Not yet

Clara pushed open the old door, her face flushed, instinctively folding her arms across herself, hoping no one will see her.

Then voices echoed.

She looked up to see a corridor full of people. Every pair of eyes seemed fixed on her. Conversations stopped. A camera flash burst from somewhere in the crowd. Her heart pounded as she hurried forward, desperately searching for somewhere to hide, but every doorway opened onto another room full of strangers.

"No... no, this can't be happening," she whispered.

The school corridors twisted impossibly, stretching farther with every step. The walls seemed to breathe, and the bright windows dissolved into tangled, crimson vines that spread across the room like living veins. A strange pressure filled the air, as though the nightmare itself was watching.

Clara froze, unable to move as the world around her dissolved into shadow.

She gasped and bolted upright in bed.

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. Her room was quiet. She was back in her pajamas, safe beneath the blankets, breathing hard as she pressed a hand against her racing heart.

After a long moment, she let out a shaky laugh.

"It was only a dream," she murmured.