I fell asleep almost instantly. And I'm back in that hallway again. This time, there's only one door. To my surprise, it's open. Nothing could've prepared me for what was behind that door: James tied to a chair with a metal gag in his mouth. He sees me, and his eyes widen. I put a finger to my lips, and he nods. I carefully walk towards him, expecting the creature to appear at any moment.

I finally reach his chair and start untying him. A low growl comes from behind me, and I freeze, my blood turning to ice. Slowly turning around, I lock eyes with the creature.

Every muscle screams at me to run, but I hold my ground. "You want him?" I ask. "Then you'll have to go through me first." I don't have time to blink as the creature grabs my shoulder, tearing a gash down the side. I bite back a cry of pain as I see James furiously trying to free himself.

As if I weigh nothing, the creature throws me against the wall, my head slamming against it with a sickening crack. Black spots swim in my vision as I struggle to remain conscious. I feel something sticky on my head, and I touch it, wincing as my fingers come back bloody.

Trying to stand up is impossible. My head is spinning, making anything more than breathing or blinking impossible. The last thing I see before I black out is James, still trying to free himself.

I woke up moments later, sweat-soaked and shaking. As I glanced at my phone, I groaned as I realized what time it was. If I didn't hurry, I'd be late for school. I got dressed, my heart pounding, then walked downstairs. Mom and James were already dressed and eating. "Hey, sleepyhead," James said, smiling.

I didn't have enough energy to respond. Mom glanced at me, worry clouding her eyes. "You look pale. Did you sleep okay, honey?" I didn't need to look in the mirror to know all the color had drained from my face. I nodded. After breakfast, I grabbed my bag, hugging Mom and James goodbye before walking to school.

I forced myself to concentrate in all my classes. In the classes we shared, Naomi kept glancing at me, worried. I knew without saying a word that she was thinking about what I'd told her.

During a free period, I walked to the library, relieved to find it empty. I grabbed my laptop from my bag and quickly researched the creature. I came across countless false leads before I finally saw it.

In Greek mythology, the "Black Fury" supposedly originated from the Greek god Hades. Legend says Hades grew angry with Zeus and wanted revenge. So he found a potion strong enough to create a powerful monster rivaling Zeus's power. Late at night, while everyone was asleep, he combined the potion with one of Persephone's forbidden flowers. Finally satisfied, he poured the potion onto the grass and waited. The following day, he awoke to screaming. The creature had destroyed everything around him. He asked a bunch of his neighbors what they had seen, and they all reported the same thing: a large creature with row after row of black, rotten teeth and claws.

I shuddered, quickly closing the computer. After school, I headed home, my mind swimming with the facts I found. Mom hugged me as I walked inside. Later that night, I ate dinner in silence, my mind numb. Sleep was all but impossible, thanks to the Black Fury haunting my thoughts.

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