I woke up drenched in sweat again. My chest rising and falling rapidly, my breathing was shallow, as if I had run for miles. My eyes slowly fluttered awake, adjusting to the soft light creeping through the window.

The green expanse lingered behind my vision, fading in and out like something forgotten trying to resurface. That woman, the woman in white was there, I think she was. But her face was a blur, the only thing I could see was her fluttering white gown, and the batch of daisies in her hand.

My body ached all over. I shifted, the weight of the world settling on me. It had been a few days since that last vision of the boy, yet his voice still echoed in my mind. She hadn't returned since then, no whispers, no warnings.

Just the stillness of silence, and the voice of that boy. It was soft yet haunting at the same time. Like a ghost, it danced inside my head, unseen yet its presence is palpable.

Emi had been coming over more often since that day. She was always there, beside me. Just like the good old days. Something about her kept pulling me whenever I started drifting toward that place, that strange meadow and the dark forest. I hadn't told her everything. How could I? How could I explain that the woman in my dreams was fading, slipping away, replaced by her? She would've thought I had gone insane.

I sat up, my head spinning slightly. The apartment was draped in silence, save for the faint hum of the fridge. Emi had cleaned up the place a few days ago, tossing out the empty bottles, tidying the ashtrays. She hadn't asked me for permission, nor did I stop her.

There was a sudden knock on the door. I already knew who it was. I pushed myself to my feet, legs still wobbly, each step felt heavy as I walked toward the door.

"Mark?" Her voice slipped through the door, calm and steady, shattering the stillness.

As I opened it, the morning breeze from the hallway washed over me, clearing me of my chaotic thoughts. The air enveloped my senses, anchoring me to the present, to reality.

There she stood, under the dim light of the hallway. Her auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders, her emerald eyes sparkling with emotions. She wore an outfit that brought back memories. She wore the leather jacket that I had bought for her a few years back. Beneath it, she had a white shirt that contrasted with the dark leather. Her blue fitted jeans accentuated her thighs, while her black converse matched the color of the jacket.

"Hey..."

My voice sounded hoarse. I sounded like an old man with cancer.

She stepped inside, brushing past me without a word said. I closed the door behind her, the soft 'click' echoing in the room. Emi walked into the living room, her gaze sweeping over the apartment, a subtle smile tugging at her lips.

'This does bring back memories.' I thought as my gaze remained planted on her back.

"Have you eaten today?" she asked, not looking at me as she sat her bag down on the table.

"Not yet."

I hadn't had an appetite for days. The emotions, the questions inside my head, dulled my senses. Even making the simplest of dishes loses their appeal, as if the flavors itself had vanished.

"You've got to stop this, Mark." She turned, her emerald eyes locking into my brown orbs. "You're fading."

"I'm fine."

Well, I lied and moved toward the kitchen, unsure of what I was looking for. My hand trembled as I opened the fridge, only to close it seconds later. There was nothing in there but the faint smell of decay.

"Cut the crap," Emi said sharply, shocking me. She was rarely this blunt. "Look at you. You look like you haven't slept in days, and you're as pale as a ghost."

I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. I wasn't fine; she was right about that. But what could I say? That every time I closed my eyes, I was back in that place? That I was having visions? That the line between dream and reality was a blur?

"I don't know anymore."

"You're shutting down, Mark." Her voice softened, stepping closer. "Let me help you."

Her words wrapped around me, grounding me, pulling me back to this world, this dull world. I wanted to let her in. I did. But every time I tried, that shadow of the woman, the one who was slipping away, tightened its grip on me, as if it was afraid, she...was afraid of being forgotten.

"I think...I'm sick."

"Sick?" Emi asked, her brows furrowing as she closed the space between us. Her hand reached out, brushing lightly against my arm, for a moment I wanted to pull away, wanted to step back. But I didn't.

"I've been seeing things again."

"This again, Mark." She sighed.

"The woman in white...she was there, in my dreams. I...I don't know how to explain it."

I shook my head, feeling the weight of my confession pressing down on me.

"But now...It's like she's disappearing. And...I don't know what to do."

Emi's hand tightening around mine. She didn't speak for a moment, just watched me, her emerald eyes soft and sad. "Mark..." she finally said, her voice a gentle whisper, "I think you need to see a doctor or a therapist."

I closed my eyes, and it happened. The room is spinning again. Her words were muffled, the world slipping away. And then, before I could respond, my legs gave way. The ground rushed up to meet me, and everything went black.

⁂

When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in my apartment. The green expanse stretched out before me endlessly and empty. It wasn't the same as the first time I came across this place. No, the air felt colder, the sky was darker, and the forest in the distance loomed like a shadow creeping ever closer.

I could feel it closing in on me. The weight of loneliness pressed down on me. The woman wasn't there, neither was the boy. I was alone, surrounded by a vast expanse of greenery, and the unsettling silence.

I took a step forward, the grass beneath me felt wet and slippery. The weight of this world was pressing down on me, suffocating me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. My chest tightened as a gust of wind swept through, carrying a whisper, a voice.

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

When I first heard it, it was soft, barely audible, yet clear enough to decipher the words.

The voice echoed in my head, faint but unmistakably the voice of a child. That same voice that had haunted me for days. The voice that kept whispering in my ears, not bothering to stop whether I was awake or asleep.

Then, the voice grew louder and louder, kept repeating those words, over and over. Much like a broken stereo, it assaulted my thoughts. I tried to cover my ears, a feeble attempt to drown out the noise, yet it didn't work.

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

"A promise is a promise, kay?"

A sudden nausea enveloped my senses, bringing me onto my knees. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaws. The voice was now screaming in my head. The ground trembled beneath me, my body shook, my hands covering my ears.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

I yelled amidst the chaos. Yet, the trembling became much more severe, the nausea intensified, and the voice grew louder, overwhelmingly loud, I felt like my head was about to explode. A sudden urge to vomit surged through me.

And as fast as I was brought to this world, everything disappeared. It all went black.

⁂

I woke up to the sound of Emi's voice. It was soft, barely audible. Yet, it was loud enough to cut through the haze. My body was drenched in sweat, my mind was racing, fear was tugging at my heart strings.

"Mark?" Emi's face walked into view, her hands gripping my shoulders. "You passed out," she said, her voice trembling, her words spilling out in a rush. "Jesus Christ, Mark, what happened?" Her gaze was intense, mixed with concern and sadness.

"I don't know."

The dream, the never-ending torture of the voice, the green expanse. It all felt real. too real and too close. I'm getting closer, I know I am. But as I looked into Emi's eyes, tears threatening to escape those emerald eyes of hers, something shifted within me.

The fear that had been gripping my heart began to ease, replaced by a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time. Emi was here. She was real.

And maybe, just maybe, she could save me.