"AHHH—!!!"
Ron's eyes were wide, his pupils dilating from sheer terror until they nearly filled his sockets. He stared fixedly at the pale face right in front of him.
He wanted to leap out of bed, to escape this bizarre presence next to him, to flee this room and run out into the sunlight!
However, his body betrayed his will.
Two consecutive rounds of terrifying nightmares had already drained him of all his strength.
His limbs felt as if they were filled with cold, heavy lead, or perhaps bound tight by invisible ropes of fear. They were stiff and refused to obey him.
He tried to lift his leg, but his calf twitched spasmodically, devoid of any strength.
He tried to push himself up, but his arms trembled weakly. He couldn't even muster the strength to push away the blanket.
He could only remain where he was, gasping for breath.
The flame of the oil lamp cast flickering shadows across his terrified, contorted face and the boy's calm, placid one.
