𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞!𝐚𝐮) 𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙

CH. 14 ~ Sweet dreams

Sound. Light. Warmth.

It all mixes together in this landscape. Once again I'm surrounded by the beautiful scenery that focuses in and out. It blurs and clears erratically but not long enough for me to make out where I am. That melodic tune is hummed once again in the distance. So I follow it. I follow the sound to its source to see a woman with her back to me. She glides and twirls with joy and bliss as she sings the melancholic song  ➪

I'm wondering, are you my best friend
Feels like a river is rushing through my mind
I wanna ask you, if this is all just in my head
My heart, is pounding tonight, I wonder
If you, are too good to be true
And would it be alright if I
Pulled you closer

How could I know
One day I'd wake up, feeling more
But I had already reached the shore
Guess we were ships in the night, night, night
We were ships in the night, night, night

➪ Her voice sounds as soft as the puffiest clouds in the sky. It shines brighter than any star. I try to get close to her but something isn't allowing me to do that. Instead, a dark ink begins to consume the imagery creeping closer and closer to the singing lady. I yell to warn her but she can't hear me. Soon enough she's the only light left. She seems to worry and panic still keeping her back to me. She speaks to me telling me something that I can't make out.

"Y***e ** gr**t*s* t***s***. *o*** f***** t*a*," but this time she sounds hurt. Almost as if it's a reminder for herself so that she won't forget. I reach out, extending my hands as far as I can to at least touch the hem of her dress but she dissipates into nothingness, leaving me in the cold darkness. With nothing to guide me, I begin to worry and I look around for an exit in this thick black ink but there's none to be found. I begin to feel paranoid as I sense shadows moving around me. They slowly creep toward me whispering names and wicked thoughts. I back away from them only to realize that they have surrounded me. They slowly climb up my leg and engulf my thigh.

I shut my eyes and curl into a ball expecting to be swallowed whole by these things when a warm hand is placed on my shoulder. I jump a bit startled and look behind me to find a familiar figure. It's Taehyung, only he has no face. I jump back in horror at the sight when I begin to notice the blood seeping from his chest. He staggers forwards reaching out for me but I'm too scared to touch him. When I refuse to touch him he begins to melt until he's only a puddle of liquid. Soon the liquid starts to stir and shape itself until it forms another body although this time it has a face.

It's my half-sister. Ji-Eun. Only she seems too stiff. She stretches out an arm robotically and when I grab her hand it comes off like a broken toy. I stare at the hand in shock and when I look up at her. Her head has rotated 180 degrees to reveal a horrifying face at the back of her head. Where her eyes are supposed to be there are only pitch-black holes. Her teeth are sharp rows of knives and her smile extends from ear to ear. Bugs crawl all over her, going in and out her eye sockets. I want to scream but I am unable to. Her sick smile fades and is replaced by a look of sadness. I can hear her calling for help in the background but she doesn't open her mouth to speak. She crumbles away before I can ask her what's wrong and that's when I hear the growl.

My body begins to move on its own and I run. Through this endless stretch of black nothingness, I run for my life. Fearing whatever it is making that awful sound. I run until I hit something unidentifiable. It's like glass only there's no reflection. I soon find myself stuck in a box screaming for help while whatever creature growled at me is circling around my confinement. I bang on the invisible force as hard as I can when I see my friends from the castle looking at me from the outside. Ten, Irene, and Chungha all stand there like spectators watching me and whispering among themselves.