Chapter 45

Chloe’s POV

I was screaming before I even opened my eyes.

My body jerked upright in bed, my heart slamming so hard it felt like it might tear through my chest. My throat burned. My hands were shaking. The room was dark, quiet, unchanged. But my mind was still trapped in the nightmare.

I pressed my palm against my mouth to stop myself from screaming again.

It was only a dream.

That was what I tried to tell myself.

But my body did not believe it.

In the dream, I was tied to a chair. My wrists burned from the rope cutting into my skin. My ankles were bound. I could not move. I could not scream loud enough. My mouth felt dry and useless.

Hilda was there.

She was tied too.

Her face was swollen. Blood ran from her nose and lip. Her clothes were torn. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked at me.

I tried to reach her. I tried to break free. I could not.

Margaret stood behind her.

Margaret’s face was ca