Solitary ~Minsung~

Chapter 1

I wake up gasping for air, with my arms crossed over my chest and a throbbing pain near my shoulders. I try to regain my breath and let go of my arms. I look to see five bruises on each, a sign of the terror I encountered during the night. I don't usually sleep for more than a couple hours a night, because if I do these nightmares take over.

For instance, last night I was in a glass chamber in front of my family and friends, water rushing in with no way to stop it. The water quickly covered my nose and mouth, depriving me of oxygen as my loved ones just stood watching – laughing. My lungs burned, yearning for oxygen and dark blotches danced around my vision. Incoming darkness then began to spread from the outer of my vision to the centre, threatening to swallow me whole. Every night the dreams were slightly different, but all resulted in me being jolted awake due to my internal horrors. I was a prisoner to my insomnia.

Deciding to move on and try to start the new day, I sit up in my bed and stare at my new roommate. He arrived yesterday and seemed a little off, well, more off than most people in this place. He wouldn't stop smiling creepily at me, until he finally succumbed to the sleeping pills he was given. I am hoping he will stay asleep forever so that that smile wouldn't return.

"Get up" a nurse yells, banging on our door as she does. This causes the eyes of my roommate to flutter open. He sits up mechanically, like Dracula rising from his coffin, and his grin automatically returns as he sees me. Uncomfortable, I walk out of the now-unlocked door of our room towards the kitchen for breakfast. I can feel him following me, the hallway crackling with tension as the hairs on the back of my neck begin to rise.

~

The day continues like this, him following me as I attempt to carry out my normal day. The only time he parts from me being when we each have our appointments with Dr Seo. Today, Dr Seo reiterates the same thing: "You look good Jisung"

"Are your scars healing okay?"

"Do you feel like hurting yourself?"

"How are you feeling?"

And I repeat the same answers like a tape, much to the disappointment of the doctor, who writes this in his notebook.

"Thank you"

"Yes, fine"

"No"

"..."

I look out the small window of the door and see Him...

"Fine"

I walk out of the room, and knowing he is following me, walk to the cafeteria for my midday drug pick up. I hand the lady the slip signed by Dr Seo. I read the sheet as I hand it over, seeing the number two next to doxepin. Oh, he must have upped my dosage of the apparent 'depression and anxiety killer'. Yes, they make these emotions less heightened, but they numb everything else too...

I take the pill in front of the lady who then proceeds to check around my mouth and under my tongue. I then have another nurse who comes and accompanies me for the next 20 minutes to make sure I don't try and regurgitate the pill either. Usually having this nurse would make me uncomfortable, but today it makes me feel less threatened by the new guy, who I know is still creeping around behind me.

The nurse leaves and so I try to find a place with plenty of people, to feel safer. As I am about to turn a corner he grabs my wrist.

"Hey there pretty boy. You've been avoiding me all day, why's that?" he says angrily as he tugs harshly at my wrist.

"Stop, please." I plea as I try to pull away from his hands. I try to hit him but he grabs my other hand, then putting my two wrists into one of his much larger hands so that he can use the other one to grab my waist. His hand on my waist is painfully tight, along with my wrists – definitely going to leave more bruises for me to explain to my nurse.

"Agh I like a feisty one" he whispers wickedly into my ear as he then pushes me to the ground. I begin to scream as he punches my face, shutting me up. "Shh" he says aggressively as he then punches my ribs a few times for good measure. He lifts my shirt up to cover my face and I begin screaming again, writhing around, not caring how hard I get hit. He punches me again, then stands up and begins to kick me to try and quieten me. But. I. Just. Keep. Screaming. He begins to hit my head against the floor, all pain just loudening my scream.

I hear the footsteps of many people approaching, not wanting to open my eyes, as I might see the man above me. I hear him yelling at someone, obviously trying to hurt them too.

I just keep screaming.

I hear the man grunt, before crumpling to the floor. The nurses must have sedated him.

I just keep screaming.

A nurse comes up to me and I can feel her touch, but nothing calms me.

I just keep screaming.

That nurse then takes back her warm hand, before returning it and painfully jabbing my skin.

I just keep screaming, but then my head starts to feel hazy and my screaming slowly dies down as I fall into an induced slumber.