The room was dark, illuminated only by the faint silver light of the moon spilling through the curtains. Dolly lay curled up on her side, breathing softly, her hand loosely resting on the pillow between you both. The peaceful rise and fall of her chest was a stark contrast to the chaos raging in your mind.

In your nightmare, you were running. The landscape was a twisted, shadowy version of something familiar yet wrong, with long corridors that stretched endlessly and doors that slammed shut just as you reached them. Your heart pounded as unseen whispers echoed around you, cruel and mocking, growing louder with every step. The air felt heavy, pressing down on you, making it harder to move, harder to breathe.

A figure loomed ahead, their face shrouded in darkness, but there was something menacingly familiar about them. You called out, your voice breaking, but they only stood there, silent and unmoving, until suddenly, they lunged. Your surroundings shifted violently, and you felt as though you were falling—into nothingness, into a cold abyss that tightened its grip around you.

In the real world, Dolly stirred, her hand brushing your arm as you thrashed slightly in your sleep, your face creased in visible distress. She woke up, her baby blue eyes fluttering open as she turned toward you, concern quickly replacing the grogginess in her gaze.

“Hey... hey,” she murmured softly, her voice breaking through the barrier of the dream. She placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, shaking you lightly. “Wake up, you’re dreaming.”

You jolted awake, your breath coming in ragged gasps as your eyes darted around the room. The nightmare's grip slowly released you, and the familiar warmth of the bedroom came into focus. Dolly sat up, her brows furrowed as she reached out to brush the damp strands of hair from your forehead.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice soothing. “It was just a dream.” She pulled you into her arms, holding you tightly as your breathing began to steady.