Mirror of Fear

The sun danced on the waves of the turquoise sea as Cathy lay on her water mattress, watching schools of fish pass by like a living kaleidoscope. She breathed in the salty breeze and surrendered herself completely to the moment, pushing aside the fears and doubts that usually plagued her. At first, this tactic worked. However, over time, Cathy felt her fears and doubts slowly creeping back and taking hold in her mind. The more she tried to push them away, the stronger and more urgent they became.

Suddenly, a freezing wind picked up and the sky darkened. The waves transformed into raging monsters and hurled Cathy and her mattress onto the shore. Cathy struggled out of the water and stared at the towering masses of water. A massive wave rose up like a wall and threatened to engulf everything in its path.

Then a thunderous growl shattered the silence. What Cathy saw next froze her blood: a lizard-like creature with a jagged back and razor-sharp teeth slowly rose out of the waves. The people who had just been strolling carelessly on the beach ran around wildly, leaving all their belongings behind. As the monster emerged and set its feet on the sand, the ground trembled under its mighty strides. Cathy immediately felt trapped in the monster's eyes as it moved towards her.

Panicked, Cathy ran away, her mind racing with fear. She dashed across the beach, over scattered towels and beach bags. Finally, she spotted a narrow alley between two buildings and fled into it. Relieved, she leaned against the wall and panted. Just as Cathy thought she was out of danger, she heard the menacing growl and a gigantic eye appeared in the alley.

The monster pushed its head through the narrow gap and snapped wildly at Cathy. Although her fear threatened to paralyze her, she suddenly felt a strange sensation. She looked thoughtfully at her trembling hands and then at the monster. Was this really real or just an illusion?

First hesitantly, then determinedly, Cathy looked up and walked slowly towards the monster with an outstretched hand. "This is just a creation of my mind", she told herself. But another voice in her head screamed at her: "Can't you see the danger? Run away before it's too late!" Although the second voice grew louder and more urgent, she kept going. Cathy had spent her whole life running away from her fears, from threats that existed only in her head. But not this time.

As Cathy's hands touched the creature, the monster slowly dissolved as if it had never existed. A bright light blinded her for a moment before she found herself back on her mattress, drifting in the calm sea.