The darkness lingers just before dawn at Andrew's residence. Jill Andrew, a young woman in her early twenties, sleeps soundly in her bedroom. For months, she has been haunted by disturbing dreams that blur the boundary between fiction and reality. When she awakens, traces of those dreams remain, leaving her bewildered and terrified.

Jill Andrew grew up as a lonely child. Her parents were rarely present, as they frequently travelled. In their absence, she was looked after by the housekeeper, Anna Cole, whom she learnt to see as a mother figure.  Anna was the only constant in her life while her parents were absent.

Her mother, Sharon Andrew, greets her with a warm smile this morning. On a rare day off to honour their long-lost mother-daughter bond, Jill appreciates the comfort and enjoys the normalcy of the situation. But beneath her cheery face lies a deep worry, a secret she can't even confess to herself: she hasn't had her period in months.

The next day, Jill confides in her best friend, Alice Thompson, who encourages her to consult a doctor. The truth that follows is more horrifying than either of them could have imagined: Jill is three months pregnant despite having never had a sexual encounter. Medical tests confirm the unbelievable, throwing Jill into a tailspin of disbelief. Even Alice, her ever-rational buddy, finds it difficult to comprehend. 

As Jill's bewilderment worsens, her dreams become more unsettling. One night, she awakens in her bedroom to discover Larry, a mysterious and frightening being, sitting calmly at the foot of her bed. He claims to be the father of her unborn child, a being stranded between worlds who uses her body as a portal to return to Earth. His terrifying words reverberate in her mind: "I live in you now."

Jill is left on the verge of a nightmare, unable to awaken from the horrors unfolding in her life. As she struggles with the reality, she must face the terrifying prospect that her pregnancy is the consequence of something far more sinister and beyond her control.

In a world where reality shifts, Jill is forced to examine all she thought she knew, including herself. Can she evade this unseen influence or become a vessel for something unspoken? As the line between dream and reality blurs, the answers lie in the shadows, waiting to be discovered.

Jill slumped over a dilapidated desk in the back of the room, her finger tracing random, unnoticed swirls in the wood. Her eyes drifted beyond the walls, lost in a world too vast for anyone to comprehend.


The door creaked open. Alice's boots clicked against the tiles as she entered.


"Hey," she remarked, laying her bag beside Jill's chair. "I didn't see you yesterday. I assumed you had ghosted."


Jill blinked as if she were waking up. "Yeah. My mom came home."


Alice raised an eyebrow. "Hold up—Sharon? Ice Queen herself?"


Jill's mouth twitched upward, but it wasn't a smile. "Yeah. "Her Royal Highness."


Alice pulled out the chair beside her and crashed into it. She let out a breath, her voice low and sharp. "I can imagine how happy you were when you saw her."


Jill twisted her hands together. "I mean, at first... It nearly seemed natural. I thought this time would be different."


Alice's expression softened. "And then?"


Jill's laughter was harsh. "She left again this morning. Promised to return by the weekend. As if that ever meant anything."


Alice leaned back and crossed her arms. "So, you're sitting here pondering because you miss her?"


"I wish it were that simple," Jill said.


The silence dragged on, thick and unpleasant. Jill's hand remained steady on the desk.


"I haven't had my period in three months," she said finally, her voice so low that Alice barely caught it.


Jill met her eyes, steady yet weary. "Three months."


Alice opened her mouth and then closed it again. "But... Jill, did you—" she lowered her voice, "—did you sleep with someone?"


"No." Jill's answer was so sharp that it almost stung.


Alice hesitated, chewing the inside of her cheek. "Are you sure? I mean, sometimes stuff happens and you kinda black it out—"


"Jesus, Alice, no!" Jill snapped with a rough edge in her voice. "You know me, you know I'm still a virgin."


"I know," Alice said, "but your body's not a robot. Biology doesn't care about... labels."


Jill looked away, biting her lip until it threatened to bleed. "I'm not lying to you."


"I didn't say you were." Alice's voice dropped softer. "But if it's not that, something else is wrong. You need to see someone. A real doctor. Not... that creepy fossil your family keeps sending you to."


Jill shook her head. "He just sits there, looking at me like I'm some broken doll. I can't see our family doctor."


Alice drummed her fingers on the desk, thinking. "Okay. I know a place. A real clinic, no judgment. I'll take you. Tomorrow. After classes."


Jill hesitated, pressing the heel of her palm against her eye. Finally, she gave a slight nod. "Okay. Thanks."


Alice stretched out, lightly touching the back of Jill's palm.


"Hey," she said, voice low and sure. "We're in this together. Whatever's going on, you don't have to go through it alone."


Jill's throat burned. She squeezed Alice's hand once, hard, before releasing it, afraid that if she held on any longer, she might be unable to stop herself from breaking.


The light shifted once more, gradually immersing the room in dusk.


Alice slid into the chair; her eyes clouded with something she couldn't identify.


Chapter 18 - Three Months of Silence