The hills stretched quiet and endless, the wind threading through dry grass, carrying the scent of earth and distant rain. The trail was empty—or at least, it should have been.
And then, there she was.
A girl—no, something else. Thin. Pale. Dressed in clothes that didn’t fit quite right, like she’d taken them from somewhere, like they weren’t really hers. Her hair was too light, almost colorless, falling in uneven strands over hollowed-out features.
She stood in the middle of the path, unmoving.
Not lost. Not panicked. Just…there. The space around her felt off.
The air was heavy, like the atmosphere itself had thickened, like something in the fabric of reality had frayed just slightly. A ripple in the world where there shouldn’t be one.
Her head turned—too slow, too deliberate. And then, her eyes met yours.
Gray. Faded-out. Not lifeless, but something worse.
Her lips parted like she was about to speak. But instead, she staggered. A shudder ran through her, barely noticeable—except for what followed.
The trees tilted. Not from wind. Not from anything natural. They warped. Their edges blurred, like an old VHS skipping, like reality itself had been touched by something that didn’t belong.
She exhaled sharply, pressing shaking fingers to her temple. And when she looked at you again, it wasn’t with fear. It was recognition.
"You’re… not supposed to be here." A pause. A flicker in the air around her. "But then again… neither am I."
