red thread

Twilight
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence, raspy and low. “What brings you here, girl?” Karen jumped, her heart racing. “I—I was just passing by. I didn’t mean to intrude.” The door creaked wider, revealing an old woman with wild gray hair and sunken eyes that sparkled with a disturbing intensity. Well, come in then, I haven’t had visitor in a spell. “You shouldn’t be wandering these places alone. They hold secrets… dark ones.” “What do you mean?” Karen took a step back, the hairs on her arms standing on end. “Secrets that want to be found, and take form again” the woman hissed, her laughter echoing unnaturally. “People who find them don’t leave.” “Leave me alone!” Karen shouted, feeling the panic rise. “I just want to go home!” “Home?” The woman’s laughter morphed into a low, mocking tone. “This is your home now. Can’t you see?” A flurry of movement caught Karen’s eye. Shadows danced in the corners of her vision, whispering her name. “Karen… come play.” “No!” she screamed, turning to flee.
The ground beneath her feet seemed to twist, roots snaking out to trip her. “Run if you want, but the darkness will always find you!” the woman cackled, her voice trailing behind like a chilling wind. Breathless, Karen burst through the window and tumbled into underbrush, her heart pounding as she sprinted back towards the path. She could still hear the woman’s laughter echoing behind her, a haunting reminder that some places are better left undiscovered. As she reached the familiar road, she glanced back, the shack now just a shadow blending in among the trees. The weight of the darkness lingered though, an unshakeable truth. She would never walk that path again.

I have one... Call it twilight
The sun dipped low on the horizon, twilight time had come, casting long shadows through the twisted trees that lined the overgrown path. Karen Berry pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, the chill in the air prickling her skin. She often sought solace in these walks, but tonight it felt different. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of damp earth and something else—something metallic.
As she rounded a bend, and at the crossroad, a dilapidated shack appeared, its rotting wood and broken windows reminiscent of a ghost story. A flickering light glowed from within, beckoning her closer. Against her better judgment, curiosity tugged at her feet. “Hello?” she called, her voice hesitant, swallowed by the encroaching darkness. No reply. Only the creak of the shack settling, a low, eerie groan that sent a shiver down her spine. “Is anyone there?” Karen stepped forward, her shoes crunching on gravel. The door hung ajar, a faint hum of static buzzing from inside.

Thanks Nik, I've added it here. Should hopefully help.

This is perfect, Nik, thanks.

Hope that's good for you, Zeth. Thanks for the ask. Was fun.

[]Close your eyes and wait for the nurses.

“Yes, that’s right.”
The voice comes from your own mind, and is all at once familiar and sickeningly foreign. It feels like it curls up just behind your eyes and purs.
“Rest. I’ll keep watch.”
“I’ll always keep watch.”

END

[]Try to sit up.

“Now, now. Don’t move too fast. You’ll hurt yourself.”
The voice comes from your own mind, and is all at once familiar and sickeningly foreign. It feels like it curls up just behind your eyes and purs.
“Don’t worry, I’m here to take care of you now.”

END

[]Where have I gone?

You wake up in a cold, bright room. The hospital gown is scratchy against your skin, and as you turn your head as you regain your awareness, a searing pain shoots through your temples.
An alarm goes, a sound you know well. This one isn’t a bad one. This one alerts the nurses that you are awake.
[]Try to sit up.
[]Close your eyes and wait for the nurses.

[]Try to run.

You try to run, but her fist catches the back of your shirt and yanks you back against the table, your head hitting the corner with a crack, your vision splitting to white and then black as you lose consciousness.
[]Where have I gone?

[]Stand up. “What the fuck are you talking about, Jennifer?”

“PLEASE,” she screams. The entire cafe goes silent, and then she’s scrabbling over the table and towards you, her pupils black and blood pooling in her teeth. “TAKE HIM, HE’S YOURS. HE’S FOR YOU.”
[]Try to run.