21

SASHA Blood drips all around me. In the silence, the sound heightens to a terrifying crescendo. Darkness expands for as far as my vision can see. Fog condenses and floats in a seamless motion, mixing with the blood and flowing beneath and above me. A droplet of hot liquid falls on my cheek, then another follows, and another… I cautiously lift my head, despite the claustrophobic sensation expanding in my chest. There’s something wrong with this situation, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to gauge what’s going on. Sure enough, in the midst of the smoky darkness, bodies hang from the sky, their eyes bulging, tongues grotesquely hanging out of their mouths, and their clothes soaked with blood. I’d recognize each and every one of their faces, even if I were old and gray and on my deathbed. My family. Tears fill my eyes, and I jump up, desperately trying to reach out and free their corpses, but a strong gust of wind interrupts me. “You’re a failure, Aleksandra!” The booming voice comes f