In The Arms Of Morpheus || CHOI SAN

XV

 
 
Is it really a temple? Sieon tried to confirm and moved towards it. The more she got closer to it, the more that place started to seem creepier.

The thin and sharp, abandoned branches on the ground, fallen from the old and huge trees, further crushed beneath Sieon's footwear. Her each step towards the place got more and more hesitant and nervous.

She stopped when she was close enough to get a proper view and she observed her situation. The assumed temple wasn't really in front of her. It was rather a small place on a hill but not too far.
Sieon knew that no other village girl and the people she knew, had ever been there. She shouldn't have been there either. With that thought, she made her mind that she was going to leave but as she turned, she realized something.

No one else had ever been there or else she would've known about that place sooner. She was out of her cabin, far from East and now that she was there. Was she really just going to give up at the very moment?

She turned back to take a look at the temple;
Will she ever get this chance again?

She shook her head and unwrapped the shawl. She rewrapped it on herself but this time, she covered her head too and with that, she made her way towards the unknown, strange place.

Sieon wasn't just going to visit a small place she saw, she was practically exiting her village through this. The exit wasn't through any proper gate but but was through a clump of thick hooded trees. Half of them consisting of thin trunks while others were more bulky and if one stood long enough to stare at a single one of them, they could easily see the faces that seemed to have dramatically morphed within the barks, as if people who had crossed the path before had been pulled in without mercy and captured there for life. Their screaming faces still stared at her.

Sieon whimpered at the thought and tried not to look at a a tree for more than a second.

There was no guard to keep an eye on the gate –the far west side, or goods either. In the small village everyone was loyal and wise and really no one had guts similar to Sieon's that they would do something like that.

One could even defend her saying that she had no guide or help, but she wasn't really a child at 19.

An abrupt stop in Sieon's steps when she saw a luminating square shape on that place. A window? She moved towards the downward edge of hill and pressed her back at it, not knowing what to do anymore. Continue, or go back?

But going back meant that she had gave up, which she didn't. If not today, then tomorrow. She will find out about it.

Her back pressed firmly against the rough, rocky wall –the down edge of the hill. She couldn't see the temple anymore. But what concerned her was, what if someone was looking, or may have looked at her thought that assumed window?

A few minutes passed just like that. Sieon thought to herself, that standing like this wasn't doing her any good. Moving forward was a risk now. What if going back would be–?
And then it hit her. Really hard... How did she even ended up there? Her, stepping out of her cabin was supposed to be a small walk around the village. The village where everyone is asleep by 10, a village where no one stupid enough to do something like that!

Her heartbeat stared to rise and she placed a hand on her chest, which wasn't comforting at all. What the hell is wrong with me?! Sieon tried to be strong and stable but she ended up gathering a few tears around her eyes, only.

A few minutes passed and her situation was still the same, terrifying. But she had to do something. She wasn't crying anymore and neither was she comfortable but she had to go back. The time was probably 3 at night and she didn't plan on getting eaten by a ghost either –as if one would notice me.

She was going back. Her last and final decision. She never died because of anything before so what could kill her now? She reasoned with herself trying to gain enough courage to go back.

With slow and dubious steps, Sieon tried to leave the place –to go as far as possible. A few steps taken and she abruptly stoped again by a sound familiar to steps. Steps of allot of people, a crowd.

Sieon panicked and in that very moment she felt her body go numb and legs became putty. She didn't know where to hide or what to do, and started to shake out of fear.

This is not right–!  Her thoughts were cut off when she felt someone aggressively pull her with a harsh grip present on her arm.

She yelped and her heartbeat increased. She felt horrified and in a swift motion, her back was pressed against a chest. The person held her tightly with one hand on her mouth and other around her waist, trapping her hands within.

"Stay silent..." The man huskily said in her ear and Sieon, out if fear nodded.

Her breath became even as a few minutes passed, her eyes adjusted and she observed her surrounding. She was still in the same place and the man who had held her also had his back pressed against a thick tree trunk and was heaving heavily.

That didn't seem right. Sieon knew nothing about that unknown man's intentions and the way he held her wasn't really appreciating either. She moved a bit in his arms but only for his grip to tighten and he shushed her.

"Please, I need to leave." She whimpered and tried escaping again as she couldn't hear anymore of those sounds, but the man seemed to be persistent on anything but letting her go and told her to stay quiet.

In fear, Sieon started to trash around without making any noise and managed to push the man away, only for him to get a hold of her shawl which made her stop from running away.

She now faced the man with half of the shawl on her upper back and one corner of it in his grip. She was still close to him yet she couldn't see his face as it was concealed with a cloth, a hood to be precise.

Starring at each other for a moment, Sieon tugged at the shawl, hoping he would let go, but instead he he charged towards her.

Sieon let go of the shawl and ran as fast as she could, back towards the village. She glanced back and saw that the man was running behind her and he still had the shawl in his hand.

Still running, Sieon took of the shawl, looked back at him and threw it in his face making him slow down a bit.

Disadvantage of looking behind while she ran, Sieon fell and felt a thorn pierce her ankle and she squeaked. She knew she had no time to waste so she got on her feat, even though still lacking balance, she started to run again.

Sieon looked back only to see no one there and her speed increased. Once she reached the more populated area of the village she stopped, realizing that her steps were the only sound in the village as everyone slept.

With quick and cautious, slow steps, she limped her way to her cabin, praying that no one saw her and once she reached her house, she closed her door, pressing her back against it, and broke down.

This wasn't supposed to happen.
Any of it.

What she did was reckless and an unacceptable mistake. She didn't know who that guy was or what he really wanted, but what if that guy was someone from the village? Someone who would let everyone know what she had done.

In the state of shock, vexation and misery, Sieon started to hit herself for the heedless act and cried harder but tried not to make a lot of noise.

A sense of guilt washed over her as her breathing evened and she finally accepted the reality. By then, her dark home was shining due to the risen sun and she stood up, only to realized that she had been injured.

There was blood on her feet, dress dirtier than ever, her hair was a mess and she didn't have a shawl anymore.

a/n: the next chapter is really...
    Interesting..?