Cold.

It's so... incredibly... cold.

They hear breathing. Ragged, sickly breathing.

And it wasn't their own.

Something was pressed to their side. Something wet... sticky.

A metallic scent hit their nose.

It was blood.

"My precious little filly..."

The voice was hoarse, almost as if struggling. Something swelled inside of their chest.

They couldn't move. 

Why couldn't they move?

"You'll be... alone... for-"

The voice was interrupted by a series of hacking and coughing.

Tenebrae wanted to get out. They had to get out.

But where was out?

"...for a while. But it's okay..."

It was pitch black. Darkness.

Their heart clenched.

They didn't want to be here.

"Because you'll... have..."

They shut their eyes tight. It felt as if they were still open.

They had to wake up.

...

Tenebrae startled awake with a sharp breath, struggling for a steady grip on the ground as they toppled over. Their heart was beating out of their chest. They had to calm down.

One breath... Two breaths... Three...

Now calmer, Tenebrae stared at their hooves in shame. If only they could stop those horrible nightmares from happening... but they couldn't. They'd tried it all. It was futile.

But breathing always helped. Taking a moment to inspect their surroundings and recenter themselves. It didn't fix the problem...

...but it certainly made it easier to handle.