A dense black fog slowly overtook the room, enclosing everything around it in darkness. The slow rolling of it across the floor, seeping in from the crack under the door. The swirls of smoke crawling up the bed posts and engulfing the body sleeping soundly beneath the covers within the night.
My body tightens, eyes shooting open, as my gasps for air awaken me. The darkness was thick, the rising smoke filling my lungs with every attempt at an intake for air. My thoughts were blurred as I threw myself from my bed, my only target was the door as I stumbled across my room in my newly awoken state, tripping over my feet and crawling to the exit that appeared as though it was stretching further and further away.
Fumbling for the doorknob felt like a prolonged struggle, finally pulling it open and bringing myself back to my feet as I pushed into the heavier smoke engulfing the hall. My fingers followed the wall and I attempted to slow my breathing to limit the amounts of smoke inhaled, nearing the stairwell and starting to see the bright glow coming from downstairs through the blurred fog.
The stairs felt unfamiliar, unlevel and treacherous as I gripped the bending railing for support, each step feeling like it was slowly morphing as I continued down. The world around me was twisting and turning, a warped reality as I stumbled down the final steps and searched for the handle of the front door.
The wood was splintering as I ran my hand across it, the absence of the hot metal granting me the ability of escape catching me by alarm and I dropped to my knees and continued my search in vain. My vision was closing in, the lack of oxygen catching up to me as I screamed through my gasps, my body sinking into panic as I turned around to the flames quickly approaching behind me.
"LET ME OUT!" The lines of reality and nightmare blurred as my screams echoed through my room, bolting awake as I frantically fumbled for the light on my nightstand in search for confirmation that the room wasn't being quickly engulfed by flames.
The light now pouring over the room confirming my safety brought little reassurance as I pulled my knees to my chest and settled my forehead on my knees, trying to calm my breathing as I shook beneath the sheets. The old recurring nightmare with the skewed events of that night once again returning and rearing its angry teeth, the consuming fear of failure to escape ringing in my ears continuing to overpower my thoughts, all sending a heat through my veins as I struggled for breath.
My door flew open with a pound as Changbin stood strong in the doorway, before then rushing to my bedside and taking a seat at the foot with hesitation of touch as his soft words tried to cut through my panic.
"Hey, hey, hey." His hands gently settled on my feet through the blanket, his immediate alert stance melting away as he tried to calm me. "You're okay, you're safe." I focused on his words and the subtle pressure applied, pulling me back in my body slowly and grounding me, my chest raising and lowering with each slow, shaky breath. I pulled my hands to my face, settling my icy fingertips onto my eyes, skin feeling clammy and broken out in a cold sweat. "Nightmare?" His words stayed quiet, keeping his question short.
I managed a silent nod as Hyunjin appeared in the open doorway, surely they had heard my screams through our shared walls, finding alarm in the abrupt noises in the night. The two shared a silent exchange, Changbin informing Hyunjin of the situation by mouthing his words and allowing him back to sleep. One of his hands gently rubbed my shin, the other staying planted on my foot as he continued his calming affirmations of safety, ensuring that nothing was going to happen and destroying the false reality my brain had replayed for me in vivid detail. I finally raised my head, blinking as my eyes adapted to the light.
"I-I'm sorry for waking you, I'm fine. It's fine." I finally croaked out, my voice struggling to function, not sure if the claim was to settle him or myself more.
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Tiger Inside ||Stray Kids Mafia AU||
Fanfiction"We need to have a talk." My fingers trembled as they traced the words on the paper. Y/n. They knew my name. My pulse began to race, breathing increasing significantly. My eyes flicked between my front door and my sliding door out to the patio, ensu...
