Apocalypse | Jenlisa/Chaesoo

Lost

The uninterrupted black of the night kept going on and on as Rosé continued walking forward at a slightly faster pace than her companions. Jisoo was behind her huffing as she tried to keep up. The two girls lagged because the cat girl still has not recovered from the effects of the drug Jisoo gave her. All the events from the previous day were just a muddled memory, escaping by the skin of their teeth. Right now, they are on the run, listening to the flight instincts in their guts. The moon had turned her face away making the forest look cavernous and somehow smells of hunger. Strange eyes from creatures unknown blink from the undergrowth, watching their every move, but what disconcerts Rosé the most is the incessant discordant sound of insects stopping whenever she gets close. She could have sworn she senses the fear even from the smallest bugs. In the sea of dark emotions threatening to swallow her up, she did not realize she had started clawing at her own throat as if she was drowning. Her body like lead in the murky waters, Rosé fell to her knees gasping for air. Sinking on dry land, drowning alone, pathetic. Her mind thinking thoughts against her. Frantic hands grasped her own, and her dilated eyes registered who it was. It’s Jisoo, she let her hold her.

“Hey, hey Rosé. What’s happening? Look at me, focus.” Seeing her reminded Rosé of the present, and she remembered she could breathe. Jisoo is here, she clutched at her like she was a lifesaver thrown to her in the waters. Slowly the storm inside her let up.

“We’ll have to camp here,” Jisoo said to both the girls who just caught up to them. They both nodded, and they agreed out of sheer exhaustion from walking the whole day. They found a giant tree with roots sticking out forming large grooves from the mossy earth.

Jisoo began unpacking her giant backpack that Rosé has been carrying, she took out two sleeping bags.
“I only brought two, so you both share this.” Lisa shot her a look but did not say a thing. “The food is rationed so we’ll have to eat tomorrow morning. I’ll take the first watch.”

They had laid out the sleeping bags in between the large roots of the tree, Rosé sat up and stared at Jisoo’s back who sat some ways off from the tree, watching as Lisa came up to her and said something to her ear. Jisoo stood up and walked toward her.

“Hey, are you okay? Lisa said she’ll take the first watch so I guess you’ll have to scoot over and share the sleeping bag with me.” Jisoo smiled that crooked smile, making her feel warm in her belly even though they didn’t have a fire going for fear of attracting predators. The silver light from the moon illuminated the top of Jisoo’s hair making her look otherworldly. Without saying anything Rosé opened up the bag wider. Jisoo got on all fours and slid inside the bag seamlessly.

“You’d still sleep in the same space as me?” Rosé asked her. Jisoo turned on her side and faced her.

“Of course, I would sleep with you.” Jisoo kind of said it loudly that it earned a little cough from the other side of the tree where Lisa has sat. “Why would you ask that?” she said in a quieter voice.

“I mean after everything that happened and you saw what I did, I thought you’d be afraid of me.” And leave me. The last part she hoped Jisoo could read her mind.
“I’m not scared of you, even if you look like this.” Jisoo made a face with her fingers as claws, Rosé felt a little laughter bubble up from her chest loosening whatever is tightening it. Jisoo placed her arm across the sleeping bag and pulled her closer to her. She pressed her face to the side of Rosé’s neck and hummed. Rosé felt as if she was telling her that she was not going anywhere, she can’t help it but melt into the embrace. From under the sleeping bag, she slid her left arm across Jisoo’s waist, letting her softness lull her to sleep in a peaceful golden meadow under the warm sun and not in the damp mossy forest floor in the darkest hours of the night.