Page 37 of Nitro

Fear gripped me, and I hesitated to turn and look at the speaker.

Cold arms, strong as steel, wrapped around my body, and I flailed and struggled, realizing that Hicks held me in a death grip.

"You're staying here with me forever," he whispered in my ear, his words sending shivers down my spine.

Then my entire world went black but I kept on screaming.

A crash sounded from somewhere, ripping through the veil of my dreams.

I gasped, clawing at my pillow and sheets, my body reacting like a drowning man desperate for air.

I opened my eyes, finding the familiar outlines of my apartment slowly materializing in the dim light.

Calm down, I repeatedly told myself, trying to dispel the lingering disorientation from my waking mind.

Everything was fine, just the remnants of a dream fading away.

Then my gaze shifted to the window, and my heart lurched in my chest.

A pale figure clung to the outside, their face contorted with an eerie, otherworldly expression.

The mouth was opened wide, revealing outstretched fangs that gleamed in the darkness. I couldn't stifle the fear that gripped me.

I screamed again, the sound tearing from my throat in raw panic.

The figure remained, an ominous silhouette against the night, and the rational part of my mind struggled to comprehend what I was seeing.

Was it real or just another manifestation of my nightmares?

The pale face continued to stare, and the fangs seemed to elongate, casting a haunting shadow on the window pane.

My pulse raced, and I fumbled for the lamp on the bedside table. The harsh light revealed an empty window, dispelling the illusion.

Then, someone was shaking me violently.

My first instinct was to curl into a ball, to shield myself from whatever threat lurked in the shadows.

"No, fight," my inner magpie screamed, urging me to resist the grasp of the nightmare.

I lunged at my unseen attacker, fists swinging, only to find it was Nitro. He gripped my shoulders, concern in his eyes.

My heart pounded erratically, caught between the grip of the dream and the reality of Nitro's presence.

Unthinkingly, I launched myself at him, my body seeking solace in the safety of his embrace.

I was confident he'd catch me, and he did, wrapping his arms tightly around my shaking form.

His steady presence anchored me in the waking world.

"You were just standing outside the house, waiting for me. I tried calling out to you, but you couldn't hear me," I whispered, my voice trembling.

Nitro started stroking my back, a comforting rhythm that gradually soothed the lingering panic.

As the tendrils of the nightmare loosened their grip on my mind, I finally realized it was all a figment of my imagination.

The old house, the fear, the haunting images—they all melted away in the warmth of Nitro's embrace.

"Shh, you're safe now," he murmured.

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