Marina was seventeen when her life changed forever.
That day, after her stepfather's cruel words cut deeper than ever, she ran — tears blurring her vision — into the forest behind town. The cold wind bit at her cheeks as branches clawed at her arms. She didn't even realize she had been wandering for almost two hours.
That's when she saw it.
A house. Old, crooked, standing in the middle of nowhere.
She should have turned back. She didn't.
The wooden door creaked open on its own. Inside, dust swirled in the dim light. Then—
"Ah."
Marina spun around. A hunched old woman stood in the shadows, her hair a tangled mess, her eyes sharp and strange.
Marina's breath caught. Darkness rushed in. She fainted.
When she woke, the woman's face was inches from hers.
"Ahh!" Marina screamed, heart slamming against her ribs. She fainted again.
The second time she woke, she bolted upright. "Who are you? Where am I? What am I doing here? How did I—"
"Tsk. Too many questions from such a little mouth," the woman said. She handed Marina a cup filled with something purple.
"What is this?" Marina asked, frowning.
"Just drink it, you nuthead."
Marina glared but drank it anyway. The taste was… strange. Not alcohol, not juice—something else entirely.
Her head swam. She collapsed again.
When she opened her eyes this time—she was home.
Was it… a dream?
She went back to the same spot that afternoon. But there was no forest. No house. Just empty land.
Shaking her head, Marina returned home, did her homework, and left for her part-time café job.
The day passed.
The next morning, she woke to the sight of a man standing at the foot of her bed. His skin was pale, his clothes white and torn, and a deep cut slashed across his face. He was smiling at her.
Marina screamed and bolted to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, pressing her back to it.
When she turned around—
He was standing inside with her.