She had to find somewhere dry and warm if she didn't want to freeze to death, but no matter which direction she went, there was no shelter, only the impenetrable blackness of endless fields.
Out of nowhere, a tall, strange figure appeared in the distance. In the moonless night, nothing more could be seen than the outline of a rather muscular body. It was moving, and it was moving towards them. Like a shadow come to life, the movements were smooth and fluid, making it look as if the stranger was floating.
The man suddenly stopped in front of her. Strangely, she was no longer trembling. The warmth that radiated from his presence made her feel pleasant and even comforted her. His large hand reached out to her chin. He lifted it up and forced her to look into his face. Still, she could not make out any features, except for two coal-black eyes that sparkled with an unnatural gleam.
How can such dark eyes shine so brightly?
Just as this thought occurred to her, the man's deep, calm voice broke the silence. "Don't be afraid. This is just the beginning."
Even though they made no sense to her, his words were soothing and gentle; like a warm velvet blanket, they wrapped themselves around her troubled thoughts, enveloping her cold body, embracing her soul, and making her feel safe. It was the kind of safety a child feels when its mother holds it close and sings soft, tender songs in its ear in the middle of the night to chase away the nightmares.
Tears began to flow down her cheeks-tears of relief and deep joy, for she had not felt like this since her mother died.
"Don't cry," he whispered, his voice barely audible, yet it seemed to echo in her head, punctuating each syllable with a soft hum.
The stranger's warm fingers gently stroked her cold face, wiping away the tears. It didn't feel like a touch at all; it was more like a light breeze drying her skin. He couldn't have been human, because no human would have been able to make the darkness around her disappear like he did, with just a touch, with just a few words. In that moment, she was convinced that he was an angel. An angel sent from heaven to save her from everything that made her life so painful, to protect her from life itself. She wanted to touch his hand-the hand of her savior. But at that very moment he began to move away from her, his black silhouette dissolving and merging with the darkness of the night. "I will find you. Everything will be fine."
Her cheeks were still wet from crying when she woke up.
She dried them with the sleeve of her old nightgown and glanced at her nightstand, where her alarm clock stood. It read 6:32 in bold green numbers.
She sighed and slowly got out of bed. It was almost time to start the day anyway. And today was a special day. It would be her first day as a student at the local college.
Under normal circumstances, she would not have been able to afford school, but because her grades in high school were excellent, she received a scholarship.
She tied her hair into a messy ponytail and went into the kitchen to make herself a coffee.