I woke up to find myself in the open field again, sitting in the grass, a sunset imminent.

I didn't have to look, but I knew that the cottage was behind me. I noticed a deer grazing at a distance. It was peaceful, innocent.

I got up and walked towards it slowly, a collection of flowers in all colors, blooming from out of nowhere around my feet.

Every step I took created a path of little flowers that caused ease in my heart. The flowers grew faster, greater in number as I got closer to the lovely deer.

It wasn't afraid of me as it noticed my approach, and stood straighter, awaiting.

As I reached to touch it, the deer responded by leaning into my hand, calm and trusting.

The peace in my heart didn't stay for long, however.

Instantly the deer's ears stood on end, alert. I heard a voice in my mind, and I could tell it was the deer in front of me.

"Everything that happens once cannot happen twice. But if by chance it happens twice, it will surely happen a third time."

I looked at the deer in confusion. I wish I could make something out of the words it gave me, but I couldn't.

"The cottage is the only place you can be safe. Go to it," it said.

It turned away from me, as if we didn't just share a peaceful moment, as if it was nothing. I saw it run away, my heart aching terribly, my tears abundant.

The cottage.

I turned around to face it, and a feeling of horror settled in.

The cottage was painted black, it's windows spilled light onto the grass around it, showing me someone was waiting inside.

And the path from my feet to its door, illuminated by the last light of the day before complete darkness, was lined with wilted, dead flowers.

...

I only felt the burn at first.

It was subdued, but it was still there.

I couldn't feel anything else, but I knew I was lying down.

It took a while to tell that my hand was in someone else's.

But there was no way to tell who, my eyes wouldn't open, and my hand wouldn't move.

My senses were still numb, but I could slowly begin to hear conversation, although it was difficult to make words out of them, as if they spoke another language.

I tried to open up my mindlink, but I couldn't hear anything on the other side.

"Frida," I caught the name, followed by a lot more incessant conversation.

I could feel myself slipping again, and the sounds of conversation faded away into nothingness.