Lynette pushed open the door with a creak. What came into view was a dim, dark room. The silence inside felt eerily thick and wrong in a way that bred fear.
She traced her hand along the wall to her left, searching for the light switch
Where could the switch be?
Trailing her hand to the right, Lynette had no idea she had drifted from the door.
Using the dim light from the window; though it barely helped, she tried to find her way back to the door.
Lynette no longer knew where the door was. The room was pitch-dark; even the faint dimness was of no use.
Relying on instinct failed her too. Especially when she had no sense of where she was, how could it guide her?
If she had known, she would never have insisted on moving forward after noticing the long passageway.
She regretted not bringing her phone with her.
Regretted asking the maid for directions.
Regretted accepting the errand from Jammy Granny.
Regretted coming to this mansion.
Regretted walking through the passageway.
Regretted stepping into this dark room, mistaking it for a restroom.
There were many regrets, but Lynette knew there was no remedy for them.
Scratching her hair in frustration, Lynette stood there, lost and unsure of what to do next.
What do I do? I’m lost in the dark.
Maybe I should keep moving forward. If I’m lucky, I might find my way back to the passageway.
She wondered if the butler had noticed her absence. If he would come looking for her.
She moved forward blindly–
When suddenly, she tripped over something.
“Ahhh—!”
I’m done for… it’s over.
Lynette screamed in alarm, falling headfirst.
Hitting her head against the hard floor, Lynette felt the impact burst through her skull, as though it might split open.
Warm liquid slid down from her forehead, dripping along the side of her face. She lifted a trembling hand to the side of her face. She felt the blood that had coated her fingers.
Her breath faltered. Was she… disfigured?
This wasn’t like the falls in movies or books. No dramatic rescue. No knight in shining armor.
What welcomed her was the silence and darkness.
No one was coming to save her.
“Ahh—!”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
She should have known. This day would bring her nothing but bad luck and misfortune.
Gritting her teeth, Lynette tried to stand up, when her foot slipped.
“…!”
She fell again, her body rolling, dropping into what felt like a pit. The impact wasn’t soft.
But instead of the hard floor, her body struck something cold, unnaturally cold.
It was hard beneath her, yet not quite like the floor. Her skin stung from the impact.
It felt like wood, but colder. As though it were ice sealed inside timber. Like the chill of a refrigerator, and yet… it wasn’t a refrigerator.
She must have bruised her knees too, from the impact. The dull ache was killing her with every shallow breath she took.
Her bloodied hands traced the surface beneath her. It was tall, too tall.
Realization dawned on her…
Could this be a coffin…?
Blood drained from her already pale face when she realized what she had fallen on.
No, no—it couldn’t be.
Please… let it just be a box. Anything but a coffin.
Her chest tightened, beating with every shallow breath.
Am I… going to die here?
On top of something like this?
Blood dripped steadily from her wound, dark drops staining the surface beneath her.
The cold seeping from it pressed into her skin, creeping deeper, as if stealing her warmth.
Lynette felt her vision become blurry, her head felt heavy, and her consciousness began to slip.
Her thoughts drifted far into something dark and pessimistic.
If I disappear… will anyone miss me?
Her family would, likewise her best friend.
But Daniella, that woman would celebrate her death like it was a festival.
She didn’t want to die, not yet.
There were too many wishes she had yet to fulfill.
“Someone… please save me,” Lynette whispered, her voice so faint it barely stirred the air.
It's true that at death’s door, people clung to life with everything they had, willing to trade anything just to breathe a little longer.
That was how Lynette felt, as fear spread through her like poison, corroding her thoughts; her eyes felt empty like a lost lamb.
The darkness of the room only festered it further.
Darkness overwhelmed Lynette as exhaustion claimed her, and she lost consciousness.
‘ If only…’