Her mother gently stroked her hair."Don’t overthink it. Just rest today. You don’t need to worry about anything."

  Nora’s heart gave a sharp jolt.Was this… really her mother?

  Over the next 24 hours, Nora experienced a warmth she had never known before.

  Her mother listened patiently as she talked about school, never interrupting, never reminding her to go to tutoring. When Nora cautiously asked,"Mom, will you… ever take away my phone or computer again? Or… punish me?"Her mother shook her head and smiled gently."Of course not. I’ll love you unconditionally."

  They made a cake together in the kitchen. Nora spilled flour all over the counter. Her mother only chuckled."It’s okay. We’ll clean it up together."

  They watched movies on the couch, her mother holding her close, softly humming the lullaby she used to sing when Nora was small.

  It was all so beautiful—so perfect it felt unreal.

  Nora felt wrapped in something thick and soft, like a cloud of love and safety, something she’d always longed for but never quite had.

  But gradually, a quiet unease began to take root.

  This mother was too gentle.She never got angry. Never criticized. Never disagreed with a single thing Nora said.

  Where was her real mother?What day was it? What time?

  Whatever Nora did, her mother only smiled and said,"As long as you’re happy."

  She wasn’t a mother anymore—she was like a machine designed to deliver love and nothing more.

  That night, Nora lay on her side, staring at the ceiling, an unsettled feeling growing in her chest.She tried asking her mother about childhood memories, but her mother only smiled and said,"Does it matter? Isn’t now wonderful?"

  A chill crawled down Nora’s spine.

  She slowly sat up, glancing toward the corner of the room.In her mind, she heard the fox’s voice again:"You’ll know what you truly want."

  And suddenly, Nora understood.

  This world—was devouring her real life.

  Her memories were being overwritten.

  Her chest tightened, panic rising fast.She flung off her blanket and stumbled out of her room, rushing into the living room.

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  “Mom!” she cried. “Do you remember your childhood? Do you even know who you are?”

  Her mother was sitting on the sofa, knitting, and looked up with the same warm smile."Nora, that’s not important. Are you alright?"

  Nora’s throat was dry. She shook her head desperately."No… this isn’t right… none of this is right…"

  Her mother set down the knitting and walked toward her, gently taking Nora’s hand."I’m here, sweetheart. I’m always here."

  Nora stared into her mother’s eyes, searching for a spark of familiarity—but the more she looked, the deeper her panic grew.

  This… wasn’t her mother.

  She stepped back, trembling."I want to go home… I want to go back to my real home…"

  Her mother’s smile didn’t change, but her hands—they reached out mechanically, like they were following some pre-programmed command.

  Nora gasped and jerked away, backing up as fast as she could.Her fists pounded against the cold wall, over and over, her voice breaking with fear and despair.

  "Fox! Come out! I know you’re watching!"

  Then—

  A glint of light shimmered on the floor.A faint glow pulsed from an old card.

  Nora dropped to her knees, hands trembling as she picked it up.The faded gold lettering surfaced slowly:

  “If you wish to return to reality—tear this card.”

  Without hesitation, she tore it in two.

  The world snapped like a carousel with its power cut.Everything froze—then shattered.

  The entire room shook violently.The ceiling caved in.The walls cracked and crumbled.The fox’s eerie laughter echoed through the darkness—blended with the soft lullaby of her “mother’s” voice.

  The world spun.

  And Nora—was swallowed by the abyss.

  She opened her eyes.

  Was she alive?Was she still in the dream? Or finally back in reality?

  She sat up slowly and looked around.Her room looked exactly the same. But the uncertainty inside her refused to fade.

  Her eyes landed on the nightstand.Yesterday’s pill bottle still sat there, just as she remembered.

  She grabbed it—unscrewed the cap.

  All the pills were still there.

  She froze.

  She remembered swallowing the whole bottle.

  But here they were—untouched.

  Had it all… been a dream?

  She shook her head violently, refusing to dwell on it.Maybe she’d fallen asleep before taking them. Maybe it had all just been an extremely vivid nightmare.

  Stretching, she changed into her soft pink pajamas and stepped into the hallway, eager to see if her mother was home.

  The living room was quiet.Clean—spotless, as if someone had scrubbed every inch.

  Breakfast was set on the table—a plate of vegetable salad, beef patties, and a glass of milk.

  Her chest tightened.

  Yesterday, her mother had said she was being punished—no breakfast for a week.But now… there was food?

  She walked over quickly.Under the milk glass was a folded note.

  She pulled it out and read:

  Dear Daughter,Maybe we misunderstood each other yesterday. I’ve decided to bring your breakfast back—you need proper nutrition.I’m going to visit your aunt at the hospital today. Please take the subway to school and take care of yourself.

  ?? Thank you for reading.The full novel version of Dream of the Night Fox is now available as paperback and ebook on Amazon.If the story touches you, your support there would mean the world ??