Before I could fully comprehend the situation, a terrifying bolt of lightning illuminated the room, followed by a deafening crash of thunder. The storm outside had intensified, rain pelting against the windows with no sign of stopping.
As the water began to seep into the house, pooling around my calves, panic set in. I banged on the door, my voice hoarse as I pleaded, "Let me out, please!"
Just as Harry seemed to relent, Rachel's voice cut through the storm. "Will she already know about us? Just lock her up here..."
Desperation overwhelmed me. I pounded on the door again and again, my cries growing louder, but after a flurry of whispers outside, there was nothing. Silence.
The storm raged on for three agonizing months and I was left alone, trapped in the house as the water rose. Eventually, the flood consumed me and darkness took over.
When I opened my eyes, I was back in my bedroom, the day before my birthday. I jolted upright, my heart pounding as if it might burst from my chest. My lungs felt tight, as though they still held the remnants of the suffocation I had endured.
Was it a dream? But why had it felt so real?