Book 2 -4-

[Darkness]

SIERRA

Darkness.

A dense, inky blackness that seemed to stretch into nothingness, unlike the usual moonless night.

I couldn’t see a thing or hear a sound. Nothing to taste or smell other than darkness. Then panic gripped me, its frigid claws engulfing my body.

My hands reached out, wanting to feel something—anything — but nothing was there. Nothing except emptiness and terror. The darkness seemed to go on indefinitely. That was when my worry transformed into full-fledged fear, and fear into unspeakable horror.

I strained to scream. There was silence. What was happening? Where was I?

Sierra! A meek voice, a whisper in my head.

The darkness that had engulfed me for what felt like an eternity began to fade. In my consciousness, a pleasant voice drifted in and out. I could only hear a few words at a time.

“... your eyes...”

My eyes? What about them? What’s the matter with my eyes? Am I sleeping?

“... a long time...”

Time? What exactly is going on? Who is this woma