The next day brought no peace.
Nicole sat by the frosted windowsill of their room, the sunlight crawling over her skin like hot needles. Even the once-comforting glow of the snow kingdom now felt suffocating—everything felt wrong.
Her hands trembled as she tried to hold the brush, but the images that poured from her mind were no longer her own. The once peaceful landscapes and soft-colored skies were now replaced by jagged black shapes, crimson smears, and distorted faces that stared back at her mockingly.
Nicole gritted her teeth, hearing whispers again.
"They think they can save you…"
"Jasper is lying to you… he always has been…"
"Clarice wants your babies… she wants them because they'll never be hers…"
She clenched her head, nails digging into her scalp.
"No… no, shut up… it's not true…" she hissed under her breath.
But it was getting harder to hide now.
