“Sammy! Sammy!”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ5UY2jKej
She heard her mother’s voice, distant and echoing. It was calling her from somewhere… nowhere. Sammy ran—blindly—trying to find the source, but the more she ran, the further it seemed. Darkness pressed in on all sides like a thick fog, and her breath came in shallow gasps. She turned a corner and saw nothing but blackness stretching endlessly, like the world had fallen off its own edge.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAM88wOq6s
Then—
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGq1XKHCSfO
A blinding light.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40iSjGh0Wu
She jolted awake.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkmpU728Ff
Daylight spilled through the window. Her nightgown clung to her skin, soaked in sweat. Sammy sat up, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Was that another dream? she wondered. What’s going on with me? Why do these dreams feel so real? Her fingers trembled slightly as she brushed her damp hair back.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30qTHFZhgV
“Sammy, come down, darling! Breakfast is ready!” her mother—Mrs. Smith—called cheerfully from downstairs.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8w4lWjgjh
She checked the clock: 8:00 AM.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pLnMF5e7u
With a sigh, Sammy got out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom. The coolness of the tiles grounded her a bit. She turned on the tap, leaned over, and splashed her face.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52WUpP9zDF
Click.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FeuPINQV4
She froze.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNlwV4wQ6p
The sound came from her room.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6V7IYw74wY
She turned off the tap. Silence.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mXFMQBnvS
Click.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmzy2rL8QF
The sound again. Her pulse quickened.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlbN34LBeT
Her mind raced back to the dream—the endless road, the suffocating dark, the grotesque figure with hollow eyes. Something about this moment felt wrong.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsdPX73EuO
Then—rattle.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeStcwrTx7J
It came from the door.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8ksgxIxFB
Sammy, driven by a sudden rush of panic, yanked open the bathroom door and rushed into her room.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTxB3eRWQf
A small figure stood there—a boy, maybe ten years old, holding her geometry box in both hands.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdeusZIxDj
It was just Ricky, her younger brother.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7bL4uzT2I
“Ricky!” she snapped. “Why didn’t you knock before coming in?”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKXR99ji2v
Ricky just grinned, mischievously. He flipped open the box, took out her new pencil, held it up like a prize, and slipped it into his pocket.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsonL7g02JH
“This is mine now!” he declared and darted for the door.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1Ru8sbcGN
“Dad bought that for me!” Sammy shouted, chasing after him.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRFXxcdeUO
But he was already gone—his laughter echoing down the corridor.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DBg9h1P1t
Sammy groaned and stomped back toward the bathroom.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4KN0oeSLT
But for a brief moment… as she passed the mirror, she paused.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW47CCK74gN
The reflection was still.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYQ0NuVwWg
Her body moved.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1mTBs9EbK
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NrWFoAQGp
She stood frozen, staring at the mirror in disbelief.
Had her reflection really stayed still... while she moved?
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYHY5YgVsw
Was it real, or were the dreams beginning to mess with her mind?
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV77NCBoN9T
Her mother’s voice rang out again from downstairs.
“Sammy! Come on, sweetheart!”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEaPYgGi13
Shaking off the lingering chill, Sammy called back, “Coming!”
She turned away from the mirror and opened her closet.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMCnxUf1RN
Her eyes landed on a dress that felt just right—soft and airy, with delicate floral prints that matched her free-spirited vibe. She slipped into it, letting the fabric flow around her legs, hoping its lightness would lift the heaviness in her chest.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vUzVnpGep
As she finished adjusting the dress and faced the mirror again, her phone buzzed behind her.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpptkW4kiF
Sammy walked to her study table and picked it up. A flood of notifications lit up the screen—texts from her friends, all wishing her a happy 17th birthday.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifmXAZ9xMH
She smiled faintly. Seventeen.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbadBUAa14c
With quick fingers, she typed out replies, thanking them. For a moment, everything felt... normal.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcn8aQckdCf
Then she headed down to the dining room, unaware that the mirror upstairs still showed a girl standing there—facing it.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTyxCFildQ
And she wasn’t smiling.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xjyAAXagH
Everyone was already at the table.
Her mother, her father, and even Ricky were seated, laughing and eating. One seat remained empty—the one right across from Mr. Smith. It was hers.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqN5LUSUjZ
“Good morning, Sam. Did you sleep well?” her father asked without looking up from the newspaper.
Sammy gave a small nod, not trusting her voice yet. The images from the night still clung to her like cobwebs.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWnzAs2txR
The table was covered in her favorite dishes. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit salad, sausages—all steaming and perfect. Her stomach growled in protest against the nausea from the morning’s memory. Her mother handed her a plate with a warm smile.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWkM4NOTHN
Just as she picked up a piece of pancake, Ricky snatched it from her hand and stuffed it in his mouth.
With cheeks full, he grinned. “Mine now.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80dF4XPCfA
Sammy rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“Ricky, have some manners!” her mother snapped.
Still chewing, Ricky only laughed louder.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELg5iLedxy
Mrs. Smith scowled. “Next time you pull that, you’ll be sitting on the floor to eat.”
Before anyone could say more, Mr. Smith interjected in a lighter tone, “So, Sam. First day of the new session—and your last year at school. You excited?”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrJzVJRgKG
Sammy forced a smile. “Yeah... I hope this year turns out good.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoq9RZvhdn
As breakfast continued, her smile slowly faded.
No one had said it. No one wished her.
It was her seventeenth birthday, and yet... nothing.
Maybe they were planning a surprise? She hoped so.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8l1spAmj2E
Still, an uneasiness crept under her skin. She stayed seated even after the others left. Mrs. Smith noticed.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuwRQr6pq0
“Sam? Is everything okay? You seem... tense.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8AtjB78AL
Sammy snapped out of her thoughts. “Yeah. I’m fine, Mom.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2jHVk5Nqe
She stood up and wandered to the dining room window. Outside, a few people strolled past their house. Birds chirped in the dense greenery of their overgrown garden. The sky was an almost surreal shade of blue. Her parents were in the living room next door—her father smoking while her mother poured tea. Ricky ran in circles with his toy car, making obnoxious “vroom vroom” sounds that echoed off the walls.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xztlGopvm
But her mind drifted. Back to the blackness.
Back to the Void.
She stared at the sky, but it felt as though it stared back. The colors began to fade into grey.
The chirping dulled.
The sounds of the house—muted.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxfMLaalnf
Then—CRASH!
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74Brba0l3b
Ricky slammed into her.
Sammy fell with a thud, pain blooming up her arm.
“Ahhh!” she gasped, breath knocked out of her lungs.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPuvUqQWXN
Her brother froze in place, the toy car still in his hand.
Mrs. Smith came rushing in. “What on earth, Ricky?!”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQSBpE57PP
As Sammy sat up, brushing herself off, Ricky darted away without a word.
Mrs. Smith knelt beside her. “Are you alright, dear?”
Sammy nodded slowly. Her head was spinning.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bPnlb5VT5
While climbing the stairs, she glanced down—her mother was gently rubbing antiseptic on Ricky’s scraped knee.
He stood still, guilty, eyes watery at the corners.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWYuDdnrKq
“This is why I tell you not to run around the house,” her mother said firmly.
Sammy wanted to go down and hug him, to let him know it was alright...
But she couldn’t.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡle4BNZAnzp
Her heart was pounding.
Not from the fall.
From the pull.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQqEjoPGTf
That endless dark...
That Void.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJXrjYbhwZ
It was calling to her. Drawing her in like a whisper between thoughts.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0T4wxDPFY
Back in her room, she sat on her bed and held her head. It ached—pulsed, throbbed—each beat syncing with the echo of the void in her mind.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIA56HpYvf
Why wouldn’t it stop?
Why did it feel like something was... watching?
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFAiOFDkfB
Her phone rang, the sudden sound cutting through the thick silence in the room.
She flinched.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVag5j7zBn
It was Marcus—a boy from school. They had been talking more lately. Laughing between classes. Sharing music. Walking together after school.
Just a few days ago, one of her friends whispered that Marcus might have a crush on her.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9b0DsGK7Z
Sammy wasn’t sure how she felt. She liked him. He was kind, thoughtful... honest.
But something kept her from thinking too far ahead. Like something unfinished. Unspoken. So she let things stay as they were.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbOaXc50cR
With a shaky breath, she answered.
“Hello?”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgpZm0oJC5
“Hey... is everything alright?” Marcus’s voice was soft. Concerned. “You sound a bit... off.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOfDHANU61
“Yeah, yeah,” she said quickly. “Just... tired.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZDPeI6G38
There was a short pause.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaF9j2EUWV
“Happy Birthday, Sammy. Seventeen today.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzGcKFYgPI
She smiled faintly. “Thanks.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzF22H7yFEK
“How’s your sister, Marcus?” she asked, changing the subject.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhMl4Z2fVy
“She’s doing better. The fever’s gone, and the doctors say she might be discharged tomorrow.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHbLMqgPJB
“That’s really good,” Sammy replied warmly. “Would you mind if I came by the hospital after school? I... I really wanted to visit her.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkS79dvvC6
“Why would I mind?” he said, a touch of surprise in his voice. “She’d love to see you. And I think... so would Mom.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraCW7p48XB
“Then I’ll see you after school,” Sammy said.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNf0zc0zz6
“See you,” Marcus said gently.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtD5qeZX77x
“Bye.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxS3oDISSr
“Bye.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Z3oQWfJvm
As she hung up, her heart felt lighter. Memories of her and Marcus swirled through her mind—sunny afternoons, ice cream in the park, the sound of his laugh.
Her cheeks flushed pink. A tiny smile played at the corners of her lips. That funny little flutter danced in her stomach again, and this time it wasn’t fear. It was something warmer. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDPd0aO8cn
But then—
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx2glUKi14
CRASH.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyT50tX8zqb
A sound. Sharp. Metal. Echoing.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuV5kc7Zf2
From the bathroom.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeTMmXTTpd
She jolted upright, her breath catching.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf645kj1qB
Her heart skipped. Her throat tightened. The warmth in her chest turned icy.
Her eyes locked on the bathroom door.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Bim3FNBhy
It had come from there.
Something had fallen.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbWBO58JnP
And now… it was quiet again.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6vv8SOwh3
Too quiet.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoUmun12Ey
Her hand reached for the doorknob, trembling. She stood up slowly. Each step toward the bathroom felt heavier than the last. She could hear her own thoughts. Feel her pulse pounding in her ears.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrlLGQSpNi
The doorknob felt cold.
A shiver raced down her spine.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3opypJwqk
Part of her screamed don’t open it.
Another part—curious, stubborn—refused to listen.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX1Ky1JKzA
Click.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRA67yjWUqi
She turned the knob and opened the door—
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFw2mE7dmx
To find—
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpwGTJ4oeS
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0LzRimXzQ
然後按「加至主畫面」