was going crazy, she couldn't figure out what the hell was happening.

"He is having the time of his life right now" his mother continued with a soft chuckle and it was noisy as she heard people cheering and singing.

"Alright, Mama Be safe" She hung up the call, feeling extremely relieved.

Her mind was racing, trying to get a grip on her reality. Suddenly a strange thought popped up in her mind.

She grabbed her trench coat charged out of her house and hopped on her bike riding towards the school.

She felt exhausted as she pedaled towards her school, the afternoon sun wasn't doing much work as the air was still cold.

Finally, she reached the place.

The place where they had diverted by the Blue mist to get into the woods.

She parked her bike on the side of the road and walked furiously on the same path where they had entered the forest night before.

Despite getting sidetracked and losing her way several times, she eventually arrived at the spot.

There it was Scarcely covered in snow, looking old and tampered -- the hut they had stumbled Upon here.

She didn't know if it was the right thing to do or if it was what she had to do, but she had a hunch that her going crazy got something to do with this woman in the hut.

She tried to barge inside the hut but it was locked from inside. She knocked furiously and even started kicking the door looking like a maniac.

She was sad, afraid but on top of all that-- she was fuming with anger.

Just then the door opened revealing the familiar piercing blue eyes and the lady in her white shirt named Selena Moir.

Billie was taken aback at the abrupt revelation of Selena, even though she was banging on the door she didn't expect anyone would open it.

She was out of breath and lost for words.

On the other hand, Selena was cool and calm, her eyes digging a hole in Billie.

"What's up?" Selena spoke looking completely unbothered about the ruckus Billie had caused a while ago.

Billie stood there, speechless for a moment as Selena stared back at her with those piercing blue eyes. The anger that had fueled her to come here suddenly dissipated, replaced by a sense of unease. She took a step back, suddenly aware of how vulnerable she was out here in the woods, alone with this mysterious woman.

"What do you want?" Selena asked again, her tone even and unyielding.

"I-I just...I wanted to talk to you," Billie stammered, unsure of what she was even doing here. "About last night, and what happened in the woods."

Selena arched an eyebrow, as if amused. "And why would I have anything to do with that?"

Billie hesitated, feeling a sense of dread creeping up on her. "I don't know...I just had a feeling--"

Selena regarded her for a moment as if considering something. "We have nothing to discuss", she finally said closing the door shut on Billie's face.

Billie was left standing outside the hut, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt foolish for coming here, for thinking that this strange woman could give her any answers. But at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Selena.

As she walked back to her bike, she couldn't help but think about all that had happened. The death of her brother, the strange disappearance of her parents and Miron, the feeling of disorientation and confusion, and the intense nausea that had hit her. It was all so overwhelming, and she didn't know where to turn.