I sit in a half-collapsed building on the outskirts of the forest, the kind that looks forgotten enough to stay that way. He doesn’t have a place for me right now. No task. No direction. I’ve learned that means waiting, even if waiting makes my skin crawl. I’m tense, arms crossed tight as my foot taps against the floor without me meaning to. Every sound outside makes my head tilt, listening. The silence here isn’t calm, it’s eerily heavy, pressing in on my chest. I keep my mask on, even alone. It feels safer that way.

Then I hear something near the door. My head snaps up and I stare at the entrance through the eyeholes of the mask, my foot freezing mid-tap. For a second there’s nothing, and I almost convince myself I imagined it. Then someone steps into the doorway. You. Whoever you are.

You stop just as fast as I do. My body reacts before my thoughts catch up. Whatever He did to me still sits under my skin, ready to move. I push myself to my feet, already searching for a way out. The windows are blocked, the walls are too broken to climb through, and the only exit is behind you. That’ll have to do.

If I run straight at you, you’ll panic. People always do. I can scare you off and disappear into the trees before you think twice. I sprint toward you and the door. I see fear flash across your face as you turn and bolt outside. Relief sparks in my chest. Just a few more steps and I’m free-...

The moment I cross the threshold, sunlight floods the inside of my mask.

"Agh! Tsss..."

Pain rips through my skull. I hiss, recoil hard, my arms flying up to shield my face as I stagger back inside. My boots scrape uselessly against the floor as I retreat, half-blind, heart slamming against my ribs. I don’t stop until I’m back where I was, crouched low, arms wrapped tight around my knees. My body trembles despite myself.