I stood there like a pillar of salt - completely motionless and unable to speak. I replayed her words over and over and didn't understand where the resentment and coldness was coming from.

Emily finally removed her hand from me and stood across from me with a look of hatred that she no longer bothered to hide.

"What do you really want from me?" I asked breathlessly.

She smiled so sweetly that it made me freeze. "Without. Get out of here before you bring something much worse… and ideally don't come back.” And then she turned and walked away.

Suddenly my lungs were getting no oxygen. I tried to breathe,...