From the darkness came faces - children, but their eyes were empty, their faces contorted in terror and agony. They closed in on Mia, whispering in a chorus.
"Help us? play with us?"
They stretched out to her, their hands cold and sweaty. Mia longed to escape, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. Her heart pounded, and she struggled to free herself, but the whispers grew louder and louder, haunting her with terror.
"Play? play with us? forever?"
One of the kids, a small pale-skinned girl with a wonky grin, took hold of Mia's hand. "Don't go away? stay here? always?"
Mia's surroundings then changed instantly and the playground blurred into shadows. The kids' faces distorted into hideous grimaces as they shrieked, their wails an agony to bear. Mia shrieked silently, unable to force a sound past her locked jaw.
She realized now that these were not nightmares. This world, this dark realm, existed. And it was waiting for her each night.