It's dark.

It's so dark that I can't see anything. I don't know what's happening.

I turn around. The darkness remains. I've been in the darkness, before, but everything is pitch-black now. I'm scared.

There's something wrong. I can feel it so intensely that I almost reach out to touch the wrongness with my bare hands. I can almost wrap myself around it.

Why is everything so dark?

My heart aches. I'm shaking. I'm not supposed to feel cold, but I can perfectly feel cold sweat running down my back. It's so cold that it feels like a blade being dragged really slowly on my skin.

Where is Anna?

I'm not supposed to be alone in the dark. Anna, where are you, I'm scared.

Is no one else here? Someone? Anyone?

A heartbeat. That sound wasn't here before. Why am I only hearing it now? It's racing, it's beating so fast that it's making me feel dizzy. Make it stop.

Why is it so dark?

“Anna?” I finally manage to pull out the words stuck in my throat. “ANNA?!”

There is no reply. It's hopeless. I'm hopeless.

I probably did this. This is probably my fault. I must have frozen everything so deep that it froze time and space. It froze everything but me. Now I can't hurt anyone, because there's no one left to be hurt.

Anna... Did I freeze her too? Did I leave her to crawl in dark despair forever as well? Or is she simply frozen over, in a better reality, or in no reality at all? Between that and this darkness, could I possibly have doomed her to a kinder fate?

If I'm in the dark nothing, why do I still feel everything? Why am I aching and hurting? My lungs shouldn't be this heavy, is that why I can't breathe?

Anna, please, make it stop. Please. Please, you have to.

You're the only one who can save the monster inside of me. Help me thaw the fabric of reality and, after that, put an end to my misery. Stop me. I can't do this anymore. I can't do this ever again.

Who am I trying to save? Anna? Myself?

Is there anything left to be saved, in this darkness?

I want to scream, but nothing comes out. I want to step forward, but I can only feel myself falling into the abyss in slow motion.

I need to scream. Something must be alive. Something has to be alive. Please tell me it's not hopeless. Please tell me there's something left! Even I can find redemption, right?

Magic exists, so miracles must exist as well.

Anna? Anna! ANNA!

***

“ANNA!”

“Elsa! Elsa, calm down!”

I gasp and rise so quickly that my head pangs painfully. “W-what happened?” It's not dark anymore, and I can see the contours of our bedroom. “Anna?” I turn around to see my sister looking at me, worried, but I'm too relieved to find her here to bother thinking about her feelings, pulling her close to me and squeezing her in my arms, hoping to lock her inside my chest.

She doesn't say anything, stroking my back as gently as she can. She presses tender kisses on my cheek and jawline, and I can feel myself relaxing.

“I'm sorry... it was a stupid nightmare...” I bury my face on her shoulder.

“Shh, it's okay. It's over, now. I'm right here.” She pulls me down to lie in bed again, pulling the covers over us and holding me in her arms. “How about we switch and I keep you safe, tonight?”

I rest my head on the crook of her neck.

“I'd never hurt you.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” She kisses my forehead. “Now sleep.”