Afterglow | K.TH

Come With Me

TAEHYUNG

"Ten, nine, eight..."

My eyes flash open. I instantly sit up from the blankets, my heart racing as I scan the insides of the little house.

I'd heard something.

But I'm alone.

What the hell.

My fingers twisting together, I force myself to lie back down. It was probably just one of my hallucinations again, messing with my mind.

I press the side of my face into Rieul's pillow, shutting my eyes back together.

"Seven, six..."

My body runs cold. I push my back into the hard floor underneath, pressing harder into the pillow so I don't hear it.

But it does nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Five....four...."

Cursing, I open my eyes again. Everything's the same— bookshelves against the walls, nothing different from the house I'd seen just a few seconds ago.

It's all in your fucking mind.

I slam my back down onto the pile of blankets. It's a mess now, all rumpled and creased because of me.

"Three."

"Shut the hell up."

A chilling laughter echoes in my ears. Coldness grips my body, but I keep my eyes closed. It wouldn't matter if I'd opened it quick enough or not.

"Two."

My breathing starts to get rough. It had never done anything like this before— counting. Counting down to what?

There's a silence, before the last number.

But the emptiness messes with me even more. My heart's now crashing into my chest, and I start panicking as the silence presses down on me, drawing my arms over my face and back.

It's not real.

"One."

My eyes fly open. A strangled gasp explodes from my lips when I see her, red gaze fixed straight at me from above.

I panic.

She laughs when I instantly turn my face, scrambling out of the blankets. I've never felt terror like this before when I feel her— her cold hand grasping at my neck.

My shoulder crashes harshly against something, but I barely feel it.

"You can't run."

Her fingers wrap completely around my neck. I press down a cry when her touch climbs to my jaw, dragging roughly against my cheek and through my hair.

"I'm always with you, you know." She hisses, other hand crushing against my throat. "Did you really think sleeping where she slept would keep you safe?"

I can't breathe.

"Because that's pathetic."

_______________________

RIEUL

"Jungkook! Chew before swallowing!"

He takes out another candy from the bag, nodding at me as he unwraps it and starts to move his lips.