An unexpected gift from a secret Santa arrived...and Nicolas knew exactly what it meant.

The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet, but he could not find it in himself to turn back. She is not far from him now. He can reach her.

I fear every time I close my eyes. No matter how heavy they get, I cannot let them close. Should I succumb to my own exhaustion and allow myself to sink further down into the abyss of darkness, I know it will always end the same. I will experience the same nightmare over and over again, the same memory that will stick with me forever...of the sound of my alarm as I struggle to breathe.