as she did so, both felt a ripping pain in their chest and their lungs began to burn. Experiencing the pain he had felt so many times before in his dreams was a thousand times more excruciating in real life. As the pain worsened, she stopped moving. He took a small step toward her to ease some of the pain. He didn't want her to try and run, so he tried to make her feel more calm by introducing himself.
"My name is Nikolai," he offered tentatively.
"Eleftheria," she practically choked. She was unsure whether to trust this strange man or to run for her life.
"Freedom," he whispered.
"You speak Greek?"
"Once upon a time."
"Call me Ella," she said, trying to sound friendly.
She took a few small steps towards this stranger to shake his hand. The instant their skin touched, what felt like an electric shock left them both frozen in a state of endorphin-induced numbness. In that moment they both knew; this was just the beginning of something far stranger than any dream.
"My name is Nikolai," he offered tentatively.
"Eleftheria," she practically choked. She was unsure whether to trust this strange man or to run for her life.
"Freedom," he whispered.
"You speak Greek?"
"Once upon a time."
"Call me Ella," she said, trying to sound friendly.
She took a few small steps towards this stranger to shake his hand. The instant their skin touched, what felt like an electric shock left them both frozen in a state of endorphin-induced numbness. In that moment they both knew; this was just the beginning of something far stranger than any dream.
