Killing Stalking-KMS

No Way Out

Bum was the first to notice that after your return from the park something was not right with you. He noticed it immediately. At first, he thought he was the reason. That you had finally gotten tired of him, but the more the days struggled through and the second girl you help Sangwoo with, he realizes that it's because of him that you've become so distant. You try to put a brave face with him but each time it gets harder to pretend. You're mostly in a daze and it's until tonight that his worst fears are confirmed... you are losing it.

You wake up with an ear-piercing scream supplicating for forgiveness at someone Bum couldn't see. You sit up in the bed and your entire body is covered with blood. You see it everywhere, on your hands, your chest, but you don't realize that it's not actually there.

"YN!" Bum calls trying to calm you down. His heart is thumping in terror by the skin-crawling fear on your face. He grabs you by the shoulders and you shove him away and you let out another frightened scream. You don't see Bum, but the cut-up body of Mi-ran.

Sangwoo runs from the kitchen the moment he hears the third shriek. He throws the doors open, "What the fuck is all that screaming?"

"I-I don't know. Help her Sangwoo!" Bum cries in anguish

Sangwoo frowns in worry and picks you up in his arms and shakes you lightly. Your eyes are fixed on the menacing way the shadows play on his features, your stare is glazed over...gone.

All Bum can do is watch and blink back tears, "What's wrong with her?

"She's having some sort of nightmare," Sangwoo tells him, his eyes never leaving you as his fingers rub your face tenderly.

"But her eyes are open," Bum says.

You begin to mumble incomprehensibly under your breath and Sangwoo positions you delicately on the futon to get a cold rag.

Bum crawls to you and wipes your sweaty forehead with the blanket, "Please wake up, YN. What you're seeing is not real. You're dreaming."

Bum shifts slightly when Sangwoo returns with a bowl in hand and drapes a cold rag over your forehead. The water trickles down your face like tears. You blink several times before smiling and touching Sangwoo's face with your fingertips, "If my dad finds out you sneaked into my room, you're going to get me in trouble, Sangwoo."

Sangwoo rips away as if you had punched him in the belly.

The next day breakfast is unnervingly quiet, but no one brings up what happened last night and you don't even remember. You eat in silence staring straight ahead, past Sangwoo. Bum's eyes are fixed on you, he couldn't sleep at all watching you all night, making sure you didn't get a nightmare again. Before long, Sangwoo gets ready for work and returns to the kitchen one last time to say quietly into Bum's ear while he washes dishes, "I'll be going to school now, Bum. Watch her."

Bum hears the worried tone in his voice and both glance towards you to find you still seating in the exact same place. There is thick silence once Sangwoo leaves and all Bum wants is for you to return to normal, to smile at him, to make love to him...

He scrubs the dishes with fervor even if they are already clean and asks you, "You want to share an ice-cream cone with me?" He tried to sound cheerful but failed miserably.

He rotates in his swivel chair when you don't answer. You're not at the dining table anymore, your breakfast is untouched. Panicked, he slides from his chair and walks on his brittle feet, holding on to counters, knocking over the family portrait as he guides himself to the hall and calls out your name. The sigh of relief is immediate but temporary as his heart drops when he sees how furiously you move the front door handle. He continues walking towards you, flinching as you begin kicking at it even though your feet are so swollen.