The Nightmare Glitch

II

It's the same dream I've had every night for the past two weeks, but it's different. I'm still being chased, I still climb the tree, but Anti does something different this time when he finds me.

"I thought I told you not to tell anyone."

"I-I didn't. Mark found out on his own."

"You weren't doing a good enough job of hiding it then, were you?"

"Please don't kill me," I beg.

"Oh, I won't kill you. No, no, no, you'll suffer a fate much worse than death at my hands."

Instead of slicing my throat like he did every other time, he stabs me in the stomach multiple times. I lose my balance and fall out of the tree, landing on my back. I'm choking on my blood and bleeding to death on the forest floor.

Anti jumps down from the tree and stands above me. "See you soon."

Then he slits my throat again.

I shot up and started gasping, nearly choking on the non-existent blood pooling in my throat.

I felt an arm snake around my shoulders as I was guided to lean against a sturdy chest, another hand moving to rub up and down my back.

"Hey, hey, it's ok. Take deep breaths. Calm on, follow my breathing. That's it, come on."

Mark coached me through breathing and trying to calm down. Tears still flowed down my face, but after following Mark's breathing and listening to his heart, my breathing finally started slowing until I calmed down.

Mark stopped rubbing my back and just wrapped his arms around me, his hand running through my hair.

"Better?" He asked after maybe ten minutes.

I nodded.

"Anti?"

I nodded again.

"Want to talk about it?"

After a moment, I whispered, "I don't want to die again."

"Again?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Do you remember my Halloween video this year?"

Mark nodded. I could tell when it clicked when his eyes widened and he lightly dragged his thumb across my throat, his head dropping when he felt the raised scar.

I reached up and gripped his forearm as he moved his hand to cup the back of my neck.

"I'm sorry, 애기 (babe)," he whispered.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault."

Mark moved his free hand to wrap around me and he pulled me flush against his body and used the other to cup the back of my head. "I promise, he'll never get to you again."

"You can't promise that."

"I can promise to protect you to the best of my ability."

"I'll take that."

The room was silent for a few moments as Mark held me.

"What was your nightmare about?"

"...Instead of killing me like he usually does, by slitting my throat, he stabbed me. Five times. Then he slit my throat." Tears began sliding down my face and I tightened my arms around him. "I don't want to die again. I can't go through that again, I can't!"

Mark rubbed up and down my back. "You won't. You're the strongest person I know. If anyone can get out of this alive, it'll be you."

Mark held me closer and we rocked as I cried.