You and I | Dreamcatcher

Chapter 5

From the entrance to the room, JiU watched the spider lunge for Yoohyeon and shrink dramatically as it passed into her body and disappeared, leaving Yoohyeon to faint onto the floor. Her head hit the floor with a sickening sound and JiU could only guess what had happened.

But a spider? What significance did that have, if it had any at all?

***

Dami stood from the stone ground with a powerful upthrust of her legs.

She could feel it in the air - The feeling of powerful magic at work. The unknown power filled her with strength and she thrust her hand out summoning  a red and white cane into into existence.

Outside of the glass cage, blue light whirled in a circle and deposited Yoohyeon roughly on the sand, currently curled into a foetal position.

She must have something to do with the release of energy.

"Whatever." Dami dismisses, only caring for herself. "I can escape now."

The release of energy had been taken as her own and she relished in the extra strength given to her body and mind.

The cane vibrated in her hands and she swung it violently at the glass, watching in glee as a section smashed in one swing and glass tumbled down onto the sand.

She was free.

With a running jump, she leapt from the cage and disappeared into midair, returning to her host body back in the alternate world.

***

Dami awakened, her body rising from the bed in a jolt. Her head pulsed with an ache and she had the distinct feeling she'd been out for a while.

The last thing she remembered was attempting to exorcise the spirit from her.

If she was awake again, then that evil thing must be back in her, corrupting her insides against her and poisoning her brain with dangerous thoughts.

That thing had niggled at her brain, attacking her like she had been ambushed in the library.

It wouldn't be long before it would take over her in full force.

She quickly stood, causing a wave of dizziness to wash over her that she pushed through to make it to the door and collapsed on her knees. She took deep breaths and pulled open the door handle down, cracking open the door slightly.

"Who is it?" Someone outside asked outside.

"JiU?" Dami replied weakly.

"It's me." She said in the affirmative and fell back on her heels so that JiU could come in.

JiU entered the room cautiously and crouched beside Dami, putting a hand behind her back. "Where have you been?" She asked and then lowered her voice. "I heard you tried to exorcise the thing from yourself."

"Wait..." She frowned and peered closer at her face. "Are you not...possessed?"

JiU shook her head and smiled warmly. "I'm not. Where have you been, Dami?" She repeated with urgency.

"I...don't know. The last thing I remember is exorcising the spirit from me. Then I woke up a few minutes ago. I--What's happened? How long have I been out?"

"I don't know either. Time...Time is difficult to judge here. But I think Yoohyeon has been possessed by something other than what...possessed us."

"True, that wasn't a sensible question to ask." Dami chuckled weakly and quietened as her stomach tensed. She made a pained face at JiU. "Can you explain from the beginning about Yoohyeon?"

"The best thing I can say, is the others still seem to be affected by whatever attacked us, but this woman turned up, acting much unlike the others that turn up. She turned, no, the spider came out from inside her and attacked Yoohyeon. But it kinda buried into her? I can't really explain what I saw because I don't understand what I saw. What can we do, Dami, if anything?" JiU asked. "You can be the one to help, seeing you can do magic."

"'Magic' is a limited term. I've just learnt things from the book."

"By 'the book', do you mean the one Siyeon and SuA--"

"Yup."

"Did you definitely exorcise the spirit? Like, completely?"

"...No." Dami bit her lip and frowned. "It's come back, that's why I disappeared that time ago and why I have reappeared."

JiU froze. "She's not controlling y-you right now, is she? Are you really Dami still?"

"Hey, calm it!" Dami took JiU's hand and rubbed her thumbs rhythmically over the tops. "I'm still Dami, I'm still here for you, JiU."

JiU looked ready to pull away, but Dami fixed her with a persistent stare and softened her eyes. "Please, JiU, believe me."

"Then how are you not...possessed?"

"I'm strong." She cracked a smile. "But seriously, I have a strong personality and that's helped rub off that spirit from me. And that book may have helped, I don't know. But it's also left some mysteries for me to think about."