Cold Exterior- Zhong Chenle

~8~

"Kiko! Come here." she said to the dog who jumped on her bed as she climbed in. she petted the dog as she laid there. She bit her lip again, the silence bothering her. "I just want to be friends, is that so bad?" she questioned the dog who just looked at her. Huffing she laid on her back staring at the ceiling. "He's just so interesting you know? He makes me feel safe. It's funny though, he thinks I'm innocent." She said to the dog again. Closing her eyes she felt herself slipping into sleep.

---

The room was dark, nothing but the light from under the door shining through and from her window. A little girl sat in the corner of the dark room, farthest from the door. Her small cries escaped her body. The smell of her blood filled her nose as she buried her face deeper in her knees wanting it all to be over.

The door swung open, a drunk man making his way towards the girl. " let's have some fun~" the man sang offkey and stumbled.

"N-no! I don't want to!" the girl shouted, pushing herself farther into the corner. The man growled grabbing her hair and throwing her into the middle of the room.He smirked at her, taking a swig from the alcohol bottle in his hand. Stumbling his way over to her. 

"Stop." she pleaded weakly.

"I said let's have some fun bitch!" he spat at her, kicking her and sending her small body across the room. He repeated this over and over and over again until the girl laid limp on the floor blood surrounding her.

"Dad. Stop." she said weakly pushing herself backwards against the wall. The man gritted his teeth.

"Dad? I am not your father!" he shouted, throwing his alcohol bottle at the girl.

The bottle smashed next to her head, sending glass into her arm. He watched as the little girl screamed in pain. "Happy 6th birthday Areum." He spat walking out of the room and slamming the door shut.

---

Throwing herself up she felt sweat running down her back, she panted for air as tears streamed down her face. Pulling her knees to her chest she rocked herself back and forth "It's okay. It's okay." she muttered quietly. Mina bit her lip trying not to let out a sob, trying to calm herself down before she had a panic attack.

Kiko laid beside her whining and nuzzling her nose into the girl's leg. Feeling suffocated Mina stood changing out of her night clothes and putting on a sweater and shorts before grabbing the leash and leaving the apartment.

It was early morning as she walked down the pavement, the dog panting next to her. She rubbed her eyes getting the last of her tears away from her face. 'It's okay, he can't hurt me.' she thought. Sitting on the bench of a park she stared at the sky as her dog sat in front of her. Her face was blank despite the harsh pounding of her heart, adrenaline from her dream pumping through her veins.

Heaving another deep sigh, she got up and walked to the nearest coffee shop, tying the dog to the post by the shop she walked in and ordered a hot chocolate. As she waited, she felt around for her phone realizing she left it at the apartment in her need to get out.

Thanking the women who gave her the hot chocolate, she let the hot liquid calm her nerves and soothe her raspy throat. As she made it back to her apartment, she recognized a man who stood in front of the building. She walked up to him nodding towards him "Hello?"

His gaze locked with her and he pushed himself off the wall "Hello, I'm one of the people who dropped you off that night two weeks ago." He said.

Mina nodded "Yes I remember you." she said.