Chapter Thirty-Four - Why wasn't it me?

“Mom?” Jason’s voice trembled as he called out, her name hanging in the air like a whisper. In the surreal and unfamiliar landscape, his mother, Abigail, stood before him.

She was beautiful as ever; her brunette tresses cascaded down her back in bouncy curls, perfectly framing her ivory face.

Desperation seized him as he chased after her, the dream shifting and twisting with each step. Amidst the laughter of distant children, she remained elusive, running away in a dreamlike ballet. “Wait, Mom!” he called, the park transforming into a maze of memories.

A muted groan came out of Jason’s lips as he blinked his eyes open. His body felt heavy, and when he tried to move it, he felt strangely confined. Then the realization struck him like a harsh blow: he was tied to a chair.

The rough texture of the rope pressed into his wrists. As his gaze flickered around the room, he was disturbed to find that it had an unsettling resemblance to his childhood bedroom.

The bed, draped with faded sheets, s