Back again

They're back, those haunting thoughts, gently tugging at the delicate edges of my mind, like shadows creeping back into the light. The familiar sting of claws, which I once believed had faded into oblivion, reemerges with an unsettling clarity. Once more, I find myself wandering through that eerily silent, snow-covered forest, where the whispers of the past weave through the stillness, the only reprieve from the agonizing quiet. I reach out beside me, letting my fingers sink into the cold, white blanket that envelops me, grounding me in this chilling reality. I close my eyes for just a fleeting moment, and when they flutter open, I discover I am no longer alone. The eyes that meet mine are dark, reflecting a profound sense of loss. It dawns on me that they are my own, a mirror to decades of pain and sorrow etched deeply within their earthy gaze, the remnants of battle worn tears tracing paths down skin that once knew softness. "You'll never escape," her voice trembles, a hushed whisper filled with terror. I feel the claws dig deeper into my flesh, pulling me down, down into the depths of the snow... swallowed whole by my endless torment once more. But perhaps this time... I’ll surrender, allowing them to claim victory over my weary spirit.