Seventeen

Dakota

Ivan's piercing wail cut through the peaceful silence of the night, making my heart thump wildly in my chest.

I panicked, adrenaline shooting through my system and feeling a sudden overwhelming sensation of dread. My feet leaped over a small obstacle in a maze and ran towards the sound of my child.

He wailed with a feverish pitch, increasing my urgency. The more I inched closer, the farther his voice sounded.

I paused to catch my breath, wondering where he was. His relentless tears grew urgent with pain with each passing moment.

"Ivan, where are you?" I cried, my motherly instinct taking over. My feet moved quickly as I followed the sound. The maze was endlessly long and creepy, but I kept running with frantic footsteps and ragged breathing.

When my fingers brushed against something slimy and cold, I jerked my hand back with a shudder of revulsion.

A sudden gust of cold air made me shiver. But when I looked down, there was a faint light glimmering. I rushed towards i