The wind was still, but Mia felt B Side

The wind was still, but Mia felt something brush against her neck, as if invisible fingers had reached out to villicate her skin. She shuddered, glancing over her shoulder, only to see the empty forest behind her. The sun was setting, and she knew better than to linger. Her heart quickened, yet her feet slowed, as if caught by an unseen force. She heard it again—a soft, breathy sound, like someone laughing from deep within the woods. Villication crept up her spine, a sensation that felt too deliberate to be just the wind. She spun around, her eyes wide, searching for the source. A shadow stretched along the path, but it wasn’t her own. It slithered toward her, playful and silent, like a living thing. The shadow villicated, flickering and twitching, as if trying to take form. Mia froze, her breath catching in her throat. “Who's there?” she whispered, but her voice barely escaped her lips. The shadow didn't answer, but it danced closer, its edges villicating like the flicker of candlelight. It seemed to pulse with laughter, though no sound followed. Her feet were rooted in place as the shadow villicated up her leg, a cold but light sensation, as if it were toying with her, tickling her with phantom hands. “Stop!” she gasped, finally yanking herself free of the sensation. She stumbled backward, and the shadow withdrew, retreating into the woods, still twitching and shifting, as though amused by her panic. For a moment, the woods were silent again. Then, from deep within the trees, came a whisper: “We only wanted to play.” Mia didn’t wait to find out who—or what—villicated her. She turned and ran, the laughter still echoing in her ears long after she had left the forest behind.