Nightmare | San

12

My thoughts come to a halt when I feel something touching my hand.

I try to brush it off, it's probably just the blanket or something.

The hairs on my arm rise when it doesn't move even as I try to shake it off. It feels like a cold hand on top of mine.

"Why are you here again?" I whisper, already knowing who it is without having to look. Tears travel to my eyes.

"Why can't I be here? You're mine anyway, I should be allowed to be with you whenever I want," San hums back. I sniffle, tears already pouring out after hearing his voice alone.

"I hear everything in this house, you know? Let's just say that I'm not very happy with what I heard today," he scolds. More tears flow out. Tomorrow has to work.

Footsteps boom towards the door. As soon as the door flies open, the weight on my hand disappears.

"I heard you sobbing!" Seonghwa shouts. His head whips around frantically, looking for the source of my troubles.

"It's okay now, he just disappeared a second ago," I squeak through sobs. The rage on Seonghwa's face is indescribable and he waves around the spoon in his hand aimlessly.

"Leave Byeol alone!" he screams to no one. I smile a little at his childish acts. "Don't say that to him, he might hurt you," I giggle as he comically waves his spoon around. He notices my smile and starts to smile as well with a blush on his face.

"If you say so," he shrugs, walking back out of the room with his head hung. I chuckle a bit more. At least the old Seonghwa is back. I sure missed him. I hate seeing him so stressed, it makes me feel more nervous too.

I stare at the ceiling for a bit and try to distract myself by watching videos on my phone but nothing works, the feeling of fear sits at the surface of my mind. I sigh as I consider what to do now that I can't really move around much. Usually in a situation like this I'd sleep, but that's obviously not an option anymore.

At last Seonghwa walks in with soup. He sweetly sits down on a chair beside the bed and starts blowing on the spoonful of soup.

"What are you doing? I still have one hand you know," I laugh in disbelief. Seonghwa gasps dramatically. "Have you even seen the state you're in? Just shut up and accept it," he scolds before shoving the spoon into my mouth.

My eyes widen as the hot liquid spreads around my mouth. Just as I'm about to swallow, I choke.

Right behind Seonghwa is a shadowed figure of a man, standing still and straight.

I blink quickly and right after I blink, the figure disappears and is replaced by Yeosang and Wooyoung.

"Are you okay?" Seonghwa asks while frantically pouring me a glass of water. I ignore my boyfriend's worries and direct my attention to my two "co-workers".

"Why are you both here? Why won't San come face me himself?" I demand. Seonghwa looks startled and turns around, only to jump back again. "I told you guys to wait in the living room!" he hisses to the two.

I raise an eyebrow. "You let them in?" Seonghwa sighs. "Yeah, they wanted to check up on you," he admits.

Yeosang and Wooyoung stand with straight faces, but once Seonghwa is done speaking, wide smiles paint their lips.

"Hi, we heard you got hurt again! How are you feeling now?" Wooyoung asks. I feel suspicious that they both completely ignored my question about San, and the fact that they literally materialised out of a shadow.

"Did San send you? Is he controlling you?" I try again, tone more bitter than before. Once again, Seonghwa seems confused but my attention is completely trained to the pair. They don't speak. They don't blink.

I continue to stare at them, waiting for a response.

Unfortunately for me, I get one.

Thin white threads suddenly appear from both of their fingers and other limbs. My breathing quickens and more strings appear, all coming from the two men in front of me and pointing upward. Before I can even ask a question, some of the strings tug sharply and Yeosang's smile grows and his thumbs stick up.

I suspect that Seonghwa sees nothing as he simply tilts his head in confusion while whipping his head back and forth between me and the two men. Meanwhile my heart is on a rollercoaster and I'm about to throw up at how eerily the two men in front of me dangle from these strings.

Out of nowhere, San appears on the ceiling.

I gasp sharply and my eyes fix to the ceiling where the demon is stuck to. From his hands hang the threads connected to the two men and on his face sits an evil grin.

"You guessed it right! These are my two puppets, do you like them?" he asks, wiggling some more strings to make Yeosang and Wooyoung form a showy pose.

My heart comes to a halt. "They're...puppets?" I gulp. "Yup! I'm proud of you for figuring it out all by yourself, but that's expected of any property of mine anyway," he giggles. My eyebrows furrow.

"I am not your property, stop doing this," I growl. I don't even notice Seonghwa watching everything beside me, frozen from fear. His eyes grow large and they flick between me and the ceiling repeatedly, though he can't see San.

"Is San here?" he quietly asks. I nod slightly, not letting my glare leave the demon.

"Let's see if you can speak to me like that when you go to sleep tonight!" San howls with laughter. I can't help but shiver. "I won't be sleeping tonight," I hesitantly announce.

San raises an eyebrow in a mocking manner. "Is that so?" he smirks. I unconsciously shuffle back nervously in my place as his predatory eyes stare deep into me.

He jumps off the ceiling and starts to approach me slowly, except I can no longer move any muscle in my body. I try to slow down my speedy and shallow breaths.

He crouches down on the floor and leans forward until his face is right at my arm with the cast.

"W-what are you-" I begin, mind hazy.

To my shock, he places a quick kiss on my cast. A puzzled expression grows on my face.

"See you soon," he waves one last time with a smug expression before walking out of the room, Yeosang and Wooyoung following him. As soon as he's gone, it happens.

Pain explodes on the inside of my upper arm and I scream.