Hilde | Kim Taehyung fanfiction ✓

arya

13

I woke up in a cold sweat

Seeing the same scenes night after night started getting old.

What's most painful is how the brain hides the worst memories, only to make you remember them at the worst times.

My father murdered my mother and my sister. I remember that. Then he came after me. That I remember too.

But I had forgotten the horrifying sounds of my sister's neck snapping. I had forgotten the overwhelming smell of blood in the kitchen. I had forgotten the small, gruesome details that made it all so much worse.

Remembering those tiny details made me dread sleep more than ever.

I lay on my back in bed, staring at the plain ceiling. My heart pounded like it wanted out of my chest, and my veins pulsed as though I had too much blood in me.

For a few minutes, I couldn't move, paralyzed by the memories.

Then I finally managed to wiggle my toes and fingers, then I tried moving my head. I rolled it to the side to check the digital clock on my bedside table. It was almost five in the afternoon.

I dragged myself out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where I knew Edith would be. "Well, hello, sleepyhead," she greeted me.

"Why didn't you wake me up for lunch?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"You looked so peaceful," she said with a warm smile. "And you needed some sleep."

I didn't feel peaceful at all, and I definitely didn't need that kind of sleep.

"Sit, I made you a sandwich. I was going to wake you up in five, looks like I don't need to now," Edith said, planting a kiss on my temple.

I sat down at the table and glanced at the sandwich. It looked appetizing, but I couldn't bring myself to take even one bite. Instead, I found myself staring at my lap as Edith bustled around the kitchen and talked about an encounter she had with a man while grocery shopping that morning.

"He looked my age, and so handsome," she remarked, her voice laced with a dreamy tone as she emphasized the word so.

"That's great, Edith," I replied absentmindedly.

"This is the second time I've seen him in New Haven, he must be new in town," she continued, a smile playing on her lips.

"One of us could use some romance in her life," I quipped, offering her a smile.

"What do you mean 'one of us'? Just this morning I saw a guy come out of our driveway," she said, looking at me quizzically.

Oh, no. Is she talking about him? Did she see Mr. Killjoy leave?

"What?" I asked nervously, forcing a giggle.

"Yeah, he was wearing a tuxedo or something," she said casually, adding salt and pepper to a pot. "And he had gorgeous eyes, too."

Oh, this can't be true.

At least she didn't see or smell all the blood on him.

"Looks like we're both going to experience a lovely summer romance," Edith said cheerfully, "the book's kind."

"Right."

Or not.

For the rest of the evening, I watched Edith cook and listened to her talk about that mysterious tall man she met with gorgeous grey hair and a shiny smile. "I might talk to him next time I see him," she repeated a few times, and I encouraged her to do so each time.

We then had dinner at seven in the evening, and Edith was already snoring by seven thirty.

And I was left alone with my thoughts.

Whenever I had a nightmare, which was always the same song and dance, I would talk to Edith about it, and she would always stay up late with me. But I realized I can't always rely on her help. One day, she wouldn't be there anymore to be my shoulder to cry on.

Tonight, I resolved to find a way to cope with my nightmares on my own and distract myself from them.

Though the night seemed calm, I was lulled by the echoes of my mother's screams that still lingered in my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, the images resurfaced, threatening my sanity. That night was spent in silent tears and desperate attempts to catch my breath.

As the last rays of moonlight were replaced by the first light of dawn that began to filter through my window, I dragged myself out of bed and splashed my face with cold water before going to a local bakery and buying a few donuts for breakfast.

When I arrived home, I was fortunate enough to find Edith just waking up. "You woke up before me?" she asked with a playful smile, prompting a giggle from me. As she approached, she remarked, "You don't even look like you've slept."

"You're spot on. Nightmares, but hey," I said, lifting the box of donuts triumphantly above my head, "I've brought us a little something," I announced with a grin.

"Arya, you know," Edith began with an exhale, but I interrupted her. Today was definitely not the day for scolding.

"Edith, please," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "it's fine. Besides, if I had slept, we wouldn't be enjoying donuts today!" I said, mustering up a fake cheerfulness. "Come on," I urged, guiding her towards the kitchen.

But before we could sit down, the doorbell rang.

"Set the table, I'll see who this is," Edith instructed me.

As I arranged milk, cereal, and orange juice on the table, Edith's voice called out, "Arya, darling, you've got someone at the door!"

Someone? At this hour? That's weird.

Approaching the door, I heard Edith asking, "What did you say your name was?"

"Taehyung, ma'am."