He had pressed himself against the nearest wall, knees drawn up, every sense straining for the smallest hint of light. Memories he had buried clawed their way back: the darkest nights. His mother's laughter. His father's voice.

Trapped. Helpless. Little hands banging against the door. Blood. Predatory darkness.

Every creak, every distant drip of water made his heart hammer faster.

His voice caught in his throat, a strangled whisper escaped, half plea, half panic. “ Please.. turn.. it on.”

The darkness was suffocating, alive, and unrelenting. His mind raced with invisible threats, each one more terrifying than the last, until he felt paralyzed, caught between a pounding fear and the...