The sun was bright, too bright
—like it was trying too hard to prove the world was normal.
Becky sat in the university courtyard, her notebook open, though she hadn't written a single word. Around her, Gail and Carly chatted about some assignment, while Gary munched on an energy bar like it was his last meal before war.
Everything looked normal.
Felt normal.
Sounded normal.
But inside her head, the dream wouldn't let go.
That voice
—low and dark
—kept replaying her name in a way that made her skin crawl.
She could still feel his gaze.
The vampire.
His burning eyes.
The way his hand reached for her like he already owned her.
"Beck?" Gail nudged her shoulder. "You okay? You've zoned out five times already."
Becky blinked and forced a smile. "Yeah. Just didn't sleep well."
"Nightmare again?" Gary asked, lowering his snack.
She hesitated.
Carly leaned forward. "Is it the same one?"
Becky looked at all three of them. The words were there
—there was a vampire, two flowers, butterflies, and blood
—but she couldn't say it.
It sounded too insane.
"Just a weird dream," she said instead. "It doesn't matter."
But when a butterfly passed between them
—black, with violet-tinted wings—her breath hitched.
And in that moment, she knew. The dream hadn't ended. It had followed her.