Anne finally woke up... but in a weird landscape, around her was a dark forest, with endless trees and nothing in sight, the moon blood red hanging in the sky, howls tearing through the air. The scenery felt so familiar yet so far fetched—nothing seem real.
Then she saw IT, in it's true form, something intangible yet she was sure it was there, an invisible force, so small yet so strong, the pressure tore through her mind and shattered it like glass.
She panicked yet she couldn't move, her mind raced yet her body unresponsive—betraying her. Her heart lurching in her chest, her eyes trickled rivers of blood. she couldn't stop IT's ascend towards her.
IT screeched, yet she could hear it's every word. "Ah, first time meeting yes? That explains why you're so scared." IT's voice dripped with malice—trying to comfort her mind. "This, is my domain, it shall be your home with all the others."
'Others? There are others in here? Am I not alone?'
Her mind comforted itself in hope of getting back rationality, thinking, how to get out? But finally, survival instincts had spoken, without restrictions: If you're already in its domain, there's nothing you can do but wait for death, don't resist, it might make your death worse.
Anne suddenly was calm, collected the pieces of her mind, and concentrated, knowing this is but an illusion, she broke through—reality tore itself, bringing her to a revelation.
Anne finally woke up, this time in a hospital bed, yet strangely calm—she never remembered anything, as nothing was real in that place.
"Hey, are you ok?" A voice drifted towards her, from the corner of the room. It was Michael, but seeing him, Anne panicked once again, what if he asks her about what happened? she doesn't have anything to answer him with...
"You were out for a day... If you're uncomfortable, I can leave... But make sure to take care of yourself" His voice softened, comforting. Anne relaxed a bit—yet she was still on-edge.
Finally, it was her first real day clocking in to work, it was quite pleasant, as nothing happened today, no sudden pains—that made her question, 'Why so quite today?'
And yet like magic, IT responded with a burst of pain "Heh, you're a masochist eh? Like pain? Well, don't you question me. Everything is in my control."
Anne's heart pounded, realizing she wasn't all free—not yet...