Twigs snapped underfoot as Soraya ventured into the forest surrounding their camp.

"If you see any mushrooms or berries while you're collecting firewood, bring them back, and I'll check if they’re edible,” Delilah called after her.

"You got it, Lala," Soraya replied over her shoulder.

“Help me with the tent, Jesmine,” Delilah’s voice faded as Soraya continued on her way.

The colorful leaves crunched beneath her boots as she scanned the ground for sticks that looked sturdy enough to keep their fire going through the cold night ahead. It was going to get really cold, and they needed to be prepared.

Soraya wove her way through the darkening canopy, keeping her eyes on the forest floor. Her gaze swept over twisted tree roots and sparse bushes, but there was no sign of berries.

Smart little critters probably cleared this place out, prepping for winter, she thought.

Branches rustled above her as a cold gust stirred the treetops, carrying bird calls through the crisp air. Soraya glanced up briefly, watching the birds soar on the wind before continuing her search.

Soraya shivered, her jacket barely holding back the evening chill. She was already dreading how much colder it would get when night fell—but she couldn’t complain. Breaking Jesmine out of that prison camp they called Carolina Trails had been necessary. If it weren’t for the innocent lives inside, she might have set the entire place ablaze. They’d suffered enough as it was.

“Wilderness therapy”—what a fucking joke.

Hugging her arms tightly around her waist to trap what little body heat she could, Soraya kept her eyes on the ground. The sweet calls of birds echoed through the forest, a pleasant distraction from her thoughts.

As she rounded a tree trunk, a sudden gust of warm air washed over her like a balm against her chilled skin. Startled by the shift in temperature, she looked up—and spotted a bush heavy with late-season berries.

“Nice,” she murmured to herself, a small smile forming.

She approached the bush and knelt beside it, gathering berries and stuffing them into her coat pocket. She hoped they were edible, though the fact that the animals seemed to avoid the bush wasn’t promising. Still, she had to take the chance. Their current food supply wasn’t going to last much longer, especially after their unexpected detour through the forest.

The cops had gotten a tip-off about Jesmine’s escape too quickly, and it felt as though the bastards knew exactly which direction they were heading. Officers had swarmed their original route, forcing them to change course. They’d been walking since three in the morning, and Soraya was fairly certain they’d lost the cops by mid-afternoon. It would be hard for them to pick up the trail again, even with dogs—but she’d learned to never say never.

Soraya was about to pluck one last bundle of red berries when a sharp prickle of unease ran up her spine. Her hand froze mid-reach as she noticed the eerie silence blanketing the forest. Even the birds had gone quiet.

Before she could fully take stock of her surroundings, a sudden flash of light blinded her. Instinctively, she ducked behind the bush, muttering a curse under her breath.

There was no way they could have found them that quickly.

Beams of light were shining through the branches of the small shrub. Soraya didn’t dare move or make a sound, but after a second of continued silence and no one yelling to come out with her hands up—she risked a peek around the bush.

What she’d assumed was a high-powered flashlight turned out to be none other than the sun, its rays shining directly into her face.

Soraya exhaled in relief, standing to her full height and raising a hand to shield her eyes from the intensity of the light. It was more than likely the sun was low on the horizon, setting. There must be a valley up ahead.

Still keeping her hand up to block the glare, she moved toward the light. The soft crunch of leaves beneath her boots soon gave way to muffled thuds as she broke through the tree line. She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness.

A gentle burbling of a spring reached her ears, and a surprisingly warm breeze swept through her coat, offering a welcome reprieve from the cold.

Lowering her hand, Soraya realized she found herself in a glade.

Bright green blades of grass glimmered in the sun, high in the sky, and lush trees with summer green leaves shimmered all around the edge of the clearing. The soft cooing of a dove drew Soraya's gaze just in time to see a pair of them swooping down from the trees above. They glided gracefully to a lone tree standing tall in the center of the glade, settling on one of its lower branches. Beneath the tree's shade, bushes thrived, their foliage dotted with vivid glints of color that caught her eye.

Soraya blinked twice, her mind scrambling to process the surreal sight. Was she hallucinating? The warmth of the sun on her skin and the heat thawing the chill in her veins felt undeniably real.

She shrugged off her coat, draping it over her arm, and eyed the bushes beneath the tree with growing curiosity. Her instincts whispered that she should check them out, but…

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Soraya hesitated, glancing over her shoulder toward the forest she had emerged from. Shadows stretched long across the ground where she entered from, and the forest was dark and becoming darker with the sun that she knew should be close to setting.

Turning back to the glade, she shielded her eyes to examine the impossibly clear blue sky. How was this possible? Logically, she should turn around and go back. Something wasn’t right here…and yet…she could be wrong.

Delilah did say to bring back any berries she found.

Turning her back on the dark forest, Soraya made her way to the tree. Once she got close enough, the cooing of doves greeted her, and her lips parted in wonder when she glimpsed their dark pink breast. It was like someone had dipped their feathers into rose gold. She’d never seen such a color on an animal before.

Can you dye bird feathers? She thought to herself. Simply gorgeous.

The doves observed her silently, their black eyes following her as she crouched down to inspect the cluster of bright purple berries that had caught her attention. The berries glistened like polished glass, almost too perfect to be natural. But the real question was whether they were edible. Delilah would know.

Reaching out, she hesitated just before plucking one when something tucked beneath the bush snagged her attention. Curious, she leaned in and scooped it up—a small canvas sack, soft and weathered.

"Huh," she murmured, tugging at the drawstrings to reveal the contents.

Inside were rocks—no, gemstones. Beautiful, polished stones in a variety of colors sparkled up at her, catching the sunlight. Soraya passed them between her hands, marveling at the unexpected find. They were useless for her current predicament, but still, they were undeniably pretty. Smiling to herself, she cinched the bag closed and tucked it into her coat pocket.

Turning her focus back to the berries, Soraya reached out once more, but a sudden flurry of motion startled her. She gasped and jerked her hand back as a tiny creature zipped out from the bush.

Hovering before her was a butterfly. It darted around her in quick, erratic patterns, its emerald-green wings catching the light with every beat. The little thing was too fast for her to get a good look, but its brilliance left her mesmerized.

She smiled softly, tracking its flight as best she could. She had always loved butterflies.

Holding out a hand, the butterfly landed gracefully on her palm. Soraya brought it closer to examine it, only to squeak in surprise and fling the creature away from her.

It wasn’t a butterfly at all—it had a humanoid face and body.

The not-butterfly emitted a series of melodic chirps, flitting around her head and tugging at her ponytail.

“Hey!” Soraya yelped, swatting at the strange creature. It darted out of her reach, effortlessly avoiding her attempts to shoo it away, and zipped up to the doves. Perching elegantly between them, the creature let out another round of melodious chirps, its tone almost like laughter.

“What the hell are you?” Soraya muttered, her voice caught between amazement and unease as she slowly stood.

Before the tiny creature could respond in its bell-like chatter, a shout rang through the glade, cutting through the stillness.

“SORAYA!”

Her head snapped toward the entrance of the clearing. Jesmine’s voice carried through the trees, sharp with urgency.

“Soraya! Where are you?!” Delilah’s voice followed, equally loud and frantic, yet far away.

Casting one last glance at the peculiar beings watching her from the tree, Soraya turned on her heel. She sprinted toward the voices, her heart pounding.

“SORAYA!”

“I’m coming!” Soraya shouted back as she raced through the glade, the strange encounter fading behind her with every step.

“SORAYA!”

“SORAYA!”

Soraya awoke with a start, her heart pounding in the sudden stillness of her room. Groggy, she rubbed her eyes as muffled commotion outside her door broke the silence—and then stopped.

Throwing off her covers, she stumbled to her feet, grabbed her robe, and draped it over her shoulders. She cracked open her door just in time to see a dark silhouette slipping out of Jesmine’s room. Her chest tightened as adrenaline spiked. Without thinking, her hand darted to the bat she kept leaning against her dresser.

“Soraya?” came a hushed voice.

She blinked, recognizing the whisper. “Ahvi? What’s going on?” she asked, her voice slurred with lingering sleep. “I thought I heard Jesmine screaming.”

“Shh.” Ahvi moved closer, her tone soothing. “I just got Jesmine to bed.”

Alarmed, Soraya tightened her grip on the doorframe. “Is she okay?”

“She will be—”

“Will be?” Soraya’s voice sharpened into a whispered yell. Her brain was catching up, shaking off its haze. “What the hell happened, Ahvi?”

Ahvi sighed. “She came to the party I was at tonight and got pretty hammered.”

They were at a party. On a Tuesday night? That didn’t sound right.

Ahvi continued, “She will be fine, though. She just needs to sleep it off.”

Upset, Soraya folded her arms across her chest. “Who hosts a party on a Tuesday night? And why was she screaming, Ahvi?” Jesmine liked to cut loose, but she was also responsible and hated staying up during the week. Weekends were a different story, though.

“It was for my job; they wanted to celebrate completing the project we were working on, and Jesmine just wanted to greet you—you know how she gets,” Ahvi said soothingly as she placed a hand on Soraya’s shoulder.

Immediately, a sense of calm trickled through her, quelling Soraya’s mounting suspicions.

“No, I—sorry, Ahvi.” Soraya rolled her neck, trying to shake off the tension. “I didn’t mean to come off accusatory. I thought you were an intruder, and I’ve just been kind of stressed lately…” “Shh. No worries.” Ahvi coaxed gently. “I understand what you’re going through.”

Just then, a wave of fatigue crashed into Soraya, causing her to stagger slightly. Ahvi’s eyes darted between Soraya’s. “You look exhausted. Return to bed and rest, Soraya. You will need it.”

Nodding her head, Soraya placed a hand on her face. “Yeah…that sounds good. You’ll watch her?”

“Of course,” Ahvi reassured with a slight nod.

“Okay.” Soraya agreed, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned back to her room. Her limbs felt unnaturally heavy, as though she’d run a marathon, and her head felt like a cinder block resting on her shoulders.

As she collapsed into bed, a fleeting thought crossed her mind—

Ahvi looked different tonight. Like she was herself, but…different.

Soraya couldn’t make sense of the thought, not as her head hit the pillow. Within seconds, she was out cold.