Dear Blood

6

It was a typical afternoon at school, the halls buzzing with the energy of students rushing to their next class. Natty hurried along, her books clutched tightly to her chest, her eyes fixed on the ground.

As she rounded the corner, she collided with Jenny and Eun-byeol, two girls from her class who had always seemed to have it out for her. Natty stumbled backwards, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked up at them with wide eyes.

"Watch where you're going, loser," Jenny spat, her lip curled in disgust.

Natty swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I-I’m sorry," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Jenny and Eun-byeol only laughed, their laughter echoing off the walls of the empty hallway. "Did you hear that, Eun-byeol?" Jenny sneered. "The little mouse actually apologized."

Eun-byeol smirked, her eyes glinting with malice. "Yeah, what a pathetic excuse for a human being."

Natty’s heart sank as she realized she was trapped, her bullies closing in on her like a pair of hungry predators. She felt a surge of panic rise within her, but she forced herself to stand her ground.

"I said I was sorry," she said, her voice trembling but defiant. "What more do you want from me?"

Jenny’s eyes narrowed, her gaze cold and calculating. "Oh, I think you know what we want," she said, her voice low and dangerous.

Natty’s stomach churned with fear as she realized the true extent of their cruelty.

Jenny grabbed a nearby mop bucket and tipped it over Natty's head, sending cold, dirty water cascading down over her.

Natty gasped, her clothes soaked and clinging to her skin as she stumbled backwards, trying to wipe the water from her eyes.

But Jenny wasn't finished yet. With a cruel laugh, she grabbed Natty by the shoulders and shoved her head into the nearest toilet bowl, holding her there as Natty struggled and gasped for air.

"Enjoy your swim, Natty?" Jenny taunted, her voice muffled by the sound of rushing water.

Natty's lungs burned as she fought against Jenny's hold, her heart pounding in her chest as panic threatened to overwhelm her.

Finally, Jenny released her grip, and Natty emerged from the toilet bowl, gasping for breath as she collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Jenny and Eun-byeol stood over her, their laughter echoing in the empty hallway as Natty lay there, broken and humiliated.

________________

As Natty approached Jenny's house, she noticed that all the lights were off. She smiled to herself, knowing that Jenny's parents were out of town for the weekend. She silently made her way to the back door, grateful that Jenny had never bothered to lock it.

Once inside, Natty crept through the darkened hallways, her senses on high alert. She could hear the sound of music coming from upstairs and followed it to Jenny's bedroom. She slowly pushed open the door, her eyes widening with triumph as she saw Jenny lying on her bed, wearing headphones and seemingly oblivious to the world around her.

Natty stepped into the room, her heart racing as she raised the knife. But just as she was about to strike, Jenny looked up and saw her. Natty's eyes narrowed with hatred as she lunged forward, but Jenny was quick and agile, jumping out of bed and darting towards the door.

Natty pursued her, knife in hand, as Jenny bolted down the hallway and towards the stairs. Jenny stumbled and fell, crying out in fear as Natty closed in on her. But just as Natty was about to deliver the killing blow, she hesitated. She wanted Jenny to suffer. And so, Natty did something even more cruel than killing Jenny. She grabbed a nearby pillow and pressed it down onto Jenny's face, suffocating her instead. Jenny's struggles grew weaker, her eyes wide with terror as she realized what was happening. Natty felt a twisted sense of satisfaction as she watched Jenny's life slip away. And when it was over, she stood up, looking down at the lifeless body on the bed.

Natty stood up, panting and sweating, as she looked down at Jenny's lifeless body. The door to the bedroom opened, and Eun-byeol walked in. She took one look at the scene before her, Jenny's lifeless body and Natty, knife still in hand and her eyes went wide with fear. She let out a scream, turned, and ran from the room.

Natty, still panting and covered in sweat, quickly followed. She found Eun-byeol in the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers and cupboards in a panic.

'Please, Natty, don't hurt me!' Eun-byeol begged, her voice trembling with fear. 'I swear, I'll never bully you again. Just let me go, and I won't tell anyone about this.'

Natty hesitated, unsure of what to do. She had come for Jenny, not Eun-byeol. And yet, she couldn't deny the satisfaction she felt at seeing the other girl so terrified. 'Please, Natty,' Eun-byeol pleaded, tears streaming down her face. 'I don't want to die.'

Natty didn’t care for Eun-byeol’s plea. Natty began walking closer to her, pulling out her pocket knife. Eun-byeol's panic had consumed her, and she grabbed a bottle of bleach from beneath the sink and drank it down in one swift motion. Natty as Eun-byeol's body convulsed and then went still, her eyes wide and unseeing.