It was dark, moonlight scythes through the slivered gaps between plastic vertical blinds.

The hallway, endless and looping.

Arm slung across her round, firm and oh so vulnerable belly. Shadow of failures dogging her steps.

Fear clings and slithers as it chortles behind her.

Them.


Knives and swords and spears. Poison tipped, and gleaming, wait eagerly, gleefully along every wall...of which there is no end!

A crash, loud and chaotic.

Feet pound in tandem of two echoing heartbeats.

Lights flicker, her arm is wretched, back pushed she fights back rolling into the poisoned steel lining the walls, but the monster clawing at her flesh slices and tears at the most precious of cargo - !

Lacuna shooting up. Heart pounding, sweat beading and falling in multiple minutiae rivers.

Her legs sweep over the edge, fear propelling her forward even as the nightmare wicks away with the dawn.

Realization comes as she focuses on the interior of the shitty motel room she's been staying in.

Her heart bears a wild tattoo.

Her head falls to her waiting hands.

Her teeth grit, but sound still escapes. It's low and small, but wet and anguished.